Facing west, facing north: Canada and Australia in East Asia

This report, published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), calls for Canada and Australia to deepen their regional security cooperation in East Asia. The risk of regional instability is growing, due to China’s re-emergence, continued speculation about US strategic engagement in Asia and increased competition over disputed maritime boundaries. These developments provide opportunities for collaboration between countries like Canada and Australia. Non-traditional security threats, including natural disasters, climate change, food security and cyber security, point to a range of areas where the two countries can work more closely together. The report contains several policy recommendations for Canada and Australia to: strengthen regional security bolster regional governance mechanisms enhance bilateral defence cooperation boost defence industry and economic cooperation

A multivariate evaluation of mainstream and academic development courses in first-year microeconomics

This is the accepted version of the following article: Smith L. & Edwards L. 2007. A multivariate evaluation of mainstream and academic development courses in first-year microeconomics. South African Journal of Economics. 75(1): 99-117., which has been published in final form at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2007.00102.x.This paper analyses the impact of the University of Cape Town's first-year microeconomics academic development course on performance in examinations. The paper makes two advances to existing empirical literature in this area. Firstly, we compare performance with a control group drawn from the mainstream economic course. Secondly, we evaluate performance in subsequent courses in first-year macroeconomics and second-year microeconomics. The results suggest that the academic development course has a major impact on students' performance in the structured/essay questions, relative to the control group, in first- and second-year microeconomics, and for the multiple-choice questions in first-year macroeconomics. Matriculation results, mathematics, English first language, physical science and gender are also important determinants of performance

A Study Of Background Characteristics, Preparation, And Perceptions Of Black And Non-Black Performing Musicians As It Relates To Selection And Placement Criteria Within Major And Regional Symphony Orchestras

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first was to investigate the extent to which major and regional symphony orchestras employed non-Black and Black musicians. The second was to investigate the background characteristics (education, musical training, culture), Professional experiences, and perceptions of non-Black and Black musicians in major and regional symphony orchestras. The population was composed of 31 major symphony orchestras (orchestras with annual operating budgets in excess of $3.4 million), and 44 regional symphony orchestras (orchestras with annual operating budgets between$950,000 and $3.4 million). From this population, the sample was composed of 75 orchestra managers and 244 performing musicians, 200 non-Black and 44 Black. Data were collected through the use of two questionnaires, one to managers of the orchestras and one to musicians in the orchestras. An analysis of the data was made using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques: frequencies, means, chi-square and MANOVA. The statistical Package from the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program was used to process the information received in response to questionnaire items. The results revealed that very little progress has been made in hiring Black musicians in symphony orchestras since 1977. There is less than two percent Black employment of musicians in major and regional symphony orchestras. Most of these orchestras have no official training program or activity to increase the number of Black performing musicians, nor is there any significant attempt to recruit qualified Black musicians. Orchestra managers acknowledge the limited participation of Black musicians in symphony orchestras and indicated that few qualified Black musicians apply and audition. This study showed that the background experiences (musical and educational) of the two groups of player personnel (non-Black and Black) were very similar; however, because of the fierce competition for positions, few Blacks apply and audition. It is recommended that early and consistent exposure and a traditional conservatory style of training that concentrates on mastering the instrument and gaining knowledge of the symphony repertoire serve as a means for promoting symphonic music as a career

Salivary Heterotopia Of The Parathyroid Gland: A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Two cases of periparathyroid salivary gland heterotopia are described. A review of the records of the Department of Pathology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, over a 4-year period, identified 759 surgical specimens containing parathyroid gland tissue. Of these, 2 (0.26%) contained foci of ectopic salivary gland tissue. Both cases were associated with cyst formation. To date, 9 additional cases of heterotopic salivary gland tissue associated with the parathyroid gland have been described in the literature

Inhibition of Histone Methyltransferase, Histone Deacetylase, and Beta-catenin Synergistically Enhance the Cardiac Potential of Bone Marrow Cells

Previously, we reported that treatment with the G9a histone methyltransferase inhibitor BIX01294 causes bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to exhibit a cardiocompetent phenotype, as indicated by the induction of the precardiac markers Mesp1 and brachyury. Here, we report that combining the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) with BIX01294 synergistically enhances MSC cardiogenesis. Although TSA by itself had no effect on cardiac gene expression, coaddition of TSA to MSC cultures enhanced BIX01294-induced levels of Mesp1 and brachyury expression 5.6- and 7.2-fold. Moreover, MSCs exposed to the cardiogenic stimulus Wnt11 generated 2.6- to 5.6-fold higher levels of the cardiomyocyte markers GATA4, Nkx2.5, and myocardin when pretreated with TSA in addition to BIX01294. MSC cultures also showed a corresponding increase in the prevalence of sarcomeric protein-positive cells when treated with these small molecule inhibitors. These results correlated with data showing synergism between (1) TSA and BIX01294 in promoting acetylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 and (2) BIX01294 and Wnt11 in decreasing beta-catenin accumulation in MSCs. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of observations in the early embryo on the importance of beta-catenin signaling and histone modifications for cardiomyocyte differentiation and heart development