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A Comparison of Physical Characteristics in Different Brands and Staining Techniques in a Brand of Lissamine Green Strips
No full textBackgrounds/Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare differences in the physical characteristics of lissamine green (LG) strips and the outcomes of using different staining techniques. Methods: Two separate complementary investigations were conducted. Physical study: Differences between four LG strips were evaluated in terms of material, dye concentration, and dye absorption. In vivo study: Bulbar conjunctival staining was compared for four application methods of I-DEW LG strips presented in a randomized order for twenty-two participants: (1) single application 5 s after wetting (also repeated using GreenGlo for comparison), (2) single application using two strips held together, 5 s after wetting, (3) two applications using a single LG strip 5 s after wetting, 1 minute apart, (4) the same as method 3, with a single fluorescein strip in between LG applications. White light imaging was performed immediately following application and after 30, 60, 90, and 300 s. Three masked practitioners independently evaluated the randomized staining images for spot count and staining intensity. Results: Physical study: Strip paper fibres demonstrated visible similarities, with no difference in saline absorption (p > 0.05). LG concentration increased as saline retention duration increased (F = 964.1, p p p p > 0.05); however, staining intensity was significantly higher following two applications of I-DEW, 1 min apart, compared to a single application (p = 0.042). Both spot count and staining intensity decreased with time (p Conclusions: Two applications of I-DEW using a single strip, 1 min apart, after wetting with a single drop of saline provided maximal staining. There was also a significant difference in staining intensity observed between LG products
Online Feminist Collective Action: A Linguistic Analysis of Stance in the Egyptian Twittersphere
No full textThis dissertation examined how 18 Egyptian feminist activists affiliated with the Egyptian Twittersphere navigated their stance towards women-related issues. It also explored the nature of their communities and the nature of their activism. The study employs a purpose-built dataset compiled using Python scripts to scrape all the tweets available from a selected group of Egyptian feminist Twitter accounts between 2009 and 2020. The study identified the themes they addressed in their Twitter accounts and how the activists negotiate their individualist, relational, and collectivist feminist voices when engaging with these topics.
Data were manually coded and thematically analysed using Triandis’ (1998) Individualist/ collective framework and then linguistically analysed to identify stance linguistic devices using Hyland’s (2005) stance model. The study also drew on Downing and Roush’s (1985) analytical approach to feminist identity development. Together these frameworks enabled insight into how these accounts reported the lived (and memorised) experiences of Egyptian feminists in this timespan.
Findings showed that these Egyptian feminists discussed multiple aspects of their identities as Egyptian feminists in the Twittersphere, including issues around activism, women, and the use of hashtags, to report and combat sexual harassment while expressing their Egyptian feminist identities. These feminists mainly focused on collectivist themes and oriented their feminist identity development towards “active commitment” (Moradi et al., 2002). The most frequently used linguistic stance device was singular self-mentions, which testifies to the individualist aspect of their feminist identity. The coexistence between the collectivist and the individualist shows complex understandings of their identities as Egyptian feminists. Their second highest stance device is neutral “attitude markers, " highlighting a subtle need for validation and approval. Egyptian identification was an important factor that influenced how the feminist activists related to different themes, attitudes, and potential actions
Large vision-language models enabled novel objects 6D pose estimation for human-robot collaboration
No full textSix-Degree-of-Freedom (6D) pose estimation is essential for robotic manipulation tasks, especially in human-robot collaboration environments. Recently, 6D pose estimation has been extended from seen objects to novel objects due to the frequent encounters with unfamiliar items in real-life scenarios. This paper presents a three-stage pipeline for 6D pose estimation of previously unseen objects, leveraging the capabilities of large vision-language models. Our approach consists of vision-language model-based object detection and segmentation, mask selection with pose hypothesis generated from CAD models, and refinement and scoring of pose candidates. We evaluate our method on the YCB-Video dataset, achieving a state-of-the-art Average Recall (AR) score of 75.8 with RGB-D images, demonstrating its effectiveness in accurately estimating 6D poses for a diverse range of objects. The effectiveness of each operation stage is investigated in the ablation study. To validate the practical applicability of our approach, we conduct case studies on a real-world robotic platform, focusing on object pick-up tasks by integrating our 6D pose estimation pipeline with human intention prediction and task analysis algorithms. Results show that the proposed method can effectively handle novel objects in our test environments, as demonstrated through the YCB dataset evaluation and case studies. Our work contributes to the field of human-robot collaboration by introducing a flexible, generalizable approach to 6D pose estimation, enabling robots to adapt to new objects without requiring extensive retraining—a vital capability for advancing human-robot collaboration in dynamic environments. More information can be found in the project GitHub page: https://github.com/WanqingXia/HRC_DetAnyPose
Looking inward: Domestic tourism in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textSoutheast Asian governments were forced to reposition their tourism markets as a result of border lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 virus. We examine the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries’ marketing strategies intended to bolster their respective domestic tourism industries during the pandemic years of 2020–2022. This paper sketches three approaches that dominated the region at the time: building national community, strengthening sustainability, and creating a safe travel experience. In presenting these approaches we reconceptualize the region as one where domestic tourism is central. The conclusion assesses the conceptual implications of the study for the ASEAN region and also reflects on the future role of domestic tourism in Southeast Asia now that the borders are open.</jats:p
Computationally-efficient Call Classification of New Zealand Birds using Texture-based Features
No full textBird call classification – both manual and automatic – commonly relies on spectrograms, visual time-frequency
representations of the signal power distribution of the audio
signal. These spectrogram “images” can be processed using
deep learning approaches like convolutional neural networks
(CNNs) for call identification. However, such methods typically
require significant computational resources. Using labelled data
from the calls of three New Zealand bird species, we compare this approach with computationally lightweight approaches
that extract texture-based features from both spectrograms and
audio waveforms, specifically local binary pattern (LBP) and
local phase quantisation (LPQ) features, paired with classical
machine learning classifiers. We find that LBP-based features
outperform other feature-classifier combinations and achieve
superior accuracy compared to the standard CNN approach.
