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Yacon prebiotic functional drinks, the sensory and antioxidant profiles: Dietotherapy applications of yacon concentrate
No full textYacon
Health-related properties
Aim of the study
Development of yacon functional drinks
Sensory evaluation
Antioxidant capacity
Shelf-life
Conclusions
Further work
Acknowledgements: The team • Dr Rothman Kam, Keegan Chessum, Saleshni Nand, Ben Terzaghi
This research was co-funded by Te Pūkenga Unitec and Yacon New Zealand Ltd
Wānangatia te wahakura: Weaving wellbeing for mokopuna and whānau
No full textWahakura (woven bassinets) are vessels of wellbeing, providing safe sleeping spaces that give tangible form to applications and processes of tikanga pā harakeke (protocols for using and tending to flax). As such, they are a woven manifestation of whakapapa (genealogy) and an embodiment of mana (prestige), mauri (life force) and tapu (the sacred), emanating from the pā harakeke (flax bush), a site of significance, a wāhi tapu (sacred place) and a repository of taonga raranga (treasured weaving). This essay presents a case study of raranga wahakura (practice of making a woven bassinet). It is an articulation of raranga (weaving) epistemology from a weaver’s perspective. It works to highlight the essentiality that, relationships with Papatūānuku (earth Mother) have towards achieving hauora (health) outcomes for mokopuna (grandchildren). Tikanga pā harakeke provides a tangible model of practice for oranga whānau (wellbeing of the family), serving as a point of access for whānau (family) to connect with Te Ao Māori (the Māori world), and its fundamental nature as a ‘woven universe’.
[Tanya White now known as Hinewaimarama Reihana-White
Distribution characteristics of the free-roaming dog population of the Western area of Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga: Developing a GIS for biosecurity and animal welfare projects
No full textThe free-roaming dog population of Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga, is a ubiquitous, well-known and persistent feature of the island. Information on the quantity, condition and spatial distribution characteristics of these dogs is needed for projects aimed at improving biosecurity conditions in different impacted sectors of society, while addressing the management of an animal associated with humans. Health and safety of the human population, agriculture and biodiversity are directly affected by the presence of free-roaming dogs in Tongan communities. A survey conducted over western Tongatapu recorded locations of free-roaming dogs sighted when driving along the roads of 12 towns and villages. Locations were recorded using an iPad and the mobile application Collector for ArcGIS. A total of 1152 dogs was recorded, mostly within villages and residential roads. Patterns of spatial distribution of dog locations were described using kernel density, hotspot analysis, and cluster and outlier analysis tools available in ArcGIS Pro. Using the species distribution modelling algorithms Maxent and Random Forest (RF), the suitability of the entire island for free-roaming dogs was determined using as input the dog locations and environmental variables consisting of population, land use and road types. Results of both algorithms show that roads and residential areas consistently show the highest probability of free-roaming dog presence. The RF algorithm also produced maps that show predictions of the values of other variables collected during the survey, including body-condition scores, age group and sex types over the entire island. Overall, the maps produced and the database created contribute a baseline biosecurity knowledge-base supporting rational decision-making and governance for the island
Pricing S&P 500 Variance Futures based on the instantaneous variance of the S&P 500 index with double jump processes
No full textIntroduction:
Background, literature review
Pricing S&P Variance Futures
Data, variance futures valuation, variance risk premium, model calibration and estimation process and results
Conclusion and future work
Reference
Creating work spaces that work
Get PDFAccording to David, office design is changing rapidly. People are no longer stuck at their desks. Technology means you can work sitting on a couch, or at a bar-leaner for an informal meeting. Decorative screens, high-backed couches, flexible meeting spaces, sound pods and a range of other innovations are recreating open office spaces to mitigate noise pollution, and give employees far more choice about how and where they work, and with who
An early childhood education lens on the practice of reflection in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textReflection is a well-researched concept in the field of education. However, the authors find the book resources are limited in terms of current practice in early childhood education (ECE) within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. With the aim to develop a book chapter at a later stage, the authors conducted a literature review to understand the concept of reflection in teaching. The review has significance as it revealed unique concepts of reflection within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand for the sector of early childhood education. Informit was used and an advanced search was carried out between 2017 and 2022. About 40 peer-reviewed full-text articles were found. The articles were then reviewed to understand the nature and value of documented reflection. The themes that emerged from the literature search were related to 1) theories and professional development; 2) domain knowledge; 3) practice of kaiako (teachers); and 4) ECE settings. The findings from these four categories are discussed with a critical lens to indicate areas that could be important in the day-to-day practice of a kaiako, and to suggest including voices that may be missing in the current literature. The article also emphasises the importance of taking the reflections beyond an educational setting
Telework and internal corporate social responsibility: Insights from New Zealand back-office personnel during COVID-19
No full textThe contemporary work landscape has experienced substantial transformations in recent years due to technological advancements, digital communication tools, and shifting employee expectations. Telework has become an essential element of the modern work environment and gained significant attention. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the widespread adoption of telework for business continuity and social distancing. This research investigates the demand and drivers of telework among New Zealand back-office personnel post-pandemic. Back-office personnel, in this study, refers to employees who perform functions related to administration, operations, and support, roles that do not involve direct interaction with clients or customers but are integral to an organisation's functioning. The focus on this group is crucial as they represent a significant portion of the workforce, and their adaptation to and perceptions of telework can significantly impact organisational effectiveness and employee satisfaction. This research examines the attitudes of its effects on work-life balance, job satisfaction, and potential as an internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) extension. Using a mixed-methods research design, 101 back-office personnel in New Zealand participated in a questionnaire and ten in semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were utilised to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results indicated a strong demand for telework due to improved work-life balance, enhanced flexibility, reduced commuting, and increased productivity. Most participants preferred a hybrid telework model, combining the benefits of remote work with in-person collaboration. Telework was generally seen as positively impacting work-life balance and job satisfaction, but challenges like work-personal life boundaries and social isolation must be addressed for sustained benefits. Moreover, findings suggest telework can serve as an internal CSR extension. By incorporating telework into CSR strategies, organisations can tackle key internal CSR components, boosting their reputation and long-term success. This study offers insights and recommendations for organisations aiming to implement telework policies, emphasising the need to accommodate employee preferences while maximising benefits and tackling telework-associated challenges
Sounds of the forest, and beyond: A tour of acoustic communication in animals
No full textNew Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura)
Fish sounds: Do fish talk to each other?
