quest. egypt's cyber revolution_2_2011

8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011

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RaRc a macqaR nvRy ssue 2, 2011

Let there be light

Brethig life ito

edil reserh

For the loe of oil

Deth of Os:

s the world sfer?

Egypts cyber revolution


2/20

a ky Lmn of Macquaries strategy for the future isto strengthen the global engagement of the University,

both in research and teaching.

The world of universities is becoming increasingly

international with students from all parts of the world

becoming ever more mobile, seeking to choose the

best institution to pursue their studies and launch their

careers, wherever that institution is. Research is highly

internationalised, with users of research results looking

to find them wherever they are generated.

In recent visits to the USA, China, Northern Europe

and Scandinavia I have experienced strong interest

from leading universities in partnering with Macquarie to expand collaborative

research via joint PhD and master degrees, workshops and other mechanisms.

The very high ratings Macquarie achieved in the recent Excellence in Research

for Australia assessment of research quality have been a significant element in

the interest expressed.

Australian universities, and Macquarie in particular, have levels of international

research collaboration which are high by world standards. For example, around

42 per cent of all research publications from Macquarie staff have international

co-authors, placing us in the top three Australian universities in this measure.

Significantly, papers which include international authors attract higher

citations (that is, recognition by the international community) than papers

with Australian authors only. Our international collaboration is a critical factorbehind the outstanding results Macquarie achieved in Thomson Reuters 2011

ranking of citations. Macquarie topped the rankings of citations in the areas of

environmental sciences and ecology among institutions in Australia and New

Zealand, and ranked 14th in the world making us one of only two Australian

universities in the world top 100.

As well as strongly supporting international research collaboration through

direct support mechanisms, Macquarie has established its international joint PhD

program as a central part of our strategy for global engagement. In this program

research students are co-enrolled at Macquarie and leading overseas universities

as they undertake a project which is supervised by staff at each institution.

Students spend substantial periods of time at each university and their thesis is

examined by both institutions with the successful student being awarded a PhD

by Macquarie and the partner university, or in some cases a PhD awarded jointly

by the two. We are currently expanding this program to make up 10 per cent

of our total research student enrolments and at present we have close to 100

students undertaking joint PhDs with over 30 universities in the UK, Europe, USA

and China. Not only is this a great experience for the students, but the process

builds collaboration between Macquarie and our partners and of course, further

increases joint publication to everyones benefit.

Professor Jim PiperDeputy Vice-Chancellor Research

Questis the research magazine ofMacquarie University. Questispublished quarterly by theMacquarie University Marketing Unit.

cott:Marketing UnitMacquarie UniversityNSW 2109 Australia

ditoril uiries:

: [email protected]: 02 9850 7309

ubsriptios:If you would like to receive a copy ofQuestvisit www.equest.mq.edu.au to subscribe.

Publitios mger: Jayne Denshireditor: Fiona CrawfordDesiger:Anne Marleen Hissinkcotributors: Lyn Danninger,Joanna Fellows, Caroline Jenkins,Golda Mitchell, Christine Paul,Rachel Sullivan, Josh Wakerman,

Clive Williamsgig cosultt: Diana Panayi

coer ige: IStock Photo/jcarrillet

Quest

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This edition ofQuestis now available onlineas eQuest.

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3/20

Quest

3

Contents

06_GyP cyBR RvOLOnTaking disaection oine and into

the streets.

08_L R B LGUnveiling the secrets of deep space.

12_

BRanG LF nO

mDcaL RaRc

New hope for SIDS and Parkinsons.

17_FOR LOv OF OLThe dynamics of energy prices.

18_Da OF Oama: ORLD aFR?

A huge blow to terrorism or just

a hiccup?

19_FnDnG RaRcDiversifying revenue schemes.

6

12

8

17

18

19


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4 Quest

news

4 Quest

m a c q a R RAND nmBR On FORNVIRONMNTA SCINCSA N D C O O R S A R C

Alisting of the top-ranked institutions in Australia and

New Zealand, published in May by the UKs Times

Higher Education, placed Macquarie in the top spot

for environmental sciences and ecology research.

The list, which was put together using the Essential

Science Indicators database of Thomson Reuters, ranked

institutions based on the citation impact of journal articles

published over the last decade. Macquarie appeared on

the list in the number one spot locally and ranked as

number 14 in the world.

According to the ar ticle Macquarie appears to be

leading a trend in environmental sciences and ecology

research that has emerged as a strongly improving area

for Australia and New Zealand. The article pointed to

Australias overall citation impact increasing to 23 per

cent above the world average in the past decade as

evidence of this trend. According to the article Australian

universities hold a larger world share of papers in this eld

and inuence of such papers has risen signicantly over

this period.

Executive Dean of Macquaries Faculty of ScienceProfessor Stephen Thurgate says of the results: The

future of the environment has long been a priority for

the talented researchers in the Faculty of Science. We

are delighted to see their contribution reected in the

rankings. This achievement further illustrates the quality of

research and teaching we are developing at Macquarie.PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS

ight ollbortie reserh

projets led b murie

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illio i Lige Projet grts fro

the austrli Reserh couil.

he grts will boost muries

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support i shools, rie d wildlife

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biophotois, iro ore proessig,

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uiersities, idustr d goeret.

he prterships i muries eight

projets re with orgistios suh s

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austrlsi college of urgeos d

the austrli museu. collbortio

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relet to idustr d goeret

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proposl suess rte of 66.7 per et

is fr boe the tiol erge of

40.9 per et, d the highest of the

37 reserh istitutios tht pplied

for fudig.

