21436 research outputs found
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Assessing Controlled Traffic Farming as a Precision Agriculture Strategy for Minimising N2O Losses
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The Perception of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: An Exploratory Study of New Zealand Home Occupants
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented restrictions on movement and daily life, testing the resilience and adaptability of existing housing stock, as families worldwide were forced to adapt their homes into multifunctional environments. In New Zealand, where lockdowns were among the most stringent globally, homes rapidly transformed into workplaces, schools, gyms, and places of refuge. Little is known about how these adaptations affected the sustainability of homes and occupants’ well-being, particularly in the context of future crises. This study examined the economic, environmental, and psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on New Zealand households. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and a quantitative analysis method was employed using survey data from 92 valid responses from New Zealand respondents who experienced lockdowns in various types of housing. To find important patterns and connections, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted. Findings revealed that economic factors had the strongest influence on respondents’ perceived experience during the COVID-19 lockdown, with households reporting increased electricity and water use but reduced fuel costs. Environmental factors were also significant, with respondents noting the importance of fresh air, sunlight, acoustic privacy, and more spacious rooms, alongside the critical need for a dedicated workspace. Psychosocial effects included higher distraction levels, monotony, and heightened concern for health. Group differences highlighted the influence of age and the number of bedrooms on the perceived experience of lockdown. This pilot work offers a New Zealand perspective on the intersection of the pandemic with the sustainability of homes. The practical implications of this study highlight the need for sustainable housing retrofits, hybrid work policies that support ergonomic and acoustically adequate home offices, and demographic-sensitive interventions to enhance resilience and occupant well-being in future crises.fals
A contribution to the anatomy of two rare cetacean species: The hourglass dolphin (Cephalorhynchus cruciger) and the spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica)
No full textThe anatomical description of the hourglass dolphin (Cephalorhynchus cruciger) and the spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica) remains largely unexplored, due to limited specimen availability and preservation challenges. This study employed digital imaging techniques, conventional histology, and computed tomography to provide visualization of anatomical structures for a detailed analysis. We present a comprehensive analysis of the gross macroscopical and microscopical morphology of two hourglass dolphins and four spectacled porpoises. Morphometric measurements and skeletal characteristics aligned with the literature, while internal anatomy (organs and systems) was similar to other odontocetes. Precise and consistent lung measurements were challenging; qualitative assessments indicated relatively large lungs with respect to body size. The spectacled porpoise dorsal fin was uniquely large with a well-developed blood supply; this is hypothesized to act as a thermoregulatory window, though it may also play a role in sexual display in the case of males. Overall, this study provides new data on the anatomy of the hourglass dolphin and spectacled porpoise, contributing insights that may influence future research on these rare species. The findings highlight the importance of anatomical studies as a basis for explaining evolutionary relationships within cetaceans and their ecological roles in the Southern Ocean ecosystems.fals
Adherence to Dietary and Lifestyle Guidelines Among Women With a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the Influence of a Student-Led Dietetic Clinics
No full textWomen with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Healthy diet and lifestyle habits may contribute to reducing this risk. This study aimed to describe dietary intake and lifestyle habits of women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus and determine the impact of nutrition and lifestyle counseling on dietary intake and lifestyle goals. This retrospective cohort study included 32 women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus 6 months postpartum who attended the student-led nutrition clinic between 01 June 2021 and 31 August 2022. Dietary intake, lifestyle, and physical activity habits were extracted from student dietitians' notes. The mid-p-value McNemar's test was used to determine whether attendance at the student-led dietetic clinic was associated with a change in the proportion of women meeting the guidelines. Fifteen percent (n = 5) of women did not meet any food group recommendations prior to any interventions. Most women (46.8%) engaged in less than the recommended level of physical activity and more than a quarter (28.1%) did not engage in any physical activity at their initial consultation. After attending at least one consultation, a greater proportion of women met recommendations for at least one food group (41.1% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.256) and a greater proportion of women met physical activity guidelines (60% vs. 25%, p = 0.125). In this cohort of postpartum women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus, adherence to the Ministry of Health Eating and Activity guidelines was poor. Positive changes towards adherence are possible after attendance at a student-led nutrition and dietetic clinic.fals
Machine Learning-Based Comparative Analysis of Subject-Independent EEG Data Classification Across Multiple Meditation and Non-Meditation Sessions
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Six binary brown dwarf candidates identified by microlensing
No full textAims. In single-lens microlensing events, the event timescale (tE) is typically the only measurable parameter that constrains the lens mass. Since tE scales with the square root of the lens mass (tE ∝ M1/2), a short duration may suggest a low-mass lens, such as a brown dwarf (BD). However, a short tE can also result from a high relative proper motion between the lens and the source, making it difficult to uniquely identify BD candidates based on timescale alone. In contrast, binary-lens events often allow for the measurement of the angular Einstein radius (θE) in addition to tE. When both tE and θE are small, the likelihood that the lens is of low mass increases significantly. In this study, we analyze microlensing events observed between 2023 and 2024 to identify cases likely caused by binary systems composed of BDs.
