title: Aspects of protease production by Thermus strain Ok6 and other New Zealand isolates

authors: Jones, Colin W.

subjects: biology

abstract: Thirteen strains of Thermus isolated from New Zealand hot pools were screened for their ