Lesbians, Masculinities, and Privilege: The Privileging of Gender and the Gendering of Sexuality

Though LGBTQ individuals, experiences, and communities have been increasingly recognized as valuable subjects of research, the existing body of research on and about this population is still significantly lacking. In a field so young and full of controversy, it is vital that research be done that gives voice and agency to LGBTQ individuals, their experiences and lifestyles. This paper will introduce readers to the concept of “female masculinity” and, specifically, the complicated relationships many lesbian identities have with different configurations of masculinity. I will introduce the concepts of “butch” lesbian identities and “femme” lesbian identities as well as their relation to one another. I will dispel stereotypes about butch/femme identities and behaviors, and explore some of the diversity of lesbian identities and gender performance in which gay women have participated within the community. Using existing research and scholarship on the subject of lesbian masculinity, this paper expands the academic discussion on the ways that gender identity is performed in lesbian spaces. I will explore and explain the current theoretical and empirical research related to the subject of lesbian masculinity, summarize contributions to this scholarly dialogue, and incorporate my own vision for the future of queer studies

Our Voices (DV5)

Through our eyes, Dissenting Voices Volume 5 gives readers a chance to see how race and gender have played a role in our lives. This work seeks to give voice and agency to those of us whose experiences and wisdom have been historically cast aside, and to empower writer and reader alike through the sharing of knowledge

Extreme pCO2 Variability in a Macrotidal Eelgrass Meadow Mediated by Tidal and Diurnal Cycles

It has been suggested that photosynthetic activity of macrophytes in coastal areas can decrease pCO2 and may provide areas of refuge for organisms sensitive to ocean acidification. To assess the effect of a large eel grass meadow on water chemistry, discreet samples were collected hourly over several 24 hour cycles in Padilla Bay, WA. Calculated pCO2 ranged from less than 100 ppm to greater than 700 ppm, often over the course of only a few hours. Aragonite saturation, DIC and pH were also highly variable. These data, weather station data and in-situ sensors(Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) were used to develop a model that estimates pCO2 for the summer season. Tidal height and photosynthetically active radiation were the most significant predictors of pH and pCO2, with Salinity and DO. Model estimates suggest that an even wider range of pCO2 values are common in this estuary, especially in the early summer. Data from a mooring in 20 meters of water over a kilometer from the intertidal eel grass environment, provide some hints of the spatial extent of influence

Disrupting the Lean: Performing a 2016 Declaration of Sentiments

Inspired by the spirit of disruption, this article narrates the making of a “2016 Declaration of Sentiments,” invented in a roundtable, “Disrupting the Lean: Performing a 2016 Declaration of Sentiments,” at the fifth Biennial Seneca Falls Dialogues (SFD). We open the essay with a brief theoretical overview that informs manifestos written in a feminist theory or senior seminar course that take up questions of gender equity, labor, and acts of resistance. We follow with excerpts from these manifestos as read in the roundtable, closing the essay with a “2016 Declaration of Sentiments,” collaboratively authored and recited by roundtable participants. Looking back but thinking forward, we give you our words and our voice as we seek to bring activism and agency back to Seneca Falls

Interactive effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) early life stages

The synergy of ocean acidification and ocean warming may lead to negative marine organism responses not apparent under single stressors. While adult fish are effective acid-base regulators, and presumably less affected by environmental stressors, early life stages may be more susceptible. Pacific herring are ecologically and economically important forage fish, native to the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW). However, the herring populations in the PNW have experienced reductions in stock abundance. This study focused on the combined effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on Pacific herring embryo and larval life stages. Pacific herring embryos were incubated under a factorial design of two temperature (10°C, 16°C) and two pCO2 (600 µatm, 1600 µatm) treatments until hatch. The combination of high pCO2 and high temperature revealed greater embryo respiration aberrations. Embryos reared under the high temperature treatment, for both pCO2 levels, experienced greater occurrences of larval mortality and abnormalities. These data indicate that while temperature may be a primary global change stressor affecting Pacific herring embryology and future herring populations, interactive effects with pCO2 may introduce additional challenges

Diagnostic Screening Workflow for Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genes

Objectives: Screening for mutations in large genes is challenging in a molecular diagnostic environment. Sanger-based DNA sequencing methods are largely used; however, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) can accommodate increasing test demands and financial constraints. This study aimed to establish a simple workflow to amplify and screen all coding regions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) genes by Sanger-based sequencing as well as to assess a MPS approach encompassing multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and pyrosequencing. Methods: This study was conducted between July 2011 and April 2013. A total of 20 patients were included in the study who had been referred to Genetic Health Services New Zealand (Northern Hub) for BRCA1/2 mutation screening. Patients were randomly divided into a MPS evaluation and validation cohort (n = 10 patients each). Primers were designed to amplify all coding exons of BRCA1/2 (28 and 42 primer pairs, respectively). Primers overlying known variants were avoided to circumvent allelic drop-out. The MPS approach necessitated utilisation of a complementary fragment analysis assay to eliminate apparent false-positives at homopolymeric regions. Variants were filtered on the basis of their frequency and sequence depth. Results: Sanger-based sequencing of PCRamplified coding regions was successfully achieved. Sensitivity and specificity of the combined MPS/homopolymer protocol was determined to be 100% and 99.5%, respectively. Conclusion: In comparison to traditional Sangerbased sequencing, the MPS workflow led to a reduction in both cost and analysis time for BRCA1/2 screening. MPS analysis achieved high analytical sensitivity and specificity, but required complementary fragment analysis combined with Sanger-based sequencing confirmation in some instances

