bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Divergent Synthesis of Indolenine and Indoline Ring Systems by Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Dearomatization of Indoles
Authors: Gao Dong , Jiao Lei
Published: November 2021

Dearomatized indole derivatives bearing a C3- or C2-stereocenter exist ubiquitously in natural products and biologically active molecules. Despite remarkable advances in their chemical synthesis, stereoselective and regio-divergent methods are still in a high demand. Herein, a Pd-catalyzed intermolecular asymmetric spiroannulation of 2,3-disubstituted indoles with internal alkynes has been developed for the efficient construction of indoline structures with a C2-quaternary stereocenter. Stereospecific aza-semipinacol rearrangement of these indoline derivatives under acidic conditions afforded indolenine products bearing a C3-quaternary stereocenter, where the selectivity for the rearranging group could be controlled by the reaction sequence. The asymmetric spiroannulation together with the subsequent aza-semipinacol rearrangement enabled a divergent access to dearomatized indole derivatives with either a C3- or a C2-quaternary stereocenter.
Art Appreciation for Developing Communication Skills among Preschool Children
Authors: Duh Matjaž
Published: November 2021

In the contemporary process of teaching fine arts, children’s own creative expression and art appreciation are used to encourage learners towards both perception and reception; consequently, the evaluation and internalization of works of art play an equally important role. In a qualitative empirical research study that takes the form of a case study, we studied theresponse of children to works of art and their demonstrated communication skills in this. The results have shown that children respond to works of art on multiple levels. With non-standardized narrative group interviews, we observed children’s associations. Children perceived and internalized the given artworks and also put their emotions into words. The study hasshown that systematic development of art appreciation among pre-school children can have a positive impact on their communication skills.
Introducing Teacher Mentoring in Kosovo Schools – Potential and Challenges for Sustainability
Authors: Vula Eda , Berisha Fatlume , Saqipi Blerim
Published: November 2021

This study examined the lessons learned from the introduction of a teacher mentoring culture within a teacher professional development program in selected pilot schools in Kosovo. Four mentor teachers and four mentee focus groups were involved in the open interviews, and their portfolios were examined. The important themes in terms of developing a schoolmentoring culture in a system that had lacked mentoring practices and is embarking on an ambitious curricular reform were identified. The study revealed that individual, collegial and institutional dimensions are critical in attempting to introduce the mentoring culture. The study concluded that mentoring is a mixed concept and is viewed as hierarchical but is,nevertheless, an important professional development tool for teachers who are facing the pressure of the reform. This formalized way, known as “Balkanization” culture, marks a critical step towards developing a collaborative school culture as the desired end point.
Art Appreciation as a Learned Competence: A Museum-based Qualitative Study of Adult Art Specialist and Art Non-Specialist Visitors
Authors: Bračun Sova Rajka
Published: November 2021

Since Bourdieu, it has been argued that art appreciation requires “knowledge”. The focus of this qualitative study was to examine art appreciation as a learned competence by exploring two different groups of museum visitors: art specialists and art non-specialists. The research was conducted at Moderna galerija in Ljubljana. Twenty-three adults were recruited and accompanied during their visit to the museum. Participants were requested to “think out loud”, which meant to talk about what they saw, thought, and felt about the artworks. There was a short interview conducted with each participant before entering the museum to gain insight into their art-related and museum-visiting experience. The analysis of the data revealed that some processes of art appreciation were similar within the two groups. Both art specialists and art nonspecialists interact with museum objects physically and intellectually; they see contents and formal qualities as a whole; they respond emotionally to artworks; appreciation includes their personal experience; they search museum interpretation/information for their understanding. Some noticeable differences were found. Art specialists respond to artworks with more understanding and are willing to put more effort into art appreciation, whereas art non-specialists respond with less understanding and put less effort into art appreciation. This paper focuses on the differences between the two groups; reflective and spontaneous appreciation of art, objective and subjective appreciation of art and the effort put into art appreciation. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of the study for the teaching of art and museum education.
Encouraging Family and Parent Education: Program Development and Evaluation in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Authors: Landhäusser Sandra , Faas Stefan , Treptow Rainer
Published: November 2021

Against the background of a European-wide strategy of governance aimed at improving support for parents and families, the following report details the conceptualization and evaluation of a federal state program4 in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) which was launched in 2008 to encourage family and parent education. Two program components, a voucher systemfor parents with a new-born child and an element that emphasizes educational offers for families with special needs in particular living situations, were started to increase requests for educational courses. The aim was to establish and deepen cooperation between different public and private professional services that are in contact with parents and their children.The results show that main goals of the program were reached.
Improving Problem-Solving Skills with the Help of Plane-Space Analogies
Authors: Budai László
Published: November 2021

