7,506 research outputs found
Interpreting Diversity: Excommunication Rites in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via the link in this record
Understory restoration in Hamilton urban forests
No full textResearch was undertaken to determine how the understory vegetation of Hamilton urban forests compares with reference old-growth forests in rural locations, identify causes for differences, and develop methods to enhance species diversity. Understory vegetation was measured in five rural old-growth forests and compared with 20 urban forests, categorised into four age groups, to assess differences in richness, composition and density. Environmental profiling quantified soil type, nutrient levels, pH, moisture content, understory light transmittance, temperature and vapour pressure deficit of selected forests to identify variation across the forest categories and determine if environmental conditions were the chief cause for vegetative differences. Three native species (Melicytus micranthus, Hedycarya arborea and Coprosma arborea), absent from or less abundant in urban forests, were reintroduced into forest sites to assess their growth, survival and potential for becoming a prominent component in Hamilton City forests.
Urban forests displayed reduced native understory diversity comprising only 61.5% of the native understory species found in the rural old-growth forests. Native understory species richness and density decreased from the rural old-growth forest category to the youngest urban forest group. Rural old-growth forests averaged 7.96 species and 41.28 stems per 50 m² compared to 2.68 species and 8.20 stems per 50 m² in the youngest urban forests. The exotic understory stem density trend was reverse. Reduced understory diversity in second-growth and urban forests is widely reported overseas but has not been quantified in New Zealand previously.
Soil nutrients and acidity increased from the youngest to the oldest urban forest category. Light transmittance into the understory decreased with forest age from 18.43% in the youngest urban forest group to 4.17% in the rural old-growth forest category during winter and spring. Buffering patterns were evident in rural oldgrowth forests with higher temperatures and vapour pressure deficits outside the forests by as much as 3 ºC and 0.3 kPa respectively during the day, compared to the forest interior. Similar patterns were evident in urban forests during spring but the interior temperatures and vapour pressure deficits were not as low, compared to the rural forests. Environmental profiling proved there were significant differences in environmental conditions between the forest categories and that these were within the range of values reported elsewhere in New Zealand.
Survival and growth rates between 77.8 to 100% and 2.7 to 12.1 cm respectively, for the three translocated species over the measured seven months were on par with other New Zealand trials and suggest the selected species can grow and establish viable populations within urban forests. The reintroduction success further indicates that the reduced diversity of urban forests is likely to result from the effects of fragmentation and isolation and urban pressures.
Active reintroduction of missing or less abundant native understory species is the best method to improve diversity in Hamilton urban forests. The species experimented with should be included in forest enrichment planting plans as early as 5 to 15 years. Management plans should address active removal of exotic species including methods for manipulation of developing vegetation to favour enhancement of native understory diversity in urban forests
Yeast metabolism in fresh and frozen dough : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
No full textAuthor also known as SM LovedayFresh bakery products have a very short shelf life, which limits the extent to which manufacturing can be centralised. Frozen doughs are relatively stable and can be manufactured in large volumes, distributed and baked on-demand at the point of sale or consumption. With appropriate formulation and processing a shelf life of several months can be achieved.Shelf life is limited by a decline in proofing rate after thawing, which is attributed to a) the dough losing its ability to retain gas and b) insufficient gas production, i.e. yeast activity. The loss of shelf life is accelerated by delays between mixing and freezing, which allow yeast cells the chance to ferment carbohydrates.This work examined the reasons for insufficient gas production after thawing frozen dough and the effect of pre-freezing fermentation on shelf life. Literature data on yeast metabolite dynamics in fermenting dough were incomplete. In particular there were few data on the accumulation of ethanol, a major fermentation end product which can be injurious to yeast.Doughs were prepared in a domestic breadmaker using compressed yeast from a local manufacturer and analysed for glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and ethanol. Gas production after thawing declined within 48 hours of frozen storage. This was accelerated by 30 or 90 minutes of fermentation at 30;C prior to freezing.Sucrose was rapidly hydrolysed and yeast consumed glucose in preference to fructose. Maltose was not consumed while other sugars remained. Ethanol, accumulated from consumption of glucose and fructose, was produced in approximately equal amounts to CO2, indicating that yeast cells metabolised reductively.Glucose uptake in fermenting dough followed simple hyperbolic kinetics and fructose uptake was competitively inhibited by glucose. Mathematical modelling indicated that diffusion of sugars and ethanol in dough occurred quickly enough to eliminate solute gradients brought about by yeast metabolism
Ecological values of Hamilton urban streams (North Island, New Zealand): constraints and opportunities for restoration
No full textUrban streams globally are characterised by degraded habitat conditions and low aquatic biodiversity, but are increasingly becoming the focus of restoration activities. We investigated habitat quality, ecological function, and fish and macroinvertebrate community composition of gully streams in Hamilton City, New Zealand, and compared these with a selection of periurban sites surrounded by rural land. A similar complement of fish species was found at urban and periurban sites, including two threatened species, with only one introduced fish widespread (Gambusia affinis). Stream macroinvertebrate community metrics indicated low ecological condition at most urban and periurban sites, but highlighted the presence of one high value urban site with a fauna dominated by sensitive taxa. Light-trapping around seepages in city gullies revealed the presence of several caddisfly species normally associated with native forest, suggesting that seepage habitats can provide important refugia for some aquatic insects in urban environments. Qualitative measures of stream habitat were not significantly different between urban and periurban sites, but urban streams had significantly lower hydraulic function and higher biogeochemical function than periurban streams. These functional differences are thought to reflect, respectively, (1) the combined effects of channel modification and stormwater hydrology, and (2) the influence of riparian vegetation providing shade and enhancing habitat in streams. Significant relationships between some macroinvertebrate community metrics and riparian vegetation buffering and bank protection suggest that riparian enhancement may have beneficial ecological outcomes in some urban streams. Other actions that may contribute to urban stream restoration goals include an integrated catchment approach to resolving fish passage issues, active reintroduction of wood to streams to enhance cover and habitat heterogeneity, and seeding of depauperate streams with native migratory fish to help initiate natural recolonisation
