title: Catching and displaying memory cues for a mobile augmented memory system

authors: Bellamy, Jake

subjects: computer science

abstract: This report goes over and details the progress of the 2013 COMP477 project “Augmenting Memory: The Digital Parrot on Mobile Devices” undertaken by Jake Bellamy and supervised by Annika Hinze at the University of Waikato.

The report begins with an overview on the problem with remembering events in people’s lives and details the background information on the Digital Parrot system. It also describes the previous project that preceded this one, which began to conceptualize the Digital Parrot on mobile devices. It analyses problems with the current design of the system and addresses them.

The report then goes on to conduct an in depth user study with the functioning version of the software. The user study finds design flaws and incorrect functionality in the application that would not have otherwise been apparent.

Finally, the report concludes with a proposed user interface concept that addresses all of the issues found in the user study and describes how the system would work. It describes the initial implementation that has begun in building this system.

text: Catching and displaying memory cues for a mobile augmented memory system This report goes over and details the progress of the 2013 COMP477 project “Augmenting Memory: The Digital Parrot on Mobile Devices” undertaken by Jake Bellamy and supervised by Annika Hinze at the University of Waikato.

The report begins with an overview on the problem with remembering events in people’s lives and details the background information on the Digital Parrot system. It also describes the previous project that preceded this one, which began to conceptualize the Digital Parrot on mobile devices. It analyses problems with the current design of the system and addresses them.

The report then goes on to conduct an in depth user study with the functioning version of the software. The user study finds design flaws and incorrect functionality in the application that would not have otherwise been apparent.

Finally, the report concludes with a proposed user interface concept that addresses all of the issues found in the user study and describes how the system would work. It describes the initial implementation that has begun in building this system.

year: 2013-12

title: The effects of early handling on dairy calves' physiological and behavioural responses to routine husbandry procedures

authors: Shepherd, Haley Marie

subjects: handling

abstract: The quality and quantity of human-animal interactions are crucial to animal welfare, productivity and management of livestock on-farm. Forty Holstein Friesian calves, from one week of age, were exposed to experimental handling for five minutes twice daily for five weeks. Calves were allocated to either positive or negative handling treatments (n=20 per treatment). Positive handling required handlers to slowly approach calves whilst using soft voices to encourage voluntary friendly interactions such as gentle pats. Negative handling consisted of continuous 45 second cycles of direct and indirect handling to discourage friendly interactions. Direct handling required handlers to use fast movements and harsh voices whilst forcibly moving animals around the pen. Indirect handling required handlers to stand in the pen, stare at the animals and tap a polyurethane pipe to make noise to maintain disturbance. Two other novel objects, a plastic bag and an empty water bottle filled with stones, were alternatively used each week to prevent habituation to the negative stimulus. At six weeks of age, all animals were subjected to three routine management procedures: restraint, ear tagging and disbudding, which occurred in stated order over a week period. There were no significant treatment differences between positive and negative groups for heart rate or heart rate variability (measured using Polar heart rate watches), eye temperature (measured using infrared thermography), respiration rates (measured visually), struggling behaviour, and plasma cortisol levels (measured during disbudding only). There were however within treatment differences in response to ear tagging, with an increase in heart rate (p less than 0.01) post-ear tagging, and in response to disbudding with an increase in heart rate (p less than 0.001), tail flicking(p less than 0.001) and cortisol levels (p less than 0.001). It was concluded that, under the conditions of this experiment, early handling does not affect the behavioural and physiological responses of calves to routine management procedures.
In a follow up trial at three months of age, the initial 40 animals and 20 additional three month old minimally handled animals (controls) were assessed for ease of handling using a force test, which ranked the time and effort required to move animals individually into a crush, and an exit speed test which recorded the animals speed exiting the crush, after two minutes of restraint. There were no significant differences between positive, negative and minimally handled treatment groups for heart rate, respiration rates or behaviour in the crush. However, the minimally handled group did appear to be more fearful of humans, with a significantly quicker entry time (p less than 0.05) into the crush than positive and negative treatment groups. There were no differences in entry scores for effort required to move the animals during the force test or for exit speeds. It was concluded that, under the conditions of the present experiment, initial early handling does not appear to cause long lasting effects on calves' behavioural and physiological responses to routine farm management procedures, but minimal contact with humans early in life may lead to a fear of humans later in life.

