title: Bio-informational capitalism

authors: Peters, Michael A.

subjects: Biocapitalism

abstract: This essay builds on the literatures on ‘biocapitalism’ and ‘informationalism’ (or ‘informational capitalism’) to develop the concept of ‘bio-informational capitalism’ in order to articulate an emergent form of capitalism that is self-renewing in the sense that it canchange and renew the material basis for life and capital as well as program itself. Bioinformational capitalism applies and develops aspects of the new biology to informaticsto create new organic forms of computing and self-reproducing memory that in turn has become the basis of bioinformatics. The paper begins with a review of the successes ofthe ‘new biology’, focusing on Craig Venter’s digitizing of biology and, as he remarks, the creation of new life from the digital universe. The paper then provides a brief account of bioinformatics before brokering and discussing the term ‘bioinformational capitalism’

text: Bio-informational capitalism This essay builds on the literatures on ‘biocapitalism’ and ‘informationalism’ (or ‘informational capitalism’) to develop the concept of ‘bio-informational capitalism’ in order to articulate an emergent form of capitalism that is self-renewing in the sense that it canchange and renew the material basis for life and capital as well as program itself. Bioinformational capitalism applies and develops aspects of the new biology to informaticsto create new organic forms of computing and self-reproducing memory that in turn has become the basis of bioinformatics. The paper begins with a review of the successes ofthe ‘new biology’, focusing on Craig Venter’s digitizing of biology and, as he remarks, the creation of new life from the digital universe. The paper then provides a brief account of bioinformatics before brokering and discussing the term ‘bioinformational capitalism’

year: 2012

title: Landing error scoring system: The effect of head turned position and dual tasking

authors: Anderson, Blake

subjects: sport

abstract: Sport has many mental and physical health benefits. However, with overall participation in sport 
increasing, sport-related issues and injuries are also increasing. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) 
injuries are common knee injuries in athletes and the general population, often occurring through non
contact mechanisms. The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a screening task used to identify 
athletes at higher risk of non-contact ACL and musculoskeletal injuries, where higher scores indicate 
poorer landing mechanics and greater risk of injury. Although the LESS is reliable, its predictive value 
is debated and it has been criticised for lacking validity in a sporting context. Previous studies have 
adapted LESS protocols in attempts to increase sport specificity, with changing head position or 
completing a dual task potentially suitable for this purpose as linked with ACL injury situations in 
sports. This thesis contains two experimental chapters. 
In the first experiment, 35 participants (22 males, 13 females) performed the LESS in two conditions 
allocated in a random order. In the control condition, participants jumped horizontally with both legs 
from a 30-cm high box to half their body height, landed with both feet, and jumped vertically as high 
as possible in one motion. In the head turned condition, participants performed the same double-leg 
jump landing movement while maintaining eye contact with an ‘X’ marked on a wall to their right, in 
line with the landing area. Participants performed three trials in each condition. Group mean LESS 
scores were significantly greater (P = 0.027) in the head turned (mean errors = 6.8 ± 1.5) than the 
control (mean errors = 6.4 ± 1.4) condition, with the mean difference of 0.4 errors being of small 
magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.27 [0.51, 0.03]). No significant difference was found in the odds of being 
categorised at risk between conditions (P = 0.625, odds ratio = 3.00 [0.312, 28.8] based on a 5-error 
threshold. On an individual level, 28 participants were at risk in both conditions, although 13 had a 
meaningful increase in LESS score of one or more in the head turned condition. Average jump heights 
were significantly lower in the head turned condition, with the mean difference of 2.1 cm being of small 
magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.20 [0.07,0.34]). Overall, performing the LESS with a head turned position 
appeared to increase the complexity and sport specificity of the task. Future research is required to 
determine the ability of the LESS to predict ACL injuries with a head turned condition as this aspect 
was not assessed. 
In the second experiment, an element of cognitive challenge was incorporated to the LESS in attempt 
to recreate the complex athlete-environment relationship of sports. In experiment two, 41 participants 
(20 males, 19 females, 2 others) performed the LESS in two conditions allocated in a random order. 
The control condition was the same as in the first experiment. In the tone counting condition, 
participants completed the same double-leg jump landing movement while mentally counting a random 
series of high-pitched and low-pitched tones, known as a tone counting task. Group mean LESS scores 
were not significantly different between tone counting (mean errors = 6.0 ± 1.3) and control (mean 
errors = 6.2 ± 1.5) conditions. Average jump heights were significantly lower in the tone counting than 
the control condition, with the mean difference of -4.2 cm being of small magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.48 
[0.30, 0.66]). No significant difference was found in the odds of being categorised at risk between 
conditions (P = 1.000, odds ratio = 1.00 [0.20, 4.95]) based on a 5-error threshold. Overall, performing 
the LESS with a secondary tone counting task significantly decreased jump heights with a small effect 
size, corroborating an increased cognitive load during testing that impaired jump performance. 
However, LESS scores were not meaningfully influenced. 
Overall, introducing a head turned position to the LESS task increased LESS errors significantly, and 
introducing a tone counting task or head turned position decreased jump heights. Although future 
research is required to determine the ability of the LESS to predict ACL injuries with these dual tasking 
conditions, this Thesis demonstrates that the complexity and sport specificity of the LESS task can be 
increased by introducing dual tasking requirements.

