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A retrospective evaluation of clinical records for patients referred for diagnostic ultrasound of posterior leg injuries
No full textBACKGROUND:
‘Tennis leg’, defined as injury to the distal musculotendinous junction of the medial gastrocnemius, is a relatively common injury sustained during sports and day to day activity. This condition is generally considered to most frequently affect people of middleage. Ultrasound imaging studies have demonstrated that the medial gastrocnemius is the injury most often observed in posterior leg injuries while magnetic resonance imaging studies generally show that soleus is more frequently injured. To date, current ultrasound studies do not report on all characteristics shown on ultrasound, unlike magnetic resonance imaging studies.
AIM:
To describe the characteristics of clinical information for patients referred for ultrasound imaging of the posterior leg during a 12-month period within a musculoskeletal ultrasound clinic in Auckland, New Zealand.
METHODS:
3437 ultrasound reports from the 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. 63 reports of calf muscle tear were included for final review, and all reported ultrasound imaging findings were extracted into a spreadsheet.
RESULTS:
This study found 52 reports involving medial gastrocnemius, 9 reports of soleus tear, 1 report of lateral gastrocnemius and 1 report of plantaris tear. The distal musculotendinous junction of medial gastrocnemius was involved in 43 and 7 reported cases of medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles respectively. In 12 reported cases, a tear was appreciated in the aponeurosis. A total of 22 haematomas were reported, 21 were appreciated alongside medial gastrocnemius tears, while one was in association with a soleus tear. Two reports were indicative of both a tear and associated deep vein thrombosis.
CONCLUSION:
This study supports that the distal musculotendinous junction of the medial gastrocnemius is the site most frequently injured within the calf, and at least in this sample the middle-aged population were the most represented age group presenting for imaging. Ultrasound imaging appears to be useful in determining the site and extent of injury and also to determine the presence of associated pathology (particularly deep vein thrombosis) in order to determine the most appropriate management for the patient. Future research should determine the relationship between site and size of musculotendinous injury and the time taken to return to activity
Reliable assessment of drawings on architectural technology courses
No full textThe purpose of this project is to refine and rationalise the process where different tutors assess architectural drawings in order to mitigate personal subjectivity thereby generating more reliable assessment decisions. The study seeks to provide a structured approach to drawing assessment across teaching teams to reduce possible complaints regarding apparently inconsistent results between different classes. Objectives include promoting consistent drawing assessment between tutors on level 5 drawing papers within the Unitec Diploma in Architectural Technology. A clear structured method is envisaged whereby tutors evaluate content and draughtsmanship across individual drawings to produce more consistent assessment decisions across different cohorts on papers. Methodology in this project includes document analysis of early assessment material on the relevant papers. Reflection on the value of this material towards reaching consistent assessment decisions led to the development of more detailed marking rubrics for use across numerous drawing papers. After each course iteration reflection discussions and feedback were noted regarding the utility of the resource, drawing assessment criteria and specific criteria weightings. Recent feedback indicates that the latest rubrics are effective and close to final forms. Many tutors have indicated their satisfaction with rubric design, format and ease of use. Project findings will benefit tutors across construction drawing papers, helping them generate clear, reliable and consistent assessment decisions both individually and collectively. The approach can be utilised to assess drawings at various project stages and demonstrates clearly to tutors and students what is being assessed and also importantly, how it is being assessed
Language and myths of poverty
No full text“Poverty strikes dead the very souls of all who come within sight, sound or smell of it.”
G.B. Shaw, Major Barbara
This paper explores the popular and political myths and language used about poverty and those who are poor. These are viewed through three historical periods: the Victorian era, the period of the 1930s great depression and the contemporary world since neoliberalism took hold in the 1980s. Each period has its own language about those in poverty. The Victorians imposed a harsh system comprising transportation of poor petty criminals to the British colonies, and incarceration in workhouses for others. Writers and researchers such as George Bernard Shaw and Charles Booth deplored the cruelty of the workhouse system. The experiences of the unemployed during the depression were highlighted by Tony Simpson, and through articles and letters to the editor in local New Zealand newspapers. Contemporary thinkers such as Jonathan Boston and Susan St John continue to expose the myths of poverty and point to policies for a more benevolent system
Activity recognition and resident identification in smart home environment
No full textWorld’s population is ageing rapidly. There have been various efforts to improve the quality of life for elderly. Ambient assisted living is one possible solution which enables elderly or disabled people to live a better lifestyle. Currently there are smart home systems that utilize a wide range of sensors to predict our everyday activities. However, research into activity recognition and resident identification using ultrasonic sensors are limited.
This work introduces machine learning techniques with ultrasonic sensors to predict the activities of one and two person in the smart home environment. The proposed system is capable of recognising the activities and identifying the residents without the need to manually label the prior activities. Our evaluation demonstartes that the proposed approach can predict resident’s activities with high accuracy. The trained model could be used to predict other resident’s activities and also identify resident’s from each other.
This research enables the smart home system to be widely adopted in people’s houses with minimal training and also enable people who need support, to live independently with less interference from caregivers which in turn enables caregivers to manage more people at the same time
A study on the community model of future aging in Kaifeng, China
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How to use architectural and planning methods to solve the problem of the elderly living for the aged in the future?
