title: Rural women’s perspectives of maternity services in the midland region of New Zealand

authors: Gibbons, Veronique

subjects: Rural

abstract: INTRODUCTION: Rural women face many challenges with regards to maternity services. Many rural primary birthing facilities in New Zealand have closed. The Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) model of maternity care, introduced in 1990, has moved provision of rural maternity care from doctors to independent midwifery services. Shortages of rural midwives in the Midland region led to rural maternity care being seen as a vulnerable service. 
AIM: To understand the views and experiences of rural women concerning maternity care, to inform the future design and provision of rural maternity services. 
METHODS: Participants were drawn from areas purposively selected to represent the five District Health Boards comprising the Midland health region. A demographic questionnaire, focus groups and individual interviews explored rural women’s perspectives of antenatal care provision. These were analysed thematically. 
RESULTS: Sixty-two women were recruited. Key themes emerging from focus groups and interviews included: access to services, the importance of safety and quality of care, the need for appropriate information at different stages, and the role of partners, family and friends in the birthing journey. While most women were happy with access to services, quality of care, provision of information, and the role of family in their care, for some women, this experience could be enhanced. 
CONCLUSION: Midwives are the frontline service for women seeking antenatal services. Support for rural midwives and for local birthing units is needed to ensure rural women receive services equal to that of their urban counterparts.

text: Rural women’s perspectives of maternity services in the midland region of New Zealand INTRODUCTION: Rural women face many challenges with regards to maternity services. Many rural primary birthing facilities in New Zealand have closed. The Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) model of maternity care, introduced in 1990, has moved provision of rural maternity care from doctors to independent midwifery services. Shortages of rural midwives in the Midland region led to rural maternity care being seen as a vulnerable service. 
AIM: To understand the views and experiences of rural women concerning maternity care, to inform the future design and provision of rural maternity services. 
METHODS: Participants were drawn from areas purposively selected to represent the five District Health Boards comprising the Midland health region. A demographic questionnaire, focus groups and individual interviews explored rural women’s perspectives of antenatal care provision. These were analysed thematically. 
RESULTS: Sixty-two women were recruited. Key themes emerging from focus groups and interviews included: access to services, the importance of safety and quality of care, the need for appropriate information at different stages, and the role of partners, family and friends in the birthing journey. While most women were happy with access to services, quality of care, provision of information, and the role of family in their care, for some women, this experience could be enhanced. 
CONCLUSION: Midwives are the frontline service for women seeking antenatal services. Support for rural midwives and for local birthing units is needed to ensure rural women receive services equal to that of their urban counterparts.

year: 2016

title: MEKA: A multi-label/multi-target extension to WEKA

authors: Read, Jesse

subjects: classification

abstract: Multi-label classification has rapidly attracted interest in the machine learning literature, and there are now a large number and considerable variety of methods for this type of learning. We present MEKA: an open-source Java framework based on the well-known WEKA library. MEKA provides interfaces to facilitate practical application, and a wealth of multi-label classifiers, evaluation metrics, and tools for multi-label experiments and development. It supports multi-label and multi-target data, including in incremental and semi- supervised contexts.

text: MEKA: A multi-label/multi-target extension to WEKA Multi-label classification has rapidly attracted interest in the machine learning literature, and there are now a large number and considerable variety of methods for this type of learning. We present MEKA: an open-source Java framework based on the well-known WEKA library. MEKA provides interfaces to facilitate practical application, and a wealth of multi-label classifiers, evaluation metrics, and tools for multi-label experiments and development. It supports multi-label and multi-target data, including in incremental and semi- supervised contexts.

year: 2016

title: Case roles / relations and discourse relations: A Maori language-based perspective

authors: Whaanga, Hēmi

subjects: case grammar

abstract: The overall aim of this research project is to explore case roles/ relations and discourse relations (referred to in this thesis as 'intra-propositional relations' and 'interpropositional relations' respectively) from the perspective of the Maori language. 
The thesis begins with an outline of the scope of the research and the approaches and methods used (Chapter 1). This is followed by a critical review of selected literature on case roles/ relations (intra-propositional relations) (see Chapter 2) and discourse relations (inter-propositional relations) (see Chapter 3) where it is noted that some of the relational theories and models appear to lack descriptive and/or explanatory adequacy. 
In Chapter 4, two models (an intra-propositional relational model and an interpropositional relational model) are developed on the basis of the critical review in Chapters 2 and 3, and these models are applied to a written corpus of Maori language texts, the primary aim being to track the ways in which intra-propositional and interpropositional relations are signalled in Maori. 
In Chapter 5, l supplement the corpus-based findings reported in Chapter 4 by reexamining the findings of two earlier studies from the perspective of the models introduced in Chapter 4. One of these earlier studies, reported in the early 1980s, is concerned with the distribution of prepositions in Maori in relation to case roles/ relations (intra-propositional relations); the other, produced much more recently (in 2001) is concerned with the signalling in Maori of a selection of what are referred to in that Work as 'semantico-pragmatic relations' (inter-propositional relations). 
Chapter 6 provides an overview of the research and a summary of the findings, together with an indication of its limitations, possible areas of application, and suggestions for future research.

text: Case roles / relations and discourse relations: A Maori language-based perspective The overall aim of this research project is to explore case roles/ relations and discourse relations (referred to in this thesis as 'intra-propositional relations' and 'interpropositional relations' respectively) from the perspective of the Maori language. 
The thesis begins with an outline of the scope of the research and the approaches and methods used (Chapter 1). This is followed by a critical review of selected literature on case roles/ relations (intra-propositional relations) (see Chapter 2) and discourse relations (inter-propositional relations) (see Chapter 3) where it is noted that some of the relational theories and models appear to lack descriptive and/or explanatory adequacy. 
In Chapter 4, two models (an intra-propositional relational model and an interpropositional relational model) are developed on the basis of the critical review in Chapters 2 and 3, and these models are applied to a written corpus of Maori language texts, the primary aim being to track the ways in which intra-propositional and interpropositional relations are signalled in Maori. 
In Chapter 5, l supplement the corpus-based findings reported in Chapter 4 by reexamining the findings of two earlier studies from the perspective of the models introduced in Chapter 4. One of these earlier studies, reported in the early 1980s, is concerned with the distribution of prepositions in Maori in relation to case roles/ relations (intra-propositional relations); the other, produced much more recently (in 2001) is concerned with the signalling in Maori of a selection of what are referred to in that Work as 'semantico-pragmatic relations' (inter-propositional relations). 
Chapter 6 provides an overview of the research and a summary of the findings, together with an indication of its limitations, possible areas of application, and suggestions for future research.

year: 2006