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Children use process of elimination to associate a novel expression with a novel cause
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The causes and consequences of individual variation in inhibitory control in the North Island robin (Petroica longipes)
No full textInhibitory control is a crucial component of goal-directed behaviour, allowing animals to suppress prepotent responses and ignore outdated information. Despite increasing interest in the evolution of this cognitive ability, the heritability and fitness consequences of intraspecific variation in inhibitory control in the wild are largely unknown. In addition, identifying fitness-linked behaviours underpinned by inhibitory control is key to understanding not just whether, but how this ability evolves. This thesis explores the causes and consequences of individual differences in inhibitory control in wild North Island robins (Petroica longipes), referred to hereafter by their Māori name, toutouwai. This endemic New Zealand passerine engages in two behaviours that have been hypothesised to require the inhibition of prepotent responses: caching and food-sharing.In my first data chapter, I quantified individual differences in inhibitory control using detour and reversal learning tasks. Individual performances showed no convergent validity across the two tasks, but within-task performance was robust to non-cognitive confounds and showed long-term repeatability. This suggests that detour and reversal learning tasks reliably measure consistent individual variation in independent components of inhibitory control in toutouwai. Yet inhibitory control appears to be largely plastic in this species, as there was no evidence that task performance was heritable. In my second data chapter, I explored whether toutouwai are capable of self-control, an ability related to inhibitory control that allows animals to resist instant gratification and obtain better-quality outcomes that are more effortful and/or delayed. Individuals varied in their ability to resist an immediate, low-quality reward in favour of travelling to a better-quality alternative. This experiment demonstrated for the first time that a wild bird is capable of self-control. However, while this task was a valid self-control measure at a group level, individual-level performance was confounded by food preferences and the satiation and/or learning effects associated with increasing trial number. Self-control performance was also unrelated to detour task performance, suggesting that the choice component in self-control tasks distinguishes this ability from the pure inhibition of prepotent motor responses. In my third data chapter, I investigated the behavioural and fitness correlates of inhibitory control. Individual toutouwai of both sexes consistently differed in their propensity to cache food, and males consistently differed in their propensity to share food with their partners during courtship. However, these differences were not predicted by their inhibitory control. Likewise, there was no relationship between inhibitory control and annual or lifetime reproductive success.This thesis is the most detailed investigation to date into the behavioural functions and evolutionary potential of inhibitory control in the wild. My findings suggest that inhibitory control is not currently under directional selection in this toutouwai population. This supports the possibility that directional selection for broadly used cognitive traits like executive functions may be uncommon, potentially because these traits underpin a range of behaviours with differing relationships to fitness. Nonetheless, my research provides valuable insight into how inhibitory control and self-control can be robustly measured in wild animals, enabling future researchers to better address fundamental questions about the evolution of these abilities.</p
Magnetic imaging of transient superconducting circulating currents in HTS dynamos
No full textHigh-temperature-superconductor (HTS) dynamos are electrical generators with elements that are superconducting at temperatures above 77 K. In a typical configuration a permanent magnet rotates past an HTS stator at a fixed distance (flux gap), and a voltage is developed across the stator. HTS dynamos have potential for use in conjunction with compact, high-field superconducting electromagnets in applications such as nuclear fusion, electrification of transport, and medical imaging. The distinguishing feature of an HTS dynamo is that the output has a DC component, whereas the output of a normal-conducting dynamo does not. Some theoretical explanations of the DC component have been put forward. These explanations attribute the DC component to circulating currents inside the dynamo stator, and to the non-linear effective resistance of the HTS stator material. Finite-element-method models have also been developed to aid understanding of the DC component. However, there have been relatively few practical HTS dynamos built, meaning that there are relatively few experimental measurements available to validate the theoretical and modelling work.This thesis seeks to improve understanding of HTS dynamo behaviour