21436 research outputs found
Sort by
Consumer Perception of Cows' Milk and Plant-Based Milk Alternatives: Comparing Aotearoa–New Zealand and Singapore Consumers
No full textAs food provisioning becomes more globalized, a shift to understanding cross-country insights is occurring. This study investigated whether the consumer experience of cows' milk and plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) differed between Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ) and Singaporean (SG) consumers. Further, as data were collected between two sessions, consumer repeatability across sessions was also explored. Consumers evaluated two cows' milks (high fat and low fat) and five PBMAs (oat, rice, soy, almond, and cashew) products commercially available in both countries. While high-fat cows' milk was liked the most, country-specific liking differences were captured in the PBMA space. SG liked PBMA-related sensory properties that drove disliking and negative emotions. A few exceptions existed if the product was more familiar to consumers of one country than the other. Potential differences in response to PBMAs were noted more than A-NZ. Often, cows' milk evoked positive emotions, and PBMAs evoked neutral/negative emotions. Sensory properties related to dairy milk drove liking and positive emotions, while styles were also observed. SG used the middle range of the liking scale and gave lower rates of CATA citations than A-NZ. This resulted in lower product discrimination, magnitude effects in sensory drivers of liking, and lower numbers of sensory drivers of emotions observed in SG than in A-NZ.fals
Transformational leadership and knowledge sharing: Science mapping of present and future trends
No full textfals
'Okea ururoatia': the role of Indigenous activism in the restoration and protection of nature
No full textIndigenous peoples advocate for environmental and social justice in distinctive ways that may also benefit the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. We consider the ways that Māori self-determination movements have acted as a catalyst for increased environmental restoration across Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). We examine contemporary understandings of cultural stewardship before examining protest movements, environmental legislation and funding for Māori-led environmental projects between 1974 and 2024. Our findings reveal that social and environmental justice are closely linked to ideas of place-based identity for Māori communities. Moreover, our research shows that support for Māori-led restoration was reflected in funding mechanisms across Aotearoa. Physical restoration of nature has oftentimes developed as a consequence of restoration of cultural knowledge, practice and rights of Māori communities to self-determination. This is clear through our analysis of both protest and environmental legislation alongside understandings of kaitiakitanga. Critically, supporting Indigenous communities to meet their responsibilities to culture, people and nature to mitigate the harms of colonization requires effort from state institutions and a shift in consciousness by wider society. The outcomes of these combined efforts for social and environmental justice can support the sustainability and conservation of nature and people. This article is part of the theme issue 'The biosphere in the Anthropocene'.fals
Hyperspectral imaging, mineralogy, and degassing: Exploring the volcanic hydrothermal system of Red Crater, Tongariro, Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textHydrothermal alteration on volcanoes can compromise the strength and permeability of the host rock, contributing to flank collapses (e.g., Te Maari, 2012) and phreatic eruptions (e.g., Whakaari, 2019). Alteration processes occur at volcanoes hosting hydrothermal systems, where hot, acidic fluid flow is driven by a supply of magmatic heat and gas inputs, resulting in the dissolution of primary minerals and the deposition of secondary assemblages. We investigated hydrothermal alteration at Red Crater, Tongariro, Aotearoa New Zealand, using a combination of laboratory and airborne hyperspectral imaging, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques. Two distinct alteration styles were identified: (1) advanced argillic alteration, characterised by amorphous silica, kaolinite, and alunite, primarily focused at the Red Crater scoria cone, and (2) silicification at Oturere and the Emerald Lakes. The distribution of these units was mapped using supervised image classification of airborne hyperspectral data. Textural and isotopic analyses suggest acid-sulphate alteration is primarily driven by the oxidation of rising H2S in a steam-heated environment. Red Crater hosts four main regions of heightened degassing, coinciding with geothermal surface features and hydrothermal alteration deposits, with 26.2 +- 1.5 t/d of CO2 emissions and an H2S flux of 131.1 g/m2/d. This study presents a conceptual model of hydrothermal alteration processes at Red Crater. Our mapping of alteration and degassing can indicate areas of potential future hazards, and may support simulations assessing flank instability, improving hazard assessment at this active vent.fals
