title: Gaming and Gender: Home as a Place of (Non)conformity for Women Gamers

authors: Todd, Cherie J.

subjects: women

abstract: This research examines interactive multimedia video games that are played on technological devices such as: computers, gameboys, PlayStation, Portable PlayStation (PSP) and Xbox.  Particular attention is paid to women 30 years of age and older, who engage in gaming activities whilst at home. This is a particularly useful group of women to investigate because it opposes stereotypical and gender-normative notions of what it means to be a 'woman at home'. Also, to the best of my knowledge, there have not been any previous studies conducted that explore this particular group in relation to geographies of home. There is an ever expanding body of literature that focuses on 'home' and the meanings that are associated with it. This research represents an attempt to seek a new way of understanding the mutually constitutive relationship between women, home, and gaming by drawing on feminist and poststructuralist theories of identities, place and space. In this thesis, I argue that there are various ways in which women's identities can become blurred by their engagements with cyber/space, and that gaming is an activity which facilitates levels of empowerment for women within the home.

text: Gaming and Gender: Home as a Place of (Non)conformity for Women Gamers This research examines interactive multimedia video games that are played on technological devices such as: computers, gameboys, PlayStation, Portable PlayStation (PSP) and Xbox.  Particular attention is paid to women 30 years of age and older, who engage in gaming activities whilst at home. This is a particularly useful group of women to investigate because it opposes stereotypical and gender-normative notions of what it means to be a 'woman at home'. Also, to the best of my knowledge, there have not been any previous studies conducted that explore this particular group in relation to geographies of home. There is an ever expanding body of literature that focuses on 'home' and the meanings that are associated with it. This research represents an attempt to seek a new way of understanding the mutually constitutive relationship between women, home, and gaming by drawing on feminist and poststructuralist theories of identities, place and space. In this thesis, I argue that there are various ways in which women's identities can become blurred by their engagements with cyber/space, and that gaming is an activity which facilitates levels of empowerment for women within the home.

year: 2009

title: Characterization of the bacterioplankton communities in the melt-water ponds of Bratina Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica

authors: Archer, Stephen David James

subjects: melt-water

abstract: Antarctic ecosystems (such as the ponds by Bratina Island, Antarctica) provide an excellent opportunity to examine organisms that can live in one of the most extreme and geochemically varied environments in the world. These ponds are of interest as each one can vary greatly in size, depth, and age as well as profiles of dissolved oxygen, metal concentrations, pH and salinity. Even within ponds geochemically distinct stratified layers can form which can greatly influence their microbial communities. There are a number of studies which indicate that microbial populations found in Antarctic ponds will be highly diverse and variable due to the uniqueness of the environment. This study aims to increase our knowledge of microbial biodiversity and the environmental factors which structure them, in particular the stratification transition zones within ponds water columns. A thorough set of biological samples were taken from five selected ponds during mid-summer in the 09-10 season to complement those taken during the winter freeze-up in the 07-08 extended season by Hawes and co-workers. Oxygen concentration, pH, conductivity and temperature of each pond water sample were measured in the field and water samples were taken back to the University of Waikato for further analysis. This research primarily used the DNA fingerprinting technique ARISA, matched with geochemistry to identify and characterise the resident and functional members of the microbial community and understand how the community is structured in relation to environmental conditions. We found that the planktonic populations of the Bratina Island ponds do vary between ponds, that each pond has its own chemical signature and that populations do change with depth. One of the studied ponds, Egg, was found to have an extreme chemical stratification leading to significantly different populations at each depth. Data analysis using BEST analysis determined that the changes in the bacterial populations in Egg are primarily in relation to the pH and conductivity at each depth which changes dramatically in the lower depths.

text: Characterization of the bacterioplankton communities in the melt-water ponds of Bratina Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica Antarctic ecosystems (such as the ponds by Bratina Island, Antarctica) provide an excellent opportunity to examine organisms that can live in one of the most extreme and geochemically varied environments in the world. These ponds are of interest as each one can vary greatly in size, depth, and age as well as profiles of dissolved oxygen, metal concentrations, pH and salinity. Even within ponds geochemically distinct stratified layers can form which can greatly influence their microbial communities. There are a number of studies which indicate that microbial populations found in Antarctic ponds will be highly diverse and variable due to the uniqueness of the environment. This study aims to increase our knowledge of microbial biodiversity and the environmental factors which structure them, in particular the stratification transition zones within ponds water columns. A thorough set of biological samples were taken from five selected ponds during mid-summer in the 09-10 season to complement those taken during the winter freeze-up in the 07-08 extended season by Hawes and co-workers. Oxygen concentration, pH, conductivity and temperature of each pond water sample were measured in the field and water samples were taken back to the University of Waikato for further analysis. This research primarily used the DNA fingerprinting technique ARISA, matched with geochemistry to identify and characterise the resident and functional members of the microbial community and understand how the community is structured in relation to environmental conditions. We found that the planktonic populations of the Bratina Island ponds do vary between ponds, that each pond has its own chemical signature and that populations do change with depth. One of the studied ponds, Egg, was found to have an extreme chemical stratification leading to significantly different populations at each depth. Data analysis using BEST analysis determined that the changes in the bacterial populations in Egg are primarily in relation to the pH and conductivity at each depth which changes dramatically in the lower depths.

year: 2011

title: Balancing openness with Indigenous data sovereignty: An opportunity to leave no one behind in the journey to sequence all of life

authors: Cartney, Ann M. Mc

abstract: The field of genomics has benefited greatly from its "openness" approach to data sharing. However, with the increasing volume of sequence information being created and stored and the growing number of international genomics efforts, the equity of openness is under question. The United Nations Convention of Biodiversity aims to develop and adopt a standard policy on access and benefit-sharing for sequence information across signatory parties. This standardization will have profound implications on genomics research, requiring a new definition of open data sharing. The redefinition of openness is not unwarranted, as its limitations have unintentionally introduced barriers of engagement to some, including Indigenous Peoples. This commentary provides an insight into the key challenges of openness faced by the researchers who aspire to protect and conserve global biodiversity, including Indigenous flora and fauna, and presents immediate, practical solutions that, if implemented, will equip the genomics community with both the diversity and inclusivity required to respectfully protect global biodiversity.

text: Balancing openness with Indigenous data sovereignty: An opportunity to leave no one behind in the journey to sequence all of life The field of genomics has benefited greatly from its "openness" approach to data sharing. However, with the increasing volume of sequence information being created and stored and the growing number of international genomics efforts, the equity of openness is under question. The United Nations Convention of Biodiversity aims to develop and adopt a standard policy on access and benefit-sharing for sequence information across signatory parties. This standardization will have profound implications on genomics research, requiring a new definition of open data sharing. The redefinition of openness is not unwarranted, as its limitations have unintentionally introduced barriers of engagement to some, including Indigenous Peoples. This commentary provides an insight into the key challenges of openness faced by the researchers who aspire to protect and conserve global biodiversity, including Indigenous flora and fauna, and presents immediate, practical solutions that, if implemented, will equip the genomics community with both the diversity and inclusivity required to respectfully protect global biodiversity.

year: 2022