19366 research outputs found
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Rethinking social infrastructure in spatial planning: Exploring the role of farmers markets as social infrastructure for community wellbeing : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
No full textFarmers markets, an example of social infrastructure, positively influence community wellbeing in multifaceted ways. Despite an expanding international body of literature, research on the diverse roles of farmers markets in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) remains limited. This dissertation addresses this gap by focusing on the Selwyn District, Canterbury, New Zealand . It employs a case study approach to analyse and compare farmers markets in Lincoln and Rolleston, contrasting towns within the Selwyn District. These markets, marked by their temporal and transitory nature, evolve with the seasons, often occupying spaces designated for other purposes. Through qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews with market organizers, Selwyn District Council staff, observations, and document reviews, this dissertation explores the integration of community-driven initiatives, specifically farmers markets, into local strategic planning. Guided by a social capital framework, the analysis reveals that farmers markets transcend mere economic exchange, functioning as socially interactive spaces that enhance social capital. The findings echo international literature, emphasising the various ways in which farmers markets contribute to community wellbeing. The study identifies differentiating factors between Rolleston and Lincoln, contributing to the latter's greater success in hosting farmers markets. Notably, the Selwyn District Council emerges as an exemplar in providing dedicated spaces for farmers markets, particularly in Lincoln, and integrating community interests into spatial plans. The conclusions drawn underscore the essential role of farmers markets as social infrastructure and advocate for their delibrate incorporation into local strategic planning for fostering community wellbeing
An analysis of the implications of planned behaviour theory on walkability in Christchurch, New Zealand : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
No full textWalkability has recently become a key indicator of well-functioning cities. These cities have the ability to reduce carbon emissions, enhance social cohesion, and increase human physical health. With cities around the world striving to create more of these walkable areas, it is important to identify the primary drivers of this behaviour. This dissertation explores the implications of Planned Behaviour Theory to assess whether it can be used to predict human transport behaviour. Walkability for this study has been defined as the proximity of which, on average, people are from their needed amenities.
This research took a quantitative approach and aimed to analyse the walkability across three areas of Christchurch, New Zealand, with a particular focus on how this can be applied to inform decision making on local policy. The independent variable in this study was the average time taken, in minutes, to reach essential services including healthcare, supermarkets, and education. A one-way ANOVA identified a statistically significant (F(2,54) = 35.27, p <0.001) result between the most walkable area and the two areas of less walkability. Riccarton South, identified as a 10-minute neighbourhood, contributed most significantly to this difference and was characterised by having greater access to amenities compared to the other two neighbourhoods of Somerfield West and Parklands. Two additional variables, time of day as well as day of the week, were also analysed and identified. No statistically significant result across the three neighbourhood areas were found.
This research provides valuable insight into the psychological behaviour of people and provides recommendations to policy and planning practitioners as they seek to create these well functioning areas
Saccharide-passivated graphene quantum dots from graphite for iron(III) sensing and bioimaging
No full textSo far, it is difficult to prepare graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with high quantum yield (QY), high biocompatibility, and high yield by conventional top-down methods. We describe here a facile strategy to synthesize GQDs in NaOH/N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) under sonication, which was subsequently passivated by saccharide to improve their stability. In the synthesis process, the GQDs were predominantly generated through exfoliation of graphite sheets. NaOH boosted the formation of GQDs by intercalation into the layer of graphite sheets, and the yield could be effectively increased to 7.54% with a prolonged sonication time and enhanced power, which was different from traditional methods. Due to the structure of the GQDs being similar to that of pristine graphene, GQDs possessed relatively high QYs, up to 19.12%. With further functionalization by hydrophilic saccharide, xylan-passivated GQDs with better stability and QY were applied for the detection of Fe³⁺ in the range of 0-75 μM with a limit of detection of 92.8 nM. Furthermore, chitosan-oligosaccharide (COS)-passivated GQDs showed good performance in cell imaging. Therefore, this work provides an efficient method to prepare GQDs and presents their promising application in ferroptosis after passivation
Peri-urban landscapes: Rethinking the land around cities for housing + food production
No full textRethinking the land around cities can tackle both our food and housing crises. This webinar will share research showing that we could improve our food, housing and wellbeing all at the same time by making the fertile whenua surrounding our cities more productive in sustainable ways.
As Aotearoa’s population grows, food and housing are currently ‘competing’ with each other for land space – with the urban sprawl of expanding cities eating up the best lands for food production. Instead, we could design differently to provide both areas for local food production and new housing.
The purpose of this webinar is to help decision makers, such as local councils and town planners, think outside of ‘business as usual’ when it comes to providing food and housing. By making different choices for how we use the fertile whenua surrounding our cities, the research shows we can benefit both urban and rural communities simultaneously, including Māori communities.