through: (a) the development of new experimental techniques and apparatus to sense the changing spatial distribution of currents in dynamos; and (b) measurements on real dynamos.The thesis begins with an initial discussion of the theoretical origin of the DC component of dynamo output. A new theoretical framework is presented that makes use of rotational symmetry. This is a straightforward explanation that does not require many assumptions and is directly grounded in fundamental electromagnetism (i.e., Maxwell’s equations).Next, designs of arrays of Hall-effect sensors are presented. These arrays are used to measure currents in the dynamo stator, via the magnetic fields generated by the currents. The arrays are designed to make fast (100 000 sample/s), precise (Hall-effect sensors, current-drivers, and amplifiers all require calibration. Many sensors were used in experimental work and their calibration for use across a wide range of temperatures presented a challenge. A new process that is suitable for economically calibrating large numbers of Hall sensors at cryogenic and ambient temperatures is developed, and calibration results are discussed.Experimental measurements were carried out, including Hall-sensor measurements, on two prototype dynamos: one using a strip of HTS tape as the stator (strip-topology), and the other using a wafer coated with HTS (wafer-topology). The strip-topology dynamo was an existing, liquid-nitrogen-cooled prototype that was modified for use in these experiments. The wafer-topology dynamo was designed and manufactured from scratch. The wafer-topology dynamo is conduction-cooled (no liquid cryogen) and is the first conduction-cooled dynamo of its kind. The design of the dynamo, including the design of its cooling system, is explained in detail. Successful operation of the dynamo at temperatures from just above 30 K to just above 80 K is demonstrated.Measurements on the strip-topology dynamo confirm superconducting behaviour, with the DC output voltage of the dynamo reaching 30 µV at higher rotor speeds. Measurements also provide evidence of currents flowing across the width of the tape as currents circulate around the changing field of the magnet. Measured currents are shown to be broadly consistent with the outputs of a three-dimensional finite-element-method model produced by other researchers. Measurements on the wafer-topology dynamo also show superconducting behaviour (DC output voltages as high as 800 µV), and provide evidence of currents circulating around the changing field of the magnet. The measured current distribution is compared to a three-dimensional finite-element-method model that has been newly developed by other researchers at the Robinson Research Institute. Close agreement is observed, providing new insights into this dynamo topology.Dynamo behaviour is characterised by rotor speed, stator temperature, and flux gap.The experimental results provide support for theoretical explanations of the dynamo’s DC output voltage, as well as some validation of numerical models. The experimental techniques and apparatus developed in this thesis are useful in their current form, and could be further developed in future work to extend observations to a wider range of experimental situations.</p
How Non-White Immigrants to the United States Internalise Stigma
No full textThe current research investigated how non-white immigrants internalise stigma associated with being an immigrant in the United States. Using a sample (N = 270) of foreign-born, non-European immigrants to the US, we measured implicit attitudes about immigrants using an implicit association test (IAT). Although we had predicted that the participants would show implicit negativity towards immigrants, as suggested by Systems Justification Theory, the results showed no bias in either a negative (i.e., internalised stigma) or positive (i.e., ingroup favouritism) direction. We also examined the extent to which implicit associations were related to level of integration into the host culture, stigma awareness, self-esteem, and levels of ingroup contact. None of these variables were related to the IAT measure. Exploratory analyses showed that self-esteem moderated the relationship between stigma awareness and level of integration in the host culture, but that the relationship was counter to the expected stress buffering pattern. The results are discussed in the context of self-protective mechanisms, emotional resilience, and the need for further research to better understand the effect of stigmatisation on immigrant populations.</p
France libre et Français libres dans les Établissements Français d’Océanie (1940-1947). Une histoire de la résistance des marges dans l’espace Pacifique