Methods. Applying the criteria of well-resolved caustics, short timescales (tE ≲ 9 days), and small angular Einstein radii (θE ≲ 0.17 mas), we identified six candidate binary BD events: MOA-2023-BLG-331, KMT-2023-BLG-2019, KMT-2024-BLG-1005, KMT-2024-BLG-1518, MOA-2024-BLG-181, and KMT-2024-BLG-2486. Analysis of these events leads to models that provide precise estimates for both lensing observables, tE and θE.
Results. We estimated the masses of the binary components through Bayesian analysis, utilizing the constraints from tE and θE. The results show that for the events KMT-2024-BLG-1005, KMT-2024-BLG-1518, MOA-2024-BLG-181, and KMT-2024-BLG-2486, the probability that both binary components lie within the BD mass range exceeds 50%, indicating a high likelihood that the lenses of these events are binary BDs. In contrast, for MOA-2023-BLG-331L and KMT-2023-BLG-2019L, the probabilities that the lower-mass components of the binary lenses lie within the BD mass range exceed 50%, while the probabilities for the heavier components are below 50%, suggesting that these systems are more likely to consist of a low-mass M dwarf and a BD. The BD nature of the binary candidates can ultimately be confirmed by combining the measured lens-source relative proper motions with high-resolution imaging taken at a later time.fals
Fish sauce fermentation technology using New Zealand raw materials : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at at Massey University, New Zealand
No full textDespite abundant raw material, industrial fish sauce production is absent in New Zealand, partly due to a paucity of prior research on how well cold-climate South Pacific fish ferment under temperate conditions with local solar salt. The present study investigates the effect of different fish sauce fermentation conditions using New Zealand raw materials (Hoki and snapper heads and frames as well as green-shell mussel), New Zealand solar salts (stoved and unstoved salts) and different temperatures on volatile fatty acid (VFA) production as well as bacterial composition and diversity. Four different fermentation set-ups were conducted to investigate different aims:
1. Laboratory scale fermentation to investigate the influence of different variables (including seafood material, type of salt and temperature) on fermentation.
2. Pilot scale fermentation to investigate the influence of sampling depth on fermentation.
3. Shell-on mussel fermentation to investigate the influence of mussel shell on mussel fermentation
4. Snapper fermentation with mussel shell added to investigate the influence of mussel shell on snapper fermentation.
Four VFA were quantified in all fermentation in this study: acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid. Butanoic acid was detected only in fermentations with unstoved solar salt regardless of seafood material and fermentation temperature. The presence of butanoic acid exclusively in unstoved fermentations may be associated with the presence or abundance of bacterial groups associated with butanoic acid production in these fermentations.
The current study found that VFA concentrations generally increased as the fermentation time increased. Salt type had more influence on VFA production than any other single variable including seafood material used, fermentation temperature and sampling depth.
It was also revealed that seafood material had more influence on bacterial compositions than any other variable and seafood material appeared to be the primary determinant of the predominant bacterial family groups for the fermentations (Hoki paste – Micrococcaceae and Moraxellaceae; snapper paste – Carnobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae and Pseudomonadaceae; and mussel paste – Flavobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae, Paracoccaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Roseobacteriaceae). Halobacteriales were found only in unstoved salt fermentations suggesting that salt type may be responsible for these results. However, this postulate could not be validated since insufficient intact nucleic acid could be recovered from the salts used to generate adequate bioinformatics information.
