title: The Pyramid Trough Wetland: environmental and biological diversity in a newly created Antarctic protected area

authors: Jungblut, Anne D.

subjects: cyanobacteria

abstract: The Pyramid Trough (Lat 78°S) has recently gained protection under the Antarctic Treaty system, owing to its wetland values. Here, we describe the microbial diversity of this system, with emphasis on cyanobacteria, and evaluate environment–biota relationships. Geochemistry separates ponds along hydrological gradients receiving recent inflows of dilute meltwater, from a second group that is rarely inundated and where chemistry is dominated by evaporation. Cyanobacteria-based microbial mats dominated the biota throughout. Mats were characterized by light-microscopy, pigment analysis, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. A total of 17 morphotypes and 21 ribotypes were identified, mostly Oscillatoriales and several taxa that are usually rare in continental Antarctica, including Chroococcales and scytomin-rich Calothrix/Dichothrix, were abundant. There was a general decline in cyanobacterial diversity with increasing conductivity, but weak support for either differences in community composition between the two groups of ponds or sorting of taxa along the hydrological gradients with the pond groups. This implies a broad environmental tolerance and a prevalence of neutral assembly mechanisms in cyanobacterial communities of Antarctic wetland ecosystems.

text: The Pyramid Trough Wetland: environmental and biological diversity in a newly created Antarctic protected area The Pyramid Trough (Lat 78°S) has recently gained protection under the Antarctic Treaty system, owing to its wetland values. Here, we describe the microbial diversity of this system, with emphasis on cyanobacteria, and evaluate environment–biota relationships. Geochemistry separates ponds along hydrological gradients receiving recent inflows of dilute meltwater, from a second group that is rarely inundated and where chemistry is dominated by evaporation. Cyanobacteria-based microbial mats dominated the biota throughout. Mats were characterized by light-microscopy, pigment analysis, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. A total of 17 morphotypes and 21 ribotypes were identified, mostly Oscillatoriales and several taxa that are usually rare in continental Antarctica, including Chroococcales and scytomin-rich Calothrix/Dichothrix, were abundant. There was a general decline in cyanobacterial diversity with increasing conductivity, but weak support for either differences in community composition between the two groups of ponds or sorting of taxa along the hydrological gradients with the pond groups. This implies a broad environmental tolerance and a prevalence of neutral assembly mechanisms in cyanobacterial communities of Antarctic wetland ecosystems.

year: 2012

title: Creativity, mood disorders and the aesthetic.

authors: Fraser, Deborah

abstract: This article explores the sensitivity and mood disorders found in a number of gifted people. Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration provides the theoretical framework through which issues for these people are examined. Personal narratives and poems from gifted young people provide insights to their sensitivities and struggles. The aesthetic is proposed as one way in which to understand their needs. There are direct implications for parents, teachers, health professionals, and creative people when mood disorders are considered developmental rather than purely pathological. In particular, the therapeutic influence of expressing strong feelings through creative writing has merit in terms of support. Dabrowski's theory and the use of the aesthetic deepens both our understanding and our appreciation of the gifted.

text: Creativity, mood disorders and the aesthetic. This article explores the sensitivity and mood disorders found in a number of gifted people. Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration provides the theoretical framework through which issues for these people are examined. Personal narratives and poems from gifted young people provide insights to their sensitivities and struggles. The aesthetic is proposed as one way in which to understand their needs. There are direct implications for parents, teachers, health professionals, and creative people when mood disorders are considered developmental rather than purely pathological. In particular, the therapeutic influence of expressing strong feelings through creative writing has merit in terms of support. Dabrowski's theory and the use of the aesthetic deepens both our understanding and our appreciation of the gifted.

year: 2010

title: ‘Doctoring’ our own: Confessions of a Māori doctoral supervisor

authors: Hohepa, Margie Kahukura

subjects: Māori doctoral student

abstract: There is very little literature, empirically based or otherwise, on the supervision of Māori doctoral students (Fitzgerald, 2005; Pope, 2008; Kidman, 2007; Smith, 2007). There is even less relating to Māori supervisors working with Māori doctoral students (Kidinan, 2007), let alone Māori supervisors working with non- Māori students. While the relatively large corpus of literature on doctoral supervision may be of some assistance to Māori supervisors, there is also a dearth of studies that focus on the pedagogical aspects. Research undertaken by Elizabeth McKinley and her co-researchers (McKinley, Grant, Middleton, Irwin & Williams, 2009) will now help to fill the literature gap on the teaching and learning process of supervision as it pertains to Māori.

text: ‘Doctoring’ our own: Confessions of a Māori doctoral supervisor There is very little literature, empirically based or otherwise, on the supervision of Māori doctoral students (Fitzgerald, 2005; Pope, 2008; Kidman, 2007; Smith, 2007). There is even less relating to Māori supervisors working with Māori doctoral students (Kidinan, 2007), let alone Māori supervisors working with non- Māori students. While the relatively large corpus of literature on doctoral supervision may be of some assistance to Māori supervisors, there is also a dearth of studies that focus on the pedagogical aspects. Research undertaken by Elizabeth McKinley and her co-researchers (McKinley, Grant, Middleton, Irwin & Williams, 2009) will now help to fill the literature gap on the teaching and learning process of supervision as it pertains to Māori.

year: 2010