bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performative Didactics in a Technological Environment
Authors: Carlomagno Nadia , Cordella Francesco Maria , Minghelli Valeria , Rivoltella Pier Cesare
Published: November 2021

The didactic-performative experience at a distance, centred on the body in action of the training laboratories activated at the University of Study Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan and the University of Study Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, encouraged, through the exercise of ‘simplex property’ of the separation of functions, the crossing of borders of ‘presence/distance’, using Didactics at Distance (DAD) as an opportunity to search in everyone the potential patrimony of the action, able to go beyond the classical meanings of interaction, relationship, experience, emotion, through an effort of imagination and simulation, which even interaction with the machine can stimulate.

The research work recalls the ambivalence and the plurality of interpretative keys of the teaching experience and includes its analogies with the performing arts.

Starting from the ‘stage presence’, as a scenic ‘bios’ and source of energy, a third energetic space has been investigated, which can amplify the relational dimension. A space which the biologist Sheldrake defines as ‘morphogenetic field’ is the one in which it is possible, through the activation of an empathic climate, to make all the processes of emotional sharing, expressive rediscovery and acquisition of awareness sprout, making the experience of DAD a formative and transformative one.
Detection of Genetic Polymorphism of HER2 Gene in HER2 Positive Breast Cancer Women in Iraq
Authors: Hussein Sahar M. , Abdul Jabbar Fatimah A. , Khalaf Hadeel Mohamed
Published: November 2021

The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene plays a critical role in breast cancer development and progression. HER2 overexpression characterizes a biologically and clinically aggressive breast cancer subtype. In this study, 60 samples from Iraqi women with breast cancer were collected and investigated for HER2 protein in the tissue by immunohistochemistry. Also, 20 samples from healthy Iraqi women were used as a control. The results showed that 18 (30 %) patients expressed the HER2 protein. A molecular study for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was conducted on samples metastasizing to lymph nodes. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify exon 17 and intron 17 of HER2 gene. Sequencing of PCR product was achieved and  two SNPs of HER2 gene, one in exon 17 (Ile655Val) and another  close to it in intron 17 (rs903506) were studied.  In exon 17, SNP Ile655Val was found in 41% of patients, while in intron 17, the non-coding SNP rs903506 was found in 27% of patients. However, no polymorphism was found in the control group. The results may suggest that HER2 gene can be used as a molecular marker for breast cancer.
“The Tale of Igor's Campaign” in N. Gumilyov's lyrics of the later period
Authors: Porol Olga Anatolevna , Dmitrieva Natalya Mikhailovna
Published: November 2021

This research is dedicated to spatiotemporal aspect of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in N. Gumilyov’s lyrics of later period. Based on the lyrical works written over the period from 1913 to 1921, the author contemplates on the role of the Old Russian epic for the poet’s ideology. A hypothesis advanced that the text of the tale is one of the most constructive in worldview of the poet. The article employs the comparative-historical and structural-semiotic methods (juxtaposition of semantics facts that go back to the text  of the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” and contained in N. Gumilyov's poetry) for establishing correspondence or semantic changes of words in the original text. The method of parallel text search is applied. Textual analysis of the fragments of N. Gumilyov's works and “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is conducted. The article is first to determine and substantiate the interrelation between N. Gumilyov’s poem “War” (1914) and text of the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign”. Detailed analysis is given to the image of the “sowing” and “reaping” Russian warriors. In his later works, Gumilyov associates the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” with the highest ethical values, history of Russian and world culture, which underlines the historicism of Gumilyov’s thinking. The article reveals the “horse”, “warrior”, “quiver”, “saber” contained in the text of the tale reflect the true life of N. Gumilyov.
Hypoxia signature: A useful tool for hypoxia recognition among aircrew
Authors: Kasture S , Nataraja MS , Mohapatra SS , Sinha B
Published: November 2021

Introduction:

Hypoxia, often referred to as “silent killer,” a common aeromedical stressor in aviation, may have catastrophic events in-flight unless recognized well in time. On exposure to hypoxia, an individual manifests a specific spectrum of symptoms referred to as “hypoxia signature.” The present study was conducted to assess the manifestation of “hypoxia signature” on repeated exposure to simulated hypobaric hypoxia for its potential usage as a tool for hypoxia recognition.

Material and Methods:

Twenty-two healthy adult volunteers were subjected to a simulated altitude of 22,000 feet for a duration of 5 min in the hypobaric altitude chamber. The symptoms experienced by the participants at the said altitude were recorded using a questionnaire. The heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded during the exposure. The hypoxia exposure was repeated two more times with a minimum interval of 3 weeks between each. Paired t-test was used to compare the mean values of physiological parameters (HR and SpO2) between ground level and 22000 feet recorded in all the three exposures. The hypoxia symptoms and their severity reported during the exposures were compared with those of recalled symptoms (reported after 3 weeks of exposure) using McNemar test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, respectively.