Of the results Professor Ji Piper

ss: muries outstdig

suess rte i this ltest roud is

exellet retur o the iestet our

reserhers d reserh support st

i the fulties d Reserh Oede to esure the er high ulit

of the pplitios subitted.

ARC Linkage success


5/20

Quest

5

xecutive Dean of the Faculty of Business and conomics Professor Mark abbott was recently awarded

Distinguished Membership of ANZMAC, the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy, in

recognition of his service to the profession.

abbotts research interests are in services marketing, knowledge management, customer

relationship management, consumer behaviour and customer value. e has published four books and

has published research in a variety of academic journals including the Journal of Business Research,

Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, European Journal of Marketing,Journal of Marketing Management

and Journal of Healthcare Marketing.

abbott also actively consults on projects for both private and public sector international clients,

including consumer and market research agencies in urope, The uropean Commission, The Scottish Oce, The U National

ealth Service, IBM, onda, Mazda, AMP, The Consumers Association, and the U overnments National Consumer Council.

abbott is a graduate of the University of ssex, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts (onours) in conomics, and a graduate

of the Imperial College, University of ondon, where he completed a Master of Science in Technology Management. After working

in government for six years in consumer policy and protection, he joined the University of Stirling as a Research Fellow and

completed a PhD in Marketing. e was appointed xecutive Dean of the Faculty of Business and conomics at Macquarie in 2008.

ANZMAC was founded in 1998 and for over ten years has been a vibrant leading source of marketing information, knowledge

sharing and research development among marketing academics and practitioners from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

PHOTO:MARIOBIANCHINO

Surgeons from Macquarie University Hospital

(MUH) are the rst in Sydney to perform an

operation using an innovative robotic leg implant

for patients with above-knee amputations.

Professor Munjed Al Muderis, orthopaedic

surgeon at MUH and clinical lecturer at the

Australian School of Advanced Medicine, has

performed the rst operation using the new

Endo-Exo Prosthesis.

The robotic leg innovation lies in the way in

which the prosthesis is attached to the upper limb.

Previously, a vacuum prosthetic leg was used. This

t over the skin of the remaining part of the upper

limb, but presented a myriad of problems including

friction with the skin, pain and the risk of infection.

The new technology uses a stem that goes

through the distal femur bone, rather than

over the skin, says Muderis. The stem is then

attached to the robotic leg. The biomechanics

of the prosthesis are so advanced that patientsexperience much greater mobility and a return to

near-normal gait. We are seeing patients return to

pre-injury levels of activity.

Award or eminent marketing researcer

NRC LE CANIN IVSAnother important outcome is that the robotic

leg reduces the load on the body. Conventional

prostheses take an additional 30 percent of energy

from a patient, which can add stress to the heart and

other organs.

With the Endo-Exo Prosthesis, because the

patients body load is carried by the prosthesis,

rather than the ilium [pelvic bone], it enables a

better range of movement and so easier walking,

says Muderis.

Receiving this life-changing prosthesis at MUH was

Paralympian Brendan Burkett (pictured right) who lost

his leg in a hit and run accident 25 years ago.

Though he is realistic about the recovery process

ahead, Burkett says he hopeful about what this

procedure could mean for the future of prosthesis

and has already begun to see major improvements in

his mobility.

Ive had this for 25 years and to be able to

sit down and reach my shoe lace for the rsttime [since the accident] is amazing, he says.

Its little things like that which make a big thing

in your life.


6/20

6 Quest

feature

ears of brewing

dissention in gypt,

oft dismissed by the

government as cyber

politics and therefore

of little concern,

suddenly became very

real politics when

the masses took their

disaffection offline and

into the streets in a

show of force against

their government

earlier this year.

GyP mOR an J a PaOn for Dr Gennaro Gervasio. It

has become a place he thinks of often, a place he analyses and a place

where he has lived, worked and loved.

Today, when Im nostalgic, its for Egypt, and I think this confuses

people, says Gervasio, a wry smile on his face.

Gervasios research within the Department of Modern History,

Politics and International Relations is exploring civic activism and

political change in North Africa with a focus on Egypt, and the recent

developments have made it especially relevant. What has occurred

in Egypt over the past few months has been of great interest to

Gervasio and his thoughts jump passionately from one to another as

he expounds on his theory of how it all came to be. There has been a mainstream view that the people-powered

revolution in Egypt sprung up from nowhere, that suddenly dissenting

voices arose and took people to the streets. Gervasio explains that

this is far from the truth and to know the whole story one had to

embed themselves in Egyptian society; speak the language, read

the newspapers.

Gervasio refutes the notion that until recently there were no

dissenting voices in the Egyptian media.

I think its theoretically very difficult for the state to occupy all

the public space, he says. Maybe that was done in history, in Nazi

Germany for example, but thats not the case for the middle eastern

countries. If you go there and know who to talk to then you can find

these dissenting voices. If you can talk to people in Arabic, and if you

can actually read the Arabic newspapers you start noticing different

discourses within the state-run media. So, you can indeed find

dissenting voices within a totalitarian regime in the media. Even on

the same page of the paper youll have alternative views.

