title: Negotiating fairness and diversity: What can stories from one kindergarten teach us?

authors: Kelly, Janette

abstract: I am delighted to be presenting here today. It is lovely to be among friends, and to have had great visits to a number of Inspired Kindergartens this year. I saw Year Ones on Practicum, and then took Year Two students to look at functional and aesthetic kindergarten environments near the Polytech - many students had never seen such amazing quality environments before.
Today, I am here to share stories from my recently submitted PhD.  The ‘data generation’ phase of the action research took place over seven months in a kindergarten community (known by the pseudonym of Beech Kindergarten) in 2014. The research was concerned with diversity and fairness and we all learnt a great deal about the children, families, each other and ourselves during the process. 
I was particularly interested in how fairness and various aspects of diversity were being negotiated between teachers, children, parents and whānau, and the researcher (participant/ observer). And I have had the past 3.5 years to view and review the data over and over alongside lots of literature in the process of writing up the 94,000 371 page thesis.

text: Negotiating fairness and diversity: What can stories from one kindergarten teach us? I am delighted to be presenting here today. It is lovely to be among friends, and to have had great visits to a number of Inspired Kindergartens this year. I saw Year Ones on Practicum, and then took Year Two students to look at functional and aesthetic kindergarten environments near the Polytech - many students had never seen such amazing quality environments before.
Today, I am here to share stories from my recently submitted PhD.  The ‘data generation’ phase of the action research took place over seven months in a kindergarten community (known by the pseudonym of Beech Kindergarten) in 2014. The research was concerned with diversity and fairness and we all learnt a great deal about the children, families, each other and ourselves during the process. 
I was particularly interested in how fairness and various aspects of diversity were being negotiated between teachers, children, parents and whānau, and the researcher (participant/ observer). And I have had the past 3.5 years to view and review the data over and over alongside lots of literature in the process of writing up the 94,000 371 page thesis.

year: 2018

title: Protein-Intercalated Bentonite as Nano-Reinforcement in Bloodmeal-Based Bioplastics

authors: Shamsuddin, Rashid M.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Novatein Thermoplastic Protein (NTP) is a biopolymer produced by modifying bloodmeal to a thermoplastic material, but requires reinforcement to improve mechanical properties. Proteinintercalated calcium (CaBt) and sodium bentonite (NaBt) were investigated as nano-scale reinforcements in NTP. These were prepared by recovering proteins from meat processing wastewater called stickwater, thereby reducing treatment cost and intercalating protein into clay layers in a single step. Using stickwater-modified NaBt improved the composite’s tensile strength by 23% (at 0.5 parts per hundred bloodmeal, pphBM) and Young’s modulus by 17% compared to standard NTP. Stickwater treatment greatly improved the compatibility of bentonite with NTP compared to gelatin-treated bentonite whose resulting composites only had similar or slightly improved mechanical properties. The improved mechanical properties are parallel with other improvements observed in thermal, crystallinity and filler distribution. Potential applications include plant pots and seedling trays for plant nursery and agricultural disposable tools such as weasand clips, nails and barbs.

text: Protein-Intercalated Bentonite as Nano-Reinforcement in Bloodmeal-Based Bioplastics Novatein Thermoplastic Protein (NTP) is a biopolymer produced by modifying bloodmeal to a thermoplastic material, but requires reinforcement to improve mechanical properties. Proteinintercalated calcium (CaBt) and sodium bentonite (NaBt) were investigated as nano-scale reinforcements in NTP. These were prepared by recovering proteins from meat processing wastewater called stickwater, thereby reducing treatment cost and intercalating protein into clay layers in a single step. Using stickwater-modified NaBt improved the composite’s tensile strength by 23% (at 0.5 parts per hundred bloodmeal, pphBM) and Young’s modulus by 17% compared to standard NTP. Stickwater treatment greatly improved the compatibility of bentonite with NTP compared to gelatin-treated bentonite whose resulting composites only had similar or slightly improved mechanical properties. The improved mechanical properties are parallel with other improvements observed in thermal, crystallinity and filler distribution. Potential applications include plant pots and seedling trays for plant nursery and agricultural disposable tools such as weasand clips, nails and barbs.

year: 2015

title: Boat electrofishing surveys of fish populations in the Ohau Channel in 2011 and 2012

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the fifth and sixth years of sampling (2011 and 2012) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel.

