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Population genomics of a New Zealand endemic marine isopod
No full textConcordant geographicand genetic structure revealed by genotypingby-sequencing in a New Zealand marine isopod
What is Population Genomics?
Development mode affects dispersal rate
Isopods (it’s a crustacean!)
Isocladus armatus
Objectives
Methods
Results: population structuring
Results: geographical concordanc
Food preference predicts speed of approach on a runway task by dogs
No full textThe effective and quick assessment of food preference is important when attempting to identify foods that might function as effective reinforcers in dogs. In the current experiment, more highly preferred foods were expected to be associated with faster approaches in a subsequent runway task. Eight dogs experienced combinations of two of six types of raw food in a paired preference assessment. These included the dog’s staple diet, to identify a rank order of preference for the foods. A different raw food was offered as the staple in two preference tests. In the runway task, the dogs were required to walk five metres to obtain a small amount of their most preferred, least preferred or staple foods and latency of approach to the foods was recorded. The results showed that the staple foods were not preferred as highly as the other foods and that each dog displayed unique and stable preferences for the different foods. The approach latencies were faster for their most-preferred food compared to their least preferred and the staple foods. The use of a runway to assess reinforcer effectiveness combined an effortful behaviour to obtain food while also requiring the dogs to make a choice, thus precluding the need for more complicated and time-consuming methods of preference assessment. The application of this method for fast and effective identification of preferred reinforcers is currently being investigating further to inform pet owners and behavioural scientists better about simple methods that they might use to identify highly preferred foods for use as reinforcers in training and behavioural testing
Va he seh (my new home) : a repatriation of the Burmese diaspora
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can architectural intervention support the repatriation of refugees and enable them to create a self-reliant village?
PROJECT OUTLINE:
The site of the project is on the east of Thanlwin River in Myanmar, 20km away from the existing Karenni Refugee Camp. It involves the design of a rural, self-reliant village using local building materials with the integration of modern technology. A variety of shelters and communal buildings have been designed, such as housing clusters, classrooms, a vocational centre and a community hall. The medical centre and more housing clusters are to be added as the community grows, and the village is to be built in stages. The design will integrate permaculture principles through farming and architectural design
Lutetium-177-PSMA I&T for progressing metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer : a single NZ centre experience
No full textObjectives
Metastatic Castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
Metastatic Castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and PSMA
Various PSMA ligands and radionuclidessuitable for labelling
Lu177-PSMA and Mechanism of therapy
First reported outcome for Lu177-PSMA-617
Inclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria
Treatment protocol
Response criterion
Results: Patient Characteristics
Results: Therapy outcomes
PSA Response
Haematoxicity
Quality of Life Outcomes
Feedback from patients
Image evaluation for therapy responses
Limitations
Future plan
Conclusion
Reference
Exploration of the contribution and limits of non-Māori leadership within Māori communities : a research thesis on cross cultural leadership and cultural intelligence
No full textRESEARCH QUESTIONS:
• What is the nature of leadership in Māori culture, indigenous cultures and Western culture?
• How do you engage with a Kaupapa Māori Organisation when you are invited as a non-Māori (Pākehā) to provide leadership in a particular sphere of influence?
• What experiences and knowledge most help non-Māori understand more fully the intricacies of leading within a kaupapa Māori framework and Te Ao Māori worldview?
• To what extent can the exercise of leadership transcend culture?
ABSTRACT
This thesis emerges from my own experience of leading in senior leadership roles within mainstream non-government organisations (NGOs) for 15 years and in kaupapa Māori NGOs for 9 years. The primary purpose (the kaupapa) of this thesis was to evaluate and compare Western leadership models with Te Ao Māori and other indigenous leadership models to discover the contribution and limits of non-Māori leadership within Māori communities. As the number and size of kaupapa Māori organisations continues to grow, we find more non-Māori in leadership roles providing a variety of skills and experience that are complementary to kaupapa Māori organisations/communities.
