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Reclaiming power and peace. Protective factors for positive birth: A qualitative exploration.
No full textBirth is often evaluated through clinical outcome measures with less attention given to the lived experience of the birthing person, with feelings around birth given a low priority. Yet, the psychological consequences of traumatic birth are well documented, and growing evidence suggests that positive perceptions of birth have a protective effect on postnatal mental health.
Aim: This study asks; what factors influence peoples’ perception of the experience of birth in a positive way?
Method: Using Qualitative Descriptive methodology, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who self-identified as having had a positive birth experience. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore and interpret the data.
Findings: Four interconnected themes were generated. I don’t love that for me; Owning the journey – power and peace; Preparation is key – event level planning; and The space I create. Participants described consciously rejecting dominant negative birth narratives. By increasing their knowledge of birth and their own bodies they became more active participants in the process, allowing for informed decision-making and genuine consent. This knowledge-building helped to reduce fear and planning for the birth event with physical and mental tools was identified as key to a positive experience. Birth space was expressed as another critical element, encompassing not just the external environment, but more importantly, the internal environment shaped by a network of trusting, respectful relationships with attendants and providers.
Discussion: The findings support an argument that consciousness plays a central role in shaping birth experience and resonate with the established theory of altered states known as Set and Setting. When viewed through this lens, elements such as preparation, positive mindset, and the presence of supportive, trusting relationships come together as mutually reinforcing influences. Framing these factors in terms of set (internal state) and setting (external environment) offers a compelling explanation for how a positive birth experience may be cultivated.
Key message: There is much we can do to bolster belief in self and belief in birth, both of which positively influence how the experience is perceived, regardless of the type of birth. Considering birth using a Set and Setting framework could change how we approach birth preparation, providing a clear path to navigate towards supporting the perception of birth as positive. This framework offers an additional tool for both consumers and providers to reflect on, and use to challenge current practice realities, fostering environments that centre agency, trust and a deep sense of safety
They did not know how to journey with me: Exploring Rugby Union injury experiences among wāhine in Aotearoa, New Zealand
No full textInjuries are a significant part of sport, with almost every athlete experiencing one throughout their sporting career. Yet, the personal responses to injury and rehabilitation experiences of Wāhine rugby union players have received minimal attention. Rehabilitation is not a “one size fits all” process. This research aimed to provide an understanding of the experiences of injured female rugby union players in Aotearoa (New Zealand), using an authentic semi-structured lens guided by grounded theory to recount their lived experiences of injury and recovery. A mixed methods approach was adopted. An online survey was sent to Farah Palmer Cup players to explore injury history, return-to-play (RTP) outcomes, and emotional responses. Findings (n=50) showed that while most players returned to play within expected timeframes, many did so lacking confidence and with ongoing reinjury anxiety. Māori and Pasifika athletes reported a higher injury burden, suggesting cultural disparities in injury experience and access to support. Guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā, semi-structured interviews (n=5) were conducted to deepen this understanding. Thematic analysis revealed five interrelated key themes: rugby’s ingrained ‘toughness’ culture, unclear RTP pathways, emotional and social isolation, identity loss and grief, and the process of “pivoting” beyond and out of rugby. Participants described feeling sidelined, both physically and emotionally, during recovery, with support systems often under-resourced or significantly absent. This research highlights the need for holistic, culturally responsive rehabilitation frameworks that recognise the complexity of recovery. These findings contribute critical insights into the challenges faced by women in rugby and aim to advocate for more athlete-centred, inclusive, and equitable approaches to injury management in sport
Social approach preferences in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) for housing and welfare
No full textDomestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), popular pets worldwide, are prey species that live in social groups of up to 10 cavies in the wild. Although there are housing recommendations and policies that they should live in pairs as a minimum, the husbandry guidelines are inconsistent in providing an environment for the gregarious nature of guinea pigs. In addition, this requirement has not been studied experimentally. The demand for being near a conspecific located at the end of a ramp (that increased in angle) was measured in seven guinea pigs (in four pairs) using the maximum height and duration, to climb to reach the other guinea pig, behind a net, as a dependent variable. The experiment demonstrated that guinea pigs climbed the ramp faster and to greater heights to reach their bonded conspecific, compared to a non bonded guinea pig of the same or different sex. A visual assessment of the behaviour of the climber and receiver during each trial indicated that the climber tended to be 'cautious' and often paused before reaching the other guinea pig; while the receiver was either indifferent or 'receptive', indicated by sniffing and the absence of vocal or lunging behaviour. These results indicated that guinea pigs, although a social prey species, value specific companionship, not just any conspecific for safety—even in unnatural or potentially stressful situations. Future welfare legislation must reflect this complexity in the social behaviour of guinea pigs, and implement evidence-based husbandry guidelines to manage nuanced relationship
Managing math anxiety with AI: Innovative approach of AI-assisted learning
No full textRESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How much assistance did fine-tuning provide to help the chatbot?
