May 2006

La Trobe UNIVERSITY

NEWNEW LABLAB for life and death research

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IN THIS ISSUE Scholarships help Murrumbidgee Basin 2 New laboratory for life and death research 3 Lessons from ‘switched on’ queen bees 4 New role to boost regional Engineering development aid 5 Research in Action scholarships Simplifying with theory of complex systems 6 help Murrumbidgee Basin Electronic ‘nose’ to detect sheep parasites 7 How did China’s first states emerge? 8 La Trobe University has been awarded a $145,000 grant from Excavating for answers the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) through the about our origin 9 Pratt Water Program, to establish a new industry-supported $600,000 Analysing rhythms and FRRR – La Trobe Civil Engineering Scholarship Scheme. melody of speech 10 The pilot project aims to help overcome a critical shortage of civil Exercise – for disability and depression 11 engineers in the Murrumbidgee Basin and to support infrastructure development to meet the region’s environmental and water management needs. Gift for campus on the mooove 12 La Trobe honours retiring It will fund ten four-year civil engineering scholarships for Chancellor 13 students to study the Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) at the Bendigo Books: Study of New campus. With the FRRR and industry partner contributions and Yorker’s finest 14 vacation employment, each scholarship is valued at $44,000. La Trobe artist wins Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Stoddart, said the project ‘A Place in the World’ 15 will help develop practical solutions to meet critical shortages of Open Days 2006 16 engineers in regional communities. ‘There is significant potential for new partners to expand on this program and provide a model for other regional areas.’ Professor Stoddart said the FRRR grant recognised the quality and regional focus of the La Trobe University civil engineering program. ‘Students will come from the Murrumbidgee catchment and be co- sponsored by industry partners. They will be provided with relevant vacation employment to attract them to stay in the area after they graduate. FRRR Chairman, former leader of the National Party, Mr Ian Sinclair, said his organisation championed the economic and social Cover: Federation Fellow, Professor strength of ’s regional, rural and remote communities David Vaux, with PhD through partnerships with the private sector, philanthropy and student, Maria Miasari. Background image: governments. Scanning electron micrograph (false ‘We consider this partnership with La Trobe University and the colour) of a white blood Pratt Foundation as a key program to help our rural communities cell, right, killing a cancer cell – see Life and achieve their economic aspirations, whilst ensuring the careful death research, page 3. management of our environment.’

The La Trobe University Bulletin is published ten times The Murrumbidgee Catchment covers some 84,000 square a year by Marketing & Communications, La Trobe kilometres. It includes Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Balranald, Griffith, University. Articles may be reproduced with acknowledgement. and Yass. Enquiries and submissions to the editor, Ernest Raetz, Irrigated agriculture in the Basin contributes 42 per cent of New La Trobe University, Victoria. 3086 Australia Tel: (03) 9479 2315, Fax (03) 9479 1387 South Wales’ grapes and half of Australia’s rice production. Dryland Email: [email protected] salinity is estimated to cost the region at least $43m per year. Articles: Noel Carrick, Tim Thwaites, Ernest Raetz • Photos: La Trobe University PDI Design: Campus Graphics, 71414 The FRRR /La Trobe Civil Engineering Scholarship Scheme will La Trobe University. begin in 2007 and applications will be advertised through schools Printed by Work & Turner. Website: www.latrobe.edu.au/bulletin and local media later this year. Images: Water Pratt

 La Trobe University BULLETIN January February 2006

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 2 26/5/06 10:50:34 AM news La Trobe sets up new laboratory into life and death research La Trobe University now has a better the process of apoptosis is critical to claim than most Australian universities understanding human health, and is to be studying matters of life and death. leading to the development of therapeutic That’s the whole focus of a rapidly drugs. expanding research group developing Professor Vaux is the man who initiated around Federation Fellow, Professor interest in cell death by finding the first David Vaux. molecular component of the apoptosis Already researchers in three mechanism. He published his discovery laboratories, working with mice, insects in 1988 in the influential scientific journal and yeast, are beavering away at several Nature, in a paper that has become the aspects of the nature of programmed cell most highly cited primary publication

La Trobe’s new ‘cell death’ research group, with death and its potential applications to from Australia in the past twenty years. Professor Vaux, right, and Dr Silke, third from left. human health. The field he opened up is now the subject Programmed cell death – or apoptosis of thousands of papers a year. In 2004, – is now known to be just as important as he was awarded the Victoria Prize for his cell division in the growth, development efforts. and defence of multicellular organisms. Earlier this year, Professor Vaux moved Every second about a million cells are to La Trobe from the Walter and Eliza produced by cell division in the human Hall Institute (WEHI) as a Federation body, and about the same number commit Fellow. The fellowship scheme was suicide. If this didn’t happen, the cellular originally established to entice successful build-up would give rise to cancers. researchers back to Australia. Federation However, if the suicide mechanism Fellowships are now awarded to malfunctions and cells destroy themselves researchers within Australia, to encourage unnecessarily, it can increase the them to build up new centres of expertise. damage in heart attacks, strokes and nerve degeneration. So, knowledge of Continued page 4 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006 