We live our lives in three-dimensional space and encounter geometrical problems (equipment instructions, maps, etc.) every day. Yet there are not sufficient opportunities for high school students to learn geometry. New teaching methods can help remedy this. Specifically our experience indicates that there is great promise for use of geometry programs, GeoGebra and DGS, combined with plane space analogies for the development of spatial thinking and problem-solving skills in the three dimensions of solid geometry.
Live What You Teach & Teach What You Live: Student Views on the Acceptability of Teachers’ Value-Related Statements about Sustainability and Climate Change
Authors: Torkar Gregor
Published: November 2021

This paper presents the results of a survey among pre-service and inservice students of pre-school education and students of environmental sciences on the acceptability of value-laden statements made by their teachers on issues of sustainable development and climate change. Fifteen statements were provided, and students had to choose among the options »acceptable statement«, »unacceptable statement« and »cannot  decide«. The questionnaire was completed by 139 students from two universities in Slovenia. The results show that the students expect their teachers to promote the principles of sustainable development. The majority of students considered any teacher’s statement that would cast doubt on the cause or the necessity to act against climate change to be unacceptable. Teacher’s statements emphasising global issues that have, or could have, a direct impact on developed countries (e.g. climate change) received higher support than those global questions that more heavily impact underdeveloped or developing countries (e.g. poverty, child labour, access to natural resources). In the conclusion, it is emphasised that teachers should assist students in developing their own moral positions on complex issues such as sustainable development and climate change. Structured discussion techniques, such as a panel discussion, forum and debate, should be regularly and carefully implemented into lectures at the university level.
Contemporary Art and Citizenship Education: The Possibilities of Cross-Curricular Links on the Level of Content
Authors: Kemperl Metoda
Published: November 2021

Unlike the previous phenomenon of modern art, contemporary art strives to return to society and everyday life, while thematising the current issues that the individual faces here and now. One of its more frequent topics is that of sustainable development, and the accompanying issues of environment, values, relations to others, etc. All such topics are part of the concept of active citizenship, which is why understanding contemporary art calls for active citizenship. This particularly holds true for relational art, which demands active participation on the part  of the viewer. This paper inquires into the possibilities of the connection of contemporary art and citizenship education in elementary schools. Contemporary pedagogic doctrine highly encourages cross-curricular teaching; therefore, I have focused my analysis on the curricula of the subjects of Art Education, and Citizenship and Patriotic Education and Ethics, determining that (from this perspective) their link is quite troublesome. The absence of contemporary art from the curriculum of Art Education has been criticised on many occasions, but the problem of its curriculum seems to be of a conceptual nature. Only by a more intense inter-institutional link between schools and contemporary art galleries and museums can the common goals of art education and citizenship education be realised. This paper will, therefore, strive to show potential cross curricular links in content on three examples of participatorypractices (Proletarians of All Countries, Beggar Robot and EU/Others), while warning (from the pedagogic perspective) against the often neglected fact that contemporary art is experienced here and now.
Sodobna umetnost in državljanska vzgoja – vprašanje mogočih medpredmetnih povezav na vsebinski ravni
Authors: Kemperl Metoda
Published: November 2021

Sodobna umetnost se v primerjavi s predhodno moderno umetnostjo razlikuje v tem, da se spet vrača k družbi in vsakdanjemu življenju ter da tematizira aktualne težave, s katerimi se srečuje človek tukaj in zdaj. Zelo pogosta tema je trajnostni razvoj in s tem povezane vsebine, kot so: okoljevarstvo, vrednote, odnos do drugega itn. To so hkrati teme, ki sodijo v koncept aktivnega državljanstva, zato razumevanje sodobne umetnosti pravzaprav zahteva aktivno državljanstvo. Še posebej to velja za relacijsko umetnost, ki od gledalca zahteva aktivno participacijo v umetnini. V prispevku se sprašujem, kako uresničevati povezanost sodobne umetnosti in državljanske vzgoje v osnovni šoli. Sodobna pedagoška doktrina zelo spodbuja medpredmetno povezovanje, zato sem analizirala učna načrta predmetov likovna vzgoja ter državljanska in domovinska vzgoja ter etika in ugotovila, da sta s tega vidika težko povezljiva. Na odsotnost sodobne umetnosti v učnem načrtu za likovno vzgojo se sicer že dlje časa opozarja, a težava učnega načrta je konceptualne narave. Skupne cilje državljanske in likovne vzgoje je mogoče uresničevati z intenzivnejšim medinstitucionalnim povezovanjem šol z galerijami in muzeji, ki predstavljajo sodobno umetnost. Na treh primerih sodobnih umetnin, natančneje participatornih praks (Proletarier aller Länder, Žicar in EU/Others) pokažem na mogočo medpredmetno povezavo na vsebinski ravni in opozorim na s pedagoškega vidika pogosto spregledano dejstvo, da sodobno umetnost doživljamo tukaj in zdaj.
What is Needed to Develop Critical Thinking in Schools?
Authors: Radulović Lidija , Stančić Milan
Published: November 2021

