19366 research outputs found
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High gain microstrip patch antenna as illuminating source for near field imaging
No full textThe design of a high gain circular patch antenna with the superstrate technique is presented. The antenna was used as an illuminating source for near field imaging. The antenna was designed, constructed and its radiation pattern measured in an open range measurement setup. Measured results showed a maximum antenna gain of 12.0 dBi at 3.0 GHz, and an operating bandwidth of 7.7% (2.86-3.09 GHz). Measured 3-dB beamwidths in the E- and H-planes are 30° and 40° respectively. Maximum side-lobe level is -12 dB at +/- 100° angle in the H-plane, and the front-to-back ratio is 15 dB
Developing regulations to aid recovery from severe weather events
No full textThe Government has used Orders-In-Council to provide greater flexibility for local government and businesses to recover from the severe weather events of 2023. This article looks at how providing independent advice to Ministers is a key part of the process
Identification of fungal biota associated with myrtle rust infection and their potential as biocontrol agents against the disease
No full textMyrtle rust, caused by Austropuccinia psidii, was first detected in New Zealand in 2017. Given its wide host range and the identification of the pandemic biotype in New Zealand, this pathogen is a major threat to the Myrtaceae family. This research, part of the Beyond Myrtle Rust programme, aims to develop a deeper understanding of the fungal microbiome associated with myrtle rust infection and identify hyperparasite(s) that can be developed as biocontrol agents against this pathogen. Fungal isolates were recovered from symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves from ramarama (Lophomyrtus bullata) and pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) across four sampling sites (Taranaki, Rotorua, Auckland and Christchurch). Approximately 120 fungal isolates with 2/3 being epiphytes and 1/3 being endophytes were isolated from the leaf wash and surface sterilized leaf tissue, respectively. In addition, putative hyperparasites were directly recovered from colonized rust pustules. These isolates were identified based on morphological features and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The initial results showed more diverse fungal communities obtained from samples in native areas (Taranaki and Rotorua) compared to urban areas (Auckland and Christchurch), and more abundant epiphytic isolates compared to endophytic isolates. Species within the genera Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Penicillium, Talaromyces and Trichoderma were recovered. To enable identification to species level, a range of taxonomically informative genes will be sequenced. The diversity of the fungal species recovered, and the identity of potential hyperparasites will be presented. This information will be used to select potential fungal isolates for testing for biological control activity against myrtle rust
“Work it, work it non-stop” – Event industry employees' unconscious application of the Five Ways to Wellbeing
No full textPurpose: This paper explores mental wellbeing in the events industry. We argue that mental wellbeing is often difficult to achieve in the stressful and deadline-driven events industry, and that better awareness and understanding of specific actions for employees to flourish at work is needed.
Design/methodology/approach: We used in-depth semi-structured interviews with event professionals in the UK to investigate their individual coping strategies. To contextualise, we used the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework as an analytical tool.
Findings: Our findings reveal that event professionals currently unconsciously engage in a variety of actions to maintain and enhance their mental wellbeing outside of work, but not at work. Out of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, specific actions to Connect, Be Active and Take Notice were most important to event professionals. The remaining two ways, Keep Learning and Give, were also identified in the data, although they were less prominent.
Practical implications: We present recommendations for event professionals to more consciously engage with the Five Ways to Wellbeing and for employers to develop mental wellbeing initiatives that allow their employees to flourish.
Originality/value: In event studies, the Five Ways to Wellbeing have thus far only been applied to event attendees, volunteers and the local community. Our paper highlights how event employees can also benefit from engaging in some of the actions set out in the framework to enhance their mental wellbeing at work
Increased bulb yield following seed coating of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) with selected isolates of Trichoderma species in soil naturally infested with Rhizoctonia solani
No full textRed radish (Raphanus sativus) is highly susceptible to the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which can cause severe crop losses. In a glasshouse experiment, untreated seeds of radish cvs. French Breakfast and Red Round were grown in potting mix where R. solani inoculated wheat-bran was added at rates of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 g per 100 g potting mix. Seedling emergence was reduced by one third and two thirds respectively by the two higher inoculum rates, and final plant numbers were ca. 20%, 50% and 80% less than in the uninoculated control. The ability of Trichoderma spp. to increase radish yields by limiting the damage caused by R. solani has long been known but has not been evaluated in New Zealand. Inoculum of each of four Trichoderma spp. isolates LU132 (T. atroviride), LU785 (T. hamatum), LU1437 (T. harzianum) and LU1358 (T. polysporum) was prepared in sterile wheat-bran and 0.5 g wheat-bran was added per 100 g potting mix. In a second glasshouse experiment, R. solani (0.25 g inoculated wheat-bran) was added per 100 g potting mix before untreated seeds of both radish cultivars were sown. Potting mix without either R. solani or Trichoderma served as the control. Maximum seedling emergence did not differ among the treatments for cv. French Breakfast, but was increased by the presence of either isolate LU132 (T. atroviride) or LU1358 (T. polysporum) for cv. Red Round. The presence of isolate LU1347 (T. harzianum) in the potting mix significantly increased plant survival in both cultivars. Each of the four