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builds on a tradition of honey bee research at the University and Lessons from relates to Professor Vaux’s lifelong interest in cell death. Queen and worker bees are both females and carry the same complement of genes. But they have very different life histories. ‘switched on’ Whereas workers are sterile and rarely live beyond six weeks, the queen bees lifespan of the larger, fertile queens can be up to six years. The researchers first looked to see whether the extended life of the queens is due to replacement of their cells with newly divided ones, or because the individual cells of the queens have a longer lifespan than those of the workers. To do so, they injected queens with a DNA analogue that is incorporated into the DNA when cells divide. They found that the only cells actively replicating in queen bees were in their ovaries, as one would expect in a fertile female. Because none of the other cells had divided, it appears that all the other cells were long-lived. And that implies that the queens possess an intracellular maintenance system which is not switched on in the workers. Professor Vaux says the genes encoding the molecular mechanism of such a system could well have relatives in mammals A La Trobe honours student is working with Federation that work to prevent and patch up damage in cells, and generally Fellow, Professor David Vaux, to find out how queen bees maintain them. If so, future research to reveal how the system maintain their youth. Sam Dyer’s work represents a new line of works could have useful medical spinoffs. investigation for Professor Vaux since moving to La Trobe. It •

Continued from page 3 Because IAP genes seem to be turned on at high levels in a number of different Life and death research human cancers, drug companies also are interested in IAPs. Stopping them from And that’s the reason why Professor Vaux inhibitors known as inhibitors of apoptosis functioning could be a potent way of was so interested in coming to La Trobe. proteins (IAPs). killing cancer cells. Professor Vaux and ‘WEHI is full to bursting,’ he says. ‘At ‘The first IAPs were found in viruses Dr Silke are working in collaboration with La Trobe, there is more space and loads of that affect insect cells,’ Professor Vaux a US company that has produced potent potential – and the core of researchers at says. ‘Viruses use cells to replicate, so inhibitors of IAPs. the School of Molecular Sciences is world cells often try to kill themselves in an Meanwhile, Dr Hawkins is using class.’ altruistic attempt to stop viral yeast to study both mammal and insect Although the University is committed replication. components of programmed cell to match the Federal Government’s death. Yeast has no apoptosis funding of $250,000 a year for five years, mechanism of its own, Federation Fellows like Professor Vaux and so is useful as a can help in the quest to recruit talented ‘living test-tube’ for young researchers, build critical mass, attempts to recreate and boost research ranking. the pathways. And that’s just what is happening. One Of the of the attractions for Professor Vaux of post-doctoral coming to La Trobe was to be able to researchers, continue to work with Dr John Silke, who Dr Vince is

moved with him from WEHI. Dr Silke looking at

now has a tenured position and his own members of the

laboratory at the University, as does Dr tumour necrosis But viruses Christine Hawkins who has come from the factor (TNF) have fought back Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. superfamily of by carrying cell death Add to that two post-doctoral fellows, Drs receptors, and Dr Callus inhibitors, that help them Bernard Callus and James Vince, a senior is investigating how two of create zombie cells so they have research assistant from WEHI, Ms Diep the key killer proteins initiate more time to replicate.’ Chau, three doctoral students and another apoptosis. And, as if that wasn’t enough, three honours students, and you have the The two researchers have concentrated Professor Vaux has begun another line beginnings of a powerful research cluster. on three mammal IAPs: cIAP1, cIAP2 and of research involving cell death – in this XIAP. They have knocked out the genes case studying aging in honey bees (see Professor Vaux and Dr Silke head for XIAP in mice, and are now working on above). laboratories studying a family of cell death the genes for cIAP1 and 2 as well. •

 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

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Professor McPherson and Ms Lee sort through early scholarship applications. Formerly head of the Department of Foreign Affairs funded Indian Ocean Centre at Curtin University, WA, and a member of the government advisory body, the Australia India Council, Professor McPherson’s new La Trobe post came after three years as Mercator Professor and Fellow at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Akin to Rhodes scholars, Mercator appointments are for senior academics. New role for La Trobe to boost Professor McPherson’s was the first Mercator award in the humanities in the scheme’s fifty year history. He continues regional development aid as a Visiting Professor and Fellow at Heidelberg. Professor McPherson holds a PhD in South Asian History from the ANU a Trobe University Adjunct Professor and Senior disaster mitigation; social and taught at Curtin for 25 years. is playing a key role in Development Adviser, exclusion and disadvantage; LAustralia’s new push to Kenneth McPherson. LIISA and natural resources. One boost development aid in South administrator, Tracy Lee, of SARF’s first tasks has Asia. It has been awarded a has been appointed Projects been to select candidates from contract to administer SARF Officer. the region for up to six PhD – the South Asia Research Professor McPherson says scholarships. The three-year Facility – a $1.5 million SARF has been set up under scholarships, are tenable at project to help provide long- the Department of Foreign Australian universities with term regional development aid Affairs’ AusAID scheme AusAID covering full living through targeted research and and the Asia Pacific Futures allowance, fares and visa costs doctoral scholarships. Research Network of the and the recipient Australian The contract follows the Australian Research Council. universities covering tuition establishment at the University It supports research projects fees and supervision. late last year of the La Trobe at Australian universities on SARF Foundation Institute for India and South Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Committee members include 2005. The five-year contract Asia (LIISA) and coincides the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, La Trobe Vice-Chancellor, for SARF was signed by the with the Federal Government and Sri Lanka, and provides a Professor Brian Stoddart, University last November. White Paper on overseas aid number of PhD scholarships and Dr Linda Bennett from SARF will also organise announced in late April by for citizens of these countries the University’s Australian an annual conference to Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr to study at Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health update AusAID on the latest Alexander Downer. universities. and Society. Other members development issues, including Mr Downer says with other Nominated research fields are from AusAID, the specifically commissioned donor nations increasingly relate to basic services Australian National University, research on key topics of their focusing on Africa, the world such as education, health Monash University, Curtin nomination. University of Technology, is looking to Australia to play care, water and sanitation; Professor Stoddart says a a leadership role on certain good government, which Perth, and the University of Technology, Sydney. major feature of the success of development issues in the includes institution-building, the collaboration with AusAID Asia-Pacific region where local government and anti- Professor Stoddart says was due to the Network’s 700 million people still live in corruption; the achievement the scheme grew from the ability to draw on research poverty and almost two billion of sustainable growth; inaugural South Asia Node expertise around Australia, on less than $2 a day. HIV/AIDS; security and meeting of the Asia Pacific regardless of institutional The Director of SARF is conflict issues affecting Futures Research Network affiliation. La Trobe’s newly appointed development; natural held in Sydney in February •