Given their significantly lower computational cost, texture-based
techniques prove particularly well-suited for resource-constrained
environments. Experimental results demonstrate that lightweight
feature extraction methods can serve as efficient and effective
alternatives to deep learning approaches for automated bird call
classification, offering practical advantages for deployment in
field conditions or embedded systems
Taking stock of metacognitive strategies and collaborative writing for EFL learners’ writing development
No full textIt is well-documented that metacognitive instruction is significant in helping L2 learners generate written texts (Wenden, 1998; Xu, 2023). However, little is known about how metacognitive instruction in conjunction with collaborative writing interventions would contribute to learners’ individual writing development. To fill the research gap, we recruited 62 Chinese EFL learners from two classes, who were randomly allocated to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received metacognitive instruction for collaborative writing before engaging in collaborative writing interventions, while the control group received normal instructions. Improvement in writing performance was gauged through three essay writing tasks sourced from the IELTS writing test bank, measuring performance across dimensions including content, organisation, vocabulary, language use, mechanics, and overall scores. Results indicated that the combination of metacognitive instruction and collaborative writing significantly enhanced participants’ individual writing scores. This study provides empirical support for the effectiveness of incorporating metacognitive instruction with collaborative writing, emphasising its positive impact on writing development and the promotion of learner self-regulation
Exploring the impact of the widely introduced Pacific oyster Magallana gigas on the dispersal of Bonamia (Haplosporida): a global snapshot
No full textBonamia (Haplosporida) are oyster parasites capable of devastating oyster populations. The near-circumglobal distribution of the host generalist B. exitiosa has previously been associated with the natural and anthropogenic dispersal of broadly distributed non-commercial oysters in the Ostrea stentina species complex. Here, we took a global snapshot approach to explore the role of the widely introduced Pacific oyster Magallana gigas, a commercially important species that can be found on every continent except Antarctica, in transporting Bonamia. We screened 938 M. gigas individuals from 41 populations in this oyster's native and non-native geographic range for presence of Bonamia DNA using PCR. B. exitiosa was the only species detected and only within 2 of 5 populations from southern California, USA (10 and 42% PCR prevalence). Therefore, M. gigas could have played a role in transporting B. exitiosa to California (if introduced) and/or maintaining B. exitiosa populations within California, but morphological confirmation of infection needs to be done to better understand the host-parasite dynamics within this system. We detected no Bonamia DNA within any other non-native M. gigas populations (n = 302) nor within native M. gigas populations in Japan and Korea (n = 582) and thus found no evidence to support the co-dispersal of M. gigas and other Bonamia species. Lower sample sizes within some populations and the non-systematic nature of our sampling design may have led to false negatives, especially in areas where Bonamia are known to occur. Nevertheless, this global snapshot provides preliminary guidance for managing both natural and farmed oyster populations
Row, Row, Row your Boat: Artistic Craftsmanship in New Zealand after WaterRower
No full textThis paper examines how a decision of the High Court of England and Wales on whether a rowing machine prototype is a 'work of artistic craftsmanship' under the UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 can help judges, counsel, and potential litigants in New Zealand navigating an identical provision in the Copyright Act 1994. The paper highlights the ongoing difficulties in interpreting and applying this category of work, particularly as it pertains to what gives a work 'artistic' quality. It then outlines the approach taken by the Court at both a preliminary and trial level, focusing on the distilled list of principles the Court provided and used to determine the prototype was not a work of artistic craftsmanship. The paper explains how these principles usefully develop the approach taken by the New Zealand High Court on works of artistic craftsmanship, and are therefore likely to be persuasive in future artistic craftsmanship disputes in New Zealand. It also highlights reasons for caution in applying these principles wholesale, as there remain ongoing, unresolved tensions in the application of the phrase that will need further judicial, or statutory, clarification
Commoning through Sensemaking on Farms: Organizing for Drought Resilience in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textThis study explores how farmers cultivate drought resilience through ‘commoning’— dynamic, social organising processes of collective action (Fournier, 2013). I argue that commoning is embodied in some contexts, namely, for people whose livelihood depends on working with natural physical objects such as animals, soil, water and plants—farmers. I aim to extend the commons concept by exploring how meaning is made in rural communities exposed to ecological change, namely drought. I adopt sensemaking as a cognitive concept and methodological approach (Sandberg & Tsoukas, 2015; Weick, 1979, 1993, 1995; Whiteman & Cooper, 2011) to understand how organizing happens as commoning. Sensemaking is not merely an individual cognitive process but a social method of inquiry into how people make meaning
together in embodied, material, and affective contexts (Cunliffe & Coupland, 2012; Gioia & Chittipeddi, 1991; Weick, 1995). I examine how farmers respond to ecological change—drought—not only through technical decision-making; but also, as the enactment of resilience. I posit that commoning in this context involves embodied sensemaking, and that resilience is an outcome from commoning, as an experiential social process
Artwork on the cover of New Zealand Author ISSUE 341 Winter 2025
No full textCOVER Hand-sewn wool and linen banner picturing the speakers' corner stand in Albert Park