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The Attempted Grobalization of Parkour by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
Get PDFOn December 3rd, 2018, the 82nd Congress of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), voted to include parkour as the FIG’s 8th gymnastic discipline. Unlike, trampoline and acrobatic gymnastics, which became gymnastic disciplines following the agreed dissolution of their respective federations, parkour’s inclusion followed two years of unilateral and ultra vires development of competitive showcases. Despite athlete participation in FIG-organized parkour competitions, the global parkour community has been largely opposed to parkour under FIG, especially its attempts to include parkour in the Olympic programme. This situation catalyzed the federating of the international federation Parkour Earth. However, all attempts by the global parkour community to halt the FIG’s appropriation of parkour have proved unsuccessful to date. Digital ethnographic work conducted during the controversy and the authors’ experiences as key protagonists in the formation and administration of Parkour Earth highlights the politics, influences, and power struggles between the different stakeholders. With help from Ritzer’s theory of grobalization it is clear that the FIG is attempting to grobalize parkour to grow its power and profits, and the IOC is enabling, and to some extent complicit in this process. This has implications for the parkour community and other long-standing gymnastic disciplines
Gene expression underlying ferret hair growth initiation induced by melatonin and modified by steroids
Get PDFSynchronised ferret winter pelage development induced by melatonin was utilised as an in vivo model for studying gene expression associated with the hair growth cycle.
The effects of melatonin and steroids on hair follicle growth initiation in flank skin samples were monitored by histology and immunocytochemistry. Melatonin implantation initiated hair growth within 10 days. Exogenous steroids delivered by slow-release subcutaneous implants had mainly inhibitory effects on spontaneous and melatonin-initiated hair growth, either when given simultaneously or prior to melatonin administration. 17β-oestradiol totally suppressed hair follicle growth in all circumstances, while the inhibitory effects of dexamethasone, testosterone and deoxycorticosterone were weaker and attenuated by melatonin. Progesterone given simultaneously with melatonin inhibited hair growth in males, but did not significantly affect female hair growth initiated by melatonin.
Gene expression underlying ferret hair growth was studied using an optimised differential display technique using two sets of complementary skin samples covering all growth initiation stages. The differential display band patterns for approximately 8% of all skin transcripts suggested that more than a thousand genes are required for hair follicle growth. Of the differentially expressed genes detected in a set of flank skin samples covering all proanagen stages, up to a half are likely to be specifically associated with hair growth.
The 150 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) discovered represented 112 unique sequences. Forty-two of these were aligned by sequence homology to known genes, while the remainder are likely to represent novel genes. Differential expression through the follicle growth cycle or after the treatments was confirmed for 21 out of 23 genes whose mRNAs were detectable by Northern blot hybridisation. Overall, expression alteration for most of these ESTs occurred prior to morphological changes in the skin associated with hair follicle reactivation. All the ESTs whose expression sites were detected by in situ hybridisation were localised to hair follicles. Some were detected only in certain stages of the hair follicle cycle, others in all growth stages, but at different levels. Classification of the identified ESTs suggested that apoptosis as well as fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol metabolism were closely associated with hair growth initiation, while cell interaction and motility were also particular prominent processes in hair follicle regrowth.
Additional DNA sequence information was obtained for ferret hair acidic keratin 8 (fHa8) and ferret cyclin D-interacting myb-like protein 1 (fDMP1). Both of these genes were expressed only in cortical cells in the keratogenous zone from mid-proanagen. fHa8 was expressed only in one side of the cortex, a feature has not previously been reported for other type I intermediate hair keratins. The restricted expression of fDMP1 and its smaller size suggested that it was an alternatively spliced form of the human and mouse homologues with a specialised function in the regulation of cortical cell proliferation and differentiation. Further studies on the expression regulation and function of the genes represented by the ESTs identified in this study promise to considerably advance our understanding of hair follicle growth control
Talking About Race and Positionality in Psychology: Asians as Tangata Tiriti
Get PDFThe article discusses the dominance of Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) perspectives in the field of psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand. This has resulted in a racial hierarchy of knowledge, with Indigenous and culturally diverse epistemologies marginalized. The lack of diversity in the curriculum and the limited representation of non-Pākehā (non-New Zealand European) psychologists in the country have led to calls for a more inclusive environment.
The first perspective proposed is to understand Asians as a racialized group with diverse experiences. Asians in Aotearoa come from various backgrounds and face different degrees of racism and acculturation. The notion of 'Asian' may be used to marginalize the interests of Māori, perpetuating institutional racism. The concept of 'Asianisations' describes different forms of racial marginalization experienced by Asians in the country.
