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Language learning using Pacific picturebooks in an Aotearoa New Zealand kindergarten
No full textMāori and Pacific learners in Aotearoa New Zealand have been identified as ‘priority learners’ by the Ministry of Education. The ‘Pacific picturebook project’ is ongoing research focussed on picturebooks selected to support the languages, cultures, and identities of Pacific learners in keeping with our government, Teaching Council and Ministry of Education expectations. This phase of the research was located in a kindergarten where teachers and children identify as Māori, Pākehā and from several Pacific Island nations. Teachers shared a selection of Pacific picturebooks with the children and recorded their own and the children’s responses to them over a kindergarten term. Thematic analysis of data showed that Pacific picturebooks were significant pedagogical tools for language learning, to support identity, and to contribute to the kindergarten’s emergent and localised curriculum. These findings clearly illustrate what pedagogy looks like when it is entrenched in key documents relevant to early learning in this country
Soil carbon stocks under fencelines and adjacent paddocks to test the importance of dung returns
No full textSoils are the largest terrestrial store of carbon (C), but agriculture has depleted around 133 Pg C from the upper 2 m of soil, contributing to increases in atmospheric CO2. Soil C sequestration can help offset these atmospheric increases and is determined by the balance between C inputs and C outputs.
New Zealand’s temperate climate supports year-round grazing on approximately one-third of the country’s land area. The conversion of New Zealand’s native forests to pastures increased soil C stocks, yet the mechanisms behind this increase remain unclear. Grazing animals influence the C cycle through the consumption of C embodied within the feed they eat, with excreta returning C to the soil. Although C balances of New Zealand pastures suggest excreta is an important return of C to the soil, this has been poorly quantified.
The objectives of this thesis were to determine if soil C stocks (0–0.6m) differed between paddock and fenceline areas, assuming the paddock received more dung input. To test this assumption, the spatial distribution of dung in relation to the fenceline was mapped, and dung loading was estimated. Stocks of particulate organic matter C (POM-C) and mineral-associated organic matter C (MAOM-C) were also determined in the top 0.1 m of soil to understand which forms of C contributed to any measured differences in total C stocks. Differences in Olsen P and pH were also determined.
Paddock and fenceline sites (38 pairs) distributed across six farms in the Waikato region were sampled to a depth of 0.6 m. On average, soil C and N stocks were 10.3 t C ha−1 (P = .002) and 0.96 t N ha−1 (P = .002) higher in paddock areas when compared to fenceline areas. When excluding one paired site with a very poor match of mineral surface area, the differences decreased to 9.3 t C ha−1 (P = .004) and 0.86 t N ha−1 (P = .003). The greatest differences were observed in the 0–0.1 m depth increment. At the 0–0.1 m depth increment, POM-C was significantly greater in paddock samples and largely accounted for the observed difference in total soil C. This suggested that the observed C stock increase was in a more degradable fraction, implying that decreases in dung returns could result in rapid soil C loss. There was no relationship between the age of the fenceline and C stock differences, indicating that differences may have occurred rapidly to a new steady state.
Mapping of 2000+ dug pats showed that paddocks received more dung, with only one pat being within the fenceline sampling zone. The average dung density was 0.2 pats m−2 and a dung-C loading rate of 1.1 t C ha−1 y−1 was calculated.
The detected differences in C stocks due to varying dung input aligned with other studies on cattle manure’s influence on soil C, POM-C and MAOM-C stocks. Further research is needed to better understand the contribution of dung returns to soil C and its potential vulnerability to loss
Development of biomaterials from sustainably produced macroalgae feedstocks
No full textUpgrading and maintaining large-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is notably expensive, particularly in rural areas of New Zealand. Freshwater macroalgae ponds may offer a cost-effective alternative for wastewater treatment in these areas. These ponds produce significant amounts of residual macroalgae biomass as a by-product of the bioremediation process, which is nutrient-rich and contains valuable biopolymers like cellulose. Utilizing this residual biomass as a substrate for high-value cellulose production is yet to be demonstrated. Therefore, this thesis investigated the potential of utilizing this residual freshwater macroalgae biomass to develop bioproducts (cellulose and biostimulants) aligning with the principles of a circular economy and waste recovery.
