Creating Aotearoa through Discourse: Language and Character in Keri Hulme\u27s The Bone People

I will be looking at Keri Hulmes novel The Bone People as a postcolonial text. The beginning will explore the current conversations taking place about the importance of language(s) within texts that are deemed postcolonial as they relate to Hulmes novel which is written in both Maori and English. Other important postcolonial ideas applicable to the text such as space, magical realism, and current postcolonial theory will be looked at. Previous criticism will also be examined. The final sections of this thesis will focus on Hulmes three main characters separately: Joe, Kerewin, and Simon, and their places within and outside the text. These sections will center intensely on each characters use of the Maori language. These are the sections where I will bring all of the previously discussed points to bear on the novel, and prove that the bone people is a successful postcolonial text

Circadian Genes Are Expressed during Early Development in Xenopus laevis

Circadian oscillators are endogenous time-keeping mechanisms that drive twenty four hour rhythmic changes in gene expression, metabolism, hormone levels, and physical activity. We have examined the developmental expression of genes known to regulate circadian rhythms in order to better understand the ontogeny of the circadian clock in a vertebrate.In this study, genes known to function together in part of the core circadian oscillator mechanism (xPeriod1, xPeriod2, and xBmal1) as well as a rhythmic, clock-controlled gene (xNocturnin) were analyzed using in situ hybridization in embryos from neurula to late tailbud stages. Each transcript was present in the developing nervous system in the brain, eye, olfactory pit, otic vesicle and at lower levels in the spinal cord. These genes were also expressed in the developing somites and heart, but at different developmental times in peripheral tissues (pronephros, cement gland, and posterior mesoderm). No difference was observed in transcript levels or localization when similarly staged embryos maintained in cyclic light were compared at two times of day (dawn and dusk) by in situ hybridization. Quantitation of xBmal1 expression in embryonic eyes was also performed using qRT-PCR. Eyes were isolated at dawn, midday, dusk, and midnight (cylic light). No difference in expression level between time-points was found in stage 31 eyes (p = 0.176) but stage 40 eyes showed significantly increased levels of xBmal1 expression at midnight (RQ = 1.98+/-0.094) when compared to dawn (RQ = 1+/-0.133; p = 0.0004).We hypothesize that when circadian genes are not co-expressed in the same tissue during development that it may indicate pleiotropic functions of these genes that are separate from the timing of circadian rhythm. Our results show that all circadian genes analyzed thus far are present during early brain and eye development, but rhythmic gene expression in the eye is not observed until after stage 31 of development