Results:

Paired t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in HR and fall in SpO2 with rise in altitude from ground level to 22000 feet. The three most common symptoms consistently observed were lightheadedness, thinking slow, and warm feeling. The common hypoxic symptoms and their severity scores reported at 22,000 feet compared with recalled counterpart during subsequent exposures did not reveal any significant differences (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

There was a high degree of similarity in the frequency and severity score of symptoms between acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia and recall indicating evidence of repeatability of symptoms across the three sessions of hypoxia exposure within the individuals. This brings out the usefulness of “hypoxia signature” as a tool for hypoxia recognition and its application in hypoxia indoctrination and training for aircrew.
Effects of whole body vibration on human contrast sensitivity function
Authors: Bhowmick B , Gaur D , Rastogi P
Published: November 2021

Introduction:

Vibration is a known aeromedical stressor in rotary-winged aircraft and is known to affect visual acuity (VA). In aerospace operational conditions, contrast sensitivity (CS) takes the upper hand over VA for optimal visual performance. Examination of the effects of low frequencies whole body vibration of short duration on CS was the desired objective of the study.

Material and Methods:

Thirty healthy volunteers were exposed to low frequency whole body vibration using Multi-axial Vibration Simulator. Vibration frequency along the Z-axis varied from 4 to 20 Hz over a period of 30 min. CS was recorded in no vibration, under vibration and 30 min following exposure to vibration using CSV-1000 equipment at spatial frequencies of 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree (cpd).

Results:

CS, after an initial degradation, gradually improved with the increase in frequencies of vibration for the lower spatial frequencies (3, 6 cpd). The increasing trend was also noticed for higher spatial frequencies (12, 18 cpd) till 16 Hz; thereafter, a significant dip (P = 0.048) was observed at 20 Hz of vibration. No significant difference was observed following 30 min of post exposure.

Conclusion:

In contrast to the popular belief, an improvement in CS with increasing frequencies of vibration could be concluded from the results of the study. However, the sudden decrement in CS at higher CPD at higher frequencies of vibration could adversely affect visual performance of an aircrew.
Analysis of incapacitation during +Gz induced loss of consciousness
Authors: Sharma MD , Biswal P , Taneja N , Agarwal A
Published: November 2021

Introduction:

Occurrence of G induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) during centrifuge training is a known entity. The Indian Air Force is currently undertaking high G training of its fighter pilots in High Performance Human Centrifuge (HPHC) which has significantly higher operational capabilities. The study aimed to analyse the incapacitation periods and myoclonic jerks associated with G-LOC occurring during HPHC training.

Material and Methods:

Records of episodes of 161 G-LOC during closed loop Rapid Onset Rates (ROR) runs over a period of 7 years from 2011 to 2017 were analyzed. The video recordings of these G-LOC episodes were assessed in terms of the participant demographics, +Gz onset rates, incapacitation periods, and presence or absence of myoclonic jerks during the G-LOC episodes. Descriptive statistics was applied to analyze the incapacitation periods and the duration of the myoclonic flail movements. Single tailed t-test was used to analyze the difference between the incapacitation periods of the aircrew who suffered myoclonic flail movements and those who did not. One-way ANOVA was carried out to assess the differences in incapacitation periods, if any, between aircrew of different age groups. Significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results:

Of these 161 episodes of G-LOC, 43.5% were seen in trainee aircrew. The mean Absolute Incapacitation Period (AIP), Relative Incapacitation Period (RIP) and Total Incapacitation Period (TIP) was 6.9 ± 2.3 s, 12.2 ± 4.7 s, and 19.1 ± 5.5 respectively. Age and flying experience did not show any significant effect with any of the incapacitation periods (p>0.05). The TIP correlated better with the RIP than with the AIP (Pearson’s correlation values of 0.9 and 0.52 respectively). Myoclonic flail movements were witnessed in 25.5% of G-LOC episodes with an average duration of 5.3 s and more than 50% occurring at ≥8Gz. The mean duration of RIP was significantly higher (P=0.03) when G-LOC was associated with myoclonic flail movements, whereas, the duration of AIP did not show any significant difference.