Starting with the fact that school education has failed to become education for critical thinking and that one of the reasons for that could be in how education for critical thinking is conceptualised, this paper presents: (1) an analysis of the predominant approach to education for critical thinking through the implementation of special programs and methods, and (2) an attempt to establish different approaches to education for critical thinking. The overview and analysis of understanding education for developing critical thinking as the implementation of special programs reveal that it is perceived as a decontextualised activity, reduced to practicing individual intellectual skills. Foundations for a different approach, which could be characterised as the ‘education for critical competencies’, are found in ideas of critical pedagogy and open curriculum theory. This approach differs from the predominant approachin terms of how the nature and purpose of critical thinking and education for critical thinking are understood. In the approach of education for critical competencies, it is not sufficient to introduce special programs and methods for the development of critical thinking to the existing educational system. This approach emphasises the need to question and reconstruct the status, role, and power of pupils and teachers in the teaching process, but also in the process of curriculum development.
Current Policy Issues in Early Foreign Language Learning
Authors: Enever Janet
Published: November 2021

The development of policy in relation to language learning at the early primary level of schooling has received only limited attention in the literature on policy studies in general, and within the framework of an emerging education policy space across Europe specifically. This paper offers an introductory discussion of the growth of education policy in Europe,identifying the extent to which the histories of national language policies are being re-shaped by the rise of numerical data and comparison within a newly-formed European education space. A summary review of key measures of particular relevance to early language learning illustrates the scale of “soft” policy mechanisms now available as tools in an on-going process of shaping, adapting and refining policy in response to the continuously shifting language priorities that arise particularly during periods of economic instability. This paper draws on key themes from a transnational, longitudinal study of early language learning in Europe to discuss the extent to which implementation in schools has so far been moulded by a plethora of recommendations, reports and indicators formulated in response to the step change in policy development that has occurred since the publication of the Lisbon Strategy (2000).
Elementary and Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Teachers’ Classroom Management Competencies
Authors: Kalin Jana , Peklaj Cirila , Pečjak Sonja , Puklek Levpušček Melita , Valenčič Zuljan Milena
Published: November 2021

Teachers with proper training in knowledge transfer to different students, in the creation of suitable learning conditions, the motivation of students for active cooperation and peer learning, in the formation of classroom community, as well as independent and responsible personalities, can provide quality education. Teacher’s classroom management competencieslargely determine the potential of achieving educational goals and helping pupils form integral personalities. Studies show that teachers lack competencies for classroom management and ensuring discipline in the classroom. In the article, we present the results of empirical study on students’ perceptions on teachers’ classroom management competencies in two different subjects, mathematics and Slovene language. A total of 907 students from elementary and  secondary schools in Slovenia participated in the study. Differences in students’ assessments have been established in reference to school level and subject. Students’ responses show that secondary school teachers are more focused on achieving educational goals, while aspects of forming a suitable class climate remain less important. The components of quality classroom management (maintenance of supportive learning climate, trusting students) are present in Slovene classes in a larger extent in comparison to maths classes, particularly at the elementary school level. Secondary school students assessed the clarity of rules, student obligations and paying attention in class higher in maths than in Slovene. The results of student’s assessment of teacher competencies imply a need for additional research on teachers’ classroom management competencies in different curriculum subject.
Multicultural Education vs. Implicit and Explicit Ethnocentric Education: Text Analysis of a Contemporary Israeli Value Education Program
Authors: Reingold Roni , Zamir Sara
Published: November 2021

In the year 2000, Israel purportedly adopted a multicultural educational policy. It replaced the covert assimilation policy, which was referred to as ‘the integration policy’. The aim of the present study was to analyse the contemporary Israeli program of value education. Using the method of content analysis, the present study sought to determine whether the syllabiof the contemporary program reflect the adoption of a multicultural educational policy, or whether they produce only multicultural rhetoric. The findings reveal that the program reflected mainly the pluralistic approach while still maintaining traces of ethnocentric rhetoric of certain syllabi in the program.
Character Strengths and Life Satisfaction of Slovenian In-service and Pre-service Teachers
Authors: Gradišek Polona
Published: November 2021