The first chapter investigated the dual extraction process of biostimulants and high-purity cellulose from Oedogonium calcareum grown in primary effluent. It introduces an economical and effective extraction method utilizing a hot alkali, which also provides disinfection, ensuring that the biomass is free from pathogens, making it safe for further use. The biostimulant extract was found to be comprised of several plant-promoting substances. Subsequently, the residual biomass was used to extract cellulose, and the quality of this Oedogonium-derived cellulose was assessed to determine its characteristics for potential future use in biocomposites.
In the second chapter, a comparative analysis was conducted on cellulose extracted from four macroalgae species, namely Rhizoclonium sp., Zygnema sp., Oedogonium sp., and Stigeoclonium sp. This research filled a significant gap by providing a detailed characterization of cellulose derived from freshwater macroalgae, which has been less studied compared to cellulose from marine macroalgae. This chapter makes a significant contribution by fully characterizing the physicochemical properties of freshwater macroalgae cellulose, which as a by-product of wastewater treatment, provides an alternative and sustainable source of cellulose with potential future applications in biocomposites.
The final chapter details the development of biocomposite films using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) reinforced with cellulose nanofibers derived from a naturally co-existing mixed algae culture of Cladophora sp. and Rhizoclonium sp. The production and characterization of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)-oxidized Cellulose NanoFibre (CNF) from these macroalgae was accessed. Additionally, PHBV polymer biocomposite films incorporating either commercially available plant-derived CNF, unmodified algae cellulose, or TEMPO-oxidized CNF were compared. The films were comprehensively characterized, with a focus on their mechanical and thermal properties. The results demonstrated the potential of these biocomposite films for use in applications such as packaging materials, highlighting their environmental and functional benefits.
Overall, this thesis demonstrates significant advancements in the utilization of algae grown in wastewater for the successful extraction of bioproducts. It investigated the efficient recovery and application of macroalgae-derived cellulose and also highlighted the potential of these bio-based materials in enhancing the properties of the PHBV polymer, thus contributing to the development of sustainable biocomposite materials
Polylactide composites reinforced with pre-impregnated natural fibre and continuous cellulose yarns for 3D printing applications
No full textAchieving high-performance 3D printing composite filaments requires addressing challenges related to fibre wetting and uniform fibre/polymer distribution. This study evaluates the effectiveness of solution (solvent-based) and emulsion (water-based) impregnation techniques to enhance fibre wetting in bleached flax yarns by polylactide (PLA). For the first time, continuous viscose yarn composites were also produced using both impregnation techniques. All the composites were carefully characterised throughout each stage of production. Initially, single yarns were impregnated and consolidated to optimise formulations and processing parameters. Solution impregnation resulted in the highest tensile strength (356 MPa) for PLA/bleached flax filaments, while emulsion impregnation yielded the highest tensile strength for PLA/viscose filaments (255 MPa) due to better fibre wetting and fibre distribution. Impregnated single yarns were then combined, with additional polymer added to produce filaments compatible with standard material extrusion 3D printers. Despite a reduction in the mechanical performance of the 3D-printed composites due to additional polymer impregnation, relatively high tensile and bending strengths were achieved, and the Charpy impact strength (>127 kJ/m2) for the viscose-based composite exceeded the reported values for bio-derived fibre reinforced composites. The robust mechanical performance of these filaments offers new opportunities for the large-scale additive manufacturing of structural components from bio-derived and renewable resources
PISA for development and its impact on education policy and development in Cambodia
No full textIn recent years, the right to education has emerged as a cornerstone of UNESCO’s Education Agenda 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, SDG4 serves as a blueprint for developing countries to achieve a more equitable and sustainable future. In 2016, UNESCO established a steering committee, comprising UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to facilitate the global implementation of SDG4.