Having lived in Cairo himself for almost four years, Gervasio

witnessed first-hand the slow-growing discontent. He found that

the main grievances were both political and economical, and it was

in fact the educated middle class that was the main proponent of

the demonstrations.

These are young people who have an education, speak one ortwo languages, they graduate and there are no chances to be had

for employment, he says. Either you are a part of the elite where you

have the connections, or youre not. In the past many of these people

cyberrevolution

EGPTS

PHO

TO:ISTOCKPHOTO/JCARILLET

PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS


7/20

Quest

7

PhOTOS:ISTOCkPhOTO/DRPAS,

CFlPhOTOgRAPhy

migrated to Europe, but now with harsher immigration laws, they

cannot go. This leaves them frustrated and a little desperate.

It was this same educated middle class who vented their views

on social media etc and then went onto the streets. They felt they

finally had nothing to lose.

The mention of social media and the online sphere seems to spark

a new debate in Gervasios mind.

The role that cyber activism played in the Egyptian revolution

has become a topic of conversation amongst analysts and social

commentators. Grand statements labelling

cyberspace as the cause of the demonstrations

arose and when this topic is broached withGervasio he seems to have heard it all before.

Its a question of space and chance, he says. As

we know, there are a few mainstream publications

and then independent publications arise. Dissenting

voices could be heard in both. Then in the last three

or four years when there has been a lot of press

restrictions you get a lot more people, including the

dissenting voices, jumping onto the cyber.

For example, there was a popular workers

paper that was printed for two years and then

went online and had a huge impact on calling for

the demonstration. So its not like the printed and online are separate

there are not only pro-governmental voices but also dissenting

voices in the printed media and these voices eventually went online.

My point is that the e-media was a means, it was not what caused

the revolution. These groups that started organising themselves

in the last few years, they were forced to use social media and

cyberspace from which to launch their messages.

So although it was not the cause, cyber-activism had a role

nonetheless to play in leading people to the street.

Acknowledging the power of cyberspace, the government, on a

few occasions, blocked internet access to quieten the voices stirring

up emotion throughout the capital. But this had an effect that thegovernment didnt predict.

The government, at one stage, blocked the internet for eight

or nine days and people at home waiting for online updates were

suddenly in the dark, says Gervasio. So what did they do? The

moment they couldnt get internet they took to the streets! For so

long the government dismissed the online commentators. Theyre

only cyber they would say. Now, this proved to them, to everyone,

that the politics were not just cyber, but that they were very real.

Born in Naples, Italy, Gervasio was always fascinated by the

politics of the Middle East. So he began to study political science

at the Oriental University where he could focus on middle eastern

countries, particularly the Israel and Palestine question.

Then, he travelled to Egypt for the first time

and immersed himself in its culture for six months,

studying Arabic so he could talk to locals and readthe papers. After spending time teaching and

studying in Egypt, the US and the UK, he returned

to Italy hoping to continue his academic life and

participate in a lively post 9/11 debate. But he

found that the academic possibilities and freedoms

he had been afforded elsewhere were not available

to him. So, looking for that freedom, he decided

on a new adventure and arrived at Macquarie in

April of 2008.

Although his academic life has thrived at

Macquarie, Gervasio only has one issue it seems

the distance he now finds himself from his adopted home. Lucky

for him then that he took leave last semester to return to Egypt and

almost found himself caught up in the dramatic demonstrations that

changed Egypts course forever.

I left Cairo the day before the demonstrations started, to come

back here, he explains. But the demonstrations had already been

called. But whats important for me is that the myth that the people

in the Middle East have this inertia is shattered. That they do in fact

want change and will act out to achieve it can now be seen.

However, when asked what he thinks will happen next in his

beloved Egypt, Gervasio furrows his brow and leans forward in his chair.

Now, one might say its easy to unite against a tyrant, but thechallenge now is to find a common way forward, he says. Thats

the hard part.

To contact Dr Gennaro Gervasio email [email protected]

PHOTOS:ISTOCKPHOTO/JCARILLET

The educatedmiddle classvented their

views on socialmedia and then

went ontothe streets.


8/20

onthecover

8 Quest

The centres launch reects the massive growth of interest and

investment in astronomy across Australia in general and more

locally at Macquarie University. This is an interest enthusiastically

encouraged by Parker. Originally from ngland, and after 14 years of

shuttling between Australia and the Royal Observatory dinburgh

in Scotland on various projects, he joined Macquarie in April 2002

as the joint Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO)/Macquarie

lecturer in astronomy.

hen I joined Macquarie University the astronomy group was

very small, but thanks to the rapid growth in both the quality and

quantity of staff and students, and collaborative, international

research programs, it is now one of the largest and most productive

astronomical research groups in the country, he comments, addingthat there is a great synergy between the work of Macquarie staff,

postdoctoral research fellows and students, and those of the nearby

AAO, which continues to co-fund some of the work at Macquarie.