La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006 

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Making things simpler with the theory of complex systems

What do the intricate Dr van Veen is applying I am examining what kind of research underway at La Trobe the theory in three fields: mathematical structures are illustrated MASCOS’s mission. activities in the cortex turbulence, brain dynamics and involved in turbulence, what This is to stimulate research of our brain, and population dynamics. happens at the mathematical activity in the mathematical and the turbulence that However Professor Quispel level,’ he said. statistical modelling of complex and Dr van Veen say the area He hopes that information systems and to encourage the rocks jetliners, have in of application is much wider gained from the new approach cross fertilisation and application common? and enables mathematicians will have practical applications of ideas and techniques from to unravel the complexities in a number of areas including different areas of mathematics to Both, say La Trobe University of such things as the reducing friction in gas and fluid the analysis of complex systems. mathematicians, are ‘complex internet, air traffic control, pipelines and aircraft design. The Centre has defined systems’ whose mysteries irrigation, robotics, power Dr van Veen is also seven research themes chosen are being unravelled by the distribution, communications, collaborating with colleagues because of their impact application of the theory of manufacturing and finance. at Swinburne University who on knowledge creation or complex systems, a rapidly A problem for mathematicians have developed a mathe- applicability to industry. emerging mathematical science has been to define complex matical model of the human They are critical phenomena; linking pure mathematics with systems in terms that a lay cortex in their study of brain Monte Carlo methods; dynamical a myriad of applications. person can understand. dynamics. systems; risk modelling; La Trobe, as one of the five Both agree with a definition He is working on scientific computation; statistical university members of the Centre published in the journal mathematical aspects of the modelling of complex systems; of Excellence for Mathematics Science which described functioning of the cortex and modelling and control of and Statistics of Complex complex systems as having – the ‘walnut’ shaped part of complex systems. Systems (MASCOS), is playing an evolution very sensitive to the brain where many vital In addition to its research a leading role in Australia in initial conditions or to small functions such as speech are program, the Centre organises the application of this theory to perturbations, one in which processed. and funds conferences, seminars everyday situations. the number of independent ‘From a mathematical and courses for students, Professor of Mathematics, interacting components is perspective, the mathematical researchers and industry. It also Reinout Quispel, is one large, or one in which there are model for turbulence and that maintains a vigorous industry of MASCOS’ 13 Chief multiple pathways by which for the cortex of the brain are outreach program, collaborating Investigators and La Trobe the system can evolve. very similar,’ Dr van Veen said. with organisations such as is attracting international medical research institutes, Dr van Veen, who obtained He is also working with postgraduate students and government departments, his PhD from the University Indonesian masters student postdoctoral research fellows financial institutions and of Utrecht before spending Mr Ivanky Saputry on an in this area of study. manufacturing companies. two years at the University of area of population dynamics One currently working with Kyoto studying fluid dynamics, concerning the roles of The ARC is funding Professor Quispel is Dr Lennaert is using the theory of complex predators and prey in fish MASCOS to the tune of $11 van Veen whose postdoctoral systems for a new approach to populations which may million dollars between 2003 studies in complex systems turbulence. eventually have practical and 2007, the largest single is sponsored 75 per cent by ‘Using the increased compu- bearing on the fishing industry. grant for mathematics research MASCOS and 25 per cent by tational power now available, ever provided in Australia. La Trobe. Professor Quispel said that the •