Fish have been recorded singing a dawn chorus: Just like birds
Why make sounds?
Sound spectrogram: birth of bioacoustics (animal sound science)
World's weirdest bird sounds
Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor)
Common potoo (Nyctibius griseus)
Chorus cicada (Amphipsalta zelandica)
Why crickets just won't shut up
White-collared manakin (Manacus candel)
Club-wing manakin (Machaeropterus deliciosus)
Tui (Prosthermadera novaseelandiae)
Laysan albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis)
Great sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Tick-trefoil treehopper
Male thornbug treehopper
Ants (Pheiddole pallidula)
Paussus favieri - ant eating beatle
Walnut sphinx moth caterpillar
Giant wētā (Deinarcrida spp.)
Only 8 taxa reported learning vocalisations
Woof Woof the talking tui
Genetic transmission - Cultural transmission
Unlike genes
Vocal learning leads to geographic variation in song
Very little know about song culture in females
NZ bell bird / korimako (Anthornis melanura)
The syrinx
Using Raven Pro
https://koe.io.ac.nz/
1 Do the sexes differ in syllable repertoire size?
2 How much repertoire overlap between males & females?
3 Which syllable types are shared between sites?
Decoupled cultures
[YouTube links for sounds throughout
Designing alongside Māori: New possibilities in practicing architecture as Tangata Tiriti
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How can Tauiwi (non-Māori) architects work as allies while upholding Te Tiriti?
ABSTRACT
This research project grew out of an observation of the lack of literature and teaching material available for non-Indigenous architectural practitioners who want to support Indigenous sovereignty. Despite the considerable experience of some non-Indigenous people working in this space, their dedication to allyship is a choice they make and has required a conscious break from mainstream architectural education and practice. Architectural education in Aotearoa New Zealand remains tightly bound to Western values and architectural preferences.
After 150 years of architectural practice in the Pacific, the profession is only now beginning to understand how the exclusion of Māori and Mana Moana values has limited our ability to produce architecture that reflects our adopted land. While mainstream architectural practice has yet to transform, a committed number of Tauiwi (non-Māori) practitioners now view their work as contributing to decolonisation and are pushing back against practices that centre white views and values as normative and preferable.
To contribute to this emerging research space, and to avoid simply reflecting on kaupapa Māori research for Tauiwi benefit, the literature review draws on critical theory and Tauiwi architectural research. This Tauiwi research offers a counter narrative to mainstream architectural practice and attempts to theorise the researchers experience of working alongside Māori within the architectural profession. In response to the literature review, quilting was used as a methodology to process and piece together the wider themes emerging throughout the research.
Using the concept of whanaungatanga (relationships), a number of Tauiwi were identified through Māori networks as demonstrating considerable skill and character in their design practice as Māori allies. Eight people were interviewed, with the number of Pākehā participants limited to half this number for a broader Tauiwi perspective. The interviews reflect on participants experience of learning to adopt Māori values in their work, with some requiring a larger adjustment than others.
The architectural design project was also identified through whanaungatanga. It required learning and applying a co-design process and Māori cultural values, to develop culturally responsive site planning and vertical housing proposals. Finally, I reflect on this architectural project learning process, how my positionality as Tauiwi and Pākehā required I approach the architectural design process differently, and the tremendous opportunity for transformation and Te Tititi justice facing the architectural profession today
Analysis and comparison of deepfakes detection methods for cross-library generalisation
No full textThe rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has made it increasingly possible to use Deepfakes technology to generate fake pictures and videos. While this technology has benefits, it also has downsides such as spreading misinformation and endangering public interests. To address this issue, researchers have proposed various deep forgery detection algorithms and have achieved remarkable results. However, a common problem regarding these detection methods is that while in-library detection can usually achieve high accuracy, their performance is significantly degraded in cross-library detection. This indicates a severe problem of insufficient generalisation ability.
To better compare the performance differences between various detection methods, this paper analyses the detection performance of the six established models of Two-stream, MesoNet, HeadPose, FWA, VA, and Multi-task. To ensure consistency, we employ a uniform evaluation framework as a benchmark for comparison. We conduct extensive intra-library and crosslibrary tests to evaluate these methods’ generalisation ability by utilising accuracy and error rate as key evaluation criteria for our experiments. Additionally, we further explore areas for improvement by analysing the impact of data augmentation, dataset partitioning, and threshold selection on the performance of these detection methods. Our comparative experiments are conducted on three existing fake face video datasets, including FaceForensics++, DeepfakeTIMIT, and Celeb-DF.
Our research findings indicate the database partitioning method has a direct impact on the detector’s performance, and to enhance generalisation performance, the database should be divided person-based manually. The effectiveness of data augmentation techniques in improving cross-library performance is generally limited, and setting the threshold directly using source domain data often leads to a high error rate in the target domain. The findings of this paper provide insights into the development of more effective detection methods to combat the harmful effect