Australian Indigenous knowledge and libraries

The library and information profession has much to learn to meet the information needs of Indigenous people and appropriately manage Indigenous knowledge within their organisations. The Indigenous perspective can well understand the profession\u27s desire to have clear prescriptions for practice and practical assistance. However, the path to developing clear and high standards of practice in this area rests on building a strong foundation for understanding what informs the concerns of Indigenous people about the intersection of their knowledge and cultural materials with library and archival systems and practice

Reconciliation post-referendum: What\u27s next for universities?

In 2024, National Reconciliation Week’s theme, “Now More Than Ever,” serves as a poignant reminder that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must continue unabated. Despite the devastating referendum result, the 6.2 million Australians who voted YES remain dedicated to renewed commitment, deeper dialogue, and stronger action to achieve meaningful progress towards better outcomes for First Nations people (Reconciliation Australia, 2024). Universities have a critical responsibility in reconciliation as places of learning that shape future leaders and the workforce. Through education, research, and community engagement, universities are uniquely positioned to address historical injustices, amplify Indigenous voices, and integrate Indigenous knowledge systems into the academic curriculum. This commitment is essential, as graduates equipped with this understanding are prepared to drive powerful social change and contribute to a more just and inclusive society. Universities have a responsibility to lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to reconciliation through policies, practices, and partnerships that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This commitment to reconciliation is crucial for universities as it aligns with their core values of equity, diversity, and social justice, ensuring that all members of the community have the opportunity to succeed and contribute to a more just and inclusive society. In 2024, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and James Cook University joined forces to host a collaborative National Reconciliation Week (NRW) event themed “Post-Referendum: What’s Next for Universities.” This event was an essential platform for reflecting on the ongoing relevance of reconciliation in the wake of recent national changes, particularly following the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. Held on 27 May 2024, the event featured a panel of esteemed First Nations leaders, including Chanelle van den Berg (Pro Vice-Chancellor First Nations at Murdoch University), Professor Braden Hill (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Students, Equity and Indigenous at Edith Cowan University), and Professor Martin Nakata (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Education & Strategy at James Cook University). Facilitated by Jenna Woods, Acting Dean of the School of Indigenous Knowledges, the discussion explored the critical roles universities play in reconciliation, emphasising the need for increased Indigenous leadership, representation, and the integration of Indigenous knowledges into academic research and professional practice. The event was accessible both in person, held at Murdoch University’s Rosemary van den Berg Room, and online. This dual format allowed for broader participation, with over 350 people attending online and in person, representing 30 universities and fostering an inclusive dialogue on reconciliation’s future in the tertiary sector. In addition to the panel discussion, attendees were encouraged to engage in a reflective activity, the results of which were collected through a form. This activity aimed to capture participants’ thoughts and insights on reconciliation, providing valuable data to inform future initiatives. This report highlights the key outcomes of the event, addresses the attendees’ questions, and summarises the data from the reflective activity. It underscores the collective commitment of the participating universities to continue their journey toward reconciliation, emphasising the importance of equity in achieving equality, justice, and institutional integrity in their ongoing efforts

Positive discrimination as discourse: A methodological approach for studying Australian and Chilean indigenous educational experiences

© 2018 Interciencia Association. All rights reserved. This essay proposes a methodological approach based on a Foucaultian discourse analysis and also on Nakata's cultural interface, to study higher education institutions and their relationship with their indigenous students. The paper is divided into the following sections: the archeology of knowledge and statements; subjects and objects of knowledge; knowledge, power and subjectivity; truth and 'claims to know' indigenous subject; cultural interface; Australian indigenous higher education; and lessons for Chile. From the description of the concept of positive discrimination, treated here as discourse, the Australian case is analyzed and possible lessons are proposed for the context of indigenous students in Chilean higher education

Differential cartilaginous tissue formation by human synovial membrane, fat pad, meniscus cells and articular chondrocytes