 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 6 26/5/06 10:51:01 AM Research in action with the help of seb, the sniffer shepherd, la trobe scientists are developing an Electronic ‘nose’ to detect sheep parasites

eb, a female German Shepherd, has accelerants at fire scenes, weeds, drugs, With further training, Seb’s skill been trained to detect gastrointestinal explosives, moth eggs and termites. increased to the extent that she can detect Snematodes – nasty internal parasites ‘So we set out to ascertain whether the the presence of infections with between – in sheep. presence of intestinal parasites in sheep 80 and 90 per cent accuracy. Her skill, developed by agricultural could be detected by their scent,’ Dr ‘Once Seb had helped us ascertain scientists at La Trobe University, is Sandeman said. that the parasites had odours and could paving the way for an electronic hand In early 2005, Dr Sandeman, be detected by smell, the next step was held device to detect sheep parasites that research student Ms Kate Richards and to isolate the odour molecules of the could save the Australian sheep industry PhD student Mr Steve Cotton of the different parasites,’ said Dr Sandeman. millions of dollars a year. University’s Parasite Control Laboratory, A PhD student, Ms Jacqueline Burgess, Researchers in La Trobe’s Department obtained two female German Shepherd supervised by Dr Sandeman and Dr of Agricultural Sciences are confident puppies called Elle and SEB (Scent John Traeger, a Reader in La Trobe’s they will have a prototype of the device Experiment B). Department of Chemistry, began working within five years. With the help of a professional dog with a mass spectrometer to detect the The Head of the Department and trainer, Mr Glenn Williams, they set out specific molecules associated with the Associate Professor, Dr Mark Sandeman, to determine whether gastrointestinal odour of parasites. says that gastrointestinal nematodes are nematodes had an odour, whether ‘This work is proceeding well. We responsible for serious production losses different species had individual odours, have already isolated odour molecules associated with Telodorsagia, the small brown stomach worm common in sheep in Australia. This worm is very closely related to a worm common in cattle, potentially extending the system to detecting parasites in cattle,’ Dr Sandeman said. ‘If we can find the odour compounds peculiar to the major parasite infections, we could then design an electronic “nose” to detect them. Initially we are planning to design a small hand-held device by which a farmer could check individual animals. ‘It’s a long way off but the detector might ultimately be refined, using biosensor technology and “pervasive” computing – the science of interconnecting “smart devices”– to have sheep checked automatically for parasites. ‘Sheep, which can already be trained Dr Sandeman, Seb, and research student, Ms Richards. to walk over a detector in their paddock once a day to check their weight, for Australian sheep farmers. Many and if so, whether a dog could detect could at the same time be scanned research projects had been undertaken to them. automatically for parasites. The ear tag number of any sheep with parasites overcome the problem which has become They did this by placing bags of faeces would be automatically transmitted to the worse as many parasites have become from infected sheep among bags of faeces farmer’s computer,’ Dr Sandeman said. resistant to drug treatment. from healthy sheep. After six months ‘We decided on a different approach. of patient, painstaking training using a The Australian Sheep Industry Scents, and the use of sniffer dogs to response and rewards method, Seb was Cooperative Research Centre is funding detect them, are used to determine the able to detect the infected faeces by its the research. • presences of a number of substances odour. Elle failed and was ’voted’ off the including bladder cancer in humans, project.

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How did China’s first states emerge?

id efficient peasants of crops grown and the changes in producing more food than they agricultural practices. Dcould consume contribute to the These changes will be compared with emergence of the first states? other archaeological evidence including Did those who ate their excess food the development of settlements and their have time to produce other goods – and hierarchies, mortuary practices, scales even play politics? of population centres, and production of These are intriguing questions being goods. investigated by La Trobe University ‘My work will articulate how changes in archaeobotanist, Dr Gyoung-Ah Lee, who agriculture may have played a part in the is researching the relationship between overall socio-political changes,’ Dr Lee economic changes and the development of said. ‘social complexity’ in early China. She believes she is among the first to A postdoctoral fellow in La Trobe’s engage in in-depth research on changes Archaeology Program, Dr Lee is in agricultural practice and distribution examining how the development of of food resources in the region which is agriculture in the Yiluo Region of known as ‘the heartland of civilizations’. Henan Province in northern China over Dr Lee began her analysis of material a 5000 year period – until about 1500 from the region when she gained BC – influenced the progress of political access to 850 archaeobotanical samples development. gathered since 1998 by archaeologists She is involved in a series of ‘digs’ at a including Professor Li Liu of La Trobe’s number of sites, including ‘loess’ terraces Archaeology Program. cut into the banks of the Yiluo River, a Professor Liu is a world authority tributary of the Yellow River, flowing on the Erlitou culture which through rich alluvial plains, densely arose in the area between about populated throughout history and the site 1900 to1500 BC and, although of some of the first known states. subject to dispute among (Loess is solidified fine wind-borne archaeologists, is believed dust blown in from Outer Mongolia over to have produced the first thousands of years.) political groupings or ancient Dr Lee said that societies in the region states in China. became increasingly hierarchical over Dr Lee began working in time, and the earliest urban centres 2003 on samples originally developed there. collected by Professor Liu and By analysing the botanical content, Chinese archaeologists and has including food crops and weeds, and returned there, and to other sites, in Dr Lee and her excavation crew 2004 and 2005 gathering additional pollen from loess samples from different at the Huizui site. dates over the 5000 year period, Dr Lee samples. will construct a picture of the kinds She said one clue indicating change