The second perspective emphasizes the positionality of Asians as tangata Tiriti (people of the Treaty). Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, is seen as granting tangata Tiriti equal rights and privileges alongside Pākehā and Māori. As tangata Tiriti, Asians have a responsibility to uphold Tiriti principles, which include partnership, active protection, equity, and options to address Māori inequities. Asian psychologists can engage in culturally safe care for Māori clients and collaborate with and empower Māori leadership in research.
The article highlights the need for Asian psychologists to reflect on their positionality, power structures, and biases within the discipline and society. It encourages them to challenge the dominance of WEIRD psychology and work towards decolonizing the field. By doing so, they can contribute to the flourishing of Kaupapa Māori psychology and develop culturally informed practices that draw on the richness of Asian cultures
An empirical investigation into music listening behaviour in the presence of the network effect
Get PDFThe rapid expansion of online platforms has revolutionised the digital media industry, transforming the way people consume digital content and interact with each other and the platforms. The network effects (NEs) play a vital role in the success of online platforms, fostering user collaboration and interest exchange, thereby creating a positive feedback loop that influences user behaviours and contributes to a platform’s success. However, initial studies exploring the NEs phenomenon primarily focused on network size, predating the widespread adoption of online platforms, and thus providing little insight into the application of NEs in the online platform context. Furthermore, despite extensive studies on online platforms, established theoretical constructs and practical frameworks that integrate other variables contributing to NEs in online platforms are lacking.
The thesis consists of three research chapters that significantly contribute to the study of NEs and their influence on users’ online music listening behaviours. In the first study, a systematic and rigorous approach was adopted to develop an NEs measurement scale. Drawing on social network and social action theories, we developed a novel NEs model with two subconstructs: social network structure and social action. An empirical research design was applied using the data of 200 Last.fm users. We employed a combination of partial least squares (PLS) path modelling and an expert focus group to validate the model. The results supported the validity and reliability of the developed NEs model.
The second study addressed the scarcity of longitudinal analysis related to the evolving nature of NEs and the lack of empirical research to measure the impact of NEs on online music listening behaviours. We examined the NEs construct from our first study to show the impact of NEs on Last.fm users’ music listening behaviours cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The research method used was partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) of data obtained from Last.fm within two time intervals, targeting 1,708 users. Our study found that NEs positively influence users’ music listening behaviours, including the quantity, variety, and novelty of their music consumption. Specifically, the multigroup analysis revealed that the positive impact of NEs on users’ music listening behaviours becomes stronger over time. Furthermore, as the social network structure strengthens and users engage in more social actions, there is a carryover effect on NEs at subsequent times.
The third study explored the impact of COVID-19 on online music listening behaviours in relation to listeners’ social interactions. We analysed the online music listening behaviours and social interactions of 37,328 Last.fm users in 45 countries before and after the first wave of confinement, using robust causal inference methods: difference in differences (DiD) and two-way fixed effects (TWFE). The results revealed that, in response to COVID-19, there was a decline in the quantity, variety, and novelty of music consumption, with a shift towards mainstream artists. However, our analysis also found that users with more online social connections and communications exhibited the opposite behaviour. This study provides guidance for the development of innovative design strategies for digital media, including music, movies, and games
Influence of powder forging and heat treatment conditions on the properties of the cost-effective Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy
Get PDFThe Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy is a cheaper α+β Ti alloy with mechanical performance comparable to those of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy whose cost could be further reduced by producing it via powder metallurgy. In this study, the effect of the thermomechanical deformation temperature on the properties of the Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy produced from elemental powders was studied. Furthermore, the effect of the modification of the microstructure via heat treatments on the properties of the forged billets was analysed. This study demonstrates that powder forging can successfully be used to manufacture α+β Ti alloys and the selection of the forging temperature significantly affects the mechanical behaviour, where the lower the forging temperature the stronger and the less ductile the material. The post-processing via solution treatment plus aging generally improves the mechanical properties of the Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy, especially in terms of ductility, without compromising the strength
The impact of semi-automated tools and machines on the attraction and retention of the New Zealand fruit industry workforce
Get PDFSemi-automation is being implemented by agricultural sectors globally in a bid to reap the many benefits of the automated world and alleviate labour crises. There is a lack of data on the impact of semi-automation on the New Zealand fruit industry workforce, particularly regarding attraction and retention. This thesis addresses the gap by exploring both the impact of semi-automation on attraction and retention, and how it is perceived by the on-orchard workforce within the New Zealand fruit industry. The research questions for this study are (1) what is the impact of semi-automation on the attraction of New Zealand fruit industry on-orchard workforce? (2) what is the impact of semi-automation on the retention of the New Zealand fruit industry on-orchard workforce? (3) how does the New Zealand fruit industry on-orchard workforce perceive semi-automation?