No full textOn 2 September 1940, the Établissements Français d’Océanie (EFO, currently known as French Polynesia) sided with General de Gaulle’s Free France movement. They became one of the very first French colonies to do so, alongside two other French Pacific colonies, the New Hebrides on 2 July 1940 and New Caledonia on 19 September 1940. A francophone stronghold in a mostly anglophone Pacific, the EFO maintained themselves within the Allies’ camp until the end of the Second World War. However, despite their early decision to rally to de Gaulle which made them pioneers within the external resistance, the EFO remain largely absent from Free France’s historiography. This thesis examines the EFO’s history during the Second World War and under Free France and discusses its connections with New Caledonia as well as with the regional powers in the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan). It defends two major ideas: that the EFO’s ralliement to Free France marks the starting point of the claims for and introduction of political autonomy in the territory, and that Free France’s actors and institutions in the EFO crystallised the colonial society that was then in place.The first chapter of this thesis begins by examining the definition of a Free French and how it does (or does not) apply to the Gaullist partisans in Tahiti. Based on recent works, it proposes a definition relying on four criteria: being a volunteer, enlisting between 18 June 1940 and 31 July 1943, recognizing General de Gaulle’s authority and acting outside of occupied France. The second chapter examines the EFO’s ralliement to Free France. It underlines that it was a local coup, led by local notable figures. While noting some external influences, this coup was led without any kind of external intervention and drawing on a favourable context where latent Anglophilia met a very specific colonial context. Metis businessmen and local administrators found themselves invested with a certain degree of agency which allowed them to act, severing their ties with the metropole and with the Vichy regime while forming new ones with the Allies.The third chapter proposes a political history of the wartime French Pacific, encompassing the EFO and New Caledonia. After the 1940 ralliements, the Free French headquarters felt that they needed people of confidence in the field. They then sent governor general Richard Brunot in an inspection mission; however, Brunot involved himself in the EFO’s affairs, proclaimed himself the colony’s governor and had the sitting governor Émile de Curton and several of his close collaborators jailed, under the false pretext of a Vichy plot against himself. De Gaulle then sent another representative, rear admiral Georges Thierry d’Argenlieu, whom he appointed High Commissioner in the Pacific. Upon arrival in Tahiti, d’Argenlieu had Brunot and de Curton recalled to London and appointed a new governor in Tahiti, lieutenant-colonel Georges Orselli. He then proceeded to Nouméa where he was, in turn, the cause for another grave political crisis by clashing with the governor Henri Sautot, before being himself recalled to London in late 1942. This chapter proposes the idea that both episodes are not separate crises as suggested by the historiography, but, on the contrary, the two phases of a single “Oceanian crisis”.The fourth chapter focuses on the military aspects of the topic. It underscores that the Free French in the Pacific conducted a war without battles, given that the EFO (and New Caledonia) were never attacked by neither the Japanese, the Germans or the Vichy regime. This absence of enemy attack or intervention was a relief for local authorities as the local troops were largely insufficient to repel them. However, the creation of local militias by the colonial authorities and the arrival of large American forces in early 1942, in both New Caledonia and the island of Bora Bora, balanced the situation .Chapter five elaborates on the EFO’s diplomatic and commercial activities during the war. Given the absence of active combat on its soil, the colony was able to focus on developing its relations with the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. It supports the idea of Tahiti as an important diplomatic centre, welcoming consuls and representatives from the UK (the British consulate in Papeete working since 1837), New Zealand and the USA, among others. It also underscores the successful diplomatic campaign led by High Commissioner d’Argenlieu thanks to which Australia and New Zealand broke diplomatic relations with Vichy and agreed to deal only with Free France, even though both countries had supported the Gaullist regime in the Pacific as early as late 1940. It also brings to light the EFO’s commercial health: the colony was able to export vanilla, mother-of-pearl, copra and phosphates to the Allies and to receive in return some very appreciable cash income.The sixth and last chapter focuses on the “sortie de guerre” (literally “war exit”), from the Brazzaville conference in January 1944 to the Ville d’Amiens affair in June 1947, during which Free French veterans led a protest in Papeete to prevent three civil servants coming from France from disembarking, arguing that their positions could have been assumed by Polynesians. It addresses the repatriation in May 1946 of the volunteers who had gone to fight overseas and their return to civilian life. Finally, it engages with how Free France and the Free French have been celebrated, awarded, and commemorated since the end of the war.</p
“‘Everybody’s responsibility is nobody’s responsibility’: Barriers and enablers in particulate air pollution (PAP) protection for children in urban areas in Nepal and Indonesia.”