Customization Meets 2-Hop Labeling: Efficient Routing in Road Networks
No full textEfficient route planning is crucial for modern navigation systems, yet traditional methods face challenges in scenarios with unknown or frequently changing traffic dynamics. This paper introduces a general labeling framework based on the 2-hop cover property, enabling robust, metric-independent preprocessing. Using this framework, we propose Customizable Tree Labeling (CTL), a tree-based method combining three key components: metric-independent preprocessing with tree hierarchies, metric customization for dynamic updates, and efficient query algorithms for fast route computation. To allow trade-offs between customization time, labeling size, and query performance, we further develop a parameterized customization technique by dynamically combining tree labels and shortcut graphs. Our key contributions include the introduction of a customizable labeling framework, a novel tree hierarchy for compact and scalable representation, and a hybrid query algorithm that integrates labels and shortcuts for fast and accurate route computation. We conduct extensive experiments on ten large-scale real-world road networks and a case study on the traffic assignment problem. Our algorithms achieve query response times significantly faster than the state-of-the-art methods, while maintaining competitive customization times and labeling size, making it well-suited for real-time and dynamic routing applications.fals
Escherichia Species Diversity Across Pristine and Impacted Catchments: Evidence for Avian Sources of Escherichia marmotae in Aotearoa/New Zealand
No full textA total of 1347 Escherichia isolates from water, soil, sediment, biofilm, and faecal samples (n = 413) across five pristine (native forest) and five impacted (pastoral or urban) sites were subtyped into E. coli phylotypes and non-E. coli Escherichia spp. (Escherichia marmotae, Escherichia ruysiae and Escherichia whittamii). Impacted sites showed a higher prevalence of E. coli, particularly the ruminant-associated phylotype B1, across water, biofilm, sediment, and mammalian faeces. In contrast, E. marmotae (189 isolates) were more common in pristine sites and avian faeces, with a prevalence of 28.7%. Metabarcoding of the hypervariable gene gnd further revealed that Escherichia population diversity was greatest in aquatic environments (water, sediment, biofilm). Escherichia population diversity was also associated with elevated freshwater E. coli concentrations, increased prevalence of pathogenic E. coli virulence factors (stx1, stx2 and eae), and higher livestock numbers. In contrast, diversity measures for Escherichia populations were lowest in avian faeces and soil samples, and samples obtained from pristine sites with fewer faecal sources. These findings highlight the ecological role of birds as reservoirs of E. marmotae and their contribution to microbial diversity in New Zealand's freshwater ecosystems.fals
MM5: Multimodal image capture and dataset generation for RGB, depth, thermal, UV, and NIR
No full textExisting multimodal datasets often lack sufficient modality diversity, raw data preservation, and flexible annotation strategies, seldom addressing modality-specific cues across multiple spectral channels. Current annotations typically concentrate on pre-aligned images, neglecting unaligned data and overlooking crucial cross-modal alignment challenges. These constraints significantly impede advanced multimodal fusion research, especially when exploring modality-specific features or adaptable fusion methodologies. To address these limitations, we introduce MM5, a comprehensive dataset integrating RGB, depth, thermal (T), ultraviolet (UV), and near-infrared (NIR) modalities. Our capturing system utilises off-the-shelf components, incorporating stereo RGB-D imaging to provide additional depth and intensity (I) information, enhancing spatial perception and facilitating robust cross-modal learning. MM5 preserves depth and thermal measurements in raw, 16-bit formats, enabling researchers to explore advanced preprocessing and enhancement techniques. Additionally, we propose a novel label re-projection algorithm that generates ground-truth annotations directly for distorted thermal and UV modalities, supporting complex fusion strategies beyond strictly aligned data. Dataset scenes encompass varied lighting conditions (e.g. shadows, dim lighting, overexposure) and diverse objects, including real fruits, plastic replicas, and partially rotten produce, creating challenging scenarios for robust multimodal analysis. We evaluate the effects of multi-bit representations, adaptive gain control (AGC), and depth preprocessing on a transformer-based segmentation network. Our preprocessing improved mean IoU from 70.66% to 76.33% for depth data and from 72.67% to 79.08% for thermal encoding, using our novel preprocessing techniques, validating MM5’s efficacy in supporting comprehensive multimodal fusion research.fals
The application of InSAR DEMs for volcanic hazard assessments at Mount Taranaki, New Zealand