Conclusion:

The shorter incapacitation periods observed in the study compared to that reported in most of the previous studies could be attributed to the faster Gz offset rates of the present HPHC. Episodes of G-LOC having myoclonic movements were found to have higher relative incapacitation periods. Even though these movements were associated with G-LOC occurring at higher Gz levels, the durations were independent of the Gz levels.
REPRESENTATION OF THE SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA OF A POROUS MEDIUM BY STATISTICAL CONTINUOUS MONOMIAL FUNCTIONS
Authors: ЖУКОВ В.Г. , ЧЕСНОКОВ В.М. , ЛУКИН Н.Д.
Published: November 2021

Удельная поверхность пористых сред является важным геометрическим параметром в расчетах процессов пищевых систем и оборудования для их переработки. Расчетные формулы процессов тепло- и массообмена в настоящее время содержат осредненные значения геометрических параметров, получаемые в эксперименте. Использование формул удельной поверхности по осредненным характеристикам пористой среды существенно ограничивает точность и надежность расчетов. Получены непрерывные одночленные по всему диапазону размеров сообщающихся пор расчетные формулы удельной поверхности, основанные на функции распределения плотности вероятности размеров сообщающихся пор разных модельных конфигураций в полиразмерной дисперсной (несцепленной) и связной (сцепленной) пористых средах для двух видов исходных формул удельной поверхности, различных видов модельных поперечных сечений и длины пор. Проведен их сравнительный анализ. Установлено, что на расчет удельной поверхности влияет моделируемая длина пор. Вид поперечного сечения не влияет на расчет удельной поверхности. Полученные формулы позволяют вычислять удельную поверхность для ансамбля отдельных размерных групп пор и в целом для всей совокупности их размеров. Приведен пример расчета по полученным формулам.

The specific surface area of porous media is an important parameter in the calculations of the processes of food systems and equipment. The calculated formulas of the heat and mass transfer processes currently contain the averaged values of the geometric parameters obtained in the experiment. The use of formulas the specific surface area based on the averaged characteristics of a porous medium significantly limits the accuracy and reliability of calculations. Continuous monomial calculated formulas for the specific surface and based on the function of the probability density of the size distribution open pores ware obtained. Their comparative analysis is carried out. It was found that the transverse shape is not reflected in the formulas for the specific surface area, but the simulated pore length does. The specific surface area formulas allow calculating the specific surface area for an ensemble of separate size groups of pores and, in general, for the entire set of their sizes. An example of calculation by the obtained formulas is given.
Exploration of Nurse/Social Worker ICU Family Support Group Intervention Satisfying Family Members’ Needs
Authors:   Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem Israel, Benbenishty Julie , Moriah Dvora Kirshbaum ,   ICU Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem Israel, Harel Chaya ,   ICU Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem Israel
Published: November 2021

Background: Family members of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are legitimate recipients of nursing care. There is a lack of interventional nursing strategies providing family support while in ICU. Objective: To demonstrate that a nurse led family support group is tool to fulfill family members’ needs. Methods: A prospective convenience sample of family members volunteering participation in nurse/social worker led support group. To validate the intervention on family members’ needs, The Critical Care Family needs Inventory was distributed to participants in support group. Results: 100 relatives participated in the study; Out of the 45 family needs, 21 needs were statistically significantly fulfilled by participation family support group intervention. The findings demonstrated that support group most significantly affected Support and Assurance categories.
Odontological Drugs and Their Action on Some Biological Organisms
Authors:   Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon, SS Atsafack
Published: November 2021

Odontology is the study of teeth, of theirs diseases and treatment of these. Many odontological drugs are commonly used in dental practice. Antibiotics are indicated for the treatment of odontogenic infections, oral non-odontogenic infections, as prophylaxis against focal infection, and as prophylaxis against local infection and spread to neighboring tissues and organs. In addition to antibiotic, antifungals (drugs for classes azoles, imidazoles and polyenes), antiviral such as antimicrobial mouthwashes and nucleases inhibitors are also indicated for the treatment. These drugs prescription is almost invariably associated with the prescription of Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), topical corticoids, local anaesthesic for odontological pain and/or Sodium Fluoride for dental caries. Odontalogical drugs act on several levels of metabolism either of microorganisms’ constitutive material (e.g. wall, membrane, cytoplasm and nuclear materials for antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and oxidizing substances) to destroys them or of humans system cells (receptors, enzymes, hormones for painful, inflammation, local anaesthesic and dental building drugs) to inhibit or stimulate them for the best functioning.
Quantifying Fluctuations of Average Environments for Embedding Calculations
Authors: Gonzalez Cristina , Rumble Christopher A. , Borgis Daniel , Wesolowski Tomasz A.
Published: November 2021

