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NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA034: Stratford District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA037: Whanganui District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA040: Palmerston North City
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
Amino bolaform surfactants as structure directing agents for super-microporous materials
No full textThe synthesis and characterisation of new asymmetric bolaform surfactants incorporating tertiary amine functionality is presented, as well as the elucidation of their surfactant and aggregation properties. The use of the surfactants as structure directing agents towards the synthesis of super-microporous silicate materials is also explored
Part(s) (w)hole: Manifestations of shame in lesbian poetry from Ireland and New Zealand since 1982
No full textThis creative/critical PhD examines the work of lesbian poets from Ireland and Aotearoa/New Zealand in order to demonstrate the creative energy made possible by their shared experience of and response to shame.
The creative part of the PhD comprises a poetry collection, Small Town Quare, and a solo piece of poet’s theatre, Catlicks. In these creative works, I reflect on and respond to my own experiences of shame as an Irish-New Zealand lesbian poet.
The critical part of the thesis pinpoints how four other lesbian poets, two each from Ireland and Aotearoa/New Zealand, explore and respond to shame in their work. I argue against universalist readings of their poetry and, instead, show the importance of attending to their particular lesbian experiences of and responses to shame. While Mary Dorcey’s work has been read in universalizing ways, I show how she writes against normative notions of the lyric tradition and strives to find a place for her antinormative desires in poetry. Her poetry is therefore most fruitfully read for its engagement with the particularities of lesbian experience, including those of shame. Similarly, I read Heather McPherson’s poetry for the experience of shame that hides under the cover of her rage, which is politicised by her lesbian feminist reorientation and bolstered by a community of like-minded women. In reading Cherry Smyth’s poetry, I show how experiences of shame in her work extend beyond her sexuality and intertwine with questions of home and identity that emerge from her Northern Irish upbringing and diasporic life in England. Rhian Gallagher’s lesbian love poems cascade over the boundaries of private and public spheres to show how environment structures intimacy through the revealing and concealing poetics of shame. Finally, the exegesis explores how my own creative practice builds on and responds to the work of these four poets. In the exegesis, I break down the processes of my one-woman show Catlicks and full-length poetry collection Small Town Quare to show how shame intercepts and invigorates my creative process.
The creative/critical structure of this PhD is intended to interconnect the personal and creative elements of shame to show how it manifests in the lives and poetry of lesbian women
New Zealand Deprivation Index 2018 - TA51: Tasman District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
New Zealand Deprivation Index 2018 - TA64: Timaru District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
Biological characterisation of morphological alterations of the cornea following collagen cross-linking (CXL) treatment
No full textIntroduction: Keratoconus (KC) is a disease included in a broader range of conditions called corneal ectasia which leads to spontaneous, non-inflammatory, self-limiting ectasia of the cornea that results in localized corneal thinning with protrusion of the thinned cornea. In recent years, corneal crosslinking (CXL) treatment with ultraviolet light (UVA) and riboflavin has been introduced as a minimally invasive treatment option to arrest the progression of keratectasia and it has revolutionized the treatment of KC. Several animal models, including rabbits, have been used to study the morphological alterations of the cornea following CXL treatment. Few studies have investigated the corneal morphological alterations following CXL treatment in porcine and rabbit corneas due to their structural similarity to the human cornea. Currently, no studies that have compared the normal corneal collagen fibrillar (CF) diameter, interfibrillar distance and interlamellar distance between human and these animal models. In addition, none have compared the morphological alterations of collagen fibrils (CFs) in both porcine and rabbit corneas with human, to identify an animal model that reacts in a similar manner to the human cornea, following CXL treatment.
Aims: In the present study, we have compared the normal morphology of CF’s in porcine and rabbits to find an animal model comparable to human. These models (rabbit and porcine) were also investigated to find the optimal animal model that mimics reactions similar to human, to CXL treatment. Finally, we have investigated the effects of crosslinked corneas maintained in vitro for two weeks. We have also explored the possibility of extending the time a crosslinked cornea that can be kept in vitro beyond 2 weeks.
Study 1:
Materials and methods: The normal morphology of porcine (n=5), rabbit (n=5) and human (n=5) corneas were analysed using light and Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM).
Results & conclusion: Histologically, all five layers (epithelium, Bowman's layer, stroma, Descemet membrane and endothelium) of the cornea were visible in all the three species. The CF diameter, interfibrillar distance and interlamellar distance were compared between porcine, rabbit and human corneas for any statistically significant difference. It was evident that the CF diameter and interfibrillar distance of porcine and rabbit corneas were significantly different (p<0.001) from the human corneal values, but not from each other. While neither of animal models were structurally identical to the human cornea, they are both relatively similar to being used as models to study the biomechanical effects of external insults/treatments to be extrapolated to the human cornea.
Study 2:
Materials & methods: Porcine (n=10), rabbit (n=10) and human (n=10) corneas were treated with CXL treatment. The central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured before and after CXL treatment. Each treated and control corneas were bisected, and one half was used for histological examination; the other half imaged by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) to investigate the morphological changes of corneal CF’s. These parameters were compared to identify the optimal animal model that mimics reactions of human following CXL treatment.
Results & conclusion: The CXL treatment leads to an increase in CF diameter, a decrease in the interfibrillar distance, and a decrease in interlamellar distance. The effect of the CXL treatment was greatest in the anterior region of the corneal stroma, followed by the intermediate region, followed by the posterior region. All the species showed statistically significant keratocyte apoptosis and a significant reduction in the CCT following CXL treatment. When the magnitude of the change post-CXL treatment is taken into consideration, it was evident that porcine corneas were more suitable as an animal model to study reactions of CXL treatment.