No full textInterferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) can be used to detect ground motion but also processed further to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMS). Sentinel-1 images are acquired continuously, and data is made available free of access in near real time making it a valuable tool for Earth observation and volcanic hazard assessment. Mass flow simulations require up to date DEMs for the results to be integrated in volcanic hazard management and mitigation. This study investigates the applicability of InSAR generated terrains as information and data with respect to volcanic hazard analysis as well as the input data in simulating block- and-ash flows (BAFs) following the collapse of volcanic domes on Mount Taranaki, New Zealand, using the Titan2D simulation toolkit. Results show that the accuracy of Sentinel-1 InSAR generated DEMs are limited for volcanic hazard analysis in areas of dense vegetation and steep topography due to temporal decorrelation and geometrical distortions. Together, these conditions introduce major differences in inundation extent and thickness distribution of simulated flows yet can provide some indication of flow impact which may be of relevance for rapid decision making in response to rapidly changing volcanic landscapes.fals
Insights into paediatric tube feeding dependency: A speech language pathology perspective
No full textThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology on 4 May 2020, available at https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2020.1754910. Citations should refer to the published version of record.Aim: To identify factors that contribute to pediatric tube dependency from the Speech Language Pathology (SLP) perspective. Tube dependency is characterised by the need to remain tube fed after the need for enteral feeding has ended. Most research relates to intervention programmes for tube withdrawal/weaning. However, there is limited research into factors contributing to tube feeding dependency. SLP perspectives about this morbidity have yet to be explored.
Method: A sequential mixed methodology was utilised. In the quantitative phase, 43 SLPs completed an online survey. Ten participants were then interviewed for the quantitative phase. Findings from both phases were integrated at the final analysis.
Result: There was four clear factors that contributed to tube dependency from the survey; medical condition, the tube fed child’s negative reaction to oral feeding, limited appetite, and insufficient clinical time to transition children to oral feeding. The interview data further explained the survey results. In addition, participants perceived the prolonged use of nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding; parental influence; service delivery issues and the challenges of school transition as contributing factors to tube dependency.
Conclusion: SLPs identified that there were often multiple and often competing factors that resulted in tube dependency. Early and ongoing biomedical focus on weight gain continued to affect long-term goals for transitioning to oral feeding. Team goals were not shared or consistent in terms of priorities for the child. This lack of a shared vision led to parents receiving competing and conflicting messages prolonging tube feeding.fals
Exploring the science of evacuation behavior and decision-making during large scale community evacuations: A scientometrics analysis and scoping review
No full textUnderstanding how people behave during large-scale community evacuations is important as it can reveal key decision-making gaps which can be addressed to improve emergency planning and to keep communities safer. This study examines the critical gaps in existing research on evacuation behavior and decision-making during disasters by holistically exploring the research domain of evacuation behavior. A total of 667 articles and their references were analyzed using scientometrics methods. This study employs a novel approach to the analysis called overlay networks in CiteSpace. The findings highlight gaps in our understanding of human behavior during the evacuation, such as the stay-or-go decision and travel-related behavior, including destination, mode, route, and return-entry choices, in the context of earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, volcanic hazards, and wildfires. Evacuations triggered by technological disasters are explicitly excluded from this review. It also emphasizes that tourist evacuations remain an underexplored area. Also, the current study reveals that established theories, such as the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), remain underutilized in research on evacuation behavior during hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. This research supports the findings of previous studies in emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches to evacuation research. It also underscores the importance of integrating existing behavioral evidence into evacuation models, alongside efforts to collect additional data. Also, the study emphasizes the importance of strengthening research collaborations with scholars in Asia and Africa. This approach seeks to address the disparity in research conducted across different regions of the world.fals