To monitor the progress of developing countries in achieving SDG4, the OECD persuaded UNESCO to leverage one of its International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) – PISA for Development (PISA-D). Building on the established Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), PISA-D operates through two distinct forms of power that operate through Cambodia as a state administration and through Cambodia as a population. The first is referred to in this thesis as ‘governance’ and refers to the ways in which the state administration, officials and executives are steered to introducing education reforms and policies. The other is referred to as ‘disciplinary power’, which operates through examination and treatment, imposing particular forms of accountability onto the school system including school principals, teachers and students. These two forms of power may enable the OECD to place Cambodia under its policy directives through the PISA-D programme. I understand that the articulation of these two forms of power tends to be a form or iteration of coloniality.
The overarching objective of this thesis is to analyse how and why Cambodia chose to become involved in PISA-D and what have been the local impacts. I employed some elements of a document analysis on academic and media sources to deepen my understanding of the OECD's educational initiatives through PISA and PISA-D. This analysis began with a review of PISA's application in member countries, providing essential context for studying the PISA-D program itself. The thesis further explores the tensions arising during the enactment of PISA-D in Cambodia, offering a nuanced perspective on the coloniality associated with PISA(-D). This exploration was enriched through semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders to understand how these tensions manifest in practice.
The thesis argues that Cambodia's decision to join the PISA-D programme was naive and pressured. Enacted through the Ministry's EQAD with support from the World Bank – the OECD’s strategic partner, the PISA-D programme produced results, which were meant for the World Bank to justify the urgent implementation of SBM as the only way to enhance accountability in Cambodian schools. Influenced by these two said IOs, Cambodian leaders were led to believe that assessing students internationally was essential for local education reform and would yield valuable evidence for policy making, which has increasingly focused on generating human capital solely for national economic growth – identified as neoliberalisation of Cambodian education. Overall, there is much evidence that the OECD has used the PISA-D programme to subject Cambodia to the negative effects of globalisation, the power of PISA and ultimately the OECD’s policy directives
Epidemiology of giant cell arteritis in Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textGiant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common primary vasculitis in adults over 50 years of age. Our primary objective was to assess the incidence and prevalence of GCA in Waikato in a bid to deepen our understanding of the epidemiology of GCA in Aotearoa New Zealand. methods: From January 2014 to December 2022, cases of GCA were identified prospectively and retrospectively through temporal artery ultrasound request lists and temporal artery biopsy histology reports. Using electronic health records, data were collected retrospectively on patient demographics and clinical features. These were used to calculate the incidence, prevalence and standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of GCA in Waikato. results: There were 214 patients diagnosed with GCA over the 9-year period. The majority of patients were European (93.9%, 201/214) with Māori patients being significantly younger than European patients. The mean annual incidence of clinical GCA was 14.7 per 100,000 people over 50 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.7–16.6). The SMR was 1.18 (95% CI 0.83–1.52). conclusion: This is the largest study to date on the epidemiology of GCA in Aotearoa New Zealand. The incidence of GCA is comparable to other studies performed in Aotearoa New Zealand and appears to be stable over time. GCA is uncommon in Māori, Pacific Islander and Asian ethnic groups
Pragmatic internet egress routing for improving player latency in interactive multiplayer games
No full textInteractive multiplayer games rely on the network to ensure a smooth and
responsive experience. When the latency between a game server and a client
is beyond a threshold, the client is unable to play the game properly and often
abandons the game. We posit that this unfortunate disconnection is avoidable
in certain cases. Because Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is agnostic to
latency, the paths used by clients may be suboptimal latency-wise. Providing
performance-aware routing on the Internet in general is a hard problem, and
proposals to change BGP or the core of the Internet struggled to gain traction.
However, Multiplayer games provide a workable problem: it may be possible to
attain feasible (i.e., sufficiently low) latency for players without major changes
to the Internet core.