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) includes a comprehensive assessment of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 354 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Previous GBD studies have shown how the decline of mortality rates from 1990 to 2016 has led to an increase in life expectancy, an ageing global population, and an expansion of the non-fatal burden of disease and injury. These studies have also shown how a substantial portion of the world's population experiences non-fatal health loss with considerable heterogeneity among different causes, locations, ages, and sexes. Ongoing objectives of the GBD study include increasing the level of estimation detail, improving analytical strategies, and increasing the amount of high-quality data. Methods: We estimated incidence and prevalence for 354 diseases and injuries and 3484 sequelae. We used an updated and extensive body of literature studies, survey data, surveillance data, inpatient admission records, outpatient visit records, and health insurance claims, and additionally used results from cause of death models to inform estimates using a total of 68 781 data sources. Newly available clinical data from India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, China, Brazil, Norway, and Italy were incorporated, as well as updated claims data from the USA and new claims data from Taiwan (province of China) and Singapore. We used DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, as the main method of estimation, ensuring consistency between rates of incidence, prevalence, remission, and cause of death for each condition. YLDs were estimated as the product of a prevalence estimate and a disability weight for health states of each mutually exclusive sequela, adjusted for comorbidity. We updated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary development indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Additionally, we calculated differences between male and female YLDs to identify divergent trends across sexes. GBD 2017 complies with the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. Findings: Globally, for females, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias in both 1990 and 2017. For males, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis infection in both 1990 and 2017. In terms of YLDs, low back pain, headache disorders, and dietary iron deficiency were the leading Level 3 causes of YLD counts in 1990, whereas low back pain, headache disorders, and depressive disorders were the leading causes in 2017 for both sexes combined. All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1-4·6) from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% (6·0-8·4) while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421-723) to 853 million (642-1100). The increases for males and females were similar, with increases in all-age YLD rates of 7·9% (6·6-9·2) for males and 6·5% (5·4-7·7) for females. We found significant differences between males and females in terms of age-standardised prevalence estimates for multiple causes. The causes with the greatest relative differences between sexes in 2017 included substance use disorders (3018 cases [95% UI 2782-3252] per 100 000 in males vs 1400 [1279-1524] per 100 000 in females), transport injuries (3322 [3082-3583] vs 2336 [2154-2535]), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (3265 [2943-3630] vs 5643 [5057-6302]). Interpretation: Global all-cause age-standardised YLD rates have improved only slightly over a period spanning nearly three decades. However, the magnitude of the non-fatal disease burden has expanded globally, with increasing numbers of people who have a wide spectrum of conditions. A subset of conditions has remained globally pervasive since 1990, whereas other conditions have displayed more dynamic trends, with different ages, sexes, and geographies across the globe experiencing varying burdens and trends of health loss. This study emphasises how global improvements in premature mortality for select conditions have led to older populations with complex and potentially expensive diseases, yet also highlights global achievements in certain domains of disease and injury

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. Methods: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. Findings: Globally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4–19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2–59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5–49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1–70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7–54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3–75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5–51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9–88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3–238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6–42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2–5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. Interpretation: This analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing

Initial characterization of when a functional circadian system is present in the eye of Xenopus laevis

A poster containing visuals and text describing an undergraduate research project completed at the University of Wisconsin--WhitewaterAlmost all organisms present in nature exhibit a circadian rhythm, a 24 hour cycle in which the organism undergoes both physiological and behavioral changes based on the time of day. The circadian control of physiological processes in organisms is important because it allows them to anticipate changes (physiological/molecular/behavioral) that need to occur at different times of the day. In these organisms there is both a central oscillator that serves as an internal clock when there are no external stimuli and several output genes which display rhythmic patterns based on the circadian cycle. By quantitatively analyzing two genes, an output gene (NAT) and a central oscillator gene (xBmal1), we aim to determine at what stage of development the circadian oscillator becomes fully functional in the eyes. In order to analyze these eyes we must first dissect out tadpole eyes, at different times of the day (dawn, midday, dusk, and midnight). We then extract RNA and convert it to cDNA (reverse transcription). Real-time RT- PCR is then used on the cDNA to quantitatively measure the amount of NAT and xBmal1. In previous experiments, we have found that both NAT and xBmal1 display rhythmic expression at stage 46. We are now in the process of analyzing stage 26 eyes. We anticipate that at stage 26 we will have arrhythmic expression of both the central oscillator gene and the output gene, which can then serve as a negative control. If we were to see any rhythmic expression at this stage, we would plan for future experiments testing for expression at an earlier stage

Gateway Gardens Site Analysis

The Gateway Gardens Site Analysis takes a comprehensive look at a largely-vacant land area in Portland’s Gateway District. Currently owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the 38-acre site currently serves as right-of-way for surrounding freeways, namely Interstates 84 and 205. The project team developed a sequential process for completing this report. To gain an understanding of the project site, the initial step consisted of identifying key historical events and land uses that formed the site into what it is today. The team then conducted an in-depth existing conditions analysis, covering a wide range of elements including natural and man-made characteristics, current uses and management. This analysis also identifies the project site’s location within the context of other relevant planning efforts. Based on the existing conditions evaluation, the project team developed a series of potential land use elements. The text identifies specific assumptions regarding each element, including land ownership, access provisions, estimated cost and other key variables. The list of uses was developed under the assumption that several elements could potentially co-exist with one another, and that several land use combinations are possible. It should be noted that this report does not present specific recommendations for the project site; rather it is intended to acquaint readers with the site as it exists today, and to identify the feasibility of various land uses. The project’s next step should include a more-detailed evaluation of the potential land use elements along with coordination among relevant agencies and the public to move those uses forward

A temporal summary of the expression patterns of <i>xPer1</i>, <i>xPer2</i>, <i>xBmal1</i>, and <i>Nocturnin</i>.