 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

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is the influence of the cultivation of rice as opposed to different kinds of crops including millet, wheat, and soybean. ‘Rice has a higher symbolic value as well as calorific value which means that people eating it have more energy. Interestingly, rice and rice paddy weeds were present only in large centres in the period before the emergence of states – called Longshan Period – which preceded the Erlitou period. ‘The types of artifacts and other evidence from this period indicate that the complexity of society drastically increased from the late Longshan to the Erlitou periods. ‘Rice may have been considered a special luxurious food for elite groups and I suspect that intensification of rice farming may have resulted from increased social complexity and the elites’ demands for luxurious items.’ Dr Lee believes that large centres and small villages may have developed Excavating in China for tight bonds through the network of food and that this bonding consolidated into political unity. an answer to the great Dr Lee was surprised to discover that one ancient agricultural practice has not question about our origins changed over millennia – the burning of crop stubble. La Trobe University archaeologist has been influenced by changing climate One of the sites where she is digging is is part of an international team many times over millennia. called Huizui, which means ‘Ash mouth’. A attempting to throw light on the current There is evidence among the material The team is using stone artefacts plus debate on the origins of the human race. excavated that 5000 years ago the peasants plant and animal fossils found in the burned their crop stubble. Did humans spread from Africa to other loess to detect evidence of two important areas where they replaced local hominid factors. One is the climatic changes during ‘I have watched farmers in the same groups – the ‘Out of Africa’ model? the middle and upper Pleistocene Age, area today doing exactly the same thing,’ between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago, she said. Or did they evolve separately in • different localities – the ‘Regional and the other is how people adapted to Continuity’ model? those changes. Dr Richard Cosgrove, a senior lecturer For two reasons, the areas covered in a La Trobe’s Archaeology Program, is in loess in Central China have turned part of a team excavating in central China out to be a unique hunting ground for hoping to ‘unearth’ evidence that will archaeologists. contribute significantly to the resolution Firstly, loess, because it contains large of the debate. amounts of calcium carbonate, preserves Dr Cosgrove and his colleagues, Dr vitally important animal and vegetable Shejiang Wang, a La Trobe postdoctoral clues for archaeologists, among them fellow, Dr Chen Shen of the Royal Ontario bones, pollen, and other material. Museum, and Professor Huaya Lu of the Secondly, this evidence of human Chinese Academy of Sciences in Xian, settlement over thousands of years has have received an ARC $368,000 grant been gradually buried under the loess, over three years to find evidence to help leaving behind what was first believed to resolve the question. be an exact ‘chronological’ ordering of For the next three years they will human development. excavate into layers up to 300 metres deep In theory, because of river downing- of loess – solidified fine wind-borne dust cutting, the higher up the mountains, the still being blown in from Outer Mongolia older the loess deposits, but this is has – at several sites in the Lounam Basin been complicated because wind and water in central China. This is the geographic divide between north and south China that Continued page 10 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006 

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Analysing rhythms and melody of speech

hy does artificial speech techniques, such as electromagnetic struggle when asked to produce a longer emanating from a computer articulography which tracks the string of sounds. It’s as if producing the Wsound so dull and flat, so robotic movement of the tongue, lips and jaw, consonants and vowels is hard enough, – so unhuman? and electropalatography, which measures but adding rhythm and melody is just too It is, according to La Trobe University contact between the tongue and the palate. much. phonetician Dr Marija Tabain, because the She will work with voice recordings in ‘A better understanding of the current generation of computers cannot three languages: English, French and the interaction between speech sounds control how consonants and vowels Australian Aboriginal language, Arrernte, and prosodic structure will lead to interact with the rhythm and melody of spoken in and around Alice Springs. improvements in the treatment of speech speech. Dr Tabain said that the structure disorders, and in the quality of human- But now there is hope that the voice of different languages influenced the machine communication.’ • of speaking computers of the future may interaction of consonants and vowels with sound more like ours. speech melody and rhythm. Continued from page 9 And, more importantly, there is hope For example, French speakers tend to that speech therapists working to improve control their tongue and lip movements Excavating in China the speech of brain damaged people may for ‘i’ and ‘u’ much more carefully than be able to devise more effective therapies. do English speakers. The French vowels activity have cut through and shifted some loess deposits. Dr Tabain was recently awarded a are relatively less affected by the rhythm $150,000 ARC Discovery Grant over and melody of the language than are the ‘Nevertheless we have a great three years to research into an area of English vowels. This is because French opportunity to see how human behaviour speech called prosody – the science of the has a special vowel found in words like changed through time by examining the rhythm and pitch of speech. ‘tu’ (‘you’), which is easily confused for artefacts and other material at different ‘i’ or ‘u’ in some situations. levels in the loess,’ says Dr Cosgrove. While emphasising that her project is basic research, she says her results ‘And of course, almost nothing is ‘We use the bones to tell us about will feed into future outcomes such as known about how consonants and vowels climate because the kinds of animals improving computer articulation and interact with the rhythm and melody which lived there when the climate was speech therapy. of speech in Australian Aboriginal warm were different from those which languages,’ said Dr Tabain. existed when it was cold. The plant and To do this Dr Tabain will work with bone remains tell us about human food, acoustic recordings, and then use ‘The importance of rhythm and melody hunting and butchering techniques and sophisticated computer techniques to to the naturalness of speech is seen past vegetation patterns.’ analyse the sounds. in some speakers who have suffered traumatic brain injury. They perform well The team will spend June to August, In addition she will use other when asked to utter a short word, but the spring season, on site for the next three years excavating four cave sites and four river terraces which have been occupied for thousands of years. ‘It is slow painstaking work, using trowels and sieves to collect tiny pieces of material which can be tested by a number of dating techniques,’ Dr Cosgrove said. ‘We would like to be able to gather enough evidence to learn approximately when modern humans became “modern” and whether they evolved in this place. ‘If we can find a sequence of hominid skeletal remains which show gradual evolutionary change, that would tend to support the “Regional Continuity” model of the origin of humans. ‘On the other hand, if we discover evidence of early hominid forms, and then find a large break in time before we find evidence of modern hominids, that would support the ‘Out of Africa’ model.’ • 10 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