In the context of employing embedding methods to study spectroscopic properties, the viability and effectiveness of replacing an ensemble of calculations by a single calculation using an average description of the system of study are evaluated. This work aims to provide a baseline of the expected fluctuations in the average description of the system obtained in the two cases: from calculations of an ensemble of geometries, and from an average environment constructed with the same ensemble. To this end, the classical molecular dynamics simulation of a very simple system was used: a rigid molecule of acetone in a solution of rigid water. We perform a careful numerical analysis of the fluctuations of the electrostatic potential felt by the solute, as well as the fluctuations in the effect on its electronic density, measure through the dipole moment and the atomic charges derived from the corresponding potential. At the same time, we inspect the accuracy of the methods used to construct average environments. Finally, the proposed approach to generate the embedding potential from an average environment density is applied to estimate the solvatochromic shift of the first excitation of acetone. In order to account for quantum-confinement effects that may be important in certain cases, the fluctuations on the shift due to the interaction with the solvent are evaluated using Frozen-Density Embedding Theory. Our results demonstrate that, for normally-behaved environments, the constructed average environment is a reasonably good representation of a discrete solvent environment.
The International Role in the Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa Following Violent Conflicts
Authors: Goulet Evelyne , Horowitz Jillian , Schiff Jordana
Published: November 2021

HIV/AIDS has been a global health issue for decades, one which has often been accelerated by genocide and civil war. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the international community in dealing with the growth of the HIV/AIDS crisis following a period of violence, by focusing on three different case studies: Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda. It concludes that the most effective and successful help from the international community against HIV/AIDS is comprised of financial, technical, and structural aid to counter the crisis, and includes collaboration with local governments. However, the international community faces shortcomings if the help it provides is only financial.
"The only thing one can do in America is emigrate”: South American Responses to the Venezuelan Migration Crisis
Authors: Sereboff Alanna
Published: November 2021

Since 2015, approximately 4.8 million Venezuelans have fled from their homes in search of refuge from the country’s economic crisis and increasingly volatile political climate. As in other instances of mass displacement, they have not moved far, as nearly 80% of Venezuelan migrants have remained in continental South America. This essay analyzes how states and citizens have responded to the sudden influx of Venezuelan refugees from 2015 to the present. First, it shall offer a brief overview of the history of immigration policy in Latin America from the twentieth century to the early 2000s, exploring both regional and international initiatives. It then analyzes the novel, early responses of South American governments to Venezuelan refugees, finding, that, while regional and national policies were often devised with the intent of accommodation, in practice, these measures suffer from uneven implementation. Next, the paper interrogates the rightward shift in migration policy and discourse in recent years. While the extent and scope of policy change remain to be seen, the discursive and political turn towards restrictionism represents an alarming turn towards securitized immigration policy in the context of a conflict that shows no signs of stopping. Ultimately, this essay finds that the South American response to this crisis has been limited in its ability to provide accessible solutions, cooperate on a regional level, and maintain the same policies over time. Thus, it presents a challenge not only to individual states, but to the region’s ability to coordinate meaningful solutions.
The Climate Conflict Trap: Examining the Impact of Climate Change on Violent Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Garfinkel Maya
Published: November 2021

As recently as 2019, international security officials reported that international state sponsors of terrorism, such as ISIL, were moving into Sub-Saharan Africa. The causal links between climate change and conflict, especially in an understudied and misunderstood region such as Sub-Saharan Africa, are often complicated and ill-defined. In reality, climate change does not unilaterally or unconditionally strengthen terrorist organizations and, by extension, civil conflict. The circumstances of climate change impact the trajectory of violent non-state armed groups in Sub-Saharan Africa through three primary mechanisms that intersect and interact with one another: natural resource instability, colonialism, and the intensity of intra-state tensions throughout a particular region. Through these three primary lenses, it is evident that, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the effects of climate change exacerbate conditions that, in turn, provide a unique, fertile environment for violent non-state armed groups to develop and thrive.
Rocking the boat : women's participation in the World Council of Churches, 1948-1991
Authors:   , Crawford Janet
Published: November 2021

When the inaugurating assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) met in 1948 questions about women's participation in the life and work of the churches, including the ordained ministry, were already on the agenda, placed there by women even though few women participated in any official capacity in the assembly. Since 1948 women's participation has become an increasingly important issue within the life and work of the WCC itself. This thesis, which is based on extensive primary research, documents and discusses women's participation in the WCC from that first assembly in 1948 to the seventh in 1991. By women's participation I understand both the inclusion of women among the representatives of the member churches who participate with some authority in the various policy and decision making bodies within the Council and the contribution of women's experiences, insights and perspectives to its policies and programmes. I argue that although women's participation in the WCC has increased significantly in the period 1948-1991 this increase has occurred only as a result of considerable struggle by women themselves, and that the ongoing pressure from women for their full and equal participation with men gives rise to serious tensions and problems within the WCC today.  The basic approach is chronological, with documentation and discussion organised around the seven WCC assemblies held in the period 1948-1991. The slow processes of bureaucratic change through which women's participation has increased are documented in some detail, with particular attention given to their participation in assemblies and on the central committee, these being the two most powerful bodies in the governance of the WCC. Significant changes in the policies and programmes of the WCC resulting from women's participation are discussed, with particular attention paid to the "women's department" which, although its title and mandate have changed more than once, has consistently been the locus of advocacy for women's participation, and the commission on Faith and Order which has addressed theological questions raised by and about women's participation. The conclusion drawn from this study is that women's participation offers a number of significant challenges to the WCC and its member churches in their quest for unity.
Exploratory Study of the Development of REDD Incentives in Bolivia
Authors:   , Jannes Stoppel
Published: November 2021