Speaker: Shannon Davis Shannon is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Landscape Architecture, Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University. Also a research leader within the Centre of Excellence: Designing Future Productive Landscapes, her research focuses on urban and peri-urban agriculture, and landscape planning
Hill country futures - Resilient farmers and forages for the future
No full textA thriving hill country farming sector is crucial for New Zealand’s economy and its regions. However, it faces numerous challenges, such as increased regulations, and changing societal expectations. To ensure the long-term success and well-being of farmers, farm systems, the environment, and rural communities, support is essential for building lasting resilience. To address some of these challenges, the Hill Country Futures Partnership programme was initiated, receiving $8.1 million funding over five years. This programme, co-funded by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, PGG Wrightson Seeds, and RAGT New Zealand, concluded in 2023. During the programme, the farming community were actively engaged, and a collaborative research approach was employed involving B+LNZ, farmers, universities, Crown Research Institutes, and consulting agencies. The programme consisted of interconnected workstreams with a focus on resilient farmers and future-oriented forages. It generated a wide range of resources, including easily accessible extension materials, tools, and scientific publications, covering social, environmental, and technical aspects to support New Zealand’s hill country farming systems. And it showed how a collaborative approach, inclusive of researchers and farmers with diverse backgrounds and expertise, can help create a more resilient hill country future
Threonine facilitates Cd excretion by increasing the abundance of gut Escherichia coli in Cd-exposed mice
No full textCadmium (Cd) can easily enter the body through the food chain and threaten health since Cd pollution is prevalent in the environment. Gut microbiota is necessary for the reduction of metal ions. To reduce Cd-induced harmful impacts and Cd accumulation in the body, we investigated the effect of amino acids on gut microbiota and Cd excretion in (fecal Cd) Cd-exposed mice. The screening of 20 amino acids showed that threonine (Thr) effectively increased fecal Cd, and reduced Cd-induced intestinal structural damage. The abundance of Escherichia-Shigella genus and KF843036_g significantly increased after the oral administration of Thr. As the type species of the Escherichia-Shigella genus, Escherichia coli exhibited high similarity to KF843036_g species and significantly decreased Cd-induced gut damage. Cd contents in the liver, kidney, and gut of Cd-exposed mice were also significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after E. coli treatment, while the contents in the feces were increased. The results demonstrated the potential roles that gut E. coli might play in Thr-mediated Cd excretion in Cd-exposed mice. The findings may provide important data for better understanding the molecular biological mechanism of Thr in reducing Cd accumulation in the body
Foreign language effect in accounting uncertainty expressions: Interpretation and probabilistic estimation
No full textThe foreign language effect, or thinking in a foreign language, reduces judgment bias under uncertainty. This study investigates how language use (native versus foreign) affects accounting judgment on uncertainty expressions. We conducted two separate experiments: between-subjects and within-subjects, both of which included tasks requiring interpretations and probability estimations based on accounting standard uncertainty expressions. The results demonstrated that foreign language use affected the interpretation of uncertainty expressions and reduced judgment bias in probability estimation, particularly in the context of asset recognition. These findings have important implications for accounting research and reporting
Puke or poop? Comparison of regurgitate and faecal samples to infer alpine grasshopper (Paprides nitidus Hutton) diet in experimental plant communities
No full textCharacterising plant-herbivore interactions is important to understanding the processes that influence community structure and ecosystem functioning. Traditional methods used to identify plant-herbivore interactions are being superseded by non-destructive molecular approaches that can infer interactions with greater resolution and accuracy from environmental DNA (e.g. faeces and regurgitate). However, few studies have compared the success of using different sample types and whether they provide similar or contrasting information about species' diet. Here we compared the success of DNA amplification and host plant species identification using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) applied to faecal and regurgitate samples collected from alpine grasshoppers Paprides nitidus Hutton during a grassland community mesocosm experiment. We found that DNA amplification success was 23% and 86% higher for faecal than regurgitate samples from female and male grasshoppers, respectively. In contrast, successful host plant identification using RFLP was 9% higher for regurgitate than faecal samples. The mean number of host plant species identified per sample (1.40) did not differ between sample types or grasshopper sexes. Of the 136 paired faecal-regurgitate samples, just 41% and 74% produced exactly or partially matching host plant identifications, respectively, indicating that different sample types provided complementary information about herbivore diet. Some plant species were more likely to be identified from faecal samples than expected by chance, and we found that this identification bias skewed towards plant species with higher investment in leaf tissue. We conclude that multiple sample types may be required to fully characterise an invertebrate herbivore species' diet
Expressed values in social media posts regarding the Three Waters Act : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University
No full textThe Three Waters Act, which dealt with the reforming of wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water systems in New Zealand, is more commonly known simply as “Three Waters”. It has gained a variety of positive and negative feedback from the public in response, causing it to be an issue of
contention. This research seeks to understand this public response through the application of an environmental psychology framework to identify which values underpin people’s perception of the issue. By identifying the impacts of such processes, it looks to establish a better understanding of how to manage contrasting interests for planning issues
Exogenous abscisic acid and sugar induce a cascade of ripening events associated with anthocyanin accumulation in cultured Pinot Noir grape berries
No full textFruit quality is dependent on various factors including flavour, texture and colour. These factors are determined by the ripening process, either climacteric or non-climacteric. In grape berry, which is non-climacteric, the process is signalled by a complex set of hormone changes. Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the key hormones involved in ripening, while sugar availability also plays a significant role in certain ripening aspects such as anthocyanin production. To understand the relative influence of hormone and sugar signalling in situ can prove problematic due to the physiological and environmental (abiotic and biotic) factors at play in vineyards. Here we report on the use of in vitro detached berry culture to investigate the comparative significance of ABA and sugar in the regulation of Pinot noir berry anthocyanin production under controlled conditions. Using a factorial experimental design, pre-véraison berries were cultured on media with various concentrations of sucrose and ABA. After 15 days of in vitro culture, the berries were analysed for changes in metabolites, hormones and gene expression. Results illustrated a stimulatory effect of sucrose and ABA on enhancing berry colour and a corresponding increase in anthocyanins. Increased ABA concentration was able to boost anthocyanin production in berries when sucrose supply was low. The sucrose and ABA effects on berry anthocyanins were primarily manifested through the up-regulation of transcription factors and other genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway, while in other parts of the pathway a down-regulation of key proanthocyanindin transcription factors and genes corresponded to sharp reduction in berry proanthocyanidins, irrespective of sucrose supply. Similarly, increased ABA was correlated with a significant reduction in berry malic acid and associated regulatory genes. These findings suggest a predominance of berry ABA over berry sugar in coordinating the physiological and genetic regulation of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins in Pinot noir grape berries