ABSTRACT:
At present, China is facing increasing aging population due to the family planning policy promulgated 30 years ago. This project aims to provide a conceptual planning of an elderly-care community to mitigate the stress of elderly support in Kaifeng. The investigation of the elderly care facilities in Kaifeng revealed that the current elderly support model cannot meet the needs of an increasing number of elderly people in the future. A largerscale elderly support plan needs to be proposed to cope with future problems. Therefore, this research focuses on how to use architectures and planning to solve the problem of housing for the elderly in the future.
This planning area of elderly community is named Silver Town and can be regarded as a small city for the elderly. In order to better develop the architectural proposition, first, the development characteristics of nursing homes in China and Western countries in history were compared, and the future nursing home was visualized. In the literature review, the psychological and physical needs of Chinese elderly for nursing homes were studied. Second, during the project design, the Continuing Care Retirement Community model in the US was used for reference, and based on China's national conditions and the psychological and physical characteristics of Chinese elderly, a residential area suitable for the elderly was found, where the elderly can be provided with a familiar and comfortable environment to spend their twilight years. Finally, some architectural precedents were studied, including modern residential areas for the elderly, the layout of residential units and service facilities, and the design of the activity center, hospital, canteen, and food processing plant.
Based on the above analysis, the goal is to design a residential area for the elderly that can accommodate about 20,000 elderly people. Silver Town consists of assisted living apartments, independent living apartments, a hospital, and commercial, entertainment and other supporting facilities. The project will reasonably arrange the distance among these functions according to the willingness of the elderly to walk, so that the elderly can enjoy the same services as those for the young, and their feeling of being abandoned by the society due to physical reasons can be eliminated. In addition, the project explored the extensibility of the retirement city and provided a solution to the future expansion of the scale of elderly care
Connecting the city : Tauranga Library
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can architecture act as a catalyst for urban connectivity and improve the Tauranga city centre?
ABSTRACT:
This architectural project explores the role of architecture in creating and supporting a sense of place and identity. It proposes a contemporary library and community hub in Tauranga’s CBD with the intention of re-invigorating and re-energising the city centre. The purpose of this project is to speculate on how architecture might affect a city’s dynamic evolution and provide an antidote to ongoing urban sprawl. The Tauranga city community is becoming increasingly fragmented. Urban sprawl is occurring due to the expanding population. Good city planning is crucial to prevent urban sprawl, and this project intends to respond to this by designing a new city library.
This project in itself is not a solution to urban sprawl. However, it is a catalyst for urban enhancement and social connectivity. Tauranga’s development is moving away from its core, and the people are following. It will be an architectural solution that acts as a central social hub. The dynamic magnetism of the project will encourage social collaboration and enhance the urban vitality, strengthening the city centre.
The research explores ways of revitalising the urban density through architecture and encouraging the forming of a community-driven space that acknowledges culture, education and sociability. A vital city centre may encourage inner city residential development, more public transport and better urban infrastructure
Exploring frameworks for a history of earth building in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textAotearoa New Zealand has a unique earth building heritage. For centuries, Māori used earth for floors and as a binder for fibrous walling materials. When settlers arrived in the nineteenth century, they brought earth building techniques with them, and in the early days of colonisation, earth buildings were commonplace. Many still survive, but as processed timber became readily available, building in earth declined; by the middle of the twentieth century it had almost ceased. Following renewed interest after World War Two, earth building continued into the twenty-first century, albeit as a non-standard form of construction. Databases compiled by Heritage New Zealand, Miles Allen, and the author, supplemented by accounts from a variety of sources, provide a relatively detailed record of earth buildings from all over Aotearoa but no cohesive history has yet been written. This paper considers possible approaches to writing such a history. Methodologies employed in local and international architectural histories are analysed, and a number of structural hierarchies are identified: for instance, Ronald Rael organises his material firstly by technique and then chronology in Earth Architecture, while Ted Howard uses location and then chronology for his Australasian history, Mud and Man. Information from New Zealand sources is then applied to these frameworks to arrive at an appropriate structural hierarchy for a complete history of earth building in Aotearo
The response of the Auckland construction industry to recent technological changes
No full textAim of research
Overview
Technology uptake in the industry
Research questions: (How does the Auckland construction industry respond to recent technological changes?)
Research design
Research findings
Questionnaire results
Interview results
Conclusions
Reference
Effectiveness of stock index forecasting using LSTM model : evidence from New Zealand
No full textIntroduction
Purpose
Methodology
Key findings
Conclusion
Research limitatio
郝路义若干史事考辨 Hao Luyi ruogan shishi kaobian (Louise Strong Hammond in China, 1913-1945)
No full text以往相关有关杨荫浏先生“干妈”路易斯 · 斯特朗 · 哈门德(LouiseStrong Hammond,中文名郝路义)的论述大都依据杨荫浏先生著述中的片言只语及晚年零星的 回忆,但对郝氏本人的中英文著述以及西文档案文献中有关赫氏来华活动的当时记载却 鲜有所用。因而对郝氏本人的家庭背景、教育经历、在华事工及其来去中国的具体时间等 除了语焉不详外,还存在着一些史实上的谬误。本文以郝路义所存文稿、西文报刊文献及 海外所存档案为主要资料来源,以郝路义本人为焦点,考证其人生历程及在华事工。此 外,厘清史实,避免以讹传讹亦是此文的目的之一