title: Molecular adaptations to psychrophily: the impact of ‘omic’ technologies

authors: Casanueva, Ana

subjects: molecular adaptations

abstract: The ability of cold-adapted microorganisms (generally referred to as psychrophiles) to survive is the result of molecular evolution and adaptations which, together, counteract the potentially deleterious effects of low kinetic energy environments and the freezing of water. These physiological adaptations are seen at many levels. Against a background of detailed comparative protein structural analyses, the recent surge of psychrophile proteome, genome, metagenome and transcriptome sequence data has triggered a series of sophisticated analyses of changes in global protein composition. These studies have revealed consistent and statistically robust changes in amino acid composition, interpreted as evolutionary mechanisms designed to destabilise protein structures, as well as identifying the presence of novel genes involved in cold adaptation.

text: Molecular adaptations to psychrophily: the impact of ‘omic’ technologies The ability of cold-adapted microorganisms (generally referred to as psychrophiles) to survive is the result of molecular evolution and adaptations which, together, counteract the potentially deleterious effects of low kinetic energy environments and the freezing of water. These physiological adaptations are seen at many levels. Against a background of detailed comparative protein structural analyses, the recent surge of psychrophile proteome, genome, metagenome and transcriptome sequence data has triggered a series of sophisticated analyses of changes in global protein composition. These studies have revealed consistent and statistically robust changes in amino acid composition, interpreted as evolutionary mechanisms designed to destabilise protein structures, as well as identifying the presence of novel genes involved in cold adaptation.

year: 2010

title: Using appreciative inquiry to explore the professional practice of a midwife lecturer

authors: Chapman, Lynn

subjects: appreciative inquiry

abstract: This paper reports on an exploration into the professional practice of a lecturer using the appreciative inquiry (AI) approach. This facilitated inquiry intentionally sought to apply the AI approach to the practice of an individual, an application that is different to its predominant usage with groups. The context for this research was the professional practice of a lecturer within an innovative narrative curriculum for midwifery. Evidence was gathered through the re-telling of moments of peak performance. The AI process starts from actual practice and returns to the implications for practice. In the process, the inquiry explores questions such as, when am I at my 'best' as a lecturer? What patterns and themes exist across the stories of peak performance? How can my future practice be influenced by these themes. An important aspect of this research was the facilitation of the process which supported the movement of the research process and the critical reflection that is integral to such an inquiry. Such facilitation is particularly critical to the development of provocative propositions and an action plan for future practice. The experience and findings of this research suggest that the AI approach is well suited to a holistic consideration of an individual's professional practice.

text: Using appreciative inquiry to explore the professional practice of a midwife lecturer This paper reports on an exploration into the professional practice of a lecturer using the appreciative inquiry (AI) approach. This facilitated inquiry intentionally sought to apply the AI approach to the practice of an individual, an application that is different to its predominant usage with groups. The context for this research was the professional practice of a lecturer within an innovative narrative curriculum for midwifery. Evidence was gathered through the re-telling of moments of peak performance. The AI process starts from actual practice and returns to the implications for practice. In the process, the inquiry explores questions such as, when am I at my 'best' as a lecturer? What patterns and themes exist across the stories of peak performance? How can my future practice be influenced by these themes. An important aspect of this research was the facilitation of the process which supported the movement of the research process and the critical reflection that is integral to such an inquiry. Such facilitation is particularly critical to the development of provocative propositions and an action plan for future practice. The experience and findings of this research suggest that the AI approach is well suited to a holistic consideration of an individual's professional practice.

year: 2009

title: Keynote Address: Barriers and incentives to Māori participation in the profession of psychology

authors: Levy, Michelle Patricia

subjects: Maori

abstract: It is well known that Māori are overrepresented
within the client group of
psychologists. Despite ongoing attempts to
recruit and retain more Māori within the
discipline of psychology, the numbers of
Māori psychologists continues to remain
low, raising serious concerns about the
ability of the profession to effectively meet
the needs of its clientele. The objectives of this study were to
identify the, barriers to, and incentives for improving the recruitment and retention
of Māori in the profession of
psychology and Māori to gain and maintain registration
as psychologists. This paper is
based on the full report provided to the
New Zealand Psychologists’ Board. The findings in this study
clearly demonstrate that in order to attract
Māori to participate in psychology, the
majority of environments need to change
substantially. It is simply not enough for
organisations, whether they are educational, professional, or service delivery agencies,
to identify the need for more Māori
psychologists, yet still fail to commit to,
and actively engage in, altering long
identified environmental factors that are
barriers to Māori participation.

text: Keynote Address: Barriers and incentives to Māori participation in the profession of psychology It is well known that Māori are overrepresented
within the client group of
psychologists. Despite ongoing attempts to
recruit and retain more Māori within the
discipline of psychology, the numbers of
Māori psychologists continues to remain
low, raising serious concerns about the
ability of the profession to effectively meet
the needs of its clientele. The objectives of this study were to
identify the, barriers to, and incentives for improving the recruitment and retention
of Māori in the profession of
psychology and Māori to gain and maintain registration
as psychologists. This paper is
based on the full report provided to the
New Zealand Psychologists’ Board. The findings in this study
clearly demonstrate that in order to attract
Māori to participate in psychology, the
majority of environments need to change
substantially. It is simply not enough for
organisations, whether they are educational, professional, or service delivery agencies,
to identify the need for more Māori
psychologists, yet still fail to commit to,
and actively engage in, altering long
identified environmental factors that are
barriers to Māori participation.

year: 2003