2. Does prompt engineering offer a substitute for fine-tuning?
3. How did the pre-trained model perform in solving fraction problems?
ABSTRACT
Math anxiety is a psychological condition characterized by feelings of tension, fear, apprehension, or helplessness that interfere with a person's ability to engage in and perform mathematical tasks. It often manifests when individuals are required to solve math problems, attend math classes, or take math-related tests. Addressing math anxiety involves both emotional and cognitive support, including encouraging a growth mindset, offering patient guidance, and using supportive learning tools such as AI-powered tutoring systems or chatbots that provide personalized and anxiety-sensitive assistance. The goal of the research presented here was to assist learners with math anxiety by producing an AI-assisted chatbot that provides emotional support in ways that reduces anxiety. A chatbot was developed but it was decided that it would be unethical to test it with people with math anxiety because of the potential for the chatbot to produce responses that could be harmful. Then the question became, how could the chatbot be developed and tested so that there was increased confidence in positive outcomes before testing with people. Specifically, the first research question became: what prompting techniques can be used to influence chatbot responses to align better with previously determined supportive examples in the dataset? The second research question was: does finetuning a chatbot on a training dataset provide significant improvements in response accuracy and alignment compared to prompt engineering? To address these questions, it was decided to develop a dataset of user inputs and chatbot responses that could serve three purposes. The primary purpose was to test that the chatbot gives reasonable emotional supportive responses, appropriate for people with math anxiety. The second purpose was guiding the responses of the chatbot using context optimisation via prompt engineering, inspired by cache augmented generation. The final purpose of the dataset was to fine-tune the model of the chatbot to give responses that were closely aligned to the dataset. Using BLEU and ROUGE metrics, showed that the fine-tuned model gave the best performance on an evaluation split of the dataset. The contributions of this research are the dataset, the chatbot and the experimental results from finetuning and context optimization by prompt engineering
Social approach preferences in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) for housing and welfare
No full textDomestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), popular pets worldwide, are prey species that live in social groups of up to 10 cavies in the wild. Although there are housing recommendations and policies that they should live in pairs as a minimum, the husbandry guidelines are inconsistent in providing an environment for the gregarious nature of guinea pigs. In addition, this requirement has not been studied experimentally. The demand for being near a conspecific located at the end of a ramp (that increased in angle) was measured in seven guinea pigs (in four pairs) using the maximum height and duration, to climb to reach the other guinea pig, behind a net, as a dependent variable. The experiment demonstrated that guinea pigs climbed the ramp faster and to greater heights to reach their bonded conspecific, compared to a non bonded guinea pig of the same or different sex. A visual assessment of the behaviour of the climber and receiver during each trial indicated that the climber tended to be 'cautious' and often paused before reaching the other guinea pig; while the receiver was either indifferent or 'receptive', indicated by sniffing and the absence of vocal or lunging behaviour. These results indicated that guinea pigs, although a social prey species, value specific companionship, not just any conspecific for safety—even in unnatural or potentially stressful situations. Future welfare legislation must reflect this complexity in the social behaviour of guinea pigs, and implement evidence-based husbandry guidelines to manage nuanced relationship
Impact of positive pressure ventilation systems on indoor air quality in residential settings
No full textEffective ventilation is a key requirement in residential buildings to achieve healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) through the introduction of fresh air. Mechanical ventilation (MV) systems are designed to meet IAQ objectives by delivering regular air exchange and dilution of stale air. Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) systems commonly source air from the roof cavity and distribute it throughout the indoor environment.