text: Landing error scoring system: The effect of head turned position and dual tasking Sport has many mental and physical health benefits. However, with overall participation in sport 
increasing, sport-related issues and injuries are also increasing. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) 
injuries are common knee injuries in athletes and the general population, often occurring through non
contact mechanisms. The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a screening task used to identify 
athletes at higher risk of non-contact ACL and musculoskeletal injuries, where higher scores indicate 
poorer landing mechanics and greater risk of injury. Although the LESS is reliable, its predictive value 
is debated and it has been criticised for lacking validity in a sporting context. Previous studies have 
adapted LESS protocols in attempts to increase sport specificity, with changing head position or 
completing a dual task potentially suitable for this purpose as linked with ACL injury situations in 
sports. This thesis contains two experimental chapters. 
In the first experiment, 35 participants (22 males, 13 females) performed the LESS in two conditions 
allocated in a random order. In the control condition, participants jumped horizontally with both legs 
from a 30-cm high box to half their body height, landed with both feet, and jumped vertically as high 
as possible in one motion. In the head turned condition, participants performed the same double-leg 
jump landing movement while maintaining eye contact with an ‘X’ marked on a wall to their right, in 
line with the landing area. Participants performed three trials in each condition. Group mean LESS 
scores were significantly greater (P = 0.027) in the head turned (mean errors = 6.8 ± 1.5) than the 
control (mean errors = 6.4 ± 1.4) condition, with the mean difference of 0.4 errors being of small 
magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.27 [0.51, 0.03]). No significant difference was found in the odds of being 
categorised at risk between conditions (P = 0.625, odds ratio = 3.00 [0.312, 28.8] based on a 5-error 
threshold. On an individual level, 28 participants were at risk in both conditions, although 13 had a 
meaningful increase in LESS score of one or more in the head turned condition. Average jump heights 
were significantly lower in the head turned condition, with the mean difference of 2.1 cm being of small 
magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.20 [0.07,0.34]). Overall, performing the LESS with a head turned position 
appeared to increase the complexity and sport specificity of the task. Future research is required to 
determine the ability of the LESS to predict ACL injuries with a head turned condition as this aspect 
was not assessed. 
In the second experiment, an element of cognitive challenge was incorporated to the LESS in attempt 
to recreate the complex athlete-environment relationship of sports. In experiment two, 41 participants 
(20 males, 19 females, 2 others) performed the LESS in two conditions allocated in a random order. 
The control condition was the same as in the first experiment. In the tone counting condition, 
participants completed the same double-leg jump landing movement while mentally counting a random 
series of high-pitched and low-pitched tones, known as a tone counting task. Group mean LESS scores 
were not significantly different between tone counting (mean errors = 6.0 ± 1.3) and control (mean 
errors = 6.2 ± 1.5) conditions. Average jump heights were significantly lower in the tone counting than 
the control condition, with the mean difference of -4.2 cm being of small magnitude (Cohen’s d = 0.48 
[0.30, 0.66]). No significant difference was found in the odds of being categorised at risk between 
conditions (P = 1.000, odds ratio = 1.00 [0.20, 4.95]) based on a 5-error threshold. Overall, performing 
the LESS with a secondary tone counting task significantly decreased jump heights with a small effect 
size, corroborating an increased cognitive load during testing that impaired jump performance. 
However, LESS scores were not meaningfully influenced. 
Overall, introducing a head turned position to the LESS task increased LESS errors significantly, and 
introducing a tone counting task or head turned position decreased jump heights. Although future 
research is required to determine the ability of the LESS to predict ACL injuries with these dual tasking 
conditions, this Thesis demonstrates that the complexity and sport specificity of the LESS task can be 
increased by introducing dual tasking requirements.