One of the big problems all universities face is attracting

students into science generally but particularly into physics-

related fields. Fortuitously, the close proximity of the AAO, and the

associated access and excellent opportunities for collaboration

that our close relationship provides to both senior and early career

researchers, also gives DR students the opportunity to really

immerse themselves in the life of our national observatory and be

co-supervised by some of the best astronomers in Australia.

e says this unprecedented level of access is part of the reason

that the astronomy group has been so successful, reflected in the

Department of Physics being renamed the Department of Physics

and Astronomy in 2010 a first for Australia. The astronomy group

alone now has 40+ faculty, postdoctoral fellows and DR students,

producing around 70 papers a year and attracting millions in grant

money. ith its planned growth in research, the centre is expected

to soon be among the top four astronomy cohorts in Australia.

owever, observing enigmatic celestial objects and distant

galaxies is expensive, and while Australia has its own major

optical observing sites at Siding Spring and Mt Stromlo, different

telescopes are suited to different types of research. The new centrehas ties to more than 100 national and international universities,

observatories, research institutions and commercial companies

in 23 countries, providing a basis for effective multi-national

academicprofile

PHOTOS:MICHELL

EWILSON

,NASA/JPL-C

ALTECH/UNIvERSITyOFARIZONA

et there be lightDeep spe is giig up its serets thsto the wor of Professor queti Prerd ollegues t the reetl luhed

murie astroo, astrophsis d

astrophotois Reserh cetre.


9/20

studentprofile

Quest

9

collaborative research programs and partnerships with some of the

worlds leading research groups.

e have a very active observing program, says Parker, andin the past few years have logged over 300 observing nights at

telescopes all over the world.

One night of observing on a four-metre telescope, such as the

Anglo Australian Telescope at Siding Spring in northern New South

ales can cost around $30,000, while a single night on an 8-metre

telescope such as the emini optical-infrared telescope at the

summit of Mauna ea, awaii, can be $100,000.

e also have six people working in the emerging field

of astrophotonics, one of the largest groups of its kind in Australia,

he says.

Astrophotonics, which employs optical fibres and other smart

technologies to bend light in different ways in telescopes, has grown

out of research into optimising terrestrial telecommunications, and

makes it easier and cheaper to observe distant sources of light,

identify objects in deep space, and compensate for light pollution

from arth.

As well as astrophotonics research, the new centre will host

many mainstream astrophysics research programs, in addition to

other projects such as the Macquarie University-led $2.4 million

dollar Australian Research Council-supported project Space to

row, which connects astronomers with educational, ICT and

science teaching experts to engage high school students in science

using the hook of astronomy.The centre will also have a strong focus on building links with

Indigenous communities by engaging the Aboriginal Astronomy

Research roup, a team dedicated to researching the astronomical

knowledge and traditions of Indigenous Australians, which stretch

back over 50,000 years.

These and other projects being run by the new centre will help

improve the visibility of science and create interest in the field, says

Parker. Prospective students will be able to see research in action.

Prior to taking up his position at Macquarie, Parker worked on the

U Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring, where he was responsible

for helping to develop and manage the revolutionary FAIR-II fibre-

spectroscopy system and the 6dF robotic fibre system that replaced

FAIR-II. e also conceived and led the last major wide-field survey

at the telescope in the light of -alpha, which used the worlds

largest astronomical narrow-band filter to create a map of ionised

gas in our alaxy of unprecedented depth, coverage and resolution.

e remains a member of the 6dF Science Advisory roup,

and is currently chair of the International Astronomical Union

working group on sky-surveys, and is head of the RAV (Radial

Velocity xperiment) survey data management group, which

tracks the speed at which stars move and provides an insight into

the formation of the Milky ay alaxy through a process dubbed

galactic archaeology. e also heads both the -alpha internationalsurvey consortium and the associated M*A*S* (Macquarie/AAO/

Strasbourg -alpha) and IPAS (INT Photometric -Alpha Survey of

the Northern alactic Plane) Planetary nebulae teams.

elix nebul


10/20

onthecover

10 Quest

Planetary nebulae, which are Parkers

primary research interest, are luminous,

glowing clouds of dust and gas that form

when a dying star reaches the end of its life

and ejects the gas and dust particles thatform its outer envelope.

Studies of planetary nebulae are

essential for improving understanding of

the later evolution of low mass stars like

our own Sun and of stellar evolution in

the critical phase prior to the creation of

small, dead stars known as white dwarfs,

he explains. They provide vital probes for

studying processes of nucleosynthesis inside

stars, abundances of chemical compounds

and chemical enrichment of interstellar

space, and act as powerful indicators of our

alaxys star formation history.

The brightness distribution exhibited by

the planetary nebulae family also provides

an extremely important tool for measuring

distances to external galaxies, while their

spatial distribution within such galaxies

can also be used to map the presence of

dark matter.

The planetary nebulae luminosity

function [PNF] is the ensemble brightness

distribution of the population of PN inany galaxy, he explains. Its well behaved

form allows us to obtain more accurate

measurement of the vast cosmological

distances that galaxies inhabit in space,

rather than just recording an angle in the

sky relative to another point.

In ten years, Parkers M*A*S* project

has effectively doubled the known galactic

population of these fascinating sources

acrued over the previous century, providing

powerful new insights into this phenomenon

and late stage stellar evolution.

