title: Breaking Binaries: Transgressing Sexualities in Japanese Animation

authors: Gibbs, Christy Rebecca Sally

subjects: Anime

abstract: As a visual medium that articulates all genres of fiction, from children’s card games to extreme pornography, Japanese animation, better known simply as ‘anime’, is an art form that has gained international recognition among both academics and passionate devotees. The central purpose of this thesis is to closely examine representations of sexuality in mainstream adult anime – in this context, non-pornographic anime primarily aimed at teenagers and adults – and to interrogate the main themes and concepts which are used to engage in discussions of it.

Using specific anime titles as literary texts and thereby analysing the symbolism, characterisation, and key scenes being depicted, this thesis investigates the ways in which sexuality is portrayed, and how this portrayal through animation entails radically distinctive forms of representation and narrative. I also employ the current body of anime criticism to illuminate these anime titles, in conjunction with a contextualisation of these sexual representations within a Japanese cultural context. 

As an aid to analysis, I utilize the aesthetic philosophy of Robin George Collingwood and the gender theories of Judith Butler, whose arguments on the topics of art as artistic expression and on gender as a performative act respectively allow for both an exploration of the aesthetics of anime, as well as a means of navigating the often distinctively complex representations of sex and gender in anime. Both Collingwood and Butler have been chosen for their utility in opening up the highly aestheticized representations of gender and sexuality in anime – a medium well-known for its artistic sensibilities – combined with formalised and, at times, ritualised extremes. These are to be read as closely as possible in terms of the anime-ic art form itself, rather than in terms of psychoanalytic categories or abstract symbolism. The aim of this thesis is not to interpret anime through one or more specific conceptual lenses, as has been done in the past, but instead to critically examine what Collingwood calls the imaginative space, and to make observations based on Butler’s approach to gender and sexuality gender as it appears when no longer defined by biological or binary fact.

This thesis is therefore structured around a breakdown of dualistic thought, with the main sections designed to transcend boundaries of dualism, even – or especially when – this requires the viewer to step back from what is considered as being ‘normal’ or ethically acceptable. In studying a form of popular art that has been written about extensively in terms of its history, aesthetic design, and audience consumption, this thesis explores new territory in that it examines a topic which has not previously been the subject of much academic discussion from the perspective of aesthetics that predates post-modern theory and post-World War II psychoanalysis. From harems and sexbots to portrayals of homosexuality and incest, the primary interest of this thesis is to study how representations of sexuality in anime – no matter how unconventional, fantastic, or disturbing – are brought to life on screen as art.

text: Breaking Binaries: Transgressing Sexualities in Japanese Animation As a visual medium that articulates all genres of fiction, from children’s card games to extreme pornography, Japanese animation, better known simply as ‘anime’, is an art form that has gained international recognition among both academics and passionate devotees. The central purpose of this thesis is to closely examine representations of sexuality in mainstream adult anime – in this context, non-pornographic anime primarily aimed at teenagers and adults – and to interrogate the main themes and concepts which are used to engage in discussions of it.

Using specific anime titles as literary texts and thereby analysing the symbolism, characterisation, and key scenes being depicted, this thesis investigates the ways in which sexuality is portrayed, and how this portrayal through animation entails radically distinctive forms of representation and narrative. I also employ the current body of anime criticism to illuminate these anime titles, in conjunction with a contextualisation of these sexual representations within a Japanese cultural context. 

As an aid to analysis, I utilize the aesthetic philosophy of Robin George Collingwood and the gender theories of Judith Butler, whose arguments on the topics of art as artistic expression and on gender as a performative act respectively allow for both an exploration of the aesthetics of anime, as well as a means of navigating the often distinctively complex representations of sex and gender in anime. Both Collingwood and Butler have been chosen for their utility in opening up the highly aestheticized representations of gender and sexuality in anime – a medium well-known for its artistic sensibilities – combined with formalised and, at times, ritualised extremes. These are to be read as closely as possible in terms of the anime-ic art form itself, rather than in terms of psychoanalytic categories or abstract symbolism. The aim of this thesis is not to interpret anime through one or more specific conceptual lenses, as has been done in the past, but instead to critically examine what Collingwood calls the imaginative space, and to make observations based on Butler’s approach to gender and sexuality gender as it appears when no longer defined by biological or binary fact.

This thesis is therefore structured around a breakdown of dualistic thought, with the main sections designed to transcend boundaries of dualism, even – or especially when – this requires the viewer to step back from what is considered as being ‘normal’ or ethically acceptable. In studying a form of popular art that has been written about extensively in terms of its history, aesthetic design, and audience consumption, this thesis explores new territory in that it examines a topic which has not previously been the subject of much academic discussion from the perspective of aesthetics that predates post-modern theory and post-World War II psychoanalysis. From harems and sexbots to portrayals of homosexuality and incest, the primary interest of this thesis is to study how representations of sexuality in anime – no matter how unconventional, fantastic, or disturbing – are brought to life on screen as art.

