25813 research outputs found
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How are adults with Down Syndrome living their best life .
Full text linkThis research project seeks to amplify the voices of alumni from Dr Patricia Champion’s Early Intervention Center (now renamed The Champion Centre), allowing them to share their unique lived experiences. Unlike many research initiatives that often overlook the perspectives of people with disabilities, opting instead for input from their families and professionals, this study recognises the importance of participants' own narratives. This study included four adults with Down Syndrome, residing in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, aged 21-45. Through this phenomenological qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted, focusing on the aspects of their lives that contribute to their sense of wellbeing and fulfillment. In addition to traditional interview methods, innovative tools such as mind maps, personalized notebooks, and emotion cards were used to enrich the data collection process. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, providing a rich, data-driven understanding of the lived experiences of adults with Down Syndrome. Three central themes were identified as crucial to the participant’s positive lives; Independence, Relationships, and Positive Self-esteem and Self-perception. Additionally, the question “What do these individuals with Down Syndrome want the world to know about them?” was explored, revealing insights such as the notion that Down Syndrome has no negative impact on their lives and their eagerness to share their personal stories and experiences with the world. While these themes were examined, it is important to recognise that the case studies recognise individual narratives, each showcasing the unique and remarkable experiences of these individuals. These firsthand accounts offer invaluable insights that can inform and shape policies directly impacting individuals' lives. Furthermore, this research offers a novel, strength-based perspective on the wellbeing of individuals with Down Syndrome, challenging the typical negative connotations that dominate existing literature. By highlighting the positive aspects of their experiences, this study works to reshape perceptions and contribute to a more accurate, empowering narrative surrounding their lives
A multimodal approach to investigate cognitive and neural mechanisms of construction hazard recognition : the roles of attention, situation awareness, and experience.
Full text linkThe construction industry is hazardous due to its high-risk nature, with many fatalities attributed to the failure of hazard recognition. A review of existing research in the construction reveals the following limitations: (1) Limited understanding of hazard recognition in dynamic environments, (2) Insufficient consideration of the combined impact on situation awareness (SA) transition and hazard recognition, (3) Subjective and static SA measurement methods, (4) Lack of consideration of temporal SA transitions, (5) Insufficient integration with cognitive psychology and neuroscience, and (6) Limited understanding of the role of technologies in enhancing SA.
The research aims to investigate how the experience and interplay between endogenous (top-down) and exogenous (bottom-up) factors affect SA transitions and hazard recognition in dynamic virtual construction environments. The objectives are to (1) Identify key cognitive factors underlying construction hazard recognition and the mechanisms by which digital technologies enhance SA. (2) Investigate the effects of the interplay between bottom-up attention (B-U) and top-down attention (T-D) on hazard recognition. (3) Examine the effects of augmented stimuli and safety goal setting on SA transition (from Level 1 to Level 3 SA) and hazard recognition. (4) Compare the differences in SA, path selection, and hazard recognition between novice and experienced workers under different conditions of augmented stimuli and safety goal settings.
A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a systematic review, scientometric analysis, and experiment. Systematic review and scientometric analysis were employed to identify cognitive factors that influence hazard recognition in dynamic virtual construction sites. The experiment employed innovative technologies such as Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR), eye tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and event-related potentials (ERP) to examine how three key factors - B-U, T-D, and SA - affect hazard recognition in dynamic virtual construction sites.
The research found that augmented stimuli and safety goal setting significantly improve B-U, T-D, SA transition, and hazard recognition. Moreover, experienced workers demonstrated a superior ability to recognize hazards, characterized by faster response times, increased fixation on hazardous objects, and heightened activity in brain regions associated with SA.
This research makes significant contributions to both construction site safety practices and academic literature by shifting traditional safety management approaches towards human-centered ones. This paradigm shift has the potential to revolutionize how researchers, government agencies, construction companies, and industries prioritize worker safety. Specifically, by transitioning from rigid protocols and regulations to a deeper understanding of cognitive processes, this work introduces a worker-centric approach that leverages digital technology to enhance hazard recognition.
