In this study, an examination of the everyday experiences of the contract migrant Filipina domestic helpers exposes a culture of indifference which pervades the Hong Kong society on all levels--individual, community, and judiciary. At the centre of the abuses inflicted upon the Helpers is the employment contract with extraordinarily restrictive terms which promotes abuse by many employers. This study also looks at the transnational informal social infrastructure which has been organized by the Filipino community to mediate the hostile working environment engendered by the indifference of the global economic and political climate upon their lives. Faced with the task of implementing new policies for controlling labour migration into Hong Kong, the legislators have focused on the end result and finding the means with which to accomplish their goal. Embedded within this process are unexamined cultural mores and practices. Although the starting point is to benefit the community, by providing domestic helpers to serve the middle and upper class households, too often the abusive consequences to individual migrants are ignored as the women become the means to an end. Migration has often been viewed as an aberration to the notion of the sedentary community. Treated as an anomaly, it is the migrant who problematizes simple theoretical positions of social organization and structure. The migrant is always treated as the one who does not conform to the ideal community and is conveniently merged into existing social categories, such as the lower status of women in Hong Kong, and the lower status of domestic workers -- relegated thereby to the periphery of the society's consciousness.

ABSTRACT Triticum sphaerococcum (AABBDD, 2n = 6x = 42) is a land race of wheat known from the Indian subcontinent. It has several favourable characters including short and strong culms, hemispherical grains with a shallow crease (that may increase the yield of white flour), higher protein content compared to bread wheat (T. aestivum), and resistance to drought, and yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis. However, an unfavourable characteristic of T. sphaerococcum is its lower yield compared to bread wheat. Being a land race, the sphaerococcum wheat is poorly studied. This study was undertaken to increase knowledge of the physiology and genetics of this land race and determine if it may be possible to separate the favourable characters of T. sphaerococcum from its unfavourable characters. Plant height in bread wheat is controlled by many genes. ‘Reduced Height’ (Rht) genes which differ in their response to externally applied gibberellic acid (GA3) are responsible for the short stature of modern bread wheat varieties. Therefore, GA3 was used to probe the relationship between the semidwarf sphaerococcum phenotype and the Rht gene. T. sphaerococcum variety Sp5 showed a unique “seedling response” to externally applied GA3 when compared with T. aestivum varieties harbouring Rht1, Rht2, Rht8, Rht12, Rht13 or Rht18 alleles. A mapping population of doubled haploids was generated through wide hybridisation of F1 (Sp5 x Otane) with Zea mays. A genome-wide scan of Sp5 and Otane (parents) using 348 microsatellite (SSR) markers showed that only 169 of these markers (49%) were polymorphic between the parents. A DArT profiling yielded 348 markers that were polymorphic between the parents. Microsatellite markers and DArT markers were used to create a genetic map. The mapping population was phenotyped and a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed for component traits of the complex sphaerococcum trait including plant height, spike length, awn length, yield, grain shape and crease size. Results of the QTL analysis indicated that it may be difficult to separate the favourable characters of T. sphaerococcum from its unfavourable characters through mutation because the component traits of the complex sphaerococcum trait may be under pleiotropic control of the Sp gene. The hypothesis that T. sphaerococcum originated through a mutation in T. aestivum was tested through induced mutation using gamma rays. Mutants from sphaerococcum-type to aestivum-type were isolated and phenotyped. Sphaerococcum-type mutants also were isolated and characterised from mutated aestivum-type wheat suggesting a possible origin of T. sphaerococcum through a mutation in T. aestivum.