And just recently, Parker and colleagues

made a unique discovery of a planetary

nebula (PN) in an old open cluster of stars,

that is, a group of a few thousand stars that

were formed from the same giant molecular

cloud and are approximately the same age

(in this case ~700 million years).

Any proven association between a PN

and an open star cluster is an extremely

valuable astrophysical tool, he says.

Out of the discovery, new techniquesfor establishing planetary nebula distance

measures have been developed as have new

approaches for identifying contaminants

that can affect the accuracy of these distance measures. The finding

had other, more earthbound consequences too: the growth in the

Department of Physics and Astronomy associated with the find

led to its emergence as one of Macquaries CORs (Concentrations

of Research xcellence), and played a significant role in the

departmental rename in 2010.

The M*A*S* project also earned Parker and colleagues the 2010

Macquarie University Research xcellence Award in the Science and

ngineering category. The Awards recognise and reward staff andpostgraduate students for outstanding performance and excellence

in research and innovation.

Planetary nebulae provide us with a very useful and powerful

astrophysical tool, says Parker. This work will continue to form

the basis of lots of our research as Macquaries astronomy

capabilities continue to grow in size and importance, both in

Australia and internationally.

To contact Quentin Parker email [email protected]

The

Macquarie

astronomy

group is

one of the

largest

and most

productive

in thecountry.

PHOTO:NASA

,ESA

,JHESTER(ARIZONASTATEUNIvERSITy)

PHOTOS:NASA

,ES

AANDA

.ZIJLSTRA(UMIST

,MANCHESTER

,UK

Bug nebul, nGc 6302

crb nebul


11/20

coplete the QUESTreder sure d go ito

the drw to wi ftsti iPd.

e would like to know what you think ofQuest. our valued

input will help us to better plan the future direction of the

magazine so that it best meets your interests.

ou will find our reader survey on our website. e know

your time is valuable so weve created an online version, to

make it quick and easy for you to participate.

Visit www..edu.u/uestsure

closig dte: 15 august 2011

PHOTO:COURTESyOFAPPLE

in an iPad!


12/20

12 Quest12 Quest

reating lie into

feature

may DO BcOncOLy, but the

simple acts of swallowing and coughing are

actually the result of a complex interaction

between important areas of the brain

which control the upper airways and

breathing rhythm.

When we accidentally inhale particles of

water or food, we experience

a breathing arrest apnoea

and our vocal cords close off

the pathway to the lungs as

a protective measure during

coughing and swallowing.

Until last year, it was

unknown what parts of

the brain were responsible

for coordinating theseprotective responses.

The discovery, made

by a team of cardio-respiratory experts at

Macquaries Australian School of Advanced

Medicine (ASAM), could eventually lead to

a better understanding of, and ultimately

a cure for, many pathological diseases,

including sudden infant death syndrome

(SIDS), Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers, in

which difficulties with swallowing may have

dire outcomes.

Together with ASAMs Dr Qi-Jian Sun and

clinical collaborator Dr Robert Berkowitz, head

of the Department of Otolaryngology and

Paediatrics at The Royal Childrens Hospital

in Melbourne, and under the supervision

of ASAMs Professor Paul Pilowsky, PhD

candidate Tara Bautista (pictured above) is

focused on why and how we stop breathing

when an irritant enters our airways.

We found that there is a timing

relationship between the closure of the vocal

cords and the timing of the next breath,she explains. We found that if the following

breath is expected within a certain time

following vocal cord closure, but it doesnt

actually occur, the next breath will be missed.

In response to a strong irritant, rhythmic vocal

cord closure occurs. This can result in many

missed breaths, and thats how a breathing

arrest is generated.

As fully developed adults we cough,

swallow and recover. However, every year

more than 4300 babies and

children die suddenly and

unexpectedly. More than 50

per cent of these deaths have

no known cause.

One theory is that these

complicated responses

[coughing and recovering]

are not well-developed in

babies so it is mostly justthe breathing arrest which

occurs, she says. However,

the breathing arrest may go on for such

a long time that heart rate may fall to

dangerously low levels, depriving their vital

organs of oxygen. By understanding how

these breathing and swallowing systems

work at a very basic level, we can understand

how they can go wrong.

This finding is the first step in understanding

how breathing arrest occurs.

From here we hope to find new targets

for therapeutic strategies to prevent inability

to coordinate breathing with upper airway

protective behaviour such as swallowing,

and ultimately SIDS and other diseases,

she says.

But there is some way to go as no one yet

knows how the brain decides for how long

our breathing should stop.

Our research has found the areas which

are important in making this decision, but

how the brain actually decides at a cellularlevel is still unknown, she continues.

Within our brain, one site is responsible for

computing environment-related information.

Says Bautista: It tells you about the

state of your blood pressure, the state of

important respiratory gases such as oxygen

and carbon dioxide.

The other site is part of the central

respiratory system our breathing rhythm

generator. Bautista says although these sites

have been known for some time, it wasnt

known that the protective responses are

controlled together.

Its all about the coordination of the

protective role of the vocal cords plus the

breathing arrest, she explains. ou cant

have one without the other when you get to

such complex behaviours such as coughing

and swallowing.

To understand how the central nervoussystem controls breathing and swallowing,

the team recreated the brain and bodys

response to a throat irritant using electrical

An important discovery in cardio-respiratory

research may lead to prevention and cure for

many diseases, including SIDS.