Character strengths and life satisfaction of Slovenian in-service and preservice teachers were researched. The VIA-IS self-assessment questionnaire has been translated into the Slovenian language and has been used for the first time in Slovenia. A total of 173 primary school teachers and 77 student teachers from the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana,completed the VIA-IS and the Satisfaction with Life Scale questionnaires. The highest reported strengths in both groups studied were fairness, kindness, integrity and love. Unexpectedly, both in-service and pre-service teachers reported low endorsements of creativity; inserviceteachers also showed low endorsement of humour. Surprisingly, the lowest endorsed strength of pre-service teachers was love of learning. Correlations between strengths and life satisfaction were consistent with related research findings. Low endorsement of creativity, teachers’ humour and students’ love of learning are discussed. From the researchfindings, it can be concluded that professional environment should stimulate, as well as provide support and opportunities for teachers to build not only upon the strengths of humanity and justice, but also on those of wisdom and knowledge. There is a need in the undergraduate level of teacher education for systematic interventions regarding students’ intellectual strengths with a special focus on cultivating their creativity.
Reconstructing Parents’ Meetings in Primary Schools: The Teacher as Expert, the Parent as Advocate and the Pupil as Self-Advocate
Authors: Inglis Gillian
Published: November 2021

The efficacy of parents’ meetings in primary schools in the UK is an area in need of research. This article uses an approach informed by grounded theory to explore the experiences and satisfaction of parents, teachers and pupils regarding bi-annual meetings to discuss pupil progress. A two-phase approach was utilised, with diary-interviews with parents and teachers and group pupil interviews in Phase 1, followed by a parents’ questionnaire in Phase 2 derived from Phase 1 data. The findings from a doctoral study provide an overall more positive depiction of these meetings compared to existing research in the secondary sector. A model of the teacher as the expert and information-giver persists, but a consumerist ideology appears evident as parents seek to participate and advocate on behalf of their child. As parents become more proactive and teachers act to retain their professional authority, the interaction of the professional and advocate has excluded the perspective of the child. Thisleaves pupils in search of self-advocacy at meetings in which they are the object of discussion, but cannot be present. While pupils generally favour involvement, adults express a protectionist perspective on pupil exclusion with exceptional factors indicated as being the age of the child and the content of the meeting.
Visualisation of Animals by Children: How Do They See Birds?
Authors: Tunnicliffe Sue Dale
Published: November 2021

Children learn to recognise animals from their earliest years through actual sightings in their own observations of their world, but also through second-hand representations in various forms of media. Young learners begin with a template specimen to which they refer when they see another animal that resembles it, naming the animal accordingly. Gradually, they learn to distinguish members of the subordinate category – bird in the case of the present paper – into subcategories. Accessing their mental model through drawings is one means of discerning their interpretation of both phyla and species. If children of increasing ages are studied, a rationale for the understanding of a such concepts may be forthcoming. The present study investigated children from 6 years to 14 years though interviews, as well as through the drawings on which the paper focuses. As children mature, they observe more and more detailsabout the birds that they see, thus increasing their knowledge not from school but from their own observations outside school.
Building Partner Cooperation between Teachers and Parents
Authors: Šteh Bar , Kalin Jana
Published: November 2021

This paper presents the goals of teacher-parent cooperation, various potential models for establishing mutual cooperation, and the conditions required to achieve quality interactive cooperation. The partnership model is highlighted as an optimal model of interactive cooperation between teachers and parents, as it includes the distribution of expertise and control with the purpose of ensuring optimal education for children. It enables the creation of an interactive working relationship in which all of those involved are respected and recognised in their efforts to achieve common goals. The second part presents the findings of an empirical study carried out on a representative sample of Slovene primary schools. Teachers (N = 467) and parents (N = 1,690) were asked to express their opinions about the need for mutual cooperation, their view of each other when fulfilling their respective roles, and where they perceive the main obstacles to mutual cooperation. It became evident that teachers and parents have doubts about each other’s competence. This does not form a solid baseon which to establish and build the necessary partner relationship, and along with it mutual cooperation. Yet both groups to a large extent agree that teacher-parent cooperation is both necessary and useful. This gives rise to the question as to how to ensure that schools adopt policies promoting opportunities for better understanding, for building quality mutualrelations and for parents to become more actively involved.
Regional Educational Performance Patterns in Europe
Authors: Radó Péter
Published: November 2021