Studying genetic diversity in natural and domestic populations is of major importance in evolutionary biology. The recent advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has dramatically changed the scope of these studies, enabling researchers to study genetic diversity in a whole-genome context. This thesis details examples of studies using NGS data to: (i) characterize evolutionary forces shaping the genome of the Atlantic herring, (ii) detect the genetic basis of speciation and domestication in the rabbit, and, (iii) identify mutations associated with skeletal atavism in Shetland ponies. The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is the most abundant teleost species inhabiting the North Atlantic. Herring has seasonal reproduction and is adapted to a wide range of salinity (3-35‰) throughout the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean. By using NGS data and whole-genome screening of 20 populations, we revealed the underlying genetic architecture for both adaptive features. Our results demonstrated that differentiated genomic regions have evolved by natural selection and genetic drift has played a subordinate role. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is native to the Iberian Peninsula, where two rabbit subspecies with partial reproductive isolation have evolved. We performed whole genome sequencing to characterize regions of reduced introgression. Our results suggest key role of gene regulation in triggering genetic incompatibilities in the early stages of reproductive isolation. Moreover, we studied gene expression in testis and found misregulation of many genes in backcross progenies that often show impaired male fertility. We also scanned whole genome of wild and domestic populations and identified differentiated regions that were enriched for non-coding conserved elements. Our results indicated that selection has acted on standing genetic variation, particularly targeting genes expressed in the central nervous system. This finding is consistent with the tame behavior present in domestic rabbits, which allows them to survive and reproduce under the stressful non-natural rearing conditions provided by humans. In Shetland ponies, abnormally developed ulnae and fibulae characterize a skeletal deformity known as skeletal atavism. To explore the genetic basis of this disease, we scanned the genome using whole genome resequencing data. We identified two partially overlapping large deletions in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of the sex chromosomes that remove the entire coding sequence of the SHOX gene and part of CRLF2 gene. Based on this finding, we developed a diagnostic test that can be used as a tool to eradicate this inherited disease in horses.

No description available.

<p>Domestication has led to genetic changes that affect quantitative traits in farm animals. Both candidate gene analysis using association tests and genome scans based on linkage analysis have been performed to understand the molecular basis underlying quantitative genetic variation in horses, pigs and chickens. To test a possible association of polymorphisms in the <i>PRKAG3</i> gene, previously found to be associated with excess glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle, with quantitative traits in the horse, the major coding part of the equine <i>PRKAG3</i> sequence was identified. Bioinformatic characterization of the equine <i>PRKAG3</i> gene was conducted. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing a missense mutation (Pro258Leu) was found. Screening this SNP showed that the Leu258 allele was more frequent in breeds with heavy muscularity. To assess previously reported associations between polymorphisms in the <i>MC4R</i> gene and obesity-related traits further, we conducted linkage analysis between the <i>MC4R</i> locus and fatness-related traits using a Wild BoarxLarge White intercross. No significant association between segregation at the <i>MC4R</i> locus and fatness was detected in this pedigree. A genome scan of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has been performed in an intercross between chicken lines divergently selected for growth. Divergent parental lines have been established by selecting for high and low 56-day body weight for over 40 generations. The selection has led to approximately a 9-fold difference in 56-day body weight between lines and resulted in correlated responses for a number of traits including appetite, immune response, body composition and metabolic traits. Phenotypic data on growth and other correlated traits were collected from more than 800 F2 individuals. Genome scans using 145 markers on 26 linkage groups have identified QTLs affecting growth and correlated responses to selection for 56-day body weight. No major QTL explaining a large portion of phenotypic variation in growth was revealed in this study. </p>

Domestication has led to genetic changes that affect quantitative traits in farm animals. Both candidate gene analysis using association tests and genome scans based on linkage analysis have been performed to understand the molecular basis underlying quantitative genetic variation in horses, pigs and chickens. To test a possible association of polymorphisms in the PRKAG3 gene, previously found to be associated with excess glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle, with quantitative traits in the horse, the major coding part of the equine PRKAG3 sequence was identified. Bioinformatic characterization of the equine PRKAG3 gene was conducted. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing a missense mutation (Pro258Leu) was found. Screening this SNP showed that the Leu258 allele was more frequent in breeds with heavy muscularity. To assess previously reported associations between polymorphisms in the MC4R gene and obesity-related traits further, we conducted linkage analysis between the MC4R locus and fatness-related traits using a Wild BoarxLarge White intercross. No significant association between segregation at the MC4R locus and fatness was detected in this pedigree. A genome scan of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has been performed in an intercross between chicken lines divergently selected for growth. Divergent parental lines have been established by selecting for high and low 56-day body weight for over 40 generations. The selection has led to approximately a 9-fold difference in 56-day body weight between lines and resulted in correlated responses for a number of traits including appetite, immune response, body composition and metabolic traits. Phenotypic data on growth and other correlated traits were collected from more than 800 F2 individuals. Genome scans using 145 markers on 26 linkage groups have identified QTLs affecting growth and correlated responses to selection for 56-day body weight. No major QTL explaining a large portion of phenotypic variation in growth was revealed in this study.