This thesis presents a pragmatic latency-aware routing control approach
which tackles interactive multiplayer games and other applications that need to
operate under some specific latency threshold but are not bandwidth-hungry.
The proposed approach – Overwatch, leverages BGP Egress Peer Engineering
(EPE) and capitalises on the well-connected nature of game provider networks
to offer multiple paths to reach their clients. By selecting a feasible path
for each client, Overwatch can maximise the number of clients/players in the
game. One of the key advantages of Overwatch is its deployability, which is
enabled by its explicit routing feature using commodity hardware, which is
interoperable with existing devices and does not require collaboration with
other networks. Overwatch controls traffic along feasible paths according to
an operator-defined algorithm. The current implementation is based on a
Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) dataplane. This implementation was used
to evaluate Overwatch in a scenario with 300 clients. Prior to that, we ran
a set of Internet measurements involving relevant game servers in Europe to
calibrate the experiments. The evaluation highlights Overwatch’s benefit in
selecting feasible paths for the players when such paths exist, thus keeping
players online
Psychometric properties of the motors of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance scale in New Zealand: Insights from confirmatory factor analysis
No full textHigh vaccination coverage plays an essential role in curbing epidemics and pandemics, making it important to have a country-specific valid and standardised instruments for assessing vaccination attitudes. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) in New Zealand. A total of 413 participants completed an online survey in June and July 2022, which included the MoVac-COVID19S questions, demographic factors, and a single-item measure of COVID-19 vaccination willingness. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structures of the scale. Results indicated that the one-factor structure of the 9-item version best fitted the data compared to the one and four factor structures of the 12-item version, which showed acceptable fit indices after model modifications. All estimated fit indices were acceptable: CFI, GFI, and TLI > 0.95, RMSEA and SRMR < 0.08. The full scales of the MoVac-COVID19S demonstrated excellent reliability for both the 12-item (α = 0.91; ω = 0.91) and the 9-item (α = 0.94; ω = 0.95) versions. The bifactor model indicated a strong general factor, explaining 60–90% of the Explained Common Variance (ECV) for most items, surpassing specific factors. The MoVac-COVID19S is a reliable and valid scale to measure COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. The 9-item version appeared as the best choice for a unidimensional assessment. Future vaccination programmes can benefit from an adapted version of the MoVac-COVID19S to assess public attitudes towards new vaccines. Further psychometric assessment, including Rasch analysis, is recommended to strengthen the reliability and validity of the MoVac-COVID19S
The stability reliability, and utilisation of the isometric belt when measuring changes in strength across a professional Rugby Union competition.
No full textMany athletes target an increase in strength in order to improve sporting performance. Specific to Rugby Union,
an increase in strength has shown to distinguish between levels of competition, and as such, measuring strength
is required for the implementation and monitoring of effective training programs. Traditionally, one-repetition
maximum (1-RM) testing has been implemented as it is a direct measure of dynamic strength that is commonly
incorporated into training programs. However, 1-RM testing is not very practical in-season and research suggests
it is less safe and produces more fatigue than alternate methods of testing. Isometric testing is an alternative to 1-
RM testing that has been shown to be reliable and effective at reducing testing time and reducing fatigue, loading,
and injury risk. Anecdotally, however, isometric testing such as the isometric mid-thigh pull, and isometric back
squat are less feasible in season due to the injuries Rugby Union athletes obtain. An alternative isometric test is
an isometric belt squat which is strictly a lower-body method of evaluating strength; however, to date, the
reliability and effectiveness of the isometric belt squat is unknown.