Seed rain and soil seed banks limit native regeneration within urban forest restoration plantings in Hamilton City, New Zealand
No full textRestoration of native forest vegetation in urban environments may be limited due to isolation from native seed sources and to the prevalence of exotic plant species. To investigate urban seed availability we recorded the composition of seed rain, soil seed banks and vegetation at native forest restoration plantings up to 36 years old in Hamilton City and compared these with naturally regenerating forest within the city and in a nearby rural native forest remnant. Seed rain, soil seed banks (fern spores inclusive) and understorey vegetation in urban forest were found to have higher exotic species richness and lower native species density and richness than rural forest. Both understorey vegetation and soil seed banks of urban sites >20 years old had lower exotic species richness than younger (10–20 years) sites, indicating a developmental threshold that provided some resistance to exotic species establishment. However, the prevalence of exotic species in urban seed rain will allow reinvasion through edge habitat and following disturbance to canopy vegetation. Persistent soil seed banks from both urban and rural sites were dominated by exotic herbaceous species and native fern species, while few other native forest species were found to persist for >1 year in the seed bank. Enrichment planting will be required for those native species with limited dispersal or short-lived seeds, thus improving native seed availability in urban forests as more planted species mature reproductively. Further research into species seed traits and seedling establishment is needed to refine effective management strategies for successful restoration of urban native forests
Converting SrI <sub>2</sub> :Eu <sup>2+</sup> into a near infrared scintillator by Sm <sup>2+</sup> co-doping
No full text The luminescence and scintillation properties of SrI 2 single crystals doped with 5% Eu 2+ and 0.05%, 0.2% and 0.5% Sm 2+ are evaluated. X-ray excited and photoluminescence measurements show energy transfer from excited Eu 2+ ions to Sm 2+ ions. At a concentration of 0.5% Sm 2+ , the luminescence consists almost entirely of 740 nm emission from Sm 2+ 5d-4f transitions. Co-doping SrI 2 :5% Eu 2+ with Sm 2+ provides a novel method to bypass the self-absorption problem encountered in large SrI 2 :Eu 2+ crystals and, at the same time, provides a unique near-infrared emitting scintillator with a light yield of approximately 40,000 photons/MeV. Accepted Author ManuscriptRST/Fundamental Aspects of Materials and EnergyRST/Luminescence Material
'Laws 'Needefull in Later to be Abrogated': Intersex and the Sources of Christian Theology
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Palgrave Macmillan via the DOI in this record
Introduction: Troubling Bodies?
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Palgrave Macmillan via the DOI in this record
Physiologic Mechanisms of Type II Diabetes Mellitus Remission Following Bariatric Surgery: a Meta-analysis and Clinical Implications
No full textIntroduction: As obesity prevalence grows in the USA, metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly more common. Current theories propose that insulin resistance is responsible for the hypertension, dyslipidemia, type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and low HDL that comprise metabolic syndrome. Bariatric surgery is one potential treatment, and its effects include permanently altering the patient's physiology and glucose regulation. Consequently, patients with T2DM who undergo bariatric surgery often experience tighter glucose control or remission of their T2DM altogether. This meta-analysis aims to explore the physiologic mechanisms underlying T2DM remission following bariatric surgery, which demonstrates effects that could lead to expansion of the NIH criteria for bariatric surgery candidates.
Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus. Two independent reviewers conducted title, abstract, and full text review of papers that met inclusion criteria. Papers that measured hormone levels before and after bariatric surgery were included in the meta-analysis. Weighted means and standard deviations were calculated for preoperative and postoperative GLP-1, GIP, ghrelin, and glucagon.
Results: Total postprandial GLP-1 increased following bariatric surgery, which correlated with improvements in measures of glycemic control. Fasting GLP-1, fasting GIP, total postprandial GIP, total fasting ghrelin, and fasting glucagon all decreased, but all changes in hormones evaluated failed to reach statistical significance. Studies also demonstrated changes in hepatic and peripancreatic fat, inflammatory markers, miRNA, and gut microbiota following bariatric surgery.
Conclusion: While this meta-analysis sheds light on possible mechanisms, further studies are necessary to determine the dominant mechanism underlying remission of T2DM following bariatric surgery
STATIC AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE BOX BEAMS USING LARGE DEFLECTION THEORY
No full textThe static and dynamic behavior of composite box beams is investigated using a large deflection beam theory. The finite element equations of motion for beams undergoing arbitrary large displacements and rotations, but small strains, are obtained from Hamilton's principle. The importance of non-classical structural phenomena is systematically investigated for composite box beams. The sectional elastic constants including warping deformations have been determined from the refined cross-sectional finite element method. The effects of fiber orientations and stacking sequences on the static deformation and vibration characteristics have been investigated. Numerical results are compared with the previously published experimental and theoretical results. The present results are proved to be very accurate
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