<p>Environmental stress has shown to affect both the exposed individuals and the development of their offspring. Generally, it is thought that the stressed organism responds to stress by trying to adapt to it. This thesis investigates possible evolutionary consequences of cross-generational transmissions of stress, where the parent has been stressed but the offspring has not. In two studies we have exposed chicken parents of different breeds to an unpredictable circadian light rhythm, to investigate the influence of genetic background on the transmission of behaviour and patterns of genome-wide gene expression across generations. In Paper I, we can show that the domesticated chicken, by means of epigenetic factors, transmit their behaviours as well as their gene expression profiles to their offspring to a higher extent than their wild ancestor, the red junglefowl. Furthermore, in Paper II, even though the offspring never experienced the stress or had any contact with their stressed parents, they seemed to have adapted to it, which suggests that the parents might have prepared (or pre-adapted) them for living in the unpredictable environment. Additionally, eggs of stressed hens showed increased levels of estradiol that might have affected gene expression of specific immune genes, which were up-regulated in the offspring of stressed parents. It is possible that the traditional distinction between stress responses and evolutionary adaptation may be reevaluated, since our results indicate that they could be parts of the same evolutionary event.</p>

Den vanligaste lösningen på problemet att för mycket energi används i den byggda miljön är implementering av energieffektiv teknik. Men installation av teknik räcker sällan för att nå förväntad energibesparing: det är människor som i sin vardag använder tekniken och de använder den inte alltid på det sätt som teknikutvecklarna har tänkt sig. I avhandlingen behandlas människors vardagliga användning av energiteknik. Det innebär att fokus skiftas från produktutvecklarnas och experternas intentioner och syn på teknikens användning, till det sociala sammanhang där människor lever sitt vardagsliv. Syftet med avhandlingen är att undersöka hur energiteknik som utvecklats för att hushålla med energi och effektivisera energianvändningen domesticeras i hemmet. En fallstudie har genomförts för att undersöka hur energikonceptet för passivhus med tillhörande teknik domesticeras i hemmet. Detta energikoncept förväntas leda till ett nytt energieffektivt sätt att hantera värmen i bostaden. Fallstudien består av två intervjuomgångar med boende i passivhusen i Lindås, söder om Göteborg. Utifrån ett sociokulturellt perspektiv på lärande och begreppet domesticering analyseras hur de boende tolkar energikonceptet i passivhus, hur de på olika sätt förändrar sitt förhållande till värme och sitt sätt att hantera värmen inomhus, samt hur och varför deras engagemang för energitekniken begränsas. I avhandlingen analyseras processen där de boende med stöd av tidigare erfarenheter och olika typer av resurser efter hand gör tekniken begriplig och lär sig att hantera värmen i sitt passivhus. En slutsats är att mer uthållig energianvändning inte kan nås enbart genom att utveckla nya energitekniska lösningar, utan det krävs också att förutsättningar skapas för att människor ska kunna lära sig hantera de mer hållbara alternativen och dessutom välja dem. / New and more energy efficient technologies are usually regarded as the solution to the problem with too high energy consumption in the built environment. It is not enough, however, to fulfil the expected reduction of energy consumption since other influential factors have to be considered as well. There are for example people who use technology in ways unintended by the developers. In this thesis, people’s daily use of energy-related technology is investigated. Thereby, focus is shifted from the technology developers’ expectations and opinions regarding how to use the technology towards the social contexts in which people live their everyday life. The aim in this thesis is to investigate the domestication in private homes of energy technology developed to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency. A case study is conducted of how the energy concept in passive houses and its related technologies are domesticated in the daily life of householders. This energy concept is expected to lead to a new energy efficient way of handling heating. The case study comprises of two rounds of interviews with the occupants of the passive houses in Lindås, south of Gothenburg. The households’ interpretation of the energy concept of passive houses and how the householders change their andling of and relationship to the indoor temperature are analysed from a sociocultural learning perspective and the concept of domestication. The thesis analyses the process in which the household members learn how to handle the energy technology in their passive house, supported by their earlier experiences and other kinds of resources. One main conclusion is that sustainable energy use is not only a question of developing new, energy efficient technologies. In order to meet the national and international goals set up for energy efficiency and energy conservation, tools must be developed that encourage people to choose and to learn sustainable ways of using the new technology.