No full textChildren are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to the worsening global air pollution. While improving air quality for the future is a long-term public priority, protecting against particulate air pollution (PAP) is vital for the health and safety of the public, especially children. PAP protection is also crucial for children, as PAP is a significant risk to children’s lives, and there are long-term health implications associated with exposure to PAP in children. Protecting children from PAP is a key element of leaving no one behind, and inclusion for all, in creating healthy and inclusive urban environments. However, policy processes that facilitate or hinder PAP protection, particularly in urban areas, have received less attention compared to PAP prevention. This presentation focuses on how PAP protection is governed in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and examines the policy barriers and enablers to PAP protection for children. We undertook interviews and focus groups with policymakers in Nepal and Indonesia. We analyse and compare the governance of PAP protection between the Nepalese and Indonesian governments and non-government organisations (NGOs) in providing public advice and promoting protective behaviours regarding PAP, especially for children. Our research identifies that barriers to PAP protection at the policy level include cultural, financial, institutional, knowledge, legal, political and technological aspects, while enablers to PAP protection include drivers from both endogenous and exogenous forces. Furthermore, the presentation contributes to expanding our understanding of the decision-making processes and interactions among policy actors in engaging with environmental governance in urban areas in the Asia-Pacific context
Conceptualizing and Characterizing the Evolving Nature of Computational Propaganda Campaigns in the Global South
No full textComputational propaganda is use of computational means to influence and manipulate opinions and actions about issues and events over time. Since Brexit and 2016 U.S. elections, computational propaganda has emerged as a major concern for governments, international bodies, non-governmental organizations, and citizens all over the world. To respond effectively to this emerging problem, we need to understand computational propaganda’s evolving nature and track the shifts in posting, engagement patterns, type of content, and means of dissemination across multiple computational propaganda campaigns. Presently, the literature in the field of computational propaganda predominantly focuses on two categories: 1) Foreign influence operations across the US, UK, and EU and 2) Events-specific (elections, referendums, protests etc.) computational propaganda across the world. Three major gaps exist in the literature: 1) There is ambiguity about the relationships between actors, content, dissemination methods, political issues and events over time; 2) Longitudinal empirical studies on the evolving nature of computational propaganda campaigns are lacking; and 3) Domestic political actors computational propaganda campaigns are rarely studied, especially in the context of the Global South. This research addresses these gaps in two ways: 1) We propose a conceptual framework to understand the complex relationship between actors, content, dissemination methods, political issues and events over time; and 2) Through two empirical studies, one focusing on Pakistan as a case study, and the other focusing on Pakistan, India, and Israel/Palestine as a comparative, cross-case study, we map and examine the computational propaganda campaigns by domestic political actors over time. This research provides several important contributions including: 1) a new definition of computational propaganda, 2) a system and process-level understanding of computational propaganda’s evolving nature, and 3) a comprehensive understanding of computational propaganda campaigns by domestic political actors in three understudied contexts.</p
In This Place From This Place: St Luke's Presbyterian Church Remuera - Newmarket 1875-2022, by Allan K. Davidson
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Environmental strategic role orientations of multinational enterprises: Different shades of green
No full textThe role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in tackling environmental sustainability challenges is contested. Some MNEs lead and champion environmental sustainability initiatives, while others use greenwashing and exploit pollution havens. We describe these approaches towards environmental sustainability as different ‘shades of green.’ Based on a systematic literature review of 77 articles from 13 international business and strategy journals, we present a dynamic typology and profiles of MNEs' environmental strategic role orientations (ESROs). These ESROs (leader, champion, masquerader, and exploiter) depend on various configurations of green resources and capabilities, and institutional pressures. The developed profiles relate to ESROs' environmental strategy, performance, and disclosures. We also suggest future research opportunities
Player Onboarding: An Exploration of Tutorial Systems in Modern PC Video Games
No full textTutorials are a necessary component of modern video game design, and developing an effective tutorial is imperative for retaining new players. This study addresses the hypothesis that through a more comprehensive understanding of video game tutorial techniques, existing tutorial implementations could achieve a more efficient process of onboarding the player. In this study, research is conducted by developing a game prototype with multiple versions, each implementing a unique tutorial design. To determine what tutorials to develop, a selection of popular PC video games are examined and then separated into three categories of tutorial design. A/B testing using the prototype versions is conducted on two user groups; people with minimal to no experience playing video games, and people with a large amount of experience playing video games. Through observational research and semi-structured interviews, data is collected about each tutorial design, and findings about each tutorial within the context of the two user groups is reported.</p
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