A driver of conducting this thesis was the lack of indigenous leadership research Zhang, X., Fu, P., Xi, Y., Li, L., Xu, L., Cao, C., Li, G., Ma, L.,...Ge, J. (2012, p. 1065). The Leadership Quarterly reviewed 285 papers published on leadership from 2007- 2011 and only 5 (less than 2%) were genuinely indigenous studies. Western scholars conducted three out of the five of studies.
The literature review determined that Western leadership styles and traits are evident in indigenous leadership, as many are universal but there are some core differences exhibited in indigenous leadership contexts. Bass (1997, p. 132) states “variation occurs because the same concepts may contain specific thought processes, beliefs, implicit understandings, or behaviours in one culture but not another"
Tikanga and kawa emerged as key Te Ao Māori principles exhibited in leadership. Mead, Stevens, Gallagher, Jackson & Pfeifer (2006) argue that Māori leadership must incorporate the principles of tikanga Māori. Lang (2007, p. 4) points out that tikanga is collective and deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori while ethics, a European equivalent, tends to be more individualised, legalistic and disconnected from day-to-day relationships. Māori leaders and non-Māori leaders must be familiar with local tikanga in regards to culture, customs, formality and protocols in order to lead correctly (Chong & Thomas, 1997). Tikanga is the outworking of kawa, which guides Māori tikanga. Kawa tends to be unchangeable but tikanga has to be adapted from generation to generation.
Pfeifer and Love (2004) have conducted research on Māori and non-Māori leadership within a New Zealand context to measure traits under transactional and transformational leadership characteristics, which showed Māori scored higher in transformational leadership factors than their non-Māori counterparts and suggests that Māori perceive their leaders as more transformational.
Māori organisations are often led by visionary and transformational leaders but may lack transactional leadership in regards to day-to-day management. The effect of this has led to Māori organisations lacking structure that comes with the people with strong management leadership skills and has given rise to non-Māori being employed to add this skill mix as cited in the introduction of the literature review. This has created a new and positive dynamic within Māori organisations as they seek to honour tikanga but also walk the fine line of ensuring the organisations they lead have the right skill mix to thrive in our complex/dynamic modern world
Assessing the feasibility of a therapy package application on reducing psychological and physiological stress in men : a pilot study
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How feasible and effective is the therapy package in reducing perceived and physiological stress in men?
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Stress is thought to have negative effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems. Multimodal interventions may confer benefits for stressed populations. They are time effective and are thought to address multiple types of stresses. However, there is limited research examining the effects of manual therapy with or without psychoeducation on promoting relaxation and reducing stress. In particular, studies examining male population are rare, despite the incidence of stress and mental health concerns in men coming more into focus.
METHODS:
This pilot, uncontrolled trial with mixed pragmatic and explanatory design, assessed the feasibility of applying a therapy package designed to reduce stress in men. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess the feedback from participants and challenges encountered; (2) assess the health status in 7 men using health screening measures, such as blood pressure, pulse and adapted medical history; (3) to determine baseline levels of physiological stress biomarkers (cortisol, sIgA and IL-6); (4) to assess baseline perceived stress in 7 men, using the adapted Perceived Stress Scales and Profile of Mood Scale; and (5) to undertake an uncontrolled trial with mixed pragmatic and explanatory design to assess the feasibility and effects of a therapy package on stress (psychological and physiological), delivered on 7 men, on two consecutive days. The therapy package included ten general osteopathic techniques, ten minutes of stress management education and an education pamphlet. The effect of the therapy package was assessed through pre- and post-intervention salivary levels of stress biomarkers (cortisol; secretary Immunoglobulin A; Interleukin-6) and self-report of stress (Perceived Stress Scale- 10; Profile of Mood Scale).