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La Trobe University training DVD to help young A people with cerebral palsy has been voted the year’s best Training DVD audiovisual product by the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. for young people The DVD – which was also a finalist in the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation’s ‘Go for Your Life’ awards – assists young people with cerebral palsy, their families, health professionals and with a disability fitness specialists to use strength training with weights to overcome muscle weakness. wins award The new exercise program follows four years of research by a team which included the Head of La Trobe’s School of Physiotherapy, Professor Karen Dodd, and senior lecturer, Dr Nicholas Taylor. The La Trobe researchers worked with Professor Kerr Graham, Director of the Hugh Williamson Gait Laboratory at the Royal Children’s Hospital in , to demonstrate for the first time the beneficial effects of strength training. Previously, physiotherapists had believed such treatment had no benefits. The team published 15 research papers on various aspects of the research in peer-reviewed journals around the world. Professor Dodd says the new treatment has significantly changed thinking about the management of cerebral palsy. A world authority on exercise treatment of people with injuries or sickness resulting from brain damage, Professor Dodd says the DVD provides ‘instructions about simple, effective workouts and valuable information which shows how strength training fits with current management of cerebral palsy.’ It was produced by La Trobe and made by the University’s multimedia production unit, COMET, with support from the Australian Barbell Company and the Clinical Centre for Research Excellence in Gait Rehabilitation. Professor Dodd said the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine is the world’s leading research organisation dealing with cerebral palsy and chronic disabilities. She said the award will be presented at the Academy’s annual meeting to be held in Boston, USA, in September. • The DVD can be obtained from [email protected] Lifting the weight of depression La Trobe University of the School of Physiotherapy, Professor Dodd and Dr Taylor The research involves physiotherapists are embar- and senior lecturer Dr Nicholas are well known internationally following over the course of a king on research to ascertain Taylor, is currently recruiting for research on the effect of year volunteers who have had whether exercise can reduce participants through GPs, strength training on cerebral a stroke and asking about their depression in people who have hospitals and rehabilitation palsy and other brain-damaged recovery process and their experienced a stroke. programs. patients that has altered thinking health at four different times. With colleagues from the Beyondblue – the national among health professionals on Some volunteers will undergo , they depression initiative – is a the most effective rehabilitation. strength training by exercising have received an $85,000 non-government Australian The researchers will assess with weights to ascertain its grant from Beyondblue to look organisation providing factors that influence people’s contribution to well-being at the effects of exercise on 64 information about depression recovery from a stroke and, and reduced depression. The people after stroke. to people with depression further, will explore whether exercise program will be La Trobe’s team, comprising and their families, carers and exercise can improve well- conducted at the Hawthorn Professor Karen Dodd, Head health professionals. being and reduce depression. Aquatic and Leisure Centre. • La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006 11

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 11 26/5/06 10:51:16 AM news ‘Millisia brevis’ Gift for bacteria that bears her name campus on the As part of PhD research into bacteria Professor Millis, who continues to chair causing foaming in wastewater treatment the national board of the Cooperative plants, Dr Jacques Soddell at the Bendigo Research Centre for Water Quality and mooove campus – working with a group at Treatment, a role she has held since 1995, the University of Newcastle, England said she was delighted to have the bacteria – identified a new genus in a family of named after her – notwithstanding its bacteria. less than glamorous function in the waste Professor of Microbiology and Head of water cycle. the University’s Waste Water Research Laboratory on the Bendigo campus, Nancy Millis Lecture Robert Seviour, who supervised the Another enduring legacy is La Trobe research, said only eight genera are University’s annual signature science currently recognised in this family of event – the Nancy Millis Lecture. Now bacteria. in its seventh year, it will be presented ‘Convention has been to name these in October by Australian of the Year, after eminent microbiologists who have Professor Ian Frazer, Director of the made important contributions to their Centre for Immunology and Cancer study or the environments from which he may look a bit minimalist Research at the University of Queensland. they were isolated. Dr Soddell thought he next to Moomaid or Goldie Horn, The lecture, dealing with infection and should follow this tradition, and decided below, but this gift from the Greater cancer, will be held on Tuesday, 10 S to name this new genus Millisia after Shepparton City Council has given October, 6 pm West Lecture Theatre 1, on Professor Millis, in recognition of her La Trobe University a firm hoof-hold in the University’s main Melbourne campus contributions to water microbiology, and the artistic life of the region. at Bundoora. Previous lecturers have his strain Millisia brevis, reflecting its included Professors Peter Doherty, Sir Since it was introduced five years morphological features.’ ago, Shepparton’s life-sized parade of Gustav Nossal and . Professor Seviour said after a lengthy • fibreglass sculpted cows has become a process of review, the research paper great promotional device for the central naming the new Victorian town. Collections have been genus was accepted displayed around the world, at the Royal by the International Melbourne Agricultural Journal of Systematic Show – and any tourist and Evolutionary to Shepparton today Microbiology. It was is hard-pressed to published in April avoid them. – the month of Professor Millis’ retirement as Chancellor. So the genus name Millisia will from now sit in the textbooks alongside other bacteria known Sponsored and Nocardia, by local industry, some feature art works Gordonia, which range from reproductions of Dali Dietzia and and da Vinci to originals by Ken Done. Williamsia. Head of the Shepparton Campus, Elizabeth Lavender, said the Council presented the cow as a symbol of its support for the University. La Trobe earlier this year announced plans for its new campus building, part of the Shepparton Education Precinct. A local artist, ‘Tank’, designed and painted the Professor Millis with cow. Professor Seviour Ms Lavender said the sculpture will and the journal eventually be located in front of the new carrying news of the newly discovered University building. • bacteria.