The paper aims to contribute to the assessment of the contextual relevance of various educational policies through an analysis of three aspects of the performance profiles of European countries: participation, the quality of learning outcomes and the equity of learning outcomes. Comparative analysis of international student achievement assessment surveys and statistical data reveals three European performance patterns: the compensative education systems of North and Northwest Europe, the selective education systems of Central Europe and the attritional education systems of Southeast Europe. On the basis of the identified performance patterns, the paper provides a brief outline of major trends within the Central and Southeast European regions, shares reflections on the alignment of policies that fit the distinct context of the two regions and offers a conceptual framework for further comparativeresearch.
The Big Improvement in PISA 2009 Reading Achievements in Serbia: Improvement of the Quality of Education or Something Else?
Authors: Pavlović Babić Dragica , Baucal Aleksandar
Published: November 2021

The PISA 2009 results in Serbia show a big improvement in reading literacy compared to 2006 – the average score is 41 points higher, which is equal to the effect of a whole year of schooling in OECD countries and represents the second highest improvement ever recorded in a PISAstudy. In the present paper, we discuss potential reasons for such a big improvement based on analysis of the PISA 2009 reading achievements in different countries, with a special focus on countries from the same region (Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania). The analysis shows that the largest part of the improvement was realisedat lower achieving levels, suggesting that the dominant method of teaching in schools is a traditional method oriented towards the acquisition and reproduction of academic knowledge. Findings of data analysis support the conclusion that the improvement is mainly the result of certain contextual factors, such as higher student motivation and a high level ofofficial support for the PISA study in Serbia, rather than representing a real improvement in the quality of education.
Investigating the Effectiveness of a Dynamic Integrated Approach to Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Antoniou Panayiotis , Kyriakides Leonidas , Creemers Bert
Published: November 2021

This paper argues that research on teacher professional development could be integrated with validated theoretical models of educational effectiveness research (EER). A dynamic integratedapproach (DIA) to teacher professional development is proposed. The methods and results of a study comparing the impact of the DIA and the Holistic - Reflective Approach (HA) to teacher professional development are presented. Teaching skills and teacher perceptions of teaching of 130 teachers and the achievement of their students (n=2356) were measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Teachers found to be at a certain developmental stage were randomly allocated evenly into two groups. The first group employed the DIA andthe second the HA. Teachers employing the DIA managed to improve their teaching skills more than teachers employing the HA. Teacher perceptions and attitudes towards teaching have not been modified due to their participation in the interventions. On the other hand, the use of DIA also had a significant impact on student achievement. Implications of findings for the use of EER for improvement purposes are drawn and suggestions for research and practice in teacher professional development are provided.
Recognition in Programmes for Children with Special Needs
Authors: Šmid Marjeta
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this article is to examine the factors that affect the inclusion of pupils in programmes for children with special needs from the perspective of the theory of recognition. The concept of recognition, which includes three aspects of social justice (economic, cultural and political), argues that the institutional arrangements that prevent ‘parity of participation’ in the school social life of the children with special needs are affected not only by economic distribution but also by the patterns of cultural values. A review of the literature shows that the arrangements of education of children with special needs are influenced primarily by the patterns of cultural values of capability and inferiority, as well as stereotypical images of children with special needs. Due to the significant emphasis on learning skills for academic knowledge and grades, less attention is dedicated to factors of recognition and representational character, making it impossible to improve some meaningful elements of inclusion. Any participation of pupils in activities, the voices of the children, visibility of the children due to achievements and the problems of arbitrariness in determining boundaries between programmes are some such elements. Moreover, aided by theories, the actions that could contribute to better inclusion are reviewed. An effective approach to changes would be the creation of transformative conditions for the recognition and balancing of redistribution, recognition, and representation.
"It's been a roller coaster of emotions": A phenomenological study of the lived experience of couples' first-time parenting and the mothers' return to employment. A New Zealand and Malaysian study
Authors:   , Syed Hussien Sh Fatimah
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine New Zealand and Malaysian couples’ lived experience of first-time parenting and women’s experience of returning to work. Although each member of the family has different individual experiences of a particular event, families make decisions about parenting, employment, and childcare collectively. First-time motherhood and fatherhood have been researched separately, and motherhood, extensively from a variety of disciplines. However, the holistic study of the lived experience of first-time parenthood and employment from a couple’s shared narrative is still sparse. This research explores the shared experience of both parents after the arrival of a first-born, thereby adding a new perspective to the existing literature.  In this thesis, I utilise an original synthesis of transcendental and interpretive phenomenology, guided by the works of contemporary phenomenologists Max Van Manen and Clark Moustakas. This phenomenological framework and methods aim to unpack the shared experience into two components; the essence and the peripheries. The essence of the experience is shared by all the participants, whereas the peripheries are socially and culturally dependent. Transcendental phenomenology serves to filter out the essence, and interpretive phenomenology investigates the peripheries. As part of the phenomenological analysis, I adopt epoché or bracketing through a written personal narrative. In addition, twenty-four longitudinal dyadic interviews were conducted with eight first-time parent couples from Malaysia and New Zealand. Each couple was interviewed three times to capture the experience before, during, and after the mothers’ return to employment. Following this, focus group interviews with three separate groups of eleven mothers were conducted to validate the analysis.  The thesis findings show that the lived reality of first-time parenthood for twenty-first-century couples in Malaysia and New Zealand, including breastfeeding and return to work, is an adventure into the unpredictable and the unknown, and a constant learning and emotional experience. The overall experience for the participants was a negotiation between the dissonance of the ideation and idealisation of parenthood, and the lived reality of parenthood. The landscape of parenting beliefs surrounding the family affects the families’ expectations and experience in a significant way because families make employment, childcare, and feeding arrangements pre-birth based on these beliefs and expectations. A series of recommendations is generated based on the thesis findings. Among the recommendations of the thesis is further exploration into shared couple narratives for a better understanding of familial life experience for first-time parents.
Chemical genetic analyses of compounds derived from feijoa fruit
Authors:   , Mokhtari Mona
Published: November 2021

