title: Some educational implications for spiritual giftedness.

authors: Fraser, Deborah

abstract: In an increasingly secular society, spirituality (rather than religion) is more pervasive than ever before yet the area seems to be amorphous and hotly contested. Even Gardner has declined to commit to spirituality (or more broadly, existentialism), as an intelligence. What therefore, does this mean for students who have heightened spiritual awareness and ability? How do we identify these students let alone, begin to enhance their spiritual development? 
This paper contrasts the claims surrounding spiritual giftedness including a comparison of moral, cognitive and theological dimensions. An analysis of what appears to be common to spiritual experiences provides a useful framework for examining this intriguing yet controversial area. Some implications for gifted students are suggested with examples drawn from classroom research.

text: Some educational implications for spiritual giftedness. In an increasingly secular society, spirituality (rather than religion) is more pervasive than ever before yet the area seems to be amorphous and hotly contested. Even Gardner has declined to commit to spirituality (or more broadly, existentialism), as an intelligence. What therefore, does this mean for students who have heightened spiritual awareness and ability? How do we identify these students let alone, begin to enhance their spiritual development? 
This paper contrasts the claims surrounding spiritual giftedness including a comparison of moral, cognitive and theological dimensions. An analysis of what appears to be common to spiritual experiences provides a useful framework for examining this intriguing yet controversial area. Some implications for gifted students are suggested with examples drawn from classroom research.

year: 2004

title: The ecology and evolutionary history of the Deinococcaceae family

authors: Abbaszadeh, Jaber

subjects: Radiation resistance

abstract: Deinococcus radiodurans is the most studied member of the Deinococcaceae family for its outstanding capability to withstand extreme doses of gamma radiation and prolonged desiccation. D. radiodurans is also type species and the first described member of the Deinococcus genus. It demonstrates approximately 3000 times more radiation resistance capability than humans and 50 times more than Escherichia coli. The remarkable radiation resistance phenotype in D. radiodurans and certain members of this family has established the conventional belief that radiation resistance is the defining characteristic of Deinococcaceae. Consequently, microbiologists used gamma radiation as a pre-culture treatment to enrich radioresistant isolates in environmental samples before cultivation. However, a few studies did not use gamma radiation as an enrichment method and isolated sensitive Deinococcus species. These findings demonstrated that the radiation resistance capacity is highly diverse among Deinococcus species, with variations in the order of magnitude ranging from 1.5 kGy to 15 kGy. Because of this variability, the prevailing view is that genomic data cannot predict radiation resistance and that this phenotype remains without a genotype. Moreover, Deinococcus members have been isolated from diverse environments, including Antarctica, hot springs, deserts, atmospheric dust, animals, and garden soil. Nevertheless, the origins of this ubiquity have remained unexplored. Here, I discuss how the biased isolation methods and focus on highly resistant species created a gap in our understanding of the true ecology and evolution of Deinococcaceae. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap using comparative genomics methods by answering three questions. (I) What factors drive the ubiquity of the Deinococcus species? (ii) What drives the diversity of radiation resistance in the Deinococcus genus, and can we predict this phenotype using genomic data? (iii) How did the radiation resistance phenotype evolve, and what are the primary needs for the common ancestor of Deinococcaceae (proto-Deinococcus)? Our results indicate that the ubiquity of the Deinococcus genus arises from its large pangenome. A high abundance of transposase genes and efficient homologous recombination mechanisms enhanced their genetic flexibility and enabled Deinococcus to survive in diverse habitats. Conversely, this ecologically advantageous trait forms a dynamic accessory genome and impacts the radiation resistance phenotype. Phylogenomic and statistical analyses revealed a pattern in the radiation resistance level. The presence of 186 gene families, mainly related to metal and redox-related cofactors, can predict lower levels of resistance in two different clades of the Deinococcus genus. This observation contradicts the conventional wisdom that radiation resistance is the defining characteristic of the Deinococcaceae family because the accessory genome controls this phenotype. Furthermore, we used the gene tree-species tree reconciliation method to infer the evolutionary events that gave rise to the proto-Deinococcus. The ancestral reconstruction analysis indicated that the proto-Deinococcus underwent significant genome expansion by gaining 1000 gene families, which is about 50% of the genome size of its ancestor, while Thermaceae retained the same genome size as their common ancestor. Overall, we conclude that the ubiquity of Deinococcus species is the result of acquiring diverse functions and surviving in various environments. While this is a beneficial evolution for the family, gaining specific genes can lower the radiation resistance capability. Therefore, radiation resistance is not the defining characteristic of Deinococcaceae. Moreover, ancestral reconstruction reveals that this proto-Deinococcus underwent genome expansion and likely gained genes that induced radiation resistance traits and genomic flexibility.