Purposive (non-probabilistic) sampling was used to select 20 participants from 5 stakeholder/employee groups across seven New Zealand fruit sectors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using the General Inductive Approach. Four major themes emerged: (1) attraction and retention to the fruit industry, (2) the presence of semi-automation, (3) the impact of semi-automation, and (4) perception toward semi-automation.
The findings show that where semi-automation is applied and supported, it positively impacts attraction and retention to the industry through a widened labour pool, improved health and safety, better working conditions and improved efficiency of tasks and information. This research provides a useful resource for Human Resource Management that captures current industry realities and recommendations for responding to the agricultural revolution
Devices to measure calf raise test outcomes: A narrative review.
Get PDFBACKGROUND: The calf raise test (CRT) is commonly administered without a device in clinics to measure triceps surae muscle function. To standardise and objectively quantify outcomes, researchers use research-grade or customised CRT devices. To incorporate evidence-based practice and apply testing devices effectively in clinics, it is essential to understand their design, applicability, psychometric properties, strengths, and limitations. Therefore, this review identifies, summarises, and critically appraises the CRT devices used in science.
METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched in April 2022. Studies that used devices to measure unilateral CRT outcomes (i.e., number of repetitions, work, height) were included.
RESULTS: Thirty-five studies met inclusion, from which seven CRT devices were identified. Linear encoder (n = 18) was the most commonly used device, followed by laboratory equipment (n = 6) (three-dimensional motion capture and force plate). These measured the three CRT outcomes. Other devices used were electrogoniometer, Häggmark and Liedberg light beam device, Ankle Measure for Endurance and Strength (AMES), Haberometer, and custom-made. Devices were mostly used in healthy populations or Achilles tendon pathologies. AMES, Haberometer, and custom-made devices were the most clinician-friendly, but only quantified repetitions were completed. In late 2022, a computer vision mobile application appeared in the literature and offered clinicians a low-cost, research-grade alternative.
CONCLUSION: This review details seven devices used to measure CRT outcomes. The linear encoder is the most common in research and quantifies all three CRT outcomes. Recent advances in computer-vision provide a low-cost research-grade alternative to clinicians and researchers via a n iOS mobile application
Dietary overlap between the non-native mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and native common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus): Evidence for interspecific competition?
Get PDFSince their establishment in New Zealand in the 1930s, the globally invasive western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) has become widespread throughout lowland freshwaters, primarily in the North Island. Despite co-occurring in many ecosystems, interactions between native common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) and G. affinis are presently unknown. Like G. affinis, G. cotidianus are abundant in lowland waterways, tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions and can consume similar prey. My research investigated the potential dietary overlap between these two species using a controlled mesocosm experiment and a stable isotope study of co-occurring G. affinis and G. cotidianus in natural lake habitats.
Zooplankton were selected as the prey source for the mesocosm experiment. Twenty-one 100 L mesocosms were assigned either four G. cotidianus, four G. affinis, or were left as a control group (i.e., with no fish) and monitored for 14 days. Zooplankton community composition in the fish treatments was significantly different from the control tanks by Day 14 of the experiment yet did not differ significantly from one another. Both G. cotidianus and G. affinis reduced the abundances of larger crustacean zooplankton relative to the controls. This is likely to have reduced the effects of predation, competition, and physical interference by the crustaceans on rotifers, allowing rotifer species to reach numerical dominance in the treatment mesocosms by the end of the experiment. In contrast, zooplankton assemblages in the control mesocosms were dominated by cladocerans by Day 14, indicating that these had a competitive advantage in the absence of zooplanktivorous fish.
Four Waikato lakes were selected as sites for the stable isotope study. Gambusia affinis, G. cotidianus, and basal food web taxa were collected from each lake during the austral winter of 2022. Samples were analysed for the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes ¹³C and ¹⁵N, and results were compared to data published by Collier et al. (2018) from the same taxa and lakes during an austral summer. Mean δ¹³C values of G. affinis were significantly enriched compared to G. cotidianus at three lakes in both summer and winter, while the mean δ¹⁵N of G. affinis was significantly enriched at three lakes in summer and all lakes in winter. These differences were greatest in winter, even when the summer dataset was censored to match the winter fish length distribution. My results indicate that G. affinis and G. cotidianus are likely consuming different prey sources and that their diet is most similar during summer. Additionally, my results showed seasonal variation between lakes in the isotopic enrichment of both fish and basal food web taxa, suggesting food webs and trophic interactions may differ between sites.