B uderstdig the

ehiss whih

regulte the rdio-

respirtor diseses,

we hopefull

uderstd the uses

of huge rge of

diseses lie D.

PHOTOS:PHILLIPA

JANOS

,ISTOCKPHOTO/JLBARRANCO


13/20


14/20

14 Quest

ith thousds of ew users joiig Feboo,

Lied d witter eerd, soil edi

loos to be here to st. all too ofte, howeer,

it is soure of trouble beuse soe users

re utrustworth, whih led to extree

persol, professiol d il oseuees.

respose, PhD didte Gufeg Liu fro

the Deprtet of coputig is deelopig

iotie odel tht helps estblish higher

leel of trust betwee prtiipts d ids their

subseuet deisio-ig proesses.

wo prtiipts i trstio whih

iole exhge of persol or il

ifortio he o diret ott with

oe other, but trust is er iportt prt

of ig deisio to proeed, ss Liu, who

studied loud d grid oputig t qigdo

iersit i chi for his sters.

Bsed o pst itertios, there re lred

uber of soil trust pths betwee prtiipts

i soil etwors, suh s reoedtiosfro other users, but these be ope to buse,

prtiulrl i oeril settig.

sig psho-soil reserh Liu hs reted

thetil odel of oplex soil etwor

struture tht otis rge of soil reltioships

suh s the reltioship betwee eploer d

eploee, d reoedtio roles suh s the

soil positio of iuetil prtiipts.

hese ftors he sigit iuee o

trust elutio but he ot bee osidered i

existig soil etwor strutures, oets Liu,

whose qulit of rust (qo) odel lso iludes

lgorith tht hs bee deostrted to

outperfor existig trust ssure sstes.

e ss there re uber of pplitios

for this ew odel, iludig ext geertio

reoedtio sste tht itis the

oplex soil ifortio betwee buers d

sellers i etwor, d helpig cRm (custoer

Reltio mgeet) sstes to idetif

trustworth ew ustoers d the produts the be iterested i buig.

To contact Guanfeng Liu email

[email protected]

researchhighlights

Undertaking a PhD within the Department of Psychology, Simon

Byrne is investigating an exciting new treatment for childhood

anxiety which could drastically change how psychologists treat

anxious children.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common problems

experienced by children, with up to ve per cent of young people

experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time.

Very often the anxiety or fear is related to an animal, and two

of the most common animal phobias in kids are a fear of dogs and

a fear of spiders, he says. These phobias can cause considerable

distress to a child as they grow up. Phobias can also cause

problems for parents who may have to constantly reassure their

child when they are anxious or upset.

Current treatment for phobias generally involve helping a

child gradually face what they are frightened of in a process called

graded exposure therapy or desensitisation.

owever, says Byrne, who is researching under the supervision

of Professor Ron Rapee, some children do not improve with

exposure therapy alone, so new and more eective treatments

need to be developed.One such treatment, being trialed by Byrne and his colleagues

at Macquaries Centre for motional ealth, is a combination of

exposure therapy and a new medication called D-Cycloserine.

D-Cycloserine has shown to improve the chances of a faster

and complete recovery when given just before an exposure

session, explains Byrne. The medication is very safe, just like

taking a dose of antibiotic.

During the exposure, the child is learning that they no longer

need to be frightened of what they once feared. DCS is believed

to improve this process by more eectively storing this new non-

fearful learning in memory. Because of this, the child is less likelyto become frightened the next time they see a dog or spider.

To contact Simon Byrne [email protected] or call 0403 839 625

A Mattero rust

PHOTO:LyNDANNINGER

NE MECAN EhE ANx


15/20

Quest

15

Undertaking a PhD within the

Department of Sociology, aynor Nichols

is exploring the world of the highly

successful reality TV series MasterChef

in an attempt to reveal the nature of its

impact on societal values.

Prior to beginning this research,

Nichols analysed the role that digitally

empowered audiences play in shaping the

production of reality television, focusing

on production house FremantleMedia

Australias (FMA) The Biggest Loser, for her

honours research.

My ndings suggested that the role

of the audience in shaping content has

been overemphasised in much media

sociology, due to a deep-seated tension

between the aims of audience research,

marketing and publicity on the one hand,

and participatory and fan cultures on the

other, she says.

Continuing in a similar vein, NicholsPhD is exploring the production process

ofMasterCheffrom both an industry and

contestant point of view.

By following the processes of

preproduction, storyline development,

auditions, production, and post-

production inside FMA over a nine-month

period, I am hoping the study will provide

a critical perspective on the interplaybetween contestant and producer and

the role played by television producers in

shaping popular culture, she says.

Ive been extremely lucky to have been

given unprecedented access by FMA to

both sta and data on MasterChef.

Nichols began eldwork in 2010 with

the audition process for MasterChef. The

research phase will be completed in Augustthis year when the current series ends.

To contact Gaynor Nichols [email protected]

In spite of the daily gridlock on Australian roads, its hard for manyof us to imagine a time when cars wont be so heavily relied on.

But not for PhD candidate Michael Askew, who genuinely sees

a future beyond the car but only if governments change their

one-size-ts-all approach to transportation.