本研究試圖從「國際新聞流通」之理論背景出發、根據「新聞馴化」與「新聞框架」理論架構，多層次比較分析不同國家之主要平面媒體對臺灣2012年總統大選報導之趨向，透過內容分析與新聞論述法， 分析自2011年1月1日至2012年1月21日期間，《紐約時報》 ( The New York Times )、《華盛頓郵報》( The Washington Post ) 、《基督教科學箴言報》 ( The Christian Science Monitor ) 則 、香港《南華早報》( South China Morning Post ) 、新加坡《海峽時報》( The Straits Times ) 、南韓《韓國時報》( The Korea Times )、英國《衛報》（The Guardian）與澳洲《澳洲人報》( The Australian ) ，八家不同報紙的相關報導。進而瞭解發生在國外的重要事件如何被其他國家所報導與呈現，是否存在不同差異？並從中探析影響國際媒體報導臺灣本次選舉內容呈現的可能因素。研究發現各報報導數量有顯著差異、報導類型無顯著差異、報導篇幅有顯著差異、報導版面配置具有差異、新聞來源無顯著差異、報導偏向大致相同、主要消息來源存有差異、馴化策略無顯著差異、新聞框架應用大致相同。 / The present study is aimed to explore the significances how major foreign news agencies represented presidential election of Taiwan in 2012. By manifesting contexts of chosen news agencies such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, South China Morning Post, The Strait Times, The Korea Times, The Guardian and The Australian with chosen period from 1st January, 2011 to 21st January, 2012, the author furthers the study embedded with theoretical approaches focused on international news flow, domestication and framing of news to articulate how foreign news agencies represented the news event abroad on the basis of data analysis and new discourse, furthermore, the author also examines the potential variables which might influence the news tendency among foreign news agencies when depicting presidential election of Taiwan in 2012. The results suggest there is no overt significance regarding news categories, news sources, news orientation, news domestication and news frames; however, the significance could be applied to the findings as exploring the quantity of news coverage, news layout and major news sources.

ABSTRACT Triticum sphaerococcum (AABBDD, 2n = 6x = 42) is a land race of wheat known from the Indian subcontinent. It has several favourable characters including short and strong culms, hemispherical grains with a shallow crease (that may increase the yield of white flour), higher protein content compared to bread wheat (T. aestivum), and resistance to drought, and yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis. However, an unfavourable characteristic of T. sphaerococcum is its lower yield compared to bread wheat. Being a land race, the sphaerococcum wheat is poorly studied. This study was undertaken to increase knowledge of the physiology and genetics of this land race and determine if it may be possible to separate the favourable characters of T. sphaerococcum from its unfavourable characters. Plant height in bread wheat is controlled by many genes. ‘Reduced Height’ (Rht) genes which differ in their response to externally applied gibberellic acid (GA3) are responsible for the short stature of modern bread wheat varieties. Therefore, GA3 was used to probe the relationship between the semidwarf sphaerococcum phenotype and the Rht gene. T. sphaerococcum variety Sp5 showed a unique “seedling response” to externally applied GA3 when compared with T. aestivum varieties harbouring Rht1, Rht2, Rht8, Rht12, Rht13 or Rht18 alleles. A mapping population of doubled haploids was generated through wide hybridisation of F1 (Sp5 x Otane) with Zea mays. A genome-wide scan of Sp5 and Otane (parents) using 348 microsatellite (SSR) markers showed that only 169 of these markers (49%) were polymorphic between the parents. A DArT profiling yielded 348 markers that were polymorphic between the parents. Microsatellite markers and DArT markers were used to create a genetic map. The mapping population was phenotyped and a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed for component traits of the complex sphaerococcum trait including plant height, spike length, awn length, yield, grain shape and crease size. Results of the QTL analysis indicated that it may be difficult to separate the favourable characters of T. sphaerococcum from its unfavourable characters through mutation because the component traits of the complex sphaerococcum trait may be under pleiotropic control of the Sp gene. The hypothesis that T. sphaerococcum originated through a mutation in T. aestivum was tested through induced mutation using gamma rays. Mutants from sphaerococcum-type to aestivum-type were isolated and phenotyped. Sphaerococcum-type mutants also were isolated and characterised from mutated aestivum-type wheat suggesting a possible origin of T. sphaerococcum through a mutation in T. aestivum.