Overall, my thesis demonstrates the potential for interspecific competition between native G. cotidianus and non-native G. affinis in New Zealand through an example of zooplankton dietary overlap in a controlled experimental context. The stable isotope experiment provided mixed evidence for dietary overlap across both summer and winter in sympatric lake populations. Both experiments offer numerous future research opportunities to investigate the mechanisms behind the findings
Ko ia tonu te rangatira o tana mauri: Ko te Mauritau hei tohu o te puāwaitanga o Te Aho Matua i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae
Get PDFKo te mauri te wāhanga wairua o te tangata e whakahihiri i te tinana me te tūhonohono nei i te wairua ki te kikokiko. Ko te mauri te wāhanga ora o te tangata, ā, i te roanga atu o te oranga o te tangata ka rerekē te tau o te mauri nā ngā awenga o tōna ao. Ko te Mauritau te wā e ita pai ana te wairua ki te kikokiko. Kua whai ngātahitanga ērā mea e rua. Kei tōna ito, ki te Mauritau te tangata, e wātea ana ia, kāhore ōna taumaha, ka mutu e tuwhera ana ia ki tōna ao. Ko tā Te Aho Matua, ka whakatō te mauri ki te tangata i te whakatōnga o te kākano ki te kōpū. Ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga kāhore anō kia tino rangahau, ā, he iti noa ngā wā te kite atu ki te puna mātātuhi, heoi anō, ka rangona whānuitia ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi o ngā puāwaitanga matua o Te Aho Matua, ā, kua taupuhipuhi nei ki ngā whakaaro o rātou i whai wāhi nei ki tēnei kaupapa rangahau. Ko te manako nui o tēnei kaupapa rangahau ko te whakawhānui i te mōhioranga mō ngā hua o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori mā te ruku hōhonu ki te Mauritau i te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae.
Kua whā tekau tau neke atu kua hipa mai i te orokotīmatanga o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, otirā, te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te tino take o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori ko te whakarauora reo me te whakarauora tikanga, heoi anō, he tini me te mano ngā angitutanga, ngā painga kua puta mai i ēnei kura tua atu i ēnei whāinga e rua. Ko Te Aho Matua te tūāpapa ā-mātāpono mō ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori e whakawhārikihia ngā uaratanga matua kia whakatutuki i ngā wawata nui, i ngā ōhākī nui ā kui mā, a koro mā mō te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. Ko tā tēnei kaupapa rangahau, ko te Mauritau tētahi āhuatanga i puāwai i ngā kura Aho Matua, ā, ka kitea rawatia tēnei puāwaitanga ki Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi.
He Rangahau Kaupapa Māori tēnei, ā, i tārai i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga o te kaupapa rangahau nei kia Māori te karawhiu. Ko Te Aho Matua me ōna uaratanga e tū hei pou whakawhirinaki i te Kaupapa Rangahau Māori. E rua ngā tukanga i whāia e te tuhikura nei, arā, ko te iāna me te puawānanga. Ko te iāna tētahi kupu mino nō Te Tai Tokerau mō te kōrero ōpaki, ā, kua iāna tahi ki ngā pakeke tokowhitu nō te whānau o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. Ko te puawānanga he wānanga ki ngā ākonga tokowhitu o te reanga tuakana o te wharekura kia āta wherawhera i ngā āhuatanga o te Mauritau ki a rātou. I te whakaraupapatia ngā kōrero i puta mai i ngā iāna me te puawānanga mā ngā uaratanga o Te Aho Matua
Using faecal DNA metabarcoding to determine the diet of the long-tailed bat, Chalinolobus tuberculatus
Get PDFDietary analysis of nocturnal aerial insectivores such as bats is not possible by direct visual observation of predation, therefore diet is traditionally determined by analysing dietary remains in scats. Analysing DNA in scats through metabarcoding can reveal dietary items not preserved in faeces but also resolve dietary preferences to species level. DNA metabarcoding analysis of scats collected from six individual long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) from Whirinaki Forest Park revealed a predominance of aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera) and small-bodied moths (Lepidoptera). This contrasts with earlier studies of faecal remains in this species which revealed a strong preference for Dipterans and Coleopterans. The use of DNA metabarcoding may provide a better understanding of diets, as soft-bodied insects can be detected even when not apparent in physical examinations of scat, and thus will allow for more robust comparison of differences in diets between populations and seasons. The application of DNA metabarcoding is a simple but high-resolution tool to allow further study on dietary preference in this endangered species