text: The ecology and evolutionary history of the Deinococcaceae family Deinococcus radiodurans is the most studied member of the Deinococcaceae family for its outstanding capability to withstand extreme doses of gamma radiation and prolonged desiccation. D. radiodurans is also type species and the first described member of the Deinococcus genus. It demonstrates approximately 3000 times more radiation resistance capability than humans and 50 times more than Escherichia coli. The remarkable radiation resistance phenotype in D. radiodurans and certain members of this family has established the conventional belief that radiation resistance is the defining characteristic of Deinococcaceae. Consequently, microbiologists used gamma radiation as a pre-culture treatment to enrich radioresistant isolates in environmental samples before cultivation. However, a few studies did not use gamma radiation as an enrichment method and isolated sensitive Deinococcus species. These findings demonstrated that the radiation resistance capacity is highly diverse among Deinococcus species, with variations in the order of magnitude ranging from 1.5 kGy to 15 kGy. Because of this variability, the prevailing view is that genomic data cannot predict radiation resistance and that this phenotype remains without a genotype. Moreover, Deinococcus members have been isolated from diverse environments, including Antarctica, hot springs, deserts, atmospheric dust, animals, and garden soil. Nevertheless, the origins of this ubiquity have remained unexplored. Here, I discuss how the biased isolation methods and focus on highly resistant species created a gap in our understanding of the true ecology and evolution of Deinococcaceae. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap using comparative genomics methods by answering three questions. (I) What factors drive the ubiquity of the Deinococcus species? (ii) What drives the diversity of radiation resistance in the Deinococcus genus, and can we predict this phenotype using genomic data? (iii) How did the radiation resistance phenotype evolve, and what are the primary needs for the common ancestor of Deinococcaceae (proto-Deinococcus)? Our results indicate that the ubiquity of the Deinococcus genus arises from its large pangenome. A high abundance of transposase genes and efficient homologous recombination mechanisms enhanced their genetic flexibility and enabled Deinococcus to survive in diverse habitats. Conversely, this ecologically advantageous trait forms a dynamic accessory genome and impacts the radiation resistance phenotype. Phylogenomic and statistical analyses revealed a pattern in the radiation resistance level. The presence of 186 gene families, mainly related to metal and redox-related cofactors, can predict lower levels of resistance in two different clades of the Deinococcus genus. This observation contradicts the conventional wisdom that radiation resistance is the defining characteristic of the Deinococcaceae family because the accessory genome controls this phenotype. Furthermore, we used the gene tree-species tree reconciliation method to infer the evolutionary events that gave rise to the proto-Deinococcus. The ancestral reconstruction analysis indicated that the proto-Deinococcus underwent significant genome expansion by gaining 1000 gene families, which is about 50% of the genome size of its ancestor, while Thermaceae retained the same genome size as their common ancestor. Overall, we conclude that the ubiquity of Deinococcus species is the result of acquiring diverse functions and surviving in various environments. While this is a beneficial evolution for the family, gaining specific genes can lower the radiation resistance capability. Therefore, radiation resistance is not the defining characteristic of Deinococcaceae. Moreover, ancestral reconstruction reveals that this proto-Deinococcus underwent genome expansion and likely gained genes that induced radiation resistance traits and genomic flexibility.