This study evaluated the effects of PPV systems on IAQ in 10 single-family dwellings over a nine-month period across three seasons (winter, spring and summer) and including pre-and post-installation monitoring. Regular measurements of IAQ parameters including PM2.5, PM10, radon, fungal DNA, and heavy metals were collected from bedrooms, living areas, roof spaces and outdoors.
Mean indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 each decreased by 44 % following PPV installation. Outdoor levels of PM2.5 and PM10 increased over the same period, by 41 % and 37 %, respectively. Reductions in mean indoor concentrations were also observed for radon (53 %) and fungal DNA (64 %). Indoor concentrations of heavy metals also decreased, with chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc decreasing by 28 % on average, while arsenic and cadmium were generally below detection limits.
Indoor PM2.5 concentrations were 31 % higher than roof space concentrations, and weakly correlated (Spearman’s coefficient, rs = 0.12), suggesting limited influence from the roof cavity. Temperatures in the roof space were 7.1 °C lower, on average, than indoor temperatures. Analysis suggests that a higher temperature differential between roof and indoors is associated with higher levels of energy use, particularly at differentials above 4 °C
The challenges for international students encountering New Zealand English and Te Reo Māori
No full textThis study explores the language challenges that international students face in New Zealand's tertiary education system, focusing on the combined impact of New Zealand English (NZE) and te reo Māori. While many studies have looked at the difficulties of understanding NZE or the role of te reo Māori in education, few have examined how these two languages together affect international students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research collected data from an online survey and follow-up interviews to better understand how language barriers influence students’ academic progression, social integration, and overall well-being. The findings show that students often struggled with the NZE accent, fast speech, and informal expressions, which affect lecture comprehension, understanding academic reading, and joining classroom activities. Te reo Māori, although used less often, caused confusion when not explained, especially during cultural events and in academic settings. These challenges led to lower confidence, anxiety, and feelings of exclusion. Students also shared helpful strategies, such as using translation tools, joining language groups, and watching local media to adapt to language use in New Zealand. This study adds to existing theories on second-language anxiety (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Cummins, 2000) and highlights the importance of culturally responsive teaching (Hunter & Jones, 2017). It recommends clearer communication, better orientation to local language use, and more inclusive classroom support. By recognising the combined effect of NZE and te reo Māori, this research calls for further support systems to help international students succeed both academically and socially in New Zealand
Customer churn prediction to enhance customer retention strategies in the banking industry: A study using seven machine learning algorithms
No full textThis study explores machine learning approaches to predict customer churn in the banking sector. Following Dietterich’s Machine Learning Problem Research Life Cycle, six key steps were implemented: data gathering, preparation, exploratory data analysis (EDA), model creation, training, evaluation, and hyperparameter tuning. A systematic literature review identified essential machine learning techniques and innovations applied to customer churn prediction since 2014, highlighting Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and hybrid models as practical approaches. This review also emphasized the value of advanced preprocessing and explainable AI techniques in improving model accuracy and usability. A publicly available dataset of 10,000 entries was used to evaluate seven machine learning algorithms, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, AdaBoost, and Gradient Boosting based on accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and ROC-AUC. Among these, the Gradient Boosting Classifier emerged as the most effective model with an accuracy of 85.2% and an ROC-AUC of 0.87, demonstrating robust performance in predicting customer churn. The findings underscore the potential of Gradient Boosting for developing reliable churn prediction systems, aiding banks in devising targeted customer retention strategies. The results of this study can benefit both academic researchers and industry practitioners. Academics can use the findings to explore advanced machine learning applications and develop new churn prediction frameworks. At the same time, practitioners, particularly in banking and related industries, can leverage the Gradient Boosting model to improve customer retention strategies and reduce revenue losses associated with churn. Future research is recommended to validate these results using dynamic datasets
Regenerative Business Practices within Queenstown Lakes District
No full textThis research investigated the capacity of tourism businesses in the Queenstown Lakes District to address the climate crisis, in line with the objectives of the district’s Destination Management Plan (DMP) and goal to become a regenerative visitor economy.