Study 3:
Materials & methods: The effects/changes to the morphology of the CF’s in crosslinked corneas in vitro for two weeks were investigated, by maintaining 15 human corneas in a culture medium.
Results & conclusion: The results revealed that the effect of crosslinking (increase in collagen fibre diameter, decrease in interfibrillar and interlamellar distance) does not significantly change during the 2 week post-treatment. In the next part of the in vitro study, porcine (n=12) and human (n=3) corneas were investigated for the possibility of extending the viability of the crosslinked cornea in vitro beyond 2 weeks. However, we were unable to maintain the crosslinked corneas for more than two weeks, and we postulate that epithelial damage due to de-epithelialization before crosslinking treatment has an adverse effect on maintaining a healthy endothelium in vitro, hindering the de-epithelialized cornea from being maintained in a culture medium for a longer period of time
Characterisation of conserved amino acids from the low-oxygen expressed D1 protein in the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
No full textOxygenic photosynthesis exploits light, water and carbon dioxide to transform light energy into chemical energy. This process is fundamental in shaping the current oxygenic atmosphere and supports most life on earth. The light-dependent reaction of oxygenic photosynthesis uses light energy and converts it into ATP and NADPH, this process involves four major membrane-bound protein complexes; these include Photosystem II, Photosystem I, cytochrome b6f and ATP synthase. Photosystem II is a multi-protein subunit embedded into the thylakoid membrane of plants, algae and cyanobacteria; it is a highly conserved structure with four core protein complexes, including two homologous proteins D1 and D2, and chlorophyll- binding proteins 43 and 47. The D1 protein is encoded by a psbA gene and is highly susceptible to light damage. Cyanobacteria can have multiple copies of this gene and phylogenetic analysis has shown several variants of the D1 protein. The different D1 isoforms can be divided into different groups; however, distribution is not linked to any distinct traits—the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 carries three copies of the psbA gene; psbA2 and psbA3 encode one type of D1, expressed under normal growth and most stress conditions. The psbA1 gene encodes the D1' protein, an early form of D1 expressed under micro-aerobic conditions. Conserved amino acid substitutions in the D1' protein could affect Photosystem II function, altering photosynthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate if the conserved amino acid changes in the low-oxygen expressed D1 protein altered the function and activity of Photosystem II reaction centres, affecting photosynthetic performance. Eight amino acid residues were characterised by introducing these different residues into D1 protein in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: these included Gly80, Phe158, Phe186, Ile192, Thr286, Thr292, Met293 and Ala336. Most of the amino acid residues are located either between or in proximity to the chlorophyll molecule P680 and electron carrier Yz, or close to the oxygen-evolving complex of Photosystem II. Overall, 16 mutant strains were generated by Quickchange II
II
polymerase chain reactions; these included a combination of single, double and triple strains. The mutant strains were analysed by measuring the photoautotrophic growth rate, Photosystem II activity, assembly, and electron transfer activity. All strains grew photoautotrophically; however, the growth rate was impaired in the F158L, F186L, T286A and A336V mutant strains. Photosystem II activity in more than half of the mutant strains were altered; F158L, F186L and G80A:F158L strains displayed the most significant reductions. The levels of assembled active Photosystem II reaction centres reduced in all the mutant strains except G80A, I192V and A203T:A336V. The electron transfer activity between QA and QB in most mutant strains was impaired, and back reaction by charge recombination was altered; all mutant strains displayed a donor side effect in Photosystem II, particularly strains with mutations at Gly80, Phe158, Phe186 and Thr286. The results presented demonstrate the importance of the studied residues in Photosystem II’s function, supporting the view that these conserved amino acid residues play a crucial role, either directly or indirectly, in electron transfer activity within the Photosystem II reaction centres. The accumulation of the various amino acid substitutions could provide a D1' that is functionally distinct from normally expressed D1 and confer a selective advantage under specific environmental conditions
The interplay between a hallmark cultural event, tourism, and commercial activities: A case study of the Songkran Festival in Thailand
No full textThis study is grounded in the researcher’s interests in the evolution of a hallmark cultural event, and the uses of the event for tourism and commercial purposes through the transformation of cultural practices. The researcher is a Thai citizen who has experienced the Songkran Festival since childhood and has witnessed changes in how Thai people perform the cultural practices at the festival, for example, the Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony, the Sand Pagoda Building, and the Water Splashing tradition. The festival celebration has changed into different forms, now reflecting the modernity of Thai society rather than its cultural significance. The festival also became a tourist attraction that encourages many international tourists to visit Thailand.
In light of these changes, this study aims to explore the interplay between a hallmark cultural event, tourism, and commercial activities from the local’s perspective through the transformation of cultural practices namely, the Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony, the Sand Pagoda Building, and the Water Splashing tradition at the festival. The study seeks, firstly, to understand the historical development of the festival from 1960 to the present day. Secondly, the research will examine the development of tourism and commercial activities in a hallmark cultural event. Lastly, the study strives to investigate the transformation of cultural practices of a hallmark cultural event caused by the interplay between the event, tourism, and commercial activities.
To achieve the study’s aim and objectives, an inductive approach was used. This involved a case study methodology and methodological triangulation technique (document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation) to collect insightful data. The data was thematically analysed and reported according to significant themes that represent the character of each interplay at a hallmark cultural event.
The study elucidates the concealed interplays between a hallmark cultural event, tourism, and commercial activities, which expands the anthropological knowledge of event studies (cultural; commodification vs. authenticity). Additionally, the key findings highlight the uses of spatial and temporal dimensions in managing the interactions between cultural practices, tourism, and commercial activities to preserve cultural significance. Finally, the study encourages cultural event stakeholders to consider the consequences of the interplays between their collaborations when planning the long-term development of cultural events, placing importance on serving different expectations while also ensuring that any loss of cultural significance can be minimised