text: The effects of early handling on dairy calves' physiological and behavioural responses to routine husbandry procedures The quality and quantity of human-animal interactions are crucial to animal welfare, productivity and management of livestock on-farm. Forty Holstein Friesian calves, from one week of age, were exposed to experimental handling for five minutes twice daily for five weeks. Calves were allocated to either positive or negative handling treatments (n=20 per treatment). Positive handling required handlers to slowly approach calves whilst using soft voices to encourage voluntary friendly interactions such as gentle pats. Negative handling consisted of continuous 45 second cycles of direct and indirect handling to discourage friendly interactions. Direct handling required handlers to use fast movements and harsh voices whilst forcibly moving animals around the pen. Indirect handling required handlers to stand in the pen, stare at the animals and tap a polyurethane pipe to make noise to maintain disturbance. Two other novel objects, a plastic bag and an empty water bottle filled with stones, were alternatively used each week to prevent habituation to the negative stimulus. At six weeks of age, all animals were subjected to three routine management procedures: restraint, ear tagging and disbudding, which occurred in stated order over a week period. There were no significant treatment differences between positive and negative groups for heart rate or heart rate variability (measured using Polar heart rate watches), eye temperature (measured using infrared thermography), respiration rates (measured visually), struggling behaviour, and plasma cortisol levels (measured during disbudding only). There were however within treatment differences in response to ear tagging, with an increase in heart rate (p less than 0.01) post-ear tagging, and in response to disbudding with an increase in heart rate (p less than 0.001), tail flicking(p less than 0.001) and cortisol levels (p less than 0.001). It was concluded that, under the conditions of this experiment, early handling does not affect the behavioural and physiological responses of calves to routine management procedures.
In a follow up trial at three months of age, the initial 40 animals and 20 additional three month old minimally handled animals (controls) were assessed for ease of handling using a force test, which ranked the time and effort required to move animals individually into a crush, and an exit speed test which recorded the animals speed exiting the crush, after two minutes of restraint. There were no significant differences between positive, negative and minimally handled treatment groups for heart rate, respiration rates or behaviour in the crush. However, the minimally handled group did appear to be more fearful of humans, with a significantly quicker entry time (p less than 0.05) into the crush than positive and negative treatment groups. There were no differences in entry scores for effort required to move the animals during the force test or for exit speeds. It was concluded that, under the conditions of the present experiment, initial early handling does not appear to cause long lasting effects on calves' behavioural and physiological responses to routine farm management procedures, but minimal contact with humans early in life may lead to a fear of humans later in life.

year: 2010

title: Ya got ta know when ta hold ‘em: Maori women and gambling

authors: Morrison, Laurie Elena

subjects: Maori

abstract: Gambling among Maori women is under-researched. In this study, I interviewed thirty Maori
women to investigate how they got involved in gambling, what maintained their gambling and
what they thought might help to moderate their gambling. I found that the whanau was central
to understanding these issues. As children, my participants were exposed to gambling within
their whanau. As adults, whanau and other social support relationships were an integral part of
their gambling, which most commonly occurred in the context of card schools and housie. A
sense of reciprocity was important in both forms of gambling. Card schools were reported to be
close-knit groups within which the money circulated, giving all a chance to win. By playing
housie, the women felt that they were contributing to the welfare of their marae. Through the
social bonds of gambling and the acquisition of skills, gambling contributed to these women’s
sense of identity. On the other hand, financial and relationship difficulties were identified as
negative consequences of gambling. The women felt there was a need for Maori-focused
services for problem gambling.

text: Ya got ta know when ta hold ‘em: Maori women and gambling Gambling among Maori women is under-researched. In this study, I interviewed thirty Maori
women to investigate how they got involved in gambling, what maintained their gambling and
what they thought might help to moderate their gambling. I found that the whanau was central
to understanding these issues. As children, my participants were exposed to gambling within
their whanau. As adults, whanau and other social support relationships were an integral part of
their gambling, which most commonly occurred in the context of card schools and housie. A
sense of reciprocity was important in both forms of gambling. Card schools were reported to be
close-knit groups within which the money circulated, giving all a chance to win. By playing
housie, the women felt that they were contributing to the welfare of their marae. Through the
social bonds of gambling and the acquisition of skills, gambling contributed to these women’s
sense of identity. On the other hand, financial and relationship difficulties were identified as
negative consequences of gambling. The women felt there was a need for Maori-focused
services for problem gambling.

year: 1999