Twitter, Team GB and the Australian Olympic Team: representations of gender in social media spaces.

Twitter is used by athletes, sporting teams and sports media to provide updates on the results of sporting events as they happen. Unlike traditional forms of sports media, online sports media offers the potential for diverse representations of athletes. The current study examined gender in social media coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games using a third wave feminist lens. The analysis focused on the Twitter pages of ‘Team GB’ and the ‘Australian Olympic team’ and the sports stories and images posted during the Rio Olympic Games. Despite a number of traditional differences in the ways that male and females were represented being present, such as the presence of ‘active’ images of male athletes accompanying sports stories and the presence of infantalization in the language used to represent female performers, this analysis demonstrated significant strides forward in terms of the quantity of coverage received by women in online spaces. It further highlights virtual platforms as dynamic spaces for the representation of women athletes

Sporting women and social media: sexualization, misogyny and gender based violence in online spaces.

This study investigated gender based violence targeted at high profile women in virtual environments through presenting the case of women’s tennis. Using a netnographic approach and third wave feminist lens, an analysis of two popular social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) was conducted to examine the social commentary and fan interaction surrounding the top five seeded female tennis players during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Athletes were exposed to violent interactions in a number of ways. Four themes were identified through analysis of data: threats of physical violence; sexualisation that focussed on the female physical appearance; sexualisation that expressed desire and/or proposed physical or sexual contact; and sexualisation that was vile, explicit and threateningly violent in a sexual or misogynistic manner. Findings demonstrate how social media provides a space for unregulated gender-based cyberhate targeting high profile women while in their workplace in a way that traditional sports media does not

Virtual technologies as tools of maltreatment: safeguarding in digital spaces

Digital technologies have become an essential component in the navigation of everyday tasks and activities. In the midst of a technological zeitgeist, our ‘real’ lives have become intimately entangled with new media and ‘virtual’ environments. Virtual platforms and technologies have proven to be valuable to athletes, coaches and fans, but with increased connection comes the potential for misuse and abuse within these spaces. The chapter demonstrates how virtual settings can create potentially perilous spaces which can easily lead to the abuse of athletes and other key stakeholders in sport. This is particularly due to the largely unregulated nature of these spaces which allow for varied forms of maltreatment to take place. The chapter considers some of the dangers of negative behaviours within online environments and reinforces the importance of safeguarding individuals in such spaces

Social enterprise and disruption innovation: evaluating the role of Rumie's free educational software in seven developing economies

This paper reviews the provision of free educational hardware and software provided by one social enterprise to under resourced children in seven countries. The social and economic challenges faced by this social enterprise are highlighted; the implications for social enterprise of adopting disruptive innovation and of blended learning techniques in an educational context; and the importance of evaluating projects in terms of research methods. Three research questions were posed: what is the educational benefit of using Rumie? [Value dimension]; what criteria can be used to evaluate the use of Rumie in the field? [The capability dimension]; what feedback is there from students, teachers, etc. [The collaboration dimension]. Quantitative usage data and qualitative feedback were collected. Findings show that the tablets help improve pupils math and reading abilities and the educal entertainment does not appear to be at the expense of learning about more traditional subjects. Feedback from teachers and pupils appears to be extremely positive. More specific lessons learned about research methods in evaluating social entrepreneurship projects in developing economies are identified; and implications for adapting the theory of disruptive innovation

Virtual Maltreatment: Sexualisation and Social Media Abuse in Sport.

Virtual maltreatment is a rapidly emerging and highly significant issue within contemporary sport. This study examines such behaviour by exploring the negative social media attention that tennis player Maria Sharapova received during the 2015 Wimbledon tennis championships. Using a netnographic approach, an analysis of two popular social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) was conducted to examine the social commentary surrounding this athlete during the event. Three primary themes emerged from the analysis of data on these platforms: ‘admiration of her physical beauty and/or sexualisation’; ‘threatening physical and/or sexual contact’ and ‘emotionally ridiculing and/or criticising’. These findings demonstrate how social media provides a space for unregulated physical and sexual abuse of female athletes in a way that traditional sports media does not. Virtual abuse and maltreatment is identified as a significant social problem which requires further consideration in academic literature

Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters

In peritoneal dialysis, a well-functioning catheter is of great importance because a dysfunctional catheter may be associated with exit-site infection, peritonitis, reduced efficiency of dialysis, and overall quality of treatment, representing one of the main barriers to optimal use of peritoneal dialysis. This chapter reviews the literature on indications and contraindications for peritoneal dialysis, peritoneal dialysis catheter design and materials, the techniques of insertion, complications, and method of removal of dialysis catheters

Gravitational Spin-Orbit Coupling through Third-Subleading Post-Newtonian Order: From First-Order Self-Force to Arbitrary Mass Ratios

Exploiting simple yet remarkable properties of relativistic gravitational scattering, we use first-order self-force (linear-in-mass-ratio) results to obtain arbitrary-mass-ratio results for the complete third-subleading post-Newtonian (4.5PN) corrections to the spin-orbit sector of spinning-binary conservative dynamics, for generic (bound or unbound) orbits and spin orientations. We thereby improve important ingredients of models of gravitational waves from spinning binaries, and we demonstrate the improvement in accuracy by comparing against aligned-spin numerical simulations of binary black holes

Home range and habitat use of the endangered grey partridge (perdix perdix) in the Irish midlands.

O’GORMAN, E.C., KAVANAGH, B. and ROCHFORD,J.: HOME RANGE AND HABITAT USE BY THE ENDANGERED GREY PARTRIDGE (Perdix perdix) IN THE IRISH MIDLANDS: The last potentially viable population of native Irish Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) is located over a 25 km2 area at Boora bog, Co. Offaly, in the Irish midlands. The habitat is a mosaic of cutaway bogland, coniferous forestry, newly created farmland and wetlands. Since 1996 a combination of predation control and the provision of habitat strips has been the focus of conservation efforts in Boora in an attempt to increase partridge numbers in the short-term. The aim of this study is to provide baseline information on partridge movements and habitat use in the conservation site. The result of two years fieldwork is presented. An area of 18 km2 was mapped during the course of fielwork. Nine male birds were radio-tracked. The biological time periods (B.T.P.) calculated for breeding pairs were Exploration, Prelay, Lay, Incubation, Brood rearing, Primary and Secondqary covey movements. The home range varied in size and location from one B.T.P. to the next. This was linked to habitat availability. Breeding attempts occurred in young forestry plantations and newly created habitat strips within the cutaway bog area. The coveys left the cutaway bog area in late summer to feed on nerby pasture. A second movement in late Autumn was made to utilise winter stubbles on adjacent farmland. Birds returned to breeding sites in the cutaway bog area the following spring. The practical applications of the findings to the conservation effort are discussed