International climate change mitigation efforts have been establishing strategies and programs to achieve Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in developing countries like Bolivia. This research aims to assess these developments and examine the major challenges in the conceptualisation, planning and implementation of these strategies in Bolivia. A review of international negotiations and of current literature on various surrounding issues supplied this research with the needed secondary data. Primary data on Bolivian perspectives and visions on the arising challenges of REDD developments were gathered in January and February 2008. The semi-structured interviews aimed to cover a cross societal range of participants from govt to local forest-inhabitant level. Partially, due to climatic instability, the field-research was hampered by a national flood disaster that challenged the gathering of local forest-inhabitant's visions and perspectives. Through this methodology this research defined key issues in the development of international REDD funding governance and in the challenges of national and local policy and project implementation measures. These are evaluated in consideration of global and local equity and climate-justice issues, offer earthcentric considerations in the evolution of REDD and therefore attempt to contribute to the underlying discourse on ecological ethics in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Assessing and Enriching the Cage Environment of Laboratory Rats
Authors:   , Patterson-Kane Emily Gay
Published: November 2021

Public concern with the caging conditions of animals kept in laboratories led to research assessing the standard conditions of rats housed in New Zealand laboratories. A total of 113 rats were used in experiments of four basic types. The experiments presented in the first and second chapters assessed the behaviours of rats housed in enriched, standard and deprived conditions. The assessment procedures used were the emergence box, open field and Hebb William's maze as well as the T-maze and a range of operant procedures. The behaviour of rats housed in standard conditions for the emergence box, open field and maze were intermediate between the enriched and deprived rats, but more closely resembled that of the deprived rats. However, the deprived rats displayed no general cognitive deficits on procedures other than the Hebb William's maze, causing the validity of the maze in this context to be questioned. A more specific cognitive deficit relating to attention at the time of encoding was indicated. The thesis then moved from looking for behavioural damage to examining what conditions rats would prefer, and extending these findings using behavioural economics. The rats showed significant preferences for only a small number of cage modifications. They clearly preferred nesting boxes and shredded paper, and showed some preference for a larger group size of rats. The demand experiments demonstrated that the rats worked hardest for access to moderately sized environments with a group size of six. Therefore, the recommendation arising from the current study is that rats should be provided with nest boxes and paper, and provision should be made in the future for using cages suitable for groups of around six. There were also implications for the range of procedures used during the course of this investigation. The open field data suffers from an unstandardised procedure that probably allows a range of confounding variables to come into effect, specifically changes in activity across time. The preference tests (T-maze and continuous access) gave broadly equivalent data although there were small systematic differences in the results between the two tests which suggest they should be used together in order to cancel out these biases. The demand procedure is the pre-eminent option from a theoretical point of view but the detail of the procedure is in need of some development. The best way to achieve this progress would be through more extensive applied use of behavioural economics.
A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dracophyllum Labill. (Ericaceae)
Authors:   , Venter Stephanus
Published: November 2021