We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 399 fish (29.4 kg) from 10 sites in 2011 (2,420 linear m, 9,680 m² area) and 301 fish (12.8 kg) at 11 sites in 2012 (3,625 linear m, 14,500 m² area). Koura and 7 fish species were present in both years, with common bully the most abundant in 2011 and common smelt the most abundant in 2012. Common smelt were more abundant in 2012 (131 fish) than in 2011 (39 fish). Goldfish were most abundant at sites in the lower channel, especially at site 7.

As reflected in total numbers, common bullies had the highest densities of any fish species in 2011 (up to 7.4 fish 100 m⁻²), the majority of which were taken from edge habitats at sites 4, 5 and site 7. In 2012, common bully abundance was much reduced. However, despite the lower bully densities in 2012, mean bully biomass was higher in 2012 (1.00 g m⁻²) than in 2011 (0.04 g m⁻²) because bullies were smaller in 2011.

Common smelt had variable densities, the largest number of which was found in and around the excavated side branch at site 7 edge habitats (up to 14.7 fish 100 m⁻²) below the weir (site 1).

Mean density of rainbow trout in the Ohau Channel was similar in both years (0.27 fish 100 m⁻² in 2011,0.24 fish 100 m⁻² in 2012). Mean biomass of rainbow trout was much greater in 2012 (0.69 g m⁻² in 2011, 11.2 g m⁻² in 2012). Goldfish densities were greater in 2012, partly because goldfish at site 7 were targeted in 2012, and mean biomass was correspondingly greater (0.48 g m⁻² in 2011, 47.7 g m⁻² in 2012). Site 7 had 282 g m⁻² of goldfish biomass in 2012.

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies in 2011 was twice that in 2012, reflecting lower densities in 2012. Common smelt CPUE in 2012, however, was 5 times greater than in 2011. Despite the much higher biomass of goldfish in 2012, CPUE was much the same.
The increased goldfish biomass in 2012 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. In 2012, the first shortfin eel encountered in these surveys was caught. The abundance of common bully appears to have a clear trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of this is not apparent, and not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disk (BD) distance or water conductivity (Table 7). Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BD was greater in 2012 than in 2011. It is possible that smelt abundance has declined too, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing must be considered. Independent verification is required.

text: Boat electrofishing surveys of fish populations in the Ohau Channel in 2011 and 2012 The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the fifth and sixth years of sampling (2011 and 2012) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel.

We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 399 fish (29.4 kg) from 10 sites in 2011 (2,420 linear m, 9,680 m² area) and 301 fish (12.8 kg) at 11 sites in 2012 (3,625 linear m, 14,500 m² area). Koura and 7 fish species were present in both years, with common bully the most abundant in 2011 and common smelt the most abundant in 2012. Common smelt were more abundant in 2012 (131 fish) than in 2011 (39 fish). Goldfish were most abundant at sites in the lower channel, especially at site 7.

As reflected in total numbers, common bullies had the highest densities of any fish species in 2011 (up to 7.4 fish 100 m⁻²), the majority of which were taken from edge habitats at sites 4, 5 and site 7. In 2012, common bully abundance was much reduced. However, despite the lower bully densities in 2012, mean bully biomass was higher in 2012 (1.00 g m⁻²) than in 2011 (0.04 g m⁻²) because bullies were smaller in 2011.

Common smelt had variable densities, the largest number of which was found in and around the excavated side branch at site 7 edge habitats (up to 14.7 fish 100 m⁻²) below the weir (site 1).

Mean density of rainbow trout in the Ohau Channel was similar in both years (0.27 fish 100 m⁻² in 2011,0.24 fish 100 m⁻² in 2012). Mean biomass of rainbow trout was much greater in 2012 (0.69 g m⁻² in 2011, 11.2 g m⁻² in 2012). Goldfish densities were greater in 2012, partly because goldfish at site 7 were targeted in 2012, and mean biomass was correspondingly greater (0.48 g m⁻² in 2011, 47.7 g m⁻² in 2012). Site 7 had 282 g m⁻² of goldfish biomass in 2012.

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies in 2011 was twice that in 2012, reflecting lower densities in 2012. Common smelt CPUE in 2012, however, was 5 times greater than in 2011. Despite the much higher biomass of goldfish in 2012, CPUE was much the same.
The increased goldfish biomass in 2012 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. In 2012, the first shortfin eel encountered in these surveys was caught. The abundance of common bully appears to have a clear trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of this is not apparent, and not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disk (BD) distance or water conductivity (Table 7). Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BD was greater in 2012 than in 2011. It is possible that smelt abundance has declined too, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing must be considered. Independent verification is required.

year: 2013