title: Methodological reflections on transference and countertransference in geographical research: relocation experiences from post-disaster Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Hutcheson, Gail Yvonne

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This article contributes to the emerging cannon of work on emotion and affect by extending conversations on reflexivity to include a relational ontology. I draw on geographical literature and the psychoanalytic concepts of transference and countertransference to examine how a combination of unconscious, subconscious and embodied experiences can further inform research interactions. Emotion and affect are examined in the research setting that moves beyond the clinical encounter to bring forms of unconscious communication into the realm of the everyday. The experiences that participants draw on are often beyond language and symbolisation, but are simultaneously situated in the body and its relations with other bodies. Examples are based on a qualitative research project exploring the relocation experiences of disaster survivors from Christchurch's major earthquake on 22 February 2011. The article concludes that, by focusing on transference and countertransference, unconscious and embodied connections can be fore-grounded. Research, then, becomes a cooperative space where the researcher and the participants form a knowledge framework that includes senses, emotion and affect.

text: Methodological reflections on transference and countertransference in geographical research: relocation experiences from post-disaster Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand This article contributes to the emerging cannon of work on emotion and affect by extending conversations on reflexivity to include a relational ontology. I draw on geographical literature and the psychoanalytic concepts of transference and countertransference to examine how a combination of unconscious, subconscious and embodied experiences can further inform research interactions. Emotion and affect are examined in the research setting that moves beyond the clinical encounter to bring forms of unconscious communication into the realm of the everyday. The experiences that participants draw on are often beyond language and symbolisation, but are simultaneously situated in the body and its relations with other bodies. Examples are based on a qualitative research project exploring the relocation experiences of disaster survivors from Christchurch's major earthquake on 22 February 2011. The article concludes that, by focusing on transference and countertransference, unconscious and embodied connections can be fore-grounded. Research, then, becomes a cooperative space where the researcher and the participants form a knowledge framework that includes senses, emotion and affect.

year: 2013

title: Recommendation, collaboration and social search

authors: Nichols, David M.

subjects: computer science

abstract: This chapter considers the social component of interactive information retrieval: what is the role of other people in searching and browsing? For simplicity we begin by considering situations without computers. After all, you can interactively retrieve information without a computer; you just have to interact with someone or something else. Such an analysis can then help us think about the new forms of collaborative interactions that extend our conceptions of information search, made possible by the growth of networked ubiquitous computing technology.
Information searching and browsing have often been conceptualized as a solitary activity, however they always have a social component. We may talk about 'the' searcher or 'the' user of a database or information resource. Our focus may be on individual uses and our research may look at individual users. Our experiments may be designed to observe the behaviors of individual subjects. Our models and theories derived from our empirical analyses may focus substantially or exclusively on an individual's evolving goals, thoughts, beliefs, emotions and actions. Nevertheless there are always social aspects of information seeking and use present, both implicitly and explicitly.
We start by summarizing some of the history of information access with an emphasis on social and collaborative interactions. Then we look at the nature of recommendations, social search and interfaces to support collaboration between information seekers. Following this we consider how the design of interactive information systems is influenced by their social elements.

text: Recommendation, collaboration and social search This chapter considers the social component of interactive information retrieval: what is the role of other people in searching and browsing? For simplicity we begin by considering situations without computers. After all, you can interactively retrieve information without a computer; you just have to interact with someone or something else. Such an analysis can then help us think about the new forms of collaborative interactions that extend our conceptions of information search, made possible by the growth of networked ubiquitous computing technology.
Information searching and browsing have often been conceptualized as a solitary activity, however they always have a social component. We may talk about 'the' searcher or 'the' user of a database or information resource. Our focus may be on individual uses and our research may look at individual users. Our experiments may be designed to observe the behaviors of individual subjects. Our models and theories derived from our empirical analyses may focus substantially or exclusively on an individual's evolving goals, thoughts, beliefs, emotions and actions. Nevertheless there are always social aspects of information seeking and use present, both implicitly and explicitly.
We start by summarizing some of the history of information access with an emphasis on social and collaborative interactions. Then we look at the nature of recommendations, social search and interfaces to support collaboration between information seekers. Following this we consider how the design of interactive information systems is influenced by their social elements.

year: 2011

title: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media.

authors: Barnett, Catherine Margaret Eleanor

subjects: otitis media

abstract: Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

text: Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Surfactant Protein A and D with Otitis Media. Otitis Media is one of the most common childhood diseases. Recurrent acute otitis media RAOM is characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the middle ear in conjunction with middle ear fluid, and often with an inflamed or bulging eardrum. Defective clearance by the Eustachian tube results in mucus build-up and is characteristic of otitis media with effusion (OME). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus are the most common contributors to otitis media pathogenesis. In New Zealand, OME has been implicated with conductive hearing loss in childhood and has been shown to significantly impact on speech and language development. New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children have displayed significantly higher hearing test failure rates than European-Caucasian children.

The collectins, Surfactant Protein (SP)-A and -D are encoded by three genes (SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D) and are host defense proteins present in the middle ear and Eustachian tube. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP-A1 and SP-A2 have been associated with increased or decreased susceptibility to otitis media, meningococcal disease, and range of respiratory diseases. Using allele-specific primers and real-time PCR with SYBR  Green I melting curve analysis, four groups of individuals were genotyped for eleven SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D SNPs: European-Caucasian individuals with RAOM/OME; New Zealand Māori/Polynesian individuals with RAOM/OME; individuals with meningococcal disease; and a control group. The computer program, Haploview, was employed to perform χ2 analyses and identify statistically significant associations of alleles/haplotypes with RAOM/OME or meningococcal disease.

In the European-Caucasian population, two SP-A1 alleles, one SP-A2 allele, and four haplotypes (CGAGC, 1A3, 1A9, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). Conversely, haplotypes 6A2 and 1A2 were found to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). In New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals, two SP-A1 alleles, three SP-A2 alleles, one SP-D allele, and four haplotypes (6A8, 6A10, 1A3, and 1A10) were found to be associated with increased risk of RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). An additional four haplotypes (6A2, 1A0, 1A2, and TA) were determined to be protective against susceptibility to RAOM/OME (P lt; 0.05). However, protective SPA1/SPA2/SPD haplotype 6A2-1A0-TA was significantly under-represented in the New Zealand Māori and Polynesian population (P lt; 0.05). A single allele and haplotype were associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease (P lt; 0.05).

The findings of this study confirm that specific genetic variants of SP-A and SP-D are associated with either increased or decreased risk of developing RAOM and/or OME. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that New Zealand Māori and Polynesian individuals appear to exhibit more haplotypes susceptible to RAOM/OME. This may provide a partial explanation for the higher RAOM/OME-related failure rates of hearing tests in New Zealand Māori and Polynesian children. However, there are numerous socio-economic and environmental factors that also contribute to otitis media pathogenesis which were not considered in this study. The effects of the SP-A1, SP-A2, and SP-D alleles and haplotypes on the bacterial/viral binding efficiencies of SP-A and SP-D need to be investigated by further research, using a large population, to confirm the association with susceptibility or resistance with RAOM/OME.

year: 2007