GenderMag: A Method for Evaluating Software’s Gender Inclusiveness

In recent years, research into gender differences has established that individual differences in how people problem-solve often cluster by gender. Research also shows that these differences have direct implications for software that aims to support users’ problem-solving activities, and that much of this software is more supportive of problem-solving processes favored (statistically) more by males than by females. However, there is almost no work considering how software practitioners—such as User Experience (UX) professionals or software developers—can find gender-inclusiveness issues like these in their software. To address this gap, we devised the GenderMag method for evaluating problem-solving software from a gender-inclusiveness perspective. The method includes a set of faceted personas that bring five facets of gender difference research to life, and embeds use of the personas into a concrete process through a gender-specialized Cognitive Walkthrough. Our empirical results show that a variety of practitioners who design software—without needing any background in gender research—were able to use the GenderMag method to find gender-inclusiveness issues in problem-solving software. Our results also show that the issues the practitioners found were real and fixable. This work is the first systematic method to find gender-inclusiveness issues in software, so that practitioners can design and produce problem-solving software that is more usable by everyone

Using ecological evidence to refine approaches to deploying offshore artificial reefs for recreational fisheries

Artificial reefs have many applications but are best known for their deployments to enhance recreational fisheries by creating new habitat in areas where natural reef is otherwise limited. The expectation is that fish assemblages will take up residence on artificial reefs and that these assemblages will become at least similar, if not more diverse and abundant, to those on natural reefs. Although designed, purpose-built artificial reefs are becoming more widely used in support of recreational fisheries and many of the historic issues have been resolved, conservation practitioners and managers still face challenges as to the type, number, and arrangement of structures and where to deploy them to maximize benefits and minimize risks. The ecological literature was reviewed to develop and enhance contemporary principles of artificial reef best practices for utilization. Our review identified optimal shapes, vertical relief, void spaces, and unit arrangements for increasing volumes and diversity of catch to recreational fishers and we provide a tool for identifying the least constrained areas for artificial reef deployment. We suggest; (a) monitoring of noncatch motivators in combination with quantitative indicators of the fishing activity (e.g., catch rate and effort) will provide the best understanding of success or failure of an artificial reef deployment; (b) choosing target species for informing purpose-built artificial reef designs to be reef-associated, demersal, philopatric, territorial, and obligatory reef species that are desired by local recreational fishers; and (c) considering the ecosystem services provided by artificial reefs beyond those associated with recreational fishing

Correlations of behavioral deficits with brain pathology assessed through longitudinal MRI and histopathology in the R6/1 mouse model of huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The R6 mouse models of HD express a mutant version of exon 1 HTT and typically develop motor and cognitive impairments, a widespread huntingtin (HTT) aggregate pathology and brain atrophy. Unlike the more commonly used R6/2 mouse line, R6/1 mice have fewer CAG repeats and, subsequently, a less rapid pathological decline. Compared to the R6/2 line, fewer descriptions of the progressive pathologies exhibited by R6/1 mice exist. The association between the molecular and cellular neuropathology with brain atrophy, and with the development of behavioral phenotypes remains poorly understood in many models of HD. In attempt to link these factors in the R6/1 mouse line, we have performed detailed assessments of behavior and of regional brain abnormalities determined through longitudinal, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as an end-stage, ex vivo MRI study and histological assessment. We found progressive decline in both motor and non-motor related behavioral tasks in R6/1 mice, first evident at 11 weeks of age. Regional brain volumes were generally unaffected at 9 weeks, but by 17 weeks there was significant grey matter atrophy. This age-related brain volume loss was validated using a more precise, semi-automated Tensor Based morphometry assessment. As well as these clear progressive phenotypes, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, the hallmark of HD molecular pathology, was widely distributed throughout the R6/1 brain and was accompanied by neuronal loss. Despite these seemingly concomitant, robust pathological phenotypes, there appeared to be little correlation between the three main outcome measures: behavioral performance, MRI-detected brain atrophy and histopathology. In conclusion, R6/1 mice exhibit many features of HD, but the underlying mechanisms driving these clear behavioral disturbances and the brain volume loss, still remain unclear. © 2013 Rattray et al

Fishery-specific differences in the size selectivity and catch of diamond- and square-mesh codends in two Australian penaeid seines

The selectivities and catch compositions of conventional 30-mm diamond-mesh codends and a new square-mesh design made from 20-mm mesh hung on the bar for river and lagoon penaeid seines in south-eastern Australia were compared. The square-mesh design significantly improved the selectivities of the river seine for school prawns, 'Metapenaeus macleayi' (Haswell), and the lagoon seine for greasyback prawns, 'Metapenaeus bennettae' (Racek & Dall), by increasing their carapace length at 50% probability of retention (L50) and by decreasing between-haul variability in selectivity. The presence of weed reduced the L50 for greasyback prawns caught in the conventional diamond-mesh codend during the lagoon-seine experiment. The differences among codend performances are discussed in terms of the differing methods of operation and composition of catches between the seines. These differences highlight the need to develop and manage modifications to improve the selectivity of fishing gears on a fishery-specific basis

Improving Selectivity in an Australian Penaeid Stow-net Fishery

Two experiments were conducted in an Australian penaeid stow-net fishery to: (i) validate the use of a fine-meshed cover for determining the selectivity of codends, and (ii) use this cover to quantify and compare the selectivity of a conventional 30-mm diamond-mesh codend and two new square-mesh designs made from 20- and 30-mm mesh, hung on the bar. In the first experiment the codend cover had minimal impact on the fishing performance of the stow net. The 30-mm square-mesh codend tested during the second experiment significantly improved the selectivity of the stow net, measured as an increase in school prawn ('Metapenaeus macleayi' Haswell, 1879) carapace length at 50% probability of retention (L50), and a reduction in the unwanted bycatches of juvenile eastern king prawns ('Penaeus plebejus' Hess, 1865) and small, non-commercial fish. However, a concomitant increase in selection range (SR) indicated that unacceptable quantities of target-sized school prawns escaped. In contrast, the 20-mm square- and 30-mm diamond-mesh codends were virtually non-selective for the sizes of school prawns encountering the gear. Compared to the 30-mm diamond-mesh codend, the 20-mm square-mesh codend did, however, reduce the quantities of eastern king prawns and non-penaeid bycatch retained. The results are attributed to the geometries of the codends tested and provide directions for future research into modifications to improve the selectivity of stow nets