12 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 12 26/5/06 10:51:25 AM A special moment: standing ovation for Professor Millis afternews her final award conferring ceremony.

La Trobe honours retiring Chancellor

A standing ovation, an Albury-Wodonga campus. Millis has been widely shore. She has taken particular honorary doctorate – and Conferring ceremonies – where acknowledged for strengthening pleasure in the provision and newly identified bacteria she has presented degrees the links between universities, expansion of quality education and diplomas to an estimated industry, science, and the to regional Victoria, giving that carry her name … 30,000 graduates during the last public. communities access to new These were three of many 14 years – are the most public ‘This is not so much a education opportunities. acknowledgements for role of a University Chancellor. farewell to Nancy Millis, but A pioneer in biotechnology, La Trobe University’s longest- Coinciding with her to mark the end of her formal Professor Millis’ research serving Chancellor, eminent retirement, the April issue of involvement with us, because in microbial physiology, biological scientist Emeritus the International Journal of no doubt we will still see a lot fermentation technology Professor Nancy Millis. Systematic and Evolutionary of her, as she is a very warm and waste management has Officially, the University Microbiology reported a newly supporter of the University. Her established her international honoured the Chancellor, discovered bacterium named long period of service to us has reputation as one of Australia’s who retired from her role in Millisa brevis in recognition of been greatly valued and her leading scientists. late April, with the award of Professor Millis’s contribution impact upon the University will She played a key national the degree Doctor of Science to water microbiology (see be felt for a very long time. role as Chairman of the (honoris causa). page 12). ‘Nancy Millis has presided Monitoring Committee for The degree was conferred A ‘legend’ in the world over a period of major growth Recombinant DNA during the upon Professor Millis by the of science – she was one of and development for La Trobe 1980s and Chairman of the new Chancellor, Mrs Sylvia only five Australian scientists during what have been Genetic Manipulation Advisory Walton (see March issue). The recognised on the ‘Australian extremely difficult times for Committee from 1988 to 2001. award recognised Professor Legends’ series of stamps in the sector nationally, and that An outstanding teacher, Millis’ outstanding contributions 2002 – Professor Millis has makes her work on our behalf her book, Biochemical to Australian science and to her credit a string of more even more meritorious.’ Engineering, is still a standard her great service to La Trobe conventional scientific and Professor Millis has been text. In 1992 the Victorian University. civic accolades, including an an active supporter of the Government established the MBE and a Companion of the Professor Millis also expansion of research into new Nancy Millis Research Award Order of Australia. received a standing ovation areas and welcomed the large to support doctoral researchers after presiding over her final Vice-Chancellor, Professor growth in international student working in the agricultural graduation ceremony on the Brian Stoddart, said Professor enrolments both on and off disciplines. • La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006 13