year: 2025

title: Indigenising the screen: Screenplay and critical analysis for The Prophet

authors: Bristowe, Joseph Curtis

subjects: indiginization

abstract: This thesis tests the hypothesis that it is possible to both decolonise and indigenise the New Zealand cinema screen. Secondary research reveals how those discourses that promoted roles and expectations for Māori within the New Zealand film industry were based principally upon historical colonial ideologies imposed by various means upon the native populous, and subsequently reproduced. These discourses of race, gender and religion perpetuate negative belief systems about Māori and contribute to the reproduction of stereotypical images of Māori, such as the irrational, naive, simpleminded and warlike Māori man, or the domesticated, lustful and sexually available Māori woman. 

Research by creative practice advances the project of decolonising the New Zealand screen through the writing of a feature length screenplay based on careful research and intimate cultural knowledge, and by working according to an appropriate kaupapa Māori framework. The resulting screenplay, The Prophet, brings to life the multitude of forces that coalesced to shape the life of 19th century Māori warrior and prophet, Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki. In his death, as in his life, he remains an enigmatic figure. In written accounts and in Pākehā memories he appears as a violent rebel, mass murderer and religious fanatic. This epic re-telling focuses on the character of Te Kooti, showing him to be a man who accomplished great feats in the face of injustice, adversity and hardship. 
A critical analysis of the screenplay reveals how I adopted a unique cross cultural writing approach drawing upon both the 'classic' western narrative structure as well as kaupapa Māori pūrākau oral tradition. I argue that this approach combines effectively to materialise strong anti-colonial perspectives aimed specifically at subverting long-held and dominant colonial discourses. Such an approach to scriptwriting rejects the tradition of being defined, constructed and represented through discourses that serve to promote the interests of the Pākehā majority and, in doing so, urges the utilisation of Māori philosophies, concepts and practices in the scriptwriting/film production process.

text: Indigenising the screen: Screenplay and critical analysis for The Prophet This thesis tests the hypothesis that it is possible to both decolonise and indigenise the New Zealand cinema screen. Secondary research reveals how those discourses that promoted roles and expectations for Māori within the New Zealand film industry were based principally upon historical colonial ideologies imposed by various means upon the native populous, and subsequently reproduced. These discourses of race, gender and religion perpetuate negative belief systems about Māori and contribute to the reproduction of stereotypical images of Māori, such as the irrational, naive, simpleminded and warlike Māori man, or the domesticated, lustful and sexually available Māori woman. 

Research by creative practice advances the project of decolonising the New Zealand screen through the writing of a feature length screenplay based on careful research and intimate cultural knowledge, and by working according to an appropriate kaupapa Māori framework. The resulting screenplay, The Prophet, brings to life the multitude of forces that coalesced to shape the life of 19th century Māori warrior and prophet, Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki. In his death, as in his life, he remains an enigmatic figure. In written accounts and in Pākehā memories he appears as a violent rebel, mass murderer and religious fanatic. This epic re-telling focuses on the character of Te Kooti, showing him to be a man who accomplished great feats in the face of injustice, adversity and hardship. 
A critical analysis of the screenplay reveals how I adopted a unique cross cultural writing approach drawing upon both the 'classic' western narrative structure as well as kaupapa Māori pūrākau oral tradition. I argue that this approach combines effectively to materialise strong anti-colonial perspectives aimed specifically at subverting long-held and dominant colonial discourses. Such an approach to scriptwriting rejects the tradition of being defined, constructed and represented through discourses that serve to promote the interests of the Pākehā majority and, in doing so, urges the utilisation of Māori philosophies, concepts and practices in the scriptwriting/film production process.

year: 2009