Nature has been a rich source of pharmaceutical compounds, producing 80% of our currently prescribed drugs. The feijoa plant, Acca sellowiana, is classified in the family Myrtaceae, native to South America, and currently grown worldwide to produce feijoa fruit. Compounds with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal activities have been isolated from feijoa; however, the diversity of these compounds is not known nor is the mechanism of action of any of these compounds. I hypothesized that identifying compounds in novel feijoa cultivars would improve our understanding of the chemical diversity of antifungal compounds in feijoa and determining the antifungal mechanism of action of feijoa compounds would provide insight into the pharmaceutical potential of these compounds. First, GC-MS analyses were used to obtain an unbiased profile of 151 compounds from 16 cultivars of feijoa, of which six were novel cultivars. Multivariate analysis distinguished 18 compounds that were significantly and positively correlated to antifungal activity based on growth inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, of which seven had not previously been described from feijoa. Two novel cultivars were identified as the most bioactive cultivars, and the compound 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione found in a couple of cultivars was potently antifungal against human pathogenic isolates of four Candida species. Second, chemical genetic analyses were used to investigate the mechanism of action of estragole, an antifungal compound previously isolated from feijoa. The chemical genetic profile of estragole was distinct from that of other known antifungal compounds, suggesting the mechanism of action of estragole has a novel antifungal mechanism. Third, chemical genetic analyses were used to investigate the mechanism of action of an ethanol adduct of vescalagin (EtOH-vescalagin) isolated from feijoa. We showed EtOH-vescalagin is antifungal against human pathogenic strains. Genome-wide chemical genetic analyses of EtOH-vescalagin indicated antifungal activity is mediated by disruptions of iron homeostasis, zinc homeostasis and retromer recycling through iron chelation. Overall, these results indicate the chemical and biological value of feijoa as a source of antifungal drugs.
THINK BIG, act small
Authors:   , Roach Elyjana
Published: November 2021

Porirua City is twenty minutes north of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital. The city is fifty years young and is home to the youngest demographic in the country. The city is culturally diverse but lacks a clear architectural representation of this cultural diversity. The city has developed around a beautiful harbour but the waterfront is underutilised in the city’s urban design.   THINK BIG, act small proposes a design strategy that re-invents Porirua City’s urban future by bringing people back to its neglected water-edge. The proposition explores how design as process and outcome can empower a community for the future of a city through spatial agency and social engagement. The thesis explores the designer’s role in this process as landscape architect, architect, and social activist. A series of large, medium and small scale interventions are proposed. The Strategy is presented in three parts:  1. The Toolkit: a kit of architectural ideas designed to re-think the city’s urban environment around its relationship to water. These ideas can be deployed over time.  2. Two Temporary Projects: two small interventions from The Toolkit are tested in Porirua. An art installation and a community pop-up space are used to initiate conversations around the future of the city with people of the city.  3. The Big Move: a series of design moves, both big and small, are proposed as a composite vision for the future of Porirua. The proposition includes outcomes from the community pop-up space. The Big Move proposes a constructed wetland park, a series of blue-green streets, public pools, and housing. The aim is to establish new ecosystems that ease flooding, improve water quality, provide catalyst areas for economic growth, and create new social spaces for the city. The design aims to draw the harbour into the city. Polynesian and Maori attitudes towards land and water are integrated in the design: land is boundless and water is a bridge. A park, Te Awaura Park, is proposed as a ‘soft’ edge to the city’s existing boundary. The narrative of the park expresses the neighbourhood characterstics unique to each suburb in Porirua. The park aims to create a true local space, a space celebrating the city’s people.
The Isolation and Identification of α-Glucosidase and Lipase Inhibitors from Samoan Plant Extracts
Authors:   , Wong Soon Julian
Published: November 2021