My thesis focuses on Workplace Travel Management

[WTM] also known as Green Transport Planning or Workplace

Travel Planning, explains Askew, who is researching within

the Graduate School of the Environment. WTM involves

management and employees of an organisation working

together to increase the eciency of car use for trips to,

from and at work. The broad motivations for WTM include

environmental, economic, social and human health gains that

accrue from minimising private vehicle use. Organisations

may also experience direct benets related to sta well-being,

recruitment and retention, reductions in capital costs, image

and organisational culture change.

Essentially, WTM embraces a number of key principles such

as shifting away from the car towards train, bus, cycling andwalking; more ecient use of vehicles, through carpooling and

more fuel ecient vehicles; trip scheduling changes, to avoid

peak hour trips; and increases in non-transportation trips, such

as telecommuting and teleconferencing.

For me, the key problem facing Sydney is the failure by

governments to better understand the domains into which

their policies are implemented and to consider the needs of

the actors within those domains, he says. The environment

into which a travel behaviour change policy is implemented

is complex, so there is a need for a more holistic, systematic

understanding of the domains.

Askew argues that his research demonstrates that

organisations are willing to consider adopting a WTM initiative,

that employees are generally open to change, but that

substantial work must be undertaken by governments to assist

organisations with implementation and maintenance.

To contact Michael Askew email [email protected]

hE CAR! et back to the garage

aping

popular culture

PHOTO:FREMANTLEMEDIAAUSTRALIA


16/20


17/20

studentprofile

Quest

17

studentprofile

may B PnG the nishing touches

on his PhD, the research for which has earned

him multiple awards and recognition, but

Lurion De Mello says there is some way to

go in analysing the dynamic interaction of

energy prices.

He should know. In four years, De Mello

has achieved international publication of

seven research papers some received A

rankings and two more are in the pipeline;

written two book chapters; and attended

15 conferences. He was awarded Best Paper

at the 2011 International Association for

Energy Economics conference and received

a Research Excellence Award from Macquarie.

De Mellos project, Upstream and

downstream hydrocarbon prices: crude oil to

plastics, looks at the impact of the price ofcrude oil on the price of commodities such

as petrol, diesel, heating oil and naphtha,

and how this, in turn, affects products

manufactured down the chain.

Crude oil is broken down into many

products through the refinement process so,

naturally, the price of crude oil becomes a key

factor in driving the prices of these refined

products, he explains.

Think petrochemicals they are processed

into polymers (plastic bags, containers, cling

film) and aromatics (polystyrene, rubber,

detergent); as well as the fuel used to transport

the goods on our supermarket shelves.

Most Australians see the impact of crude

oil prices through transportation, which

affects food prices, he says. Crude oil prices

can have a significant effect on low oil-

producing countries such as Australia.

De Mello, a Macquarie University Research

Excellence Scholarship holder, has been

employed as a lecturer in the Department of

Applied Finance and Actuarial Studies, but

plans to continue with his research.

The dynamic interaction of energy

prices requires further analysis using

more sophisticated modelling techniques

popularised in the field of finance, he explains.

His specialisation in petrochemicals stems

from his time at King Fahd University of

Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, but

it was the minerals boom in Perth, where he

grew up, that initially sparked an interest in

the field.

Following an internship at BHP Billiton, he

moved on to the biggest of them all crude

oil and its impact on various economies.

De Mellos reputation in and passion for

the field is growing, thanks to his Research

Excellence Award, the application for which

was submitted amid storms and broken

phone lines from an internet cafe in his native

India. Hed been planning his wedding with

his fianc, who had been living in Germanyat the time, and who recently joined him

in Australia.

The award process made me aware of

the high-calibre research being done at

Macquarie, he says. I was very humbled

when I was announced the winner. I would

like to thank Macquarie University for having

this great initiative as the recognition has

encouraged me to pursue my research

aspirations to another level.

Macquarie is forward-thinking in its

research, and the support in terms of funding

for training and development was the

best I could find in any university program

in Australia.

To contact Lurion De Mello [email protected]

Already internationally respected for his research into energy economics,

urion De Mello was inspired by his Macquarie University Research

xcellence Award to take his research to another level.

PHOTO:ISTOCKPHOTO/MATTJE

ACOCK

Most Australians see

the impact of crude

oil prices through

transportation, which

affects food prices.

Deput vie-chellor ReserhProfessor Ji Piper d Lurio De mello

For the love of

PHOTO:PAULWRIGHT


18/20

18 Quest

opinion

a aLL knO, the trail nally led

to a compound at Abbottabad, north of

Islamabad. The raid on the compound

occurred at around 0130 on 1 May (Pakistan

time) and was made more complicated

by the crash-landing of one of the two

stealth Blackhawk helicopters. Although the

SEALs tried to destroy the helicopter before

departure, there will undoubtedly be some

loss of helicopter stealth technology to China.

Osama bin Laden, three other men, and awoman were killed during the operation. The

deceased were said to be one of bin Ladens

adult sons (likely Hamza, some sources

call him Khalid), a courier pseudonymed

Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, the couriers relative,

and the couriers wife.

There was, as expected, a strongly adverse

public reaction in Pakistan, followed by a

spate of revenge attacks.

