The nature of peak experience in wilderness

This study sought to identify the distinctive elements of wilderness settings that contribute to triggering peak experiences. Thirty-nine participants who had visited wilderness areas were recruited using a voluntary wilderness registration system operated by the Victorian National Parks Service, Australia. Using a postal survey, participants were asked to provide a written response to an open-ended question requesting them to describe, in their own words, a peak experience in the wilderness. A conventional approach to qualitative content analysis of the participants descriptions revealed that the aesthetic qualities of the wilderness setting and being away from the pressures, people, distractions, and concerns of the human-made world were key elements in their peak experiences. To gain an understanding of this phenomenon, the concept and theory of restorative environments was applied to the participants experiences. This analysis indicates that wilderness settings provide a mix of aesthetic pleasure and renewal that can lead to a triggering of peak experiences that provides the basis for individual spiritual expression

Narcissism and Neo-Liberalism : Work, Leisure, and alienation in an era of consumption

The purpose of this paper is to trace some of the links between neo-liberalism, narcissism and the influence of work, leisure and consumer culture on self-identity. By examining narcissism as an instrument of personality and social psychological analysis, we investigate the ways in which self-identity in neo-liberal societies is constructed and fulfilled through interactions with the marketplace, promoting self-interest and success in the form of wealth, admiration and bodily perfection. It is our contention that this process creates narcissistic identities, which attempt to defend the self against the degradation of work in neo-liberal societies, and where anxiety, emptiness and isolation are converted into pleasure and healing through leisure consumerism. In the final analysis we explore some of the links between narcissistic work and leisure, and psychological distress and disorders. © 2008 Presses de l’Université du Québec

THoR: a tool for domain discovery and curation of multiple alignments

We describe a tool, THoR, that automatically creates and curates multiple sequence alignments representing protein domains. This exploits both PSI-BLAST and HMMER algorithms and provides an accurate and comprehensive alignment for any domain family. The entire process is designed for use via a web-browser, with simple links and cross-references to relevant information, to assist the assessment of biological significance. THoR has been benchmarked for accuracy using the SMART and pufferfish genome databases

Genome cartography through domain annotation

The evolutionary history of eukaryotic proteins involves rapid sequence divergence, addition and deletion of domains, and fusion and fission of genes. Although the protein repertoires of distantly related species differ greatly, their domain repertoires do not. To account for the great diversity of domain contexts and an unexpected paucity of ortholog conservation, we must categorize the coding regions of completely sequenced genomes into domain families, as well as protein families

Participatory planning for eco-trekking on a potential World Heritage site: The communities of the Kokoda Track

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is an approach to data collection in participatory research. In this approach, the researcher is required to acknowledge and appreciate that research participants have the necessary knowledge and skills to be partners in the research process. PRA techniques were used to collect data on the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea, illuminating the communities' perceptions of eco-trekking and how they could better benefit from it. This case study is an example of the implementation of community-based eco-tourism development and of understanding the multiplicity of forces that support or undermine it. © The Australian National University

The helix-hairpin-helix DNA-binding motif: A structural basis for non-sequence-specific recognition of DNA

One, two or four copies of the 'helix-hairpin-helix' (HhH) DNA-binding motif are predicted to occur in 14 homologous families of proteins. The predicted DNA-binding function of this motif is shown to be consistent with the crystallographic structure of rat polymerase ß, complexed with DNA template-primer and with biochemical data. Five crystal structures of predicted HhH motifs are currently known: two from rat pol ß and one each in endonuclease III, AlkA and the 5' nuclease domain of Taq pol I. These motifs are more structurally similar to each other than to any other structure in current databases, including helix-turn-helix motifs. The clustering of the five HhH structures separately from other bi-helical structures in searches indicates that all members of the 14 families of proteins described herein possess similar HhH structures. By analogy with the rat pol ß structure, it is suggested that each of these HhH motifs bind DNA in a non-sequence-specific manner, via the formation of hydrogen bonds between protein backbone nitrogens and DNA phosphate groups. This type of interaction contrasts with the sequence-specific interactions of other motifs, including helix-turn-helix structures. Additional evidence is provided that alphaherpesvirus virion host shutoff proteins are members of the polymerase I 5'-nuclease and FEN1-like endonuclease gene family, and that a novel HhH-containing DNA-binding domain occurs in the kinesin-like molecule nod, and in other proteins such as cnjB, emb-5 and SPT6

Consumer spaces as political spaces: a critical review of social, environmental and psychogeographical research

The purpose of this review is to critique the social and environmental psychology literature on spaces and places with a focus on consumer culture and neoliberalism. By drawing on social theory and the Continental philosophical literature the review argues that an alternative approach to knowledge production is required. To this end recommendations are provided for what a psychogeographical approach in social and environmental psychology could look like. It argues that such work could be of benefit to academic and local communities by exposing the social costs and consequences associated with consumer culture and neoliberalism