There is a growth in the problems relating to diabetes and obesity within the Pacific region. A recent study found that nearly 20% of the Samoan population suffer from type 2 diabetes. The same study found that rates of obesity are correspondingly high, at 53% of the male population and almost 77% of the female population. Healthcare costs are high, and so this study was initiated to focus specifically on an economical, available and socially acceptable way of introducing anti-diabetic and anti-obesity treatments. Inspired by ethnobotanical interests relating to the unknown potential of plants within the Pacific Island region, a set of five Samoan plants were selected for evaluation of their potential to provide leads for anti-diabetic or anti-obesity treatments. The work presented here was carried out in collaboration with the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) which collected plant samples and provided the extracts used for the present study.  This study focused on the biological activity of the five selected Samoan plant extracts; Myristica fatua, Barringtonia samoensis, Barringtonia asiatica, Annona muricata and Neisosperma oppositifolia against pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase enzymes. The enzyme bioassays were optimised and used to validate and identify potential anti-diabetic and anti-obesity treatments from compounds isolated and identified from the samples using LC-MS/MS and NMR spectroscopy.  Two main fractions were carried forward for further fractionation and in vitro bioassay screening; one against lipase and the other against α- glucosidase. The known compound threo-dihydroguaiaretic acid was identified and isolated from Myristica fatua having the most potent lipase inhibition whereas a mixture of compounds containing alkaloids and the compound nirathin was obtained from Neisosperma oppositifolia in a fraction that exhibited the highest α-glucosidase inhibition. The kinetic modelling of both fractions were used to identify threo-dihydroguaiaretic acid having a mixed inhibition and the compound mixture inhibiting α-glucosidase competitively.
Rebuilding Sustainable Commuting in Christchurch? A mixed-methods study of the effects of workplace relocation on transport choice and emissions
Authors:   , Whitwell Kate
Published: November 2021

Tackling the challenge of climate change will require rapid emissions reductions across all sectors, including transport. This study adds to the literature by investigating factors that may encourage sustainable transport choices at a time of change and therefore reduce emissions. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to explore the impact of a relocation of employees from several dispersed work locations back to one office building in the central business district on transport choices and carbon emissions in Christchurch, New Zealand.  This case study found that such a recentralisation of employment can result in employees making more sustainable transport choices and can contribute to decreases in transport emissions from commuting, even in a highly car-dependent city. The relocation led to a 12 percent rise in the proportion of employees commuting actively or by public transport and resulted in a significant drop in commuting emissions (16 percent). The primary contributing factor was the change in location of the office itself, reducing the average commuting distance and increasing accessibility to public transport and active travel. A further contributing factor was the perceived reduction in parking availability at the new location. Further results support the existing literature on barriers to sustainable transport, identifying any factor that impacts on the feasibility of the journey by alternative modes, such as commute time or safety, as a significant barrier to uptake. Overall findings suggest that relocating offices provides a good opportunity to encourage employees to consider changing to a more sustainable commute mode, and that significant numbers may make such a shift if commute time or distance are reduced. Realising substantial mode shift however will depend on cities providing feasible and efficient sustainable alternatives to driving a car to work.
Secondhand Architecture: Finding value in the existing
Authors:   , Huynh Vi
Published: November 2021