Trichoderma isolates reduced the percentage of diseased plants with isolate LU132 (T. atroviride) providing the strongest response. In a third glasshouse experiment, Trichoderma treated seeds, thiram fungicide treated and untreated seeds of both radish cultivars were sown in naturally R. solani infected soil. The same treatments were used in a field trial at a site known to be infected by R. solani. In the third glasshouse experiment, seed treatment with Trichoderma isolates LU1347 (T. harzianum), LU1358 (T. polysporum) and LU785 (T. hamatum) significantly increased bulb fresh weight in cv. Red Round, but no treatments increased bulb fresh weight in cv. French Breakfast. In the field experiment, bulb yield for the thiram seed treatment did not differ from that of the untreated control. However, seed treatment with isolate LU785 (T. hamatum) increased subsequent bulb yield by 96% for both cultivars, and seed treatment with isolate LU132 (T. atroviride) or isolate LU1358 (T. polysporum) also significantly increased bulb yield (by 85% and 60% respectively) in cv. French Breakfast. A possible explanation for this result was sought by undertaking a fourth glasshouse experiment for radish cv. Red Round only. In this experiment, all four Trichoderma spp. isolates more than doubled bulb yield by producing not only a greater number of bulbs but also larger bulbs than the untreated control. Trichoderma seed coating may provide an alternative to fungicide seed treatment for radish production
The application of biometric approaches in agri-food marketing: A systematic literature review
No full textA challenge in social marketing studies is the cognitive biases in consumers’ conscious and self-reported responses. To help address this concern, biometric techniques have been developed to obtain data from consumers’ implicit and non-verbal responses. A systematic literature review was conducted to explore biometric applications’ role in agri-food marketing to provide an integrated overview of this topic. A total of 55 original research articles and four review articles were identified, classified, and reviewed. It was found that there is a steady growth in the number of studies applying biometric approaches, with eye-tracking being the dominant method used to investigate consumers’ perceptions in the last decade. Most of the studies reviewed were conducted in Europe or the USA. Other biometric techniques used included facial expressions, heart rate, body temperature, and skin conductance. A wide range of scenarios concerning consumers’ purchase and consumption behaviour for agri-food products have been investigated using biometric-based techniques, indicating their broad applicability. Our findings suggest that biometric techniques are expanding for researchers in agri-food marketing, benefiting both academia and industry
Physicochemical, biochemical and microbiological changes of jeotgal-like fermented Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) roe
No full textA jeotgal-like product was processed from Chinook salmon (Oncorrhynchus tshawytscha) roe. Physicochemical, biochemical, and microbiological compositions were studied during 30 days of fermentation. Fermentation decreased water activity (aw) and pH value. Total bacterial and LAB counts (log CFU/g) increased up to 12 days of processing and then no further changes occurred. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) decreased (p 0.05), whereas fermentation time improved polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content significantly (p < 0.05). Astaxanthin, lutein and phospholipids (PC, LPC, PE, LPE and LPS) concentrations were found to increase, while cholesterol and tocopherol contents were decreased at the end of the fermentation (p < 0.05). This study indicates that the nutritional value of salmon roe can be enhanced by fermentation
Effect of amino acids on Fusarium oxysporum growth and pathogenicity regulated by TORC1-Tap42 gene and related interaction protein analysis
No full textFree amino acids (AAs) formed in fermented meat products are important nitrogen sources for the survival and metabolism of contaminating fungi. These AAs are mainly regulated by the TORC1-Tap42 signaling pathway. Fusarium spp., a common contaminant of fermented products, is a potential threat to food safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need to clarify the effect of different AAs on Fusarium spp. growth and metabolism. This study investigated the effect of 18 AAs on Fusarium oxysporum (Fo17) growth, sporulation, T-2 toxin (T-2) synthesis and Tri5 expression through Tap42 gene regulation. Co-immunoprecipitation and Q Exactive LC-MS/MS methods were used to detect the interacting protein of Tap42 during specific AA treatment. Tap42 positively regulated L-His, L-Ile and L-Tyr absorption for Fo17 colony growth. Acidic (L-Asp, L-Glu) and sulfur-containing (L-Cys, L-Met) AAs significantly inhibited the Fo17 growth which was not regulated by Tap42. The L-Ile and L-Pro addition significantly activated the sporulation of ΔFoTap42. L-His and L-Ser inhibited the sporulation of ΔFoTap42. In T-2 synthesis, ΔFoTap42 was increased in GYM medium, but was markedly inhibited in L-Asp and L-Glu addition groups. Dose–response experiments showed that 10–70 mg/mL of neutral AA (L-Thr) and alkaline AA (L-His) significantly increased the T-2 production and Tri5 expression of Fo17, but Tri5 expression was not activated in ΔFoTap42. Inhibition of T-2 synthesis and Tri5 expression were observed in Fo17 following the addition of 30–70 mg/mL L-Asp. KEGG enrichment pathway analysis demonstrated that interacting proteins of Tap42 were from glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, and were related to the MAPK and Hippo signaling pathways. This study enhanced our understanding of AA regulation in fermented foods and its effect on Fusarium growth and metabolism, and provided insight into potential ways to control fungal contamination in high-protein fermented foods
Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War by Puawai Cairns, Michael Keith, Christopher Pugsley, and Richard Taylor
No full textFor over a hundred years, the Gallipoli Campaign has been part of New Zealand’s public myth and memory. In this public space, the Te Papa-Wētā Workshop exhibition ‘Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War Karipori: Te pakanga nui’ has sought to bring the campaign to life. The exhibition opened in 2015 and is scheduled to finally close on 25 April 2025 – this book seeks to preserve its memory