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 13 26/5/06 10:51:32 AM books A STUDY OF NEW YORKER’s FINEST The New Yorker magazine has tongue – a peculiarity that against this and a new Both Dr Temple-Smith dotted its pages for decades still bugs journalists, writers, genderless pronoun per – short and Professor Gifford have with cartoons that have amused teachers of English and others. for person – was mooted. contributed chapters as have and sometimes puzzled its It’s the non-existent genderless However this simply did not other La Trobe academic staff readers. third person pronoun which catch on. members, Professor Marian Four cartoonists stand out for should have a place alongside The result is that there has Pitts, Professor Anthony their charm, wit, sophistication he, she, it and they. been an internal shift within Smith, Ms Anne Mitchell, Dr Colette Browning and Ms and often disarming humour, Take this sentence for the pronoun system. In earlier Elizabeth Brown. Peter Arno, William Steig, example: When a lawyer times you was used just for Charles Addams and Saul establishes a new second person plural but later Dr Temple-Smith said the Steinberg. practice he / she / it book looked at sexual health Dr Iain Topliss, a senior must build up a client in Australia from a modern lecturer in La Trobe’s English base. perspective. Program, has published a None of the three, ‘For much of the book in which he describes he, she or it, is last century, sexual the work and techniques of the appropriate because health was construed four cartoonists published in the lawyer could as freedom from sexual the magazine between 1925 be either a man or disease. Sexual health and 1975. a woman and is is now seen as multi- Entitled Comic Worlds, the certainly not an it. dimensional, the product book is published by the Johns But there is simply of complex interplay Hopkins University Press. no such genderless between biological, psychological, and socio- Dr Topliss examines the single third cultural factors,’ she said. quartet’s different kinds of person pronoun, humour, traces the development a weakness that of their art and recalls the English shares PUBLIC POLICY cultural and social context in with a number of Dr Ewen Michael has which it was created. other languages. written a new book He delves into the nature of The lack of called Public Policy: The humour and the elements that the genderless Competitive Framework. make cartoons funny, paying third person The publication marked special attention to matters of pronoun is one the first anniversary of style and technique. of the strange La Trobe University’s Public aspects of our Sector Governance and Dr Topliss draws particular language which Professor Accountability Research attention to the ways the four Robert Dixon tackles in his new Centre (PSGARC). artists mocked the status book A Semantic Approach to quo without alienating the replaced thou to cover second Dr Michael is a senior English Grammar. magazine’s readers. He even person singular. lecturer in economics and argues that the New Yorker The Director of La Trobe policy in La Trobe’s School cartoons helped define Ameri- University’s Research Centre NEW BOOK ON of Sport, Tourism and can consciousness in the mid for Linguistic Typology and AUSTRALIA’S SEXUAL Hospitality Management 20th century. world renowned linguistic within the Faculty of Law and researcher, Professor Dixon HEALTH Management. Dr Topliss was recently has produced the second awarded a Jackson Brothers Two La Trobe University He was the School’s deputy- edition of this work for Oxford Fellowship at the Beinecke senior academic staff members head from its inception in University Press. Rare Book and Manuscript have co-edited a major 1996 until January 2004, and Library at Yale University to He explains in his chapter work on the sexual health of has since taken up the role of research a biography of Saul about pronouns that the Australians. PSGARC deputy director. The Steinberg, the greatest of all problem of the genderless Sexual Health: An Australian publication marks the first of New Yorker cartoonists. third person pronoun only Perspective, published by IP many works that the Centre raised it’s head recently Communications, is co-edited plans to deliver within the next THAT INFURIATING because for hundreds of years by Dr Meredith Temple-Smith, few years. NON-EXISTENT the third person singular a senior research fellow at Published by Oxford masculine he was used in most the University’s Australian University Press, Public THIRD PERSON circumstances. Our language Research Centre in Sex, Health Policy: The Competitive PRONOUN took little cognisance of and Society (ARCSHS) and Framework, provides a new gender. The male dominated Professor Sandy Gifford, interpretation for the analysis It sounds like a line from most grammar. Director of La Trobe’s Refugee of public decision-making. Professor Higgins discussing There arose a campaign Health Research Centre. • the peculiarities of the English

14 La Trobe University BULLETIN May 2006

71414 Bulletin May06 ART8.indd 14 26/5/06 10:51:35 AM arts

La Trobe artist wins ‘A Place in the World’

a Trobe University Lphotographic artist, Donna Bailey, has won a major award in the recent ‘A Place in the World’ Visual Arts Prize in Adelaide. The inaugural award, by the Association of Commonwealth Universities and University of Adelaide, showcases visual arts excellence of students from universities in Australia and New Zealand. University of Adelaide’s art With three other artists a tremendous boost for collection. from the Bendigo campus exhibiting and practising The win was the latest in – photography student Garry artists.’ a series of awards for Ms Her work depicts local Brannon, painter and PhD Bailey – a doctoral research children flying kites on the Ms Bailey was presented candidate Karen Annett, and student in Visual Arts on the granite plains of Bendigo. Ms the award by Nobel Prize painter and Master of Visual University’s Bendigo campus Bailey says it reflects life in winning author, Professor Arts candidate Margaret – who has become a national cental Victoria and the ‘hope, John Coetzee, in front of Parker – also selected as identity with an emerging energy and resilience’ of the 300 vice-chancellors from finalists, Mr Stuchbery said international reputation in the community in the face of Commonwealth countries. the award highlights the field of photography. drought. Her latest exhibition, ‘The importance of research in the Head of Visual Arts and Footballers’ was on show at Ms Bailey took out one of visual arts. two awards: the University Design, David Stuchbery, said the La Trobe University Visual ‘The focus, energy and of Adelaide Visual Art prize the award was a significant Arts Centre in View Street, effort required to be an valued at $3,000 for her work achievement for Ms Bailey Bendigo during April. active researcher can provide The Ideal which is now in the and the University. •

‘alter egos’ in ceramics Another La Trobe from Australia, America, University artist, Maria Europe and Asia. Vanhees, has been selected for She has also been awarded the most prestigious ceramics two lucrative scholarships to award in Australia – the Sidney undertake Masters by research Myer Fund International at La Trobe this year. Ceramics Award. She was one Ms Vanhees completed her of 39 artists from 11 countries Honours degree at La Trobe chosen for this year’s award. last year. Her present body Ms Vanhees said it was an of work, ‘Alter Egos’ grew amazing experience and a from a fascination with insect huge honour to have her work architecture such as wasp nests, exhibited alongside some of spider egg sacs and galls. the best ceramic artists •

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