Future research should focus on developing multimodal assessment tools that integrate various neurophysiological measures to understand SA transitions in real-time. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying SA processing is crucial for developing targeted interventions. Techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging or magnetoencephalography can be employed to identify subcortical brain regions involved in SA transitions. Research should also investigate SA transitions in complex environments with high workload, time pressure, or uncertainty, to develop more effective safety protocols. It is highly recommended that a worker-centric approach be adopted in safety management practices, where safety protocols and training programs are tailored to meet the specific needs, abilities, and experiences of individual workers
Making a Hash of It - Inland Revenue's New (and Deceased) Data Sharing Policy Further Erodes Taxpayer's Rights
Full text linkFactors affecting the distribution and nesting of urban birds.
Full text linkUrban environments are associated with many anthropogenic stressors which limit the success of urban bird populations. Areas of high urbanisation often lack green spaces, and the canopy cover which provides the materials and sites birds use for nest construction. Urban activity and noise from cars, pedestrians and machinery can disturb bird foraging, increasing energy costs.
In many cities globally, wealthier areas are associated with a higher proportion of green space and canopy cover. This “luxury effect” may result in an inequality of access to avian biodiversity, as areas with more canopy cover are likely to support a wider variety of species, including those with less urban tolerance.
I examined several factors which account for the distribution of birds across Christchurch, New Zealand. I found evidence that endemic birds are closely associated with canopy cover in spring, and that areas containing higher proportions of canopy cover are often not in poorer areas of the city. Several endemic forest birds such as the New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura), New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa), and grey warbler (Gerygone igata) had a clustered distribution in spring, and are likely responsible for the increased association with canopy cover. When all species were considered, both native and introduced, biodiversity appeared largely consistent across the city, but was most positively associated with canopy cover and green space, and most negatively associated with car count.
On a finer scale of urban impacts, I also investigated the amount of anthropogenic material blackbirds (Turdus merula) are using in their nests in an urban Christchurch site (the University of Canterbury) in comparison to a native forest site (Kowhai bush, Kaikoura). Urban blackbirds used higher proportions of anthropogenic material and leaves, while forest blackbirds used higher proportions of roots and moss. Urban blackbird nests were also significantly heavier than forest nests.
My study confirms that some species of native birds show a degree of urban tolerance, but further research is needed to identify the factors preventing urban intolerant species from surviving in New Zealand’s cities
Basal reflectance and melt rates across the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, from grounding line to ice shelf front
Full text linkWe present a 1000 km transect of phase-sensitive radar measurements of ice thickness, basal reflection strength, basal melting, and ice-column deformation across the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS). Measurements were gathered at varying intervals in austral summer between 2015 and 2020, connecting the grounding line with the distant ice shelf front. We identified changing basal reflection strengths revealing a variety of basal conditions influenced by ice flow and by ice-ocean interaction at the ice base. Reflection strength is lower across the central RIS, while strong reflections in the near-front and near-grounding line regions correspond with higher basal melt rates, up to 0.47 ± 0.02 m a-1 in the north. Melting from atmospherically warmed surface water extends 150-170 km south of the RIS front. Melt rates up to 0.29 ± 0.03 m a-1 and 0.15 ± 0.03 m a-1 are observed near the grounding lines of the Whillans and Kamb Ice Stream, respectively. Although troublesome to compare directly, our surface-based observations generally agree with the basal melt pattern provided by satellite-based methods but provide a distinctly smoother pattern. Our work delivers a precise measurement of basal melt rates across the RIS, a rare insight that also provides an early 21st century baseline
Submission on Treaty Principles Bill
No full textThis is a submission that opposes the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and
recommends that it not proceed to a second reading in Parliament. It addresses
three broad issues: the question of sovereignty; the standing of “the principles”; and
the intent and impact of this Bill
Neuromorphic computing with percolating networks of nanoparticles.
Full text linkConventional computing technology, comprising strict regular arrays of transistors, has evolved
into an integral component of modern society, significantly influencing many daily human
activities. The demand for these devices continues to rise, alongside the complexity of the
tasks they are designed to address. Recent developments have illuminated the limitations of
conventional architectures, driving deep comparisons between traditional computers and the
human brain.