year: 2012

title: Photon migration in highly scattering media as a measurement technique on automated cow milking systems

authors: Khoo, Geoffrey

abstract: An investigation has been performed on the scattering properties of cow's milk. The main aim of the study has been to determine the usefulness of photon migration techniques in the measurement of milk components, and the extent to which they can be applied. Online applications are also investigated. The milk components that influence the optical scattering properties the most are the fat content and the protein content. Fat in milk exists in the form of small globules in a range of diameters from under 1 μrn to as large as 20 μrn. These globules are the major contributor to the light scattering properties of the milk. Milk protein is also a contributor to the scattering, but to a much lesser extent. Another component of milk that is of interest is the somatic cell concentration. These cells are usually present in milk at a low level, ranging from about 5 x 104 cells mL- 1up to 2 x 105 cells mL-1• Their numbers in milk dramatically increase with the onset of a mastitis infection. The somatic cell count is one of the primary measurements used in the dairy industry to monitor udder health and mastitis. Since milk is a highly scattering medium, one needs to choose a suitable mathematical model to characterise it so that quantitative measurements can be made. The diffusion approximation, a simplified version of transport theory, was selected. The derivation and the limitations of the diffusion approximation were discussed and noted in order to ensure that any subsequent measurements made with milk fell within the limits of the theory. A photon migration instrument (PMI) was built using the principles from the diffusion approximation theory. The instrument was configured to work with multiple-distance measurements. It was tested with a suspension of uniform microspheres and was shown to return results that agreed with Mie theory. Experiments were performed using the photon migration instrument with homogenised and raw milk. A good correlation was found between the fat content and the reduced-scattering coefficient. Homogenised milk samples of varying fat content were made by mixing trim milk with homogenised cream while raw milk of varying fat content was obtained from a robotic milking system. Both milks were tested with3the photon migration instrument - the homogenised milk was tested off-line, while the raw milk was tested with the instrument beside the robotic milking system. It was found that the instrument could determine the fat content in homogenised and raw milk with a precision of ±1.0 % and ±2.0 % milk fat content respectively. Protein and somatic cell count had a poor correlation with either the absorption coefficient or the reduced-scattering coefficient at a 670 nm wavelength. The precision of the raw milk fat content measurements can be increased by separating the milk samples by breed. Grouping milk samples from Friesian cows separately from milk samples from Jersey cows yielded precisions of± 1.6 % and ± 1.4% respectively. Further increases in precision could be obtained by separating out the results per cow, resulting in fat percentage measurements with a precision as high as±0.8 %. One of the more significant conclusions is that the fat globule particle size distribution is similar within the breed of cow and certainly similar from day-to-day with a single cow. Fluorescence photon diffusion techniques using the DNA stain ethidium bromide were used to determine somatic cell count. The results of this work showed that high cell-count samples could be quantified, with a lower detection limit of 4 x 105 cells mL- 1• The lower detection limit was too high, and during attempts to reduce it, evidence for an ethidium bromide inhibitor was found. This inhibitor appeared to use up free ethidium bromide without changing its fluorescence lifetime. This was shown by experiments where the milk was diluted with Intra Lipid to remove the contribution that differences in the absorption and reduced-scattering coefficient would make. The discovery of the ethidium bromide inhibitor was another significant conclusion of this work, but further investigation of the inhibitor was beyond the scope of this dissertation. The primary conclusion of this thesis is that photon migration techniques can measure some milk components online directly, notably fat content and somatic cell count. Improvements to the instrument are required however, in order to improve the precision of the measurements to the level required by the dairy industry.