Secondhand architecture explores the potential for significant high-density housing models to be revitalised and offered a second life.  Much of the medium to high-density housing stock built in the mid to late twentieth century is tired, derelict and under threat of demolition. Buildings from this period, both here and internationally, are increasingly dismissed as outdated for not meeting a range of today’s housing needs. A combination of technical and functional obsolescence have contributed to their downfall along with numerous social and management issues, of which local authorities are failing to recognise and act on.  Today the demand for housing is considerable. Governments and private developers seek ways to address this demand yet frequently overlook the upgrade potential that this current housing stock possesses. To some extent, this is due to failure by authorities and the public to value their intrinsic heritage and architectural significance. The impetuous decision to demolish risks compromising our living heritage and losing a portion of our significant built environment.  In New Zealand and overseas, there is a general lack of recognition for the historical significance of our modern architecture. Amongst modern buildings, the post-war high-density public housing models is considered of lesser significance here due to the higher appreciation for detached suburban housing being entrenched as the desired norm.  This thesis makes a case for adapting and reusing modern public housing to operate as living patrimony - exploring their inherent value through design and reviewing their potential to assist increasing density within our inner cities. The George Porter Tower, designed by prominent architect Ian Athfield in the 70s, faces demolition due to its perceived poor living conditions and susceptibility to earthquakes. Using the Tower as a case study, this thesis explores strategies to repair, improve and reform our significant public housing models. These strategies are explored through five layers, providing a methodology that identifies the successes and failures of the case study and guide the iterative design process.  This thesis argues for the rehabilitation of a building to address the contemporary housing requirements. In acknowledging the value of these as a critical part of our built heritage, it demonstrates how history can exist within the present to maintain links to our past. In doing so, it celebrates the continual metamorphosis of the building, adding to its heritage values.  Secondhand architecture considers that buildings should be constantly evolving, not something that is frozen as icons of the past.
"With great power comes great responsibility": Understanding the behavioural determinants of residential energy efficiency in Wellington
Authors:   , Jenkins Leanne
Published: November 2021

Recognition of the need for a transformation in our global energy systems to combat climate change has brought about an increased drive to curb energy consumption and increase energy efficiency. The residential sector is a prominent energy user and a key focus for this transition to a low carbon future. Psychology has played an increasingly important role in energy policy with an understanding that individuals act on motivators beyond economic explanations. This study provides a psychological evaluation of a residential energy efficiency intervention based in Wellington, New Zealand in order to develop a deeper understanding of how energy interventions engage participants in change and how they can be made more effective. The Wellington intervention uses a tailored information approach through a home energy audit to promote both efficiency and curtailment behaviours in local homes. By measuring before and after energy consumption changes in combination with salient psychological determinants, this quantitative study examines energy changes following the audit programme and the motivations involved in making these changes. The psychological determinants explored are the fundamental values held by programme participants as well as their level of concern for the environment. Analysis showed energy consumption changes following the audit to be variable and inconclusive as to the effectiveness of the overall programme. Values contributed a significant influence with self-transcendent values being a positive predictor of the number of efficiency behaviours implemented after the programme. This suggests that appealing to the altruistic concerns and collective interests salient within the self-transcendence value dimension when designing and implementing an intervention could aid uptake of energy conservation behaviour in future interventions.
Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Secondary Metabolites from New Zealand Marine Sponge Aaptos confertus
Authors:   , Page Charlotte
Published: November 2021

This study reports on the spectroscopy-guided isolation and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites from the New Zealand marine sponge Aaptos confertus. An extraction of the sponge material, followed by several purification steps, led to the isolation of potential new compounds CJP02 20A, CJP02 20C and CJP02 04CB, a known 2,5-diketopiperzine cyclo(L-Phe-L-Pro), and a previously reported 3-((13-methylhexadecyl)oxy)propane-1,2-diol. Corrections to the ¹H NMR data reported for 3-((13-methylhexadecyl)oxy)propane-1,2-diol were also recorded.  The relationship between the oceanic climate where a marine organism habituates and its production of secondary metabolites is discussed. The isolation of a diverse range of compounds, either novel or new to the genus, suggests that organisms originating in temperate climates are similar in value to those from tropical climates, where higher rates of predation (and therefore, selective pressure) are thought to produce superior diversity in their secondary metabolic distribution. In addition to the new compounds isolated, the diketopiperazine described is the first reported molecule of that class from the genus Aaptos.  The significance of the isolated compounds is discussed, in the context of drug discovery and development. The potential of the branched-chain mono-glycerol ether 3-((13-methylhexadecyl)oxy)propane-1,2-diol as a lipid biomarker for the genus Aaptos was examined, as this compound has only been reported from species of that genera. In addition, it’s potential as an immunomodulatory drug is discussed, including the significance of the ether linkage in contrast to the more common ester linkage. The isolation of the 2,5-diketopiperazine cyclo(L-Phe-L-Pro) new to the genus was shown to support the potential in diversity of climate and geographical distribution. This class of molecule is generated through the shikimate biosynthetic pathway; a metabolic route used by bacteria, fungi and algae. A proposed symbiotic relationship between the sponge Aaptos confertus and a proximal bacteria, fungi or algae exemplifies the value of New Zealand’s diverse and unique marine organisms.