The brain’s exceptional computational efficiency has inspired the development of neuromorphic
computing architectures, a paradigm in computing that draws inspiration from biological
systems. Various approaches to neuromorphic computing exist, encompassing both software
and hardware innovations. A novel method that emulates the complex connectivity and critical
dynamics of the brain involves the use of percolating networks of nanoparticles (PNNs), which
exhibit emergent characteristics analogous to those observed in biological neural networks.
Hence, PNNs show promise for brain-like computation.
This thesis examines the inherent complexity of the electrical signals measured from atomicscale
switching activity in PNNs. Utilising several different measures, it is demonstrated that
the internal dynamics of PNNs are complex and distinctly non-random. This complexity is
present in the spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal domains, and is consistently observed
across multiple devices.
Reservoir computing (RC) is a computing framework that leverages the temporal activity of
a recurrent network to solve specific computational tasks. The rich network dynamics, obtained
due to the correlated temporal signals measured at multiple network contacts, posit PNNs as a
suitable physical reservoir. It is shown that PNNs utilised as reservoirs can successfully perform
the benchmark task of spoken digit recognition with a classification accuracy comparable to
the best-achieving physical neuromorphic systems.
The sharpest tool in the toolbox? The International Criminal Court and the responsibility to protect in Kenya.
Full text linkThe Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) were invoked in the international response to Kenya’s electoral violence in 2007 and 2008. The international response to the crisis in Kenya occurred during a high point of Liberal Internationalist confidence in interventionist solutions, and was considered by many to display the ICC’s value as an R2P mechanism to protect vulnerable populations and prevent violence. Yet the ICC’s cases against prominent politicians Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto ultimately collapsed, and the intervention had significant consequences for Kenyan politics and the ICC’s credibility across Africa.
This thesis explores the ideological alignment between R2P and the ICC and their operational divergences, examining how their divergent protection and prosecution objectives in Kenya had costs for the respective projects, domestic political situations, and the development of international criminal law. It interrogates the claim that the R2P and ICC efforts in Kenya presented a successful case study for international crisis intervention, contending that delicate peace outcomes were only thinly attributable to the ICC and R2P norm. Further, it contends that the ICC’s Kenyan cases proved the inherent limits to the Liberal Internationalist aspirations to redefine sovereign responsibility against enduring the power attached to state sovereign authority. These questions provide insights about the relevancy of Liberal Internationalist norms and institutions addressing crimes against humanity in a more contested and “illiberal” period of international politics
Performance of tree height measurement instruments & technology in New Zealand forestry.
Full text linkThere are a range of popular tree hypsometer or height finding devices in popular use in the New Zealand forestry sector, but they have not been rigorously testing in New Zealand plantation forestry conditions against independently measured tree height via direct measurement after felling. Using instruments provided by the University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry that represent the diversity of contemporary hypsometers used in New Zealand forestry, the research explored the bias and precision via parametric and non-parametric statistical testing as appropriate of said instruments in ideal measuring conditions, as well as in actual radiata pine (Pinus radiata D.Don) plantations in the Christchurch area. The study instruments were evaluated on 100 radiata pine stems located across three different sites, and multiple measurements were taken by three operators using all five instruments. In addition to the intended use by hand, the study instruments were used with a monopod to test if height measurement bias and precision were affected and time taken to measure stems was recorded for each method. Additionally, given the increasing ubiquity of drone-based LiDAR use in forestry, fair comparisons were made between its height measurement bias and precision results and those of the study instruments using the same statistical methods. In field conditions the EC II-D, Vertex 5, and Vertex Laser Geo stood out as having less bias than other instruments (p > 0.05) while not being different from each other in terms of bias and precision (p < 0.05). Drone-based LiDAR bias of tree height measurements was not significantly different from the study instruments (p < 0.05) except for the Forestry Pro II. Ultimately, which technology to use for forest management will be decided by foresters and other stakeholders based on time, budget, and level of metric fidelity dictated by management goals
Tree Canopy Cover in Te Aroha 2024
No full textThe aim of this report is to provide local authorities in New Zealand with a basic understanding of the urban tree canopy cover within their cities and towns