text: Photon migration in highly scattering media as a measurement technique on automated cow milking systems An investigation has been performed on the scattering properties of cow's milk. The main aim of the study has been to determine the usefulness of photon migration techniques in the measurement of milk components, and the extent to which they can be applied. Online applications are also investigated. The milk components that influence the optical scattering properties the most are the fat content and the protein content. Fat in milk exists in the form of small globules in a range of diameters from under 1 μrn to as large as 20 μrn. These globules are the major contributor to the light scattering properties of the milk. Milk protein is also a contributor to the scattering, but to a much lesser extent. Another component of milk that is of interest is the somatic cell concentration. These cells are usually present in milk at a low level, ranging from about 5 x 104 cells mL- 1up to 2 x 105 cells mL-1• Their numbers in milk dramatically increase with the onset of a mastitis infection. The somatic cell count is one of the primary measurements used in the dairy industry to monitor udder health and mastitis. Since milk is a highly scattering medium, one needs to choose a suitable mathematical model to characterise it so that quantitative measurements can be made. The diffusion approximation, a simplified version of transport theory, was selected. The derivation and the limitations of the diffusion approximation were discussed and noted in order to ensure that any subsequent measurements made with milk fell within the limits of the theory. A photon migration instrument (PMI) was built using the principles from the diffusion approximation theory. The instrument was configured to work with multiple-distance measurements. It was tested with a suspension of uniform microspheres and was shown to return results that agreed with Mie theory. Experiments were performed using the photon migration instrument with homogenised and raw milk. A good correlation was found between the fat content and the reduced-scattering coefficient. Homogenised milk samples of varying fat content were made by mixing trim milk with homogenised cream while raw milk of varying fat content was obtained from a robotic milking system. Both milks were tested with3the photon migration instrument - the homogenised milk was tested off-line, while the raw milk was tested with the instrument beside the robotic milking system. It was found that the instrument could determine the fat content in homogenised and raw milk with a precision of ±1.0 % and ±2.0 % milk fat content respectively. Protein and somatic cell count had a poor correlation with either the absorption coefficient or the reduced-scattering coefficient at a 670 nm wavelength. The precision of the raw milk fat content measurements can be increased by separating the milk samples by breed. Grouping milk samples from Friesian cows separately from milk samples from Jersey cows yielded precisions of± 1.6 % and ± 1.4% respectively. Further increases in precision could be obtained by separating out the results per cow, resulting in fat percentage measurements with a precision as high as±0.8 %. One of the more significant conclusions is that the fat globule particle size distribution is similar within the breed of cow and certainly similar from day-to-day with a single cow. Fluorescence photon diffusion techniques using the DNA stain ethidium bromide were used to determine somatic cell count. The results of this work showed that high cell-count samples could be quantified, with a lower detection limit of 4 x 105 cells mL- 1• The lower detection limit was too high, and during attempts to reduce it, evidence for an ethidium bromide inhibitor was found. This inhibitor appeared to use up free ethidium bromide without changing its fluorescence lifetime. This was shown by experiments where the milk was diluted with Intra Lipid to remove the contribution that differences in the absorption and reduced-scattering coefficient would make. The discovery of the ethidium bromide inhibitor was another significant conclusion of this work, but further investigation of the inhibitor was beyond the scope of this dissertation. The primary conclusion of this thesis is that photon migration techniques can measure some milk components online directly, notably fat content and somatic cell count. Improvements to the instrument are required however, in order to improve the precision of the measurements to the level required by the dairy industry.

year: 2005

title: Network Analysis Reveals Unique Associations of Mindfulness and Distress with Immunity in Māori and Non-Māori New Zealanders

authors: Billot, Moana

abstract: Objectives: 
A healthy immune system is required to protect against viral infection and ensure the efficacy of vaccines. Psychological distress can threaten immune resilience, while mindfulness practices can be protective. In New Zealand, Māori experience significantly higher levels of distress compared to non-Māori. The aim of this study was to explore the role of ethnicity in the relations among immunity, depression, anxiety, stress, and mindfulness relate to each other.
Method:
Network analysis was used to explore unique relations among distress (depression, anxiety, stress), mindfulness facets, and immune status in matched (age, ranging from 19 to 88 years, sex, and self-classified socio-economic status) samples of Māori (n=195) and non-Māori (n=195) participants from New Zealand.
Results:
The networks of distress, mindfulness, and immune status were significantly different between Māori and non-Māori participants. The mindfulness facets Describe and Act with Awareness were more strongly positively linked in Māori, and Non-judge and Depression more strongly negatively linked in Māori, while Describe and Non-judge were more strongly positively linked in non-Māori. For both Māori and non-Māori, similarities included a negative link between anxiety and immune status, strong positive links between the distress variables, and positive links between the mindfulness facets of Non-judge and Act with Awareness, Observe and Non-React, and Observe and Describe.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that anxiety is strongly linked to poor immunity across both Māori and non-Māori in New Zealand while networks of mindfulness and distress also demonstrated differences unique for each of these groups. Both similarities and differences between Māori and non-Māori should be considered when developing targeted interventions to improve physical and mental health in New Zealand.
Preregistration:
This study is not preregistered.

text: Network Analysis Reveals Unique Associations of Mindfulness and Distress with Immunity in Māori and Non-Māori New Zealanders Objectives: 
A healthy immune system is required to protect against viral infection and ensure the efficacy of vaccines. Psychological distress can threaten immune resilience, while mindfulness practices can be protective. In New Zealand, Māori experience significantly higher levels of distress compared to non-Māori. The aim of this study was to explore the role of ethnicity in the relations among immunity, depression, anxiety, stress, and mindfulness relate to each other.
Method:
Network analysis was used to explore unique relations among distress (depression, anxiety, stress), mindfulness facets, and immune status in matched (age, ranging from 19 to 88 years, sex, and self-classified socio-economic status) samples of Māori (n=195) and non-Māori (n=195) participants from New Zealand.
Results:
The networks of distress, mindfulness, and immune status were significantly different between Māori and non-Māori participants. The mindfulness facets Describe and Act with Awareness were more strongly positively linked in Māori, and Non-judge and Depression more strongly negatively linked in Māori, while Describe and Non-judge were more strongly positively linked in non-Māori. For both Māori and non-Māori, similarities included a negative link between anxiety and immune status, strong positive links between the distress variables, and positive links between the mindfulness facets of Non-judge and Act with Awareness, Observe and Non-React, and Observe and Describe.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that anxiety is strongly linked to poor immunity across both Māori and non-Māori in New Zealand while networks of mindfulness and distress also demonstrated differences unique for each of these groups. Both similarities and differences between Māori and non-Māori should be considered when developing targeted interventions to improve physical and mental health in New Zealand.
Preregistration:
This study is not preregistered.

year: 2023-08-25