In recent years the New Zealand biogeographic paradigm has shifted from 'Moa's Ark' (Bellamy et al. 1990) to the view that most biota has dispersed here in the lastÃ Ã Â± 10 My (Fleming 1975, Pole 1994, McGlone et al. 2001). Large and widely distributed genera on island archipelagos and oceanic islands are important elements for the investigation of evolutionary processes such as dispersal from continents to islands and back, adaptive radiation and in some cases extinction. The genus Dracophyllum (Ericaceae: Richeeae) occurs on the Australian continent and the New Zealand archipelago as well as on many oceanic islands in the region. With its wide distribution, ecological importance and apparent taxonomic complexity, a monograph and phylogenetic study of Dracophyllum will make a valuable contribution towards the understanding of the above- mentioned processes. There is still uncertainty about generic limits within tribe Richeeae (Dracophyllum Labill., Richea R. Br. and Sphenotoma R. Br. ex Sweet). Sphenotoma is geographically isolated (southwest Western Australia), monophyletic and forms a distinct evolutionary lineage that diverged early from Dracophyllum and Richea (Powell et al. 1996, Kron et al. 2002). The generic limits between Dracophyllum and Richea still need to be addressed, preferably by making use of DNA sequence data. There are two fundamental aims of systematics: a) to discover, describe and name all species and b) to document the changes on the branches that have occurred during evolution and to transform these into a predictive classification system that reflects evolution (Systematics 18 Agenda 2000). Systematics is therefore the study of the biological diversity that exists on earth today and its evolutionary history (Judd et al. 1999). Taxonomic revisions, especially of large groups, need to focus on groups that are monophyletic (i.e. comprising an ancestor and all of its descendents) and not constrained by geography. Generic delimitation can become problematic when the flora of a specific region is studied in isolation. Many important aspects of genotypic and phenotypic variation are then not taken into consideration, resulting in a skewed and unrealistic representation of the genus as a whole. The long list of synonyms in the southern hemisphere for the genus Veronica L. is a reflection of this situation: Paederota L., Hebe Comm. ex Juss., Derwentia Raf., Pygmaea Hook.f., Detzneria Schltr. ex Diels, Parahebe W.R.B.Oliv., Chionohebe B.G.Briggs & Ehrend., Leonohebe Heads, Heliohebe Garn.-Jones and Hebejeebie Heads.
The Effect of Microtubule Stabilising Drugs on Immune-Mediated Excytosis
Authors:   , Robinson Marcus James
Published: November 2021

The microtubule network is involved in cellular processes including protein transport and cell division. Microtubule stabilising drugs (MSD) bind to microtubules and alter their dynamic balance in favour of the polymerised state. While primarily known for their anti-mitotic properties, MSD also exert immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo. It is the aim of this project to investigate the effects of MSD on protein trafficking and secretion to determine how they affect immune-mediated exocytosis. Previous work in our lab demonstrated that macrophage responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide, as measured by the production of TNF-a and nitric oxide, are inhibited by both paclitaxel and peloruside. In this thesis we continued this work and saw that inhibition was not affected by temporal IFN-y priming and found that altered production kinetics were not sufficient to explain the inhibition. To kill target cells cytotoxic T cells (CTL) reorganise their cytoskeleton so that lytic granules can traffic down microtubules to be delivered to the target. Using an in vitro model of CTL killing, we saw that MSD did not inhibit killing by CTL, lytic granule delivery to the cell surface, or antigen-stimulated Interferon-y (IFN-y) production by CTL. In contrast to this, in a murine model of antigen-induced killing we saw that a single dose of paclitaxel had a significant inhibitory effect on CTL-mediated cytolysis in vivo. Together these studies suggest that MSD have multiple immunomodulatory effects that are independent of their anti-proliferative effects. The data suggest that patients undergoing taxane therapy may be unable to fight infection long before the anti-mitotic effects of MSD are apparent.
Do Dolls and HFDs Assist in Eliciting Information about Touch in Interviews with Children?
Authors:   , Malloy Alana
Published: November 2021

The current study aimed to investigate the utility of HFDs and dolls in memory interviews about a touch event. Fifty-three children aged 5 to 7 years experienced a staged event involving innocuous touch. They were interviewed 7 to 11 days later either with a purely verbal interview, the assistance of HFDs, or the assistance of dolls. No significant differences were found in the amount or accuracy of information reported in each interview type, though information was highly accurate in all conditions. This indicates that although props did not offer any additional facilitation to eliciting information from children than verbal interview alone, they also were not harmful to the children's reports. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.
Peace Unwoven: Transgressive Women in Old Icelandic Heroic and Mythological Literature, and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum
Authors:   , Bennett Naomi
Published: November 2021

The aim of this thesis is to present a survey of the types of women that transgress in Old Icelandic mythological and heroic texts, their reasons for doing so, and the ways in which they do it. As I believe that this has not been looked at before, I hope this research will be of use to further study of the role of women in the fornaldarsogur.
Persevere in Adversity: Perrceived Religious Discrimination and Islamic Identity as Predictors of Psychological Wellbeing in Muslim Women in New Zealand
Authors:   , Jasperse Marieke Lyniska
Published: November 2021