<p>The approximate stages of development are represented on the horizontal axis of this figure while the particular tissues and organs are listed on the vertical axis. <i>xPer1</i> is represented by the blue lines, <i>xPer2</i> by the green lines, <i>xBmal1</i> by the red lines, and <i>Nocturnin</i> by the black lines. Dotted lines indicate times during development when a gene may be present, but was not confirmed through sectioning or additional whole mount in situ analysis.</p

<i>xNocturnin</i> is expressed from neural plate to late tailbud stages.

<p>Shown are in situ hybridization results depicting expression of <i>xNocturnin</i> mRNA. All embryos in this figure are shown with the anterior facing left. Side views of the embryos are depicted in panels A,C,E,G,I, and K and dorsal views in panels B,D,F, H, and J. Low levels of <i>xNocturnin</i> were first detected in the neural plate of stage 15/16 embryos A and B. C and D show neural plate staining in a stage 18 embryo. E and F show a neural tube stage embryo (stage 24) with <i>xNocturnin</i> expression in the eyes (black arrow), somites (red arrowhead), and cement gland (blue arrow). G and H show early tailbud stage embryos with staining in the otic vesicle (black arrowhead), pronephric tubules (green arrow), heart (blue arrowhead), olfactory pit (green arrowhead), pineal (orange arrowhead), cement gland (blue arrow) and somites (red arrowhead). Late tailbud stages (I and J; stage 39) show similar results but additional staining in the anus/blastopore (brown arrow) and cement gland staining is absent (blue arrow). Sagittal (L) and transverse sections (M–O) of late tailbud embryos confirm <i>xNocturnin</i> expression in the brain, retina and lens (M), otic vesicle (N, black arrowhead), olfactory pit (L, green arrow), pronephric tubules (N, green arrow), heart (M, blue arrowhead), notochord (O, orange arrow) and in the somites (O, red arrowheads). <i>xNocturnin</i> is absent from the cement gland at late tailbud stages (L, blue arrow). No expression was seen using a sense probe specific to <i>Nocturnin</i> (K).</p

Isolated eyes show rhythmic expression of <i>xBmal1</i> at stage 40 but not at stage 31.

<p>Eyes were dissected from embryos maintained in a 12L:12D cycle at different stages of development and different circadian times (ZT 0 (dawn), ZT6 (mid-day), ZT12 (dusk),and ZT18 (midnight)). The eyes were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The relative quantitation (RQ) of <i>xBmal1</i> for each sample was calculated with respect to EF1α. No difference in the levels of <i>xBmal1</i> expression was observed in stage 31 embryonic eyes at any time of day tested (ANOVA; df3, F = 1.77, p = 0.176; arrhythmic). A significant difference in <i>xBmal1</i> expression was observed when all ZTs were analyzed in stage 40 embryonic eyes (ANOVA; df3, F12.23, p = 0.00009). The asterisk shows that the level of <i>xBmal1</i> expression at ZT18 was significantly different from ZT0 (ANOVA, df1, F = 27.82, p = 0.0004). Bars in each graph denote standard error.</p

A comparison of somite staining in the posterior of late tailbud embryos (stage 36–38).

<p>Shown are in situ hybridization results depicting RNA expression in paired whole mount and sagittal sections of the posterior of embryos stained with <i>xPer1</i> (A–B), <i>xPer2</i> (C–D), <i>xBmal1</i> (E–F), and <i>Nocturnin</i> (G–H).</p