RESULTS:
The therapy package was easy to administer and its application in a clinical osteopathic practice setting with a small number of male participant (n=7) was feasible. The follow up and retention of participants was positive. The timing of sessions on consecutive days was challenging and this may have affected the recruitment of participants. A significant decrease was observed across all participants in Perceived Stress Scale-10 over the course of the intervention (ps < 0.05). There were also significant decreases in some of the subscales of the Profile of Mood Scale (Tense, Fatigue, Depression, Anger). In contrast, cortisol, secretary Immunoglobulin A and Interleukin-6 levels increased in the majority of participants and no clear relationship between psychological and physiological stress measures could be observed.
DISCUSSION:
The application of the therapy package and the collection of saliva was feasible. Participants of the study showed an overall decrease in psychological stress suggesting that manual therapy in conjunction with stress management education may work to promote relaxation and reduce stress. The effect on physiological stress in men was, however, less clear. Future studies with larger sample size and the use of non-diurnal samples, such as hair samples, may usefully extend the examination of the effects of a therapy package consisting of manual therapy and stress management education
Designing for dementia : providing public spaces for inclusion, enjoyment and wellbeing
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can public spaces be designed to be friendly for relatively high functioning dementia sufferers?
ABSTRACT:
Dementia is a syndrome that generally affects people over 65 years of age. Sufferers experiencing dementia lose several survival abilities, such as forgetting their family members and becoming anxious or depressed, as well as losing motor functions. Dementia can be regarded as an intractable disease because currently there is no available treatment for it currently. While the population ages, the structure of Auckland has changed in recent times with the proportion of the elderly becoming significantly larger; concurrently, the number of people with dementia is growing rapidly in Auckland, with the number expected to increase from 10,000 in 2008 to double this by 2050. Fortunately, Auckland Council has identified this issue and recognises the need to provide more infrastructure and services for all Aucklanders including children, disabled people and the elderly. Meanwhile, various organisations support sufferers and their families by different methods. Most research illustrates that people with dementia at the early and mild stages benefit from outdoor activities, and locking sufferers at home does not moderate their deterioration. After visiting public parks in Auckland, I was found that most have not been designed to be “dementia-friendly” and current facilities cannot satisfy the needs of sufferers.
This research project aims to design a suitable public space for people with dementia who have essential survival abilities in order to improve their wellbeing, enjoyment and inclusion. After collecting data about relevant cases and summarising research methods, I have chosen the ground of Mairangi Arts Centre as my design site. This site is suitable for this project as it is close to the town centre of Mairangi Bay with a large flow of people and has a larger population of elderly people in comparison to other suburbs.
The design project identifies a series of design principles about designing public spaces for sufferers experiencing dementia. The result will improve the quality of life of senior citizens and promote the development of cities and society. People with dementia will be provided with suitable outdoor spaces, and public infrastructure will be improved to meet the needs of more communities. However, this project also has limitations since some principles cannot be applied to all public spaces
Ageing together: Senior co-housing within a pocket community
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can a better quality of life for the elderly be achieved through architecture in an aged care facility?
ABSTRACT:
The ageing population of New Zealand is growing significantly and is becoming more ethnically diverse. According to Statistics NZ, it is projected that singleperson households are expected to increase from “390,000 in 2013 to 580,000 in 2038” and among the people who live alone “64% are projected to be aged 60+ in 2038.” One of the major impacts of an increase in elderly living alone is social isolation and loneliness. Although there is a growing number of retirement villages for the elderly, most follow a Western aged care model which does not address the needs of an increasingly diverse community. Moreover, given the levels of isolation and loneliness identified by research of many elderly in retirement, there is a significant need to find an architectural solution that better promotes the quality of life of elderly individuals. This research project is an architectural intervention to address issues commonly associated with ageing such as loneliness, social isolation, and a lack of quality of life.