The Pakistan Government had always

denied the presence of Osama bin Laden

in Pakistan, but there are suspicions that

some senior members of the Pakistan

military must have known about Osama bin

Ladens location. Either way, Pakistan Inter-

Services Intelligence was either complicit or

incompetent either is worrying.

From al-Qaedas perspective it was better

for Osama to be a dead martyr than held and

humiliated in American custody.

The Obama Administration may also

have seen Osama dying at the compound

as the preferred outcome. Osama alive atGuantanamo and acting as a rallying point or

inspiration for Muslim extremists would have

been an unattractive scenario.

The downside of executing the unarmed

Osama was that it was clearly not the

justice claimed by President Obama. After

the Second World War, the victorious allies

went to great lengths to conduct war crimes

trials. Due process was also later extended to

Adolf Eichmann, Saddam Hussein and other

politically-motivated mass murderers.

Claims by some experts that we should

now be expecting terrorist revenge attacks

in the West are not convincing, at least inthe short term. Earlier counter-terrorism

successes were seen as more a cause for

celebration of martyrdom than a reason for

mounting revenge attacks.

In most Western countries, including

Australia, revenge attacks would probably

take months to organise. The Wests security

intelligence is much better than it was at

the time of 9/11, and most terrorist plots are

now being thwarted. There have been no

terrorist attacks in Australia since 9/11 with

38 persons arrested and 23 convicted.

Osama bin Laden was clearly living on

borrowed time, and his execution at a time

when the United States is doing it tough

economically is a great morale boost for

President Obama and the American people.

It is being said that the Republicans are so

impressed with President Obamas counter-

terrorism success that they are thinking of

granting him full American citizenship!

The successful raid underlines that no

terrorist leader is unreachable even if itdoes take time. What it also demonstrates

is that there is always someone ready to

step up and take the place of a fallen leader.

Long-term resolution to terrorism campaigns

is more likely to be achieved by political

outcomes, than targeted assassinations.

Clive Williams is an Adjunct Professor at

Macquaries Centre for Policing, Intelligenceand Counter Terrorism.

To contact Adjunct Professor Clive Williamsemail [email protected] PH

OTO:ISTOCKPH

OTO/ALLKINDZA

eat o sama:

Is the world safer?

Osama alive at

uantanamo and acting

as a rallying point for

Muslim exremists would

have been an

unattractive scenario.

Osama bi aden may be dead, but

is the world a safer place? Terrorism

expert Adjunct Professor Clive illiams

believes political outcomes, rather than

further assassinations, is the key to

ending terrorism.


19/20

Quest

19

lastwords

macqaR Rcv mLLOn OF DOLLaR in funding each

year from the Australian Government and other funding bodies to

support its high-quality research.

And such is the quality, 80 per cent of Macquaries research

activity was rated as being world standard of higher in the recent

Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative.

Funding is vital to research at every university, says Louise Fleck,

Director of the Macquarie University Research Office. Without it,

research projects critical to our social and economic progress simply

wouldnt occur.

Projects such as the advancement of Wireless LAN technology,

now a multi-billion dollar industry used by millions around the world,

which was developed and commercialised by Macquarie researchers.

Or the research conducted at the $21 million Centre of Excellence

in Cognition and its Disorders, which aims to help improve the

diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders such as dyslexia,

language impairment, autism, dementia and schizophrenia.And a project investigating the decline of the global honey bee

population and its impact on the pollination of food crops, which is

being funded by a grant from the Hermon Slade Foundation.

Funding researchMacquarie is one of the most respected universities in Australia in terms ofits research output think wireless technology and potentially life-saving

discoveries in medicine. None of this research would be possible, however,

without the significant funding the University receives every year.PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS

However, acquiring funding is extremely

competitive, and Fleck is charged with

increasing and diversifying the Universitys

funding streams to support its distinct and

important research objectives.

She says the Universitys competitive

internal grant funding scheme boosts its

research capacity, encouraging researchers

to commence a project and then apply for

external funding.

And together with the Enterprise

Partnerships and Commercialisation team and

the Universitys faculty research managers, she

is focusing on increasing additional support

from local and state governments; industry,

through contract research; international

funding; and grants from professionalorganisations and foundations.

Generally funders want to support high-

quality research, she says. And Macquarie

produces very high-quality research, which

is demonstrated by our ERA results.

By increasing our research funding, the

University will be able to conduct even more

high-quality research and this benefits the

community and the world.

With the opening of the Macquarie

University Hospital and associated research

facilities, Fleck expects funding for medical

research to increase in the coming years.

It has extremely good facilities and

we have extremely able staff, so we have

a perfect environment for high-quality

medical research.

Right now we are awaiting word on

an application to the Australian Cancer

Research Foundation for a significant grant

that would help support equipment to be

used by the hospital and the medical school,

as well as the Australian Proteome AnalysisFacility which is based on campus.

To contact Louise Fleck [email protected]

enerally

funders

want to

support

high-quality

research.

PHOTO:PAULWRIGHT


20/20

is interactive

takes you beyond the printed story

is the rst step towards a new research community

RaRc a macqaR nvRy ssue 2, 2011

Let there be light

Brethig life ito

edil reserh

For the loe of oil

Deth of Os:

s the world sfer?

Egypts cyber revolutionARCHIVEo 18 6INDEX

ubscribe towww.equest.mq.edu.au

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