Ameliorating ocean acidification: towards a model relating pCO2, irradiance and leaf area index of Zostera marina (eelgrass) in Padilla Bay, WA

In nearshore, soft-sediment habitats of the Salish Sea, eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) meadows have been identified as potential mitigators of ocean acidification (OA) because their photosynthetic activity can decrease pCO2, increase pH and provide refuge for organisms sensitive to OA. The diurnal light cycle controls photosynthetic production of eelgrass and therefore, along with tidal cycles, exerts strong controls on variations in pCO2 in nearshore environment. In this study, we investigate the carbon uptake rates for eelgrass under varying light, ambient pCO2 conditions and eelgrass densities (leaf area index). The magnitude of changes predicted based on experimentally derived photosynthetic rates, measured light and water depth in Padilla Bay, WA compare well with observed variability in the field. The ambient pCO2 conditions we tested, however, did not appear to be a major control in carbon uptake rates for eelgrass. Combining lab, model, and field results will strengthen our understanding of the variability of OA in the nearshore environment and help shellfish managers understand the drivers of that variability and inform further studies of its effects, such as potential OA refuge for shellfish and other sensitive organisms

Technical Note: A Minimally-invasive Experimental System for pCO2 Manipulation in Plankton Cultures using Passive Gas Exchange (Atmospheric Carbon Control Simulator)

As research into the biotic effects of ocean acidification has increased, the methods for simulating these environmental changes in the laboratory have multiplied. Here we describe the atmospheric carbon control simulator (ACCS) for the maintenance of plankton under controlled pCO2 conditions, designed for species sensitive to the physical disturbance introduced by the bubbling of cultures and for studies involving trophic interaction. The system consists of gas mixing and equilibration components coupled with large volume atmospheric simulation chambers. These chambers allow gas exchange to counteract the changes in carbonate chemistry induced by the metabolic activity of the organisms. The system is relatively low cost, very flexible, and when used in conjunction with semi-continuous culture methods, it increases the density of organisms kept under realistic condions, increases the allowable time interval between dilutions, and/or decreases the metabolically driven change in carbonate chemistry during these intervals. It accommodates a large number of culture vessels, which facilitate multi-trophic level studies and allow the tracking of variable responses within and across plankton populations to ocean acidification. It also includes components that increase the reliability of gas mixing systems using mass flow controllers

The combined effects of acidification and acute warming on the embryos of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Anthropogenic climate change is projected to affect marine ecosystems by challenging the environmental tolerance of individuals. Marine fishes may be particularly vulnerable to emergent climate stressors during early life stages. Here we focus on embryos of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), an important forage fish species widely distributed across the North Pacific. Embryos were reared under a range of temperatures (10-16°C) crossed with two pCO2 levels (600 and 2000 μatm) to investigate effects on metabolism and survival. We further tested how elevated pCO2 affects critical thermal tolerance (CTmax) by challenging embryos to short-term temperature fluctuations. Experiments were repeated on embryos collected from winter and spring spawning populations to determine if spawning phenology corresponds with different limits of environmental tolerance in offspring. We found that embryos could withstand acute exposure to 20°C regardless of spawning population or incubation treatment, but that survival was greatly reduced after 2-3 hours at 25°C. We found that pCO2 had limited effects on CTmax. The survival of embryos reared under chronically warm conditions (12°, 14°, or 16°C) was significantly lower relative to 10°C treatments in both populations. Oxygen consumption rates (MO2) were also higher at elevated temperatures and pCO2 levels. However, heart contraction measurements made 48 hours after CTmax exposure revealed a greater increase in heart rate in embryos reared at 10°C compared to 16°C, suggesting acclimation at higher incubation temperatures. Our results indicate that Pacific herring are generally tolerant of pCO2 but are vulnerable to acute temperature stress. Importantly, spring-spawning embryos did not clearly exhibit a higher tolerance to heat stress compared to winter offspring

Comprehension of Who and Which-NP questions: Which Account do the Data Support?

This study investigated the comprehension of various types of Wh-questions in unimpaired adults and those with Broca’s aphasia. Using an eye tracking-while listening method, we examined four specific hypotheses. Our initial results for our healthy controls revealed offline support for a Word Order Hypothesis – object-extracted Who and Which-NP questions took longer to resolve than subject-extracted versions. Our results using eye gaze data, however, revealed support for a Retrieval Hypothesis – Which-NP questions that contain more specific information yielded fewer looks to the correct referent than their Who-question counterparts. These patterns set the stage for our ongoing aphasia study