To contextualise the topic, a brief overview of the beginning of retirement homes in New Zealand is discussed. This provides basic knowledge on how aged care progressed in New Zealand and how it is expected to grow in the future. This has influenced the research project to propose an alternative retirement care model for the elderly. To achieve this, the project has taken Kainga Ora’s project, Highbury Triangle, which is an aged housing project, to propose an alternative approach that has a similar intention of providing better living for the elderly.
This project involved an in-depth study of quality of life and social interaction between the elderly and the younger generation. This includes elements of quality of life such as family involvement, autonomy and privacy, wayfinding and multisensory environment which contributed to the criteria for the design. An analysis of several precedent studies including retirement villages such as De Hogeweyk and Tao Home, and social housing such as The Nightingale Project, Treehouse and FABRIC, provided a list of design attributes that informed the final design.
The result of this research project is an architecture that values the quality of life of elderly people through a focus on common cultural values. Close attention to improving the quality of life of elderly individuals has been achieved through the integration of senior cohousing and promoting intergenerational interactions within the pocket community
Climate change adaptation legislation and the construction sector
No full textClimate change will inevitably, drastically impact the coastal nation of New Zealand. Through literature review, it was identified that much of the existing work in relation to climate change literature, legislation and policy had been focused on mitigation, or carbon emission reduction, and very little had looked toward future-proofing and adaptation processes.
This research paper aimed to answer the research question below:
“Which countries have climates similar to that of New Zealand, what are their climate change and adaptation legislative approaches, and which of these approaches could potentially be adopted in New Zealand in relation to the NZ Construction industry?”
The aim of this research was to purposefully establish an understanding of relevant international adaptation approaches, identify which, if any, could be relevant to the New Zealand context and/or inform potential process change in relation to the construction industry.
This research focused on climate change adaptation;
1) Identification of countries with a similar climate to New Zealand;
2) Document Analysis to identify and analyse international climate change, adaptation, and construction sector legislation processes;
3) Interviews to reflect on, discuss and identify potential approaches to apply to the New Zealand context.
Preliminary findings showed that very few countries are looking toward future adaptation, and even less connect adaptation to the construction industry. Norway’s approach looks to be the most relevant to New Zealand, in relation to technical requirements, moisture management, zoning and flood risks. Interviewees unanimously agreed that our government makeup, culture and current processes may, in fact, require a mixture of adaptation and mitigation strategies
Challenging global waste management : bioremediation to detoxify asbestos
No full textAs the 21st century uncovers ever-increasing volumes of asbestos and asbestos-contaminated waste, we need a new way to stop ‘grandfather’s problem’ from becoming that of our future generations. The production of inexpensive, mechanically strong, heat resistant building materials containing asbestos has inevitably led to its use in many public and residential buildings globally. It is therefore not surprising that since the asbestos boom in the 1970s, some 30 years later, the true extent of this hidden danger was exposed. Yet, this severely toxic material continues to be produced and used in some countries, and in others the disposal options for historic uses – generally landfill – are at best unwieldy and at worst insecure. We illustrate the global scale of the asbestos problem via three case studies which describe various removal and/or end disposal issues. These case studies from both industrialised and island nations demonstrate the potential for the generation of massive amounts of asbestos contaminated soil. In each case, the final outcome of the project was influenced by factors such as cost and land availability, both increasing issues, worldwide. The reduction in the generation of asbestos containing materials will not absolve us from the necessity of handling and disposal of contaminated land. Waste treatment which relies on physico-chemical processes is expensive and does not contribute to a circular model economy ideal. Although asbestos is a mineral substance, there are naturally occurring biological-mediated processes capable of degradation (such as bioweathering). Therefore, low energy options, such as bioremediation, for the treatment for asbestos contaminated soils are worth exploring. We outline evidence pointing to the ability of microbe and plant communities to remove from asbestos the iron that contributes to its carcinogenicity. Finally, we describe the potential for a novel concept of creating ecosystems over asbestos landfills (‘activated landfills’) that utilize nature’s chelating ability to degrade this toxic product effectively