Objective: To identify an appropriate cell source for the generation of meniscus substitutes, among those which would be available by arthroscopy of injured knee joints. Methods: Human inner meniscus cells, fat pad cells (FPC), synovial membrane cells (SMC) and articular chondrocytes (AC) were expanded with or without specific growth factors (Transforming growth factor-betal, Fibroblast growth factor-2 and Plate let-derived growth factor bb, TFP) and then induced to form three-dimensional cartilaginous tissues in pellet cultures, or using a hyaluronan-based scaffold (Hyaff(R)-11), in culture or in nude mice. Human native menisci were assessed as reference. Results: Cell expansion with TFP enhanced glycosaminoglycan (GAG) deposition by all cell types (up to 4.1-fold) and messenger RNA expression of collagen type II by FPC and SMC (up to 472-fold) following pellet culture. In all models, tissues generated by AC contained the highest fractions of GAG (up to 1.9 were positively stained for collagen type II (specific of the inner avascular region of meniscus), type IV (mainly present in the outer vascularized region of meniscus) and types I, III and VI (common to both meniscus regions). Instead, inner meniscus, FPC and SMC developed tissues containing negligible GAG and no detectable collagen type II protein. Tissues generated by AC remained biochemically and phenotypically stable upon ectopic implantation. Conclusions: Under our experimental conditions, only AC generated tissues containing relevant amounts of GAG and with cell phenotypes compatible with those of the inner and outer meniscus regions. Instead, the other investigated cell sources formed tissues resembling only the outer region of meniscus. It remains to be determined whether grafts based on AC will have the ability to reach the complex structural and functional organization typical of meniscus tissue. (C) 2006 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights rese

Robust automated detection of microstructural white matter degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease using machine learning classification of multicenter DTI data

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based assessment of white matter fiber tract integrity can support the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The use of DTI as a biomarker, however, depends on its applicability in a multicenter setting accounting for effects of different MRI scanners. We applied multivariate machine learning (ML) to a large multicenter sample from the recently created framework of the European DTI study on Dementia (EDSD). We hypothesized that ML approaches may amend effects of multicenter acquisition. We included a sample of 137 patients with clinically probable AD (MMSE 20.6±5.3) and 143 healthy elderly controls, scanned in nine different scanners. For diagnostic classification we used the DTI indices fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) and, for comparison, gray matter and white matter density maps from anatomical MRI. Data were classified using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) and a Naïve Bayes (NB) classifier. We used two cross-validation approaches, (i) test and training samples randomly drawn from the entire data set (pooled cross-validation) and (ii) data from each scanner as test set, and the data from the remaining scanners as training set (scanner-specific cross-validation). In the pooled cross-validation, SVM achieved an accuracy of 80% for FA and 83% for MD. Accuracies for NB were significantly lower, ranging between 68% and 75%. Removing variance components arising from scanners using principal component analysis did not significantly change the classification results for both classifiers. For the scanner-specific cross-validation, the classification accuracy was reduced for both SVM and NB. After mean correction, classification accuracy reached a level comparable to the results obtained from the pooled cross-validation. Our findings support the notion that machine learning classification allows robust classification of DTI data sets arising from multiple scanners, even if a new data set comes from a scanner that was not part of the training sample

Locally Triggered Release of the Chemokine CCL21 Promotes Dendritic Cell Transmigration across Lymphatic Endothelia

Trafficking cells frequently transmigrate through epithelial and endothelial monolayers. How monolayers cooperate with the penetrating cells to support their transit is poorly understood. We studied dendritic cell (DC) entry into lymphatic capillaries as a model system for transendothelial migration. We find that the chemokine CCL21, which is the decisive guidance cue for intravasation, mainly localizes in the trans-Golgi network and intracellular vesicles of lymphatic endothelial cells. Upon DC transmigration, these Golgi deposits disperse and CCL21 becomes extracellularly enriched at the sites of endothelial cell-cell junctions. When we reconstitute the transmigration process in vitro, we find that secretion of CCL21-positive vesicles is triggered by a DC contact-induced calcium signal, and selective calcium chelation in lymphatic endothelium attenuates transmigration. Altogether, our data demonstrate a chemokine-mediated feedback between DCs and lymphatic endothelium, which facilitates transendothelial migration.Peer reviewe

Indigenous family violence : an attempt to understand the problems and inform appropriate and effective responses to criminal justice system intervention

Whilst high levels of concern about the prevalence of family violence within Indigenous communities have long been expressed, progress in the development of evidence-based intervention programs for known perpetrators has been slow. This review of the literature aims to provide a resource for practitioners who work in this area, and a framework from within which culturally specific violence prevention programs can be developed and delivered. It is suggested that effective responses to Indigenous family violence need to be informed by culturally informed models of violence, and that significant work is needed to develop interventions that successfully manage the risk of perpetrators of family violence committing further offences.<br /

Optical Propagation and Communication

Contains summary of research and reports on four research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant ECS81-20637)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-81-K-0662)Maryland Procurement Office (Contract MDA904-84-C-6037)U.S. Army Research Office - Durham (Contract DAAG29-80-K-0022)U.S. Army Research Office - Durham (Contract DAAG29-84-K-0095)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-80-C-0941