This thesis is separated into four chapters. Chapter One is a review of literature that highlights the importance of
strength in sport, the changes in strength athletes sustain throughout a season, how reliability can be measured,
the traditional methods of strength testing, isometric testing, and the specific methods of isometric testing
commonly used in Rugby Union. The literature shows the isometric mid-thigh pull, and isometric squat are
reliable methods of measuring strength that have been shown to correlate to 1-RM testing. Previous research
comparing the isometric belt squat to an isometric squat show a reduction in lower-back stress and an increase in
peak vertical force in the isometric belt squat, suggesting it is a potentially safer and more accurate evaluation of
lower-body strength for athletes. However, there is no research into the stability reliability of the isometric belt
squat. Furthermore, the literature has shown that while in competition, an increase in skill training results in a
decrease in resistance training to balance training load while maintaining concurrent training. Therefore,
periodised training programs are required in-season to minimise the negative effects concurrent training has on
the maintenance/development of strength. As concurrent training conflicts with an increase in strength within a
season and the evaluation of the fluctuations of strength levels helps guide training programs, valid and reliable
strength testing is required to inform effective exercise prescription.
Chapter Two investigated the reliability of the isometric belt squat. Both between- and within-session reliability
were measured during a five-week investigation with each athlete completing the isometric belt squat four times.
Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), typical error (TE), smallest worthwhile
change (SWC), and p-values were calculated to assess the reliability between-sessions, whereas a CV was used
to quantify within-session reliability. The between-session reliability indicated the isometric belt squat was a
reliable measure of strength after each athlete had completed one familiarisation period with a range of measures
deemed reliable between Trials 2 and 4 (TE= 504.56 N, CV = 8.7%, ICC = 0.86, p-value = 0.021, SWC0.5 =
647.39 N). The within-session data was also considered reliable which was conducted after the familiarisation
period (CV = 7.2%). Overall, the between- and within-session data indicated the isometric belt squat test is a
reliable measure once each athlete has completed one familiarisation trial.
Chapter Three investigated the change in strength that occurred in professional Rugby Union athletes across a
competitive season. This study was conducted over a 15-week block (end of preseason to end of competition)
whereby each athlete completed five trials of the isometric belt squat. Effect size (ES), probability statistics, and
a percentage of change in strength were used to highlight the change in strength between the five trials. Overall,
the change in strength from Trial 1 to 5 was ‘trivial’ (+0.44%, ES = 0.04, p value = 0.871). The ‘trivial’ increase
in strength across the season indicates the maintenance of strength from the end of preseason to end of competition
is feasible despite the interference concurrent training imposes.
Overall, as concluded in Chapter Four, the results from the two studies in this thesis show that the isometric belt
squat is a reliable measure of strength both between- and within-sessions once each athlete has completed one
familiarisation period, and that strength can be maintained across a professional rugby union season. The limited
literature surrounding the isometric belt squats reliability when applied to Rugby Union, and the change in strength
across a competitive Rugby Union season is an area that needed to be addressed. This thesis described the literature
surrounding isometric testing, identified the stability reliability of a isometric belt squat, and assessed strength
changes across a season in professional Rugby Union athletes. This information can be used to enhance strength
monitoring in professional team sports such as Rugby Union, Rugby League, Football, and Netball that have
access to force plates or strain gauges
Three Pacific writers from Aotearoa discuss Indigenous languages and visual poetry
No full textThis article draws on several months of conversations, creative workshopping, and writing sessions between Māori writers Ammon Hāwea Apiata and Marama Salsano, and Rotuman writer Mere Taito. Here, we contemplate the presence of Māori and Rotuman languages in our visual poetry. For too long, critical work about English language writing by Indigenous writers from the Pacific has been Eurocentric. Papua New Guinean writer-scholar Steven Winduo suggests the need to unwrite this “imagined Oceania,” while Māori author Keri Hulme writes disparagingly of the lower-cased ‘gods of literature’, and in her ReadNZ lecture, Sāmoan-Māori fantasy writer Lani Wendt Young describes traditional publishing as the “white castle of literature.” While white castled gods of literature have historically ignored the everyday vibrancy of Pacific voices, Indigenous writers from the Pacific continue to unapologetically write, read, experiment, critique, and play with words. Into this complexity, we acknowledge that for many Indigenous writers from the Pacific, English language Eurocentric thought and texts dominate our lives; many of us are second language learners of our languages