Given the increasing prevalence of Islam, current socio-political climate and visibility of Muslim women in Western societies the current study aimed to investigate 1) the nature of religious discrimination experienced by Muslim women in New Zealand and 2) the influence of perceived religious discrimination and differing facets of Islamic identity (psychological, behavioural and visible) on the psychological wellbeing (life satisfaction and psychological symptoms) of 153 Muslim women. The results of the present study revealed that Muslim women rarely feel discriminated against, although women originating from the Middle East and Africa reported significantly more discrimination than women from Asia. When discrimination did occur, it was more likely to come from strangers and service people and take the form of social exclusion as opposed to direct harassment. Furthermore, Muslim women wearing highly visible hijab experienced significantly more religious discrimination. A strong sense of Islamic identity (psychological, behavioural and visible) and low frequency of perceived religious discrimination were hypothesized to predict significantly greater life satisfaction and fewer psychological symptoms in Muslim women. Contrary to the hypothesis, psychological and behavioural facets of Islamic identity, in addition to perceived religious discrimination, failed to independently predict psychological wellbeing. Islamic visibility did however predict greater psychological wellbeing. Strong endorsement of the different aspects of Islamic identity was hypothesized to buffer the detrimental influence of perceived religious discrimination on psychological wellbeing. The results of the present study however indicated strong psychological affiliation with Islam may have exacerbated the detrimental effect of perceived religious discrimination and as a consequence was associated with poorer psychological wellbeing. The act of participating in Islamic practices, on the other hand, seemed to provide a degree of resistance against the detrimental effects of religious discrimination and was associated with better psychological wellbeing.
Sacred Technologies: the Evolution of Religious Cognitive Niche
Authors:   , Murphy David J.
Published: November 2021

Most cognitive studies of religion adopt a modular theory of cognition. The 'space'that is studied is often the 'space between the ears'. Culture and religion are viewed as by-products of more entrenched features of our brains. Although this 'Standard Model' explains many intuitive expressions of religious belief, it has trouble explaining (a) the variability of religious systems crossculturally (b) the uses of material culture (i.e. symbolic structures etc) in transmitting religious concepts. The following thesis presents a 'wideware mind' hypothesis for religious cognition. I urge that while our internal cognitive architecture is causally relevant to religious cognition, the material artefacts of culture must be viewed as cognitive properties in their own right. Hence any causal account of religious cognition must acknowledge the external features of minds and how our neurological resources interact with the artefacts of our world.
Understanding Common Sense Themes of Intellectual and Creative Work: the Social Representation of Intellectual Property
Authors:   , Pauling Joel Wiramu
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines the construction of Intellectual Property discourses using the social Psychological theoretical framework of Social Representations theory (Moscovici, 1984), and explores the various themes which emerge around the treatment of knowledge, ideas and creative work from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The first two chapters introduce Social Representations theory and the methodology of Thematic Analysis. Study one presents a historical account and literature review on the general themes of knowledge, intellectual and creative endeavours, and how various cultures and social powers have approached these concepts throughout history. It includes an overview of current technological and social changes around the same themes, the challenges these changes may have on existing social representations, and the groups that have vested interests in particular representations. The idea that existing dominant representations cannot adequately incorporate new representations arising from users and adopters utilising the new medium of the 'network' as a social-cultural tool is also introduced. Study two examines similar topics through analysis of public submissions to the New Zealand Patent act review. In this study, individual submissions are analysed in detail using a thematic analysis-like process, incorporating this into a Social representations framework designed to extend and test the representations observed in study one. Evidence of a dominant industrial representation involving market economic treatment of knowledge centred on a physical resource conceptual anchor was observed. Conflicting social representations held by other groups included representations of a collectivist common good centred on innovation and rights themes. Evidence that significant re-representation of the property conception away from a physical good anchor by various groups was found. Social, cultural, and economic consequences of these competing representations effect on societies are considered.
A Time of Travelling Hopefully: a Mixed Methods Study of Decision Making by Women and Midwives about Maternity Transfers in Rural Aotearoa, New Zealand
Authors:   , Patterson Jean Ann
Published: November 2021

Making decisions about the reasons for, and the timing of transfer to specialist care from rural maternity care were examined in this study. This is a time when women and midwives 'travel hopefully' through labour and birth aware of their rural context. A Mixed Methods Research (MMR) approach was used to gather data from a national survey of rural maternity units together with individual and small group interviews of women and of midwives. A modified Concurrent Mixed Model Design was used to structure the research process with each data strand collated and discussed consistent with its paradigmatic roots. The findings were then drawn together in a metainference. A 17% rate of transfer during labour and up to 6 hours postpartum was found for the two year period examined. Slow progress in labour was the most common reason for transfer. Interviews with rural women and midwives revealed a similar range of decision making styles. The strategy of 'thinking ahead' emerged as a common theme which allowed for the distance and time involved in the transfer and in anticipation of critique from the secondary care system and local community.This thesis makes a significant contribution to the national and international understanding of the experience of maternity transfer in rural areas and finds that within a regionalised perinatal system, midwives make cautious and timely decisions about transfer in labour and birth. Further, that a rural birthing service contributes to the health and well being of the community and ought to be appropriately resourced to provide the optimal environment for safe decisions about transfer.
Factors Influencing Provision of Enterprise Training: a Study of India's Information Technology (IT) Sector
Authors:   , Malik Ashish
Published: November 2021