The research aimed to explore practical interventions that enable businesses to transition toward more sustainable and regenerative practices, while considering the broader systemic challenges they face, such as economic pressures and insufficient policy and infrastructure support. Ultimately, questioning if businesses can become regenerative in the current economic system, and attempting to understand why previous work has failed to establish a clear framework or metrics to support businesses in the transition.
The research applied multiple methodologies but was primarily rooted in the Disruptive Design Method (DDM), providing a systems-thinking framework to design, implement, and evaluate targeted interventions that support businesses in their sustainability journey.
Information was gathered from three Queenstown-based businesses of different sizes and offerings, attempting to reflect the diversity of challenges and opportunities within the sector. Each business then agreed to adopt an “intervention” that aimed to support the business in moving toward increased sustainability practices.
The findings helped identify practical recommendations for businesses, emphasising the integration of regenerative and adaptive practices across all aspects of operations to build resilience in an increasingly volatile climate. The findings also indicate that without strong global and local business signals (in the form of incentives and regulation) it will be difficult to mobilise business to the level required under the current economic system
Enhancing Local Government: Critical Success Factors for Effective Council-Community Relationships
No full textLocal government has a major impact on the lives of all New Zealanders. It is the system that provides essential services people use every day. As these services are paid for by locally raised taxes it is in the common interest that they be managed as efficiently and effectively as possible. Investigating this subject identified the research aims for this study.
This study examines how the relationship between a Council and its community groups can be a resource to improve outcomes. Using an interpretivist philosophy and constructivist methodology it examines the multiple realities to find common themes amongst them. By conducting semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis it aims to examine what the critical success factors are for quality relationships between the Waitaki District Council (WDC) and Waitaki community groups. This was built on a literature review of both local government and community partnerships.
This research discusses the historical context for the current state of local government. It examines key legislation impacting the development of the sector. This is combined with a theoretical examination of what constitutes community partnerships. This foundation is explored through the theoretical framework of the resource-based view of strategic management. The collected data is analysed by combining the theoretical framework, historical context, and the research proposition.
The data is analysed using a multi-iteration coding process with member checking to find the key interpretations that answer the research question. This leads to the identification of eight critical success factors for quality Council-community group relationships. The analysis enabled the development of a conceptual model. This identified four stages of relationship development, and how the eight critical success factors as manifested at each stage. The model can be applied to evaluate a relationship, and to provide recommendations to optimise it. The critical success factors are explored through the resource-based view lens. Following this, four recommendations for the WDC are made.
Based on the interpretation of the data, it is recommended that WDC: (1) deepen engagement regarding their transformation project with the community groups, (2) examine using their Stronger Waitaki model to deliver other strategic outcomes, (3) consider the adoption of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and, (4) increase the visibility of the governance group in the community. In that chapter there are also recommendations for future research that could build on this study.
This research finds that community groups are a valuable resource for a Council. By working in partnership with them the Council can improve outcomes at low to no cost. As higher quality relationships led to better outcomes it is in the best interests of Council to apply the eight critical success factors to optimise them