year: 2024

title: Blood Quantum  “A Pūrākau approach to understanding the impact of ‘Blood Quantum’ in Māori Identity”

authors: Edwards, Alvina Jean

subjects: Blood quantum

abstract: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” (Lorde, 1984, p.94)

This thesis begins and ends with being Ngāi Tahu, the two fundamental questions that generated this topic are: Who determines Indigenous legal identity? Who defines tribal membership and affiliation? Although the idea of defining Indigenous Peoples, for political purposes originated in colonial times, the complications, and complexities of defining who an Indigenous individual remains a truly contentious issue. This thesis will draw on the Indigenous Māori methodology of pūrākau, or story work for its structure and method to explore the above questions relating to Indigenous identity. The pūrākau approach enables the research to harness mātauranga Māori knowledge such as whakapapa and korero tuku iho alongside western thought, which is now inked in academic disciplines such as in the study of law. This thesis explores notions such as Indigenous ‘blood’ and our Indigenous ‘DNA.’ It is argued that to understand the history, the politics, the laws of blood quantum and DNA, it is important to understand the mind of the coloniser and the tools they continue to use. 

The study of blood quantum has become an important aspect of the tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) of many Indigenous peoples. From a historical and cultural perspective, blood quantum standards divide and alienate communities, and perpetuate a discourse that promotes internalised self-hatred, alienation, and fractionation. This research will develop pūrākau as a pedagogy through creating learning tools. These new learning tools will counteract the possibility of our Indigenous Peoples from being trapped within these social constructions. The thesis will explore possible self-determination techniques which emphasize pūrākau in establishing identity through creating a journey of recovery through the application of pūrākau in decolonising blood quantum ideology. Ultimately, Indigenous Peoples of Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America need to be the ones in control of their identity, tribal affiliation, cultural continuity, destiny, and the way they are legally defined.

Let's reclaim our stolen tools (Lorde, 1979)

text: Blood Quantum  “A Pūrākau approach to understanding the impact of ‘Blood Quantum’ in Māori Identity” “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” (Lorde, 1984, p.94)

This thesis begins and ends with being Ngāi Tahu, the two fundamental questions that generated this topic are: Who determines Indigenous legal identity? Who defines tribal membership and affiliation? Although the idea of defining Indigenous Peoples, for political purposes originated in colonial times, the complications, and complexities of defining who an Indigenous individual remains a truly contentious issue. This thesis will draw on the Indigenous Māori methodology of pūrākau, or story work for its structure and method to explore the above questions relating to Indigenous identity. The pūrākau approach enables the research to harness mātauranga Māori knowledge such as whakapapa and korero tuku iho alongside western thought, which is now inked in academic disciplines such as in the study of law. This thesis explores notions such as Indigenous ‘blood’ and our Indigenous ‘DNA.’ It is argued that to understand the history, the politics, the laws of blood quantum and DNA, it is important to understand the mind of the coloniser and the tools they continue to use. 

The study of blood quantum has become an important aspect of the tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) of many Indigenous peoples. From a historical and cultural perspective, blood quantum standards divide and alienate communities, and perpetuate a discourse that promotes internalised self-hatred, alienation, and fractionation. This research will develop pūrākau as a pedagogy through creating learning tools. These new learning tools will counteract the possibility of our Indigenous Peoples from being trapped within these social constructions. The thesis will explore possible self-determination techniques which emphasize pūrākau in establishing identity through creating a journey of recovery through the application of pūrākau in decolonising blood quantum ideology. Ultimately, Indigenous Peoples of Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America need to be the ones in control of their identity, tribal affiliation, cultural continuity, destiny, and the way they are legally defined.

Let's reclaim our stolen tools (Lorde, 1979)

year: 2020