Policy debates and academic research have emphasised the need for investment in human capital for improving national and organisational competitiveness and reducing unemployment. However, limited attempts have been undertaken to understand the factors that explain a firm's decision to invest in training. Most studies have been undertaken in the context of manufacturing firms in developed countries. Extant training demand models do not fully explicate the reasons for differences in training provision between firms operating in one industry sector. Further, the extant literature has often neglected a much cited need to consider, among other external factors, the influence of an organisation's clients on its decision to invest in training. Finally, little is known of the factors that influence a firm's decision to invest in training in the context of born-global, high-technology firms in a developing country context. This thesis is an attempt to bridge the above gaps. More specifically, it addresses how various factors - internal and external to the firm - interact with each other in shaping the final provision of training. Further, the thesis explores the reasons for variations in training between firms. Owing to the still evolving state of theory and a relatively unexplored contextual setting, case study research is considered an appropriate method for this study. This thesis examines factors influencing training in ten organisations in India's IT services sector. Findings from case analysis suggest that the nature and extent of training is a result of complex interaction between an organisation's internal and external environment. An organisation's competitive strategy, the service markets it caters to, clients' specifications, workplace change, employee turnover, the temporal dimension of a process/project, and process complexity are found to be important factors in training decision-making. Contrary to the established view of training as an integral part of a firm's human resource management infrastructure, this thesis finds support for strong linkages between a firm's training infrastructure and its operations management. Further, this thesis reveals the critical and unexplored link between an organisation's quality management systems and its human resource management, as well as its learning and market orientation capabilities, in shaping the nature and extent of training. Findings from the study are then used in the development of a conceptual framework for understanding training decisionmaking in dynamic and high-growth outsourcing environments. Finally, areas for future research are identified.
Logic-Based Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Authors:   , Lempp David Frieder Georg
Published: November 2021

The aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which formal logic can be applied to the topic of conflict analysis and conflict resolution. It is motivated by the idea that conflicts can be understood as inconsistent sets of goals, beliefs, norms, emotions, or the like. To achieve this aim, two formal frameworks are presented. Conflict Modelling Logic (CML) is a logical system, based on branching-time temporal logic, which can be used to describe and interpret conflicts. Conflict Resolution Logic (CRL) is a set of five algorithms, inspired by the AGM model of belief revision, which can be used to generate possible solutions to conflicts. Furthermore, two numerical measures for the 'potential conflict power' of propositional formulae and the 'degree of inconsisteny' of sets of propositional formulae are introduced. The two measures allow one to assess the role of particular elements within a conflict and the depth of a conflict. The formal framework is illustrated with the example conflict of the Second Congo War.
Missed Opportunities and Future Challenges: Globalisation, Small-Farmers and the Expanding Chilean Non-Traditional Fruit Sector
Authors:   , Chandler Tony Trevor
Published: November 2021

The following research revisits, re-examines and builds on previous and ongoing critical work into the rise of non-traditional fruit exports in Chile. The work is principally concerned with the negative distributional impacts on small-scale producers in light of the country's extensive neoliberal reforms of the mid 1970s and 1980's and their continuation under successive Concertacion governments since 1990. Attention is placed on revisiting and better understanding the phenomenon observed by Murray (1997) ten years earlier, that saw small-scale producers enter into grossly uneven bargaining relationships with large fruit export firms that tended to expose them to a disproportionately high proportion of the risks associated with exporting in the global marketplace. At the time, these processes were shown to be driving many small-scale producers into a cycle of debt- resulting in land concentration and greater inequality in the locality. In the absence of government intervention, it was predicted that these patterns would continue to threaten the livelihood and economic sustainability of the Chilean peasantry. The following dissertation demonstrates that in the ten years since 1994 significant land concentration has indeed continued to take place as predicted within the original research locality, El Palqui. But unlike in the past, where land was dominated by large haciendas, today, it is equally large, capital intensive producers - including a handful of internationally owned export firms - who are progressively extending their grip over the Chilean countryside. In light of these changes, it could therefore be argued that the Chilean countryside is developing a character gravely reminiscent of Chile's pre-reform 'semi-feudal' system. With even those small producers, who have supposedly 'successfully inserted' into the global economy facing serious financial hardship, the future looks bleak for the Chilean peasantry. This thesis argues that the continuation of land concentration is a by-product of successive Chilean governments' persistent failure to assist small-producers during and after the critical transitional phase from an inward oriented development model to an outward oriented export-led model. This failure to act represents a missed opportunity to effectively integrate smaller producers into the export sector in a manner which might have been conducive to growth with equity.