Shell-on mussel and snapper plus shell fermentation revealed that the presence of mussel shell was associated with high pH in fish sauce fermentation, an observation not previously reported. However, no significant difference in pH was found in fermentations with different shell contents. In pilot scale snapper fermentation, sampling depth did not have a major influence on VFA production. However, sampling depth may influence the growth of some bacterial families to become the predominant groups by the end of the fermentation
A Framework to Assess Multilingual Vulnerabilities of LLMs
No full textLarge Language Models (LLMs) are acquiring a wider range of capabilities, including understanding and responding in multiple languages. While they undergo safety training to prevent them from answering illegal questions, imbalances in training data and human evaluation resources can make these models more susceptible to attacks in low-resource languages (LRL). This paper proposes a framework to automatically assess the multilingual vulnerabilities of commonly used LLMs. Using our framework, we evaluated six LLMs across eight languages representing varying levels of resource availability. We validated the assessments generated by our automated framework through human evaluation in two languages, demonstrating that the framework's results align with human judgments in most cases. Our findings reveal vulnerabilities in LRL; however, these may pose minimal risk as they often stem from the model's poor performance, resulting in incoherent responses.falseNew York, NY, United State
Decision making support tool for renewable energy prioritization to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs): Conceptual framework
No full textRenewable energy adoption is pivotal for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet selecting suitable renewable energy systems involves complex decision-making processes. This study reviews the existing body of knowledge on decision-making methodologies for renewable energy systems in relation to SDGs and proposes a conceptual framework grounded in the findings of a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis of 43 peer-reviewed articles.
The analysis reveals the dominance of MCDM techniques particularly the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the prevalence of technical, economic, and environmental criteria, while regulatory, policy, and geographical dimensions remain underrepresented. Furthermore, the literature's reliance on static, one-time evaluation models highlights a critical gap-namely, the lack of decision-making support tools that accommodate evolving priorities and stakeholder input.
To address these limitations, a conceptual framework for renewable energy prioritization decision-making support tool is proposed to enable a more context-sensitive, inclusive, and iterative decision-making approach. The proposed framework consists of five interlinked stages: (1) identifying key decision factors, (2) weighting and balancing priorities using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods, (3) comparing renewable energy alternatives, (4) generating tailored recommendations, and (5) incorporating stakeholder feedback for continuous refinement. A feedback loop ensures an iterative refinement process, adaptability to evolving conditions and continuous improvement of the decision-making tool. Altogether, the framework promotes a transparent, inclusive, and responsive approach to renewable energy prioritization and supports long-term sustainability transitions.fals
Protocol for the INFORM ASTHMA Trial: budesonide–formoterol reliever in adults with asthma on maintenance inhaled corticosteroid
No full textBackground
International asthma guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/formoterol in preference to short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) reliever-based regimens as reliever therapy in adults and adolescents of all asthma severities. A major limitation to this recommendation is the absence of randomised controlled trial (RCT) efficacy and safety data for this approach in patients who continue to use maintenance ICS. The anti-inflammatory effect of ICS/formoterol reliever therapy on airway inflammation is also not well characterised.
Objective
The objective of the present study is to determine the anti-inflammatory effect, efficacy and safety of budesonide–formoterol reliever therapy versus terbutaline reliever therapy in adults with asthma on maintenance ICS therapy. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) will specifically be examined to determine the time-course and magnitude of the anti-inflammatory effect.
Methods
A 26-week, open-label, parallel-group, 2-arm, phase IV, two-sided superiority RCT will recruit 180 adults aged 16–75 years with a clinical diagnosis of asthma using reliever only therapy, or SABA reliever therapy with maintenance ICS at baseline, and with baseline FENO at screening ≥25 ppb. Enrolled participants will be allocated to maintenance budesonide with the dose based on their baseline treatment step and randomised 1:1 to either budesonide–formoterol or terbutaline reliever therapy. All participants will perform at-home FENO measurements at regular intervals for the first 12 weeks of the study. The primary outcome is FENO at 26 weeks. Key secondary outcomes include FENO time-course, asthma exacerbations, asthma control and spirometry.
Conclusion
This will be the first RCT comparing ICS/formoterol versus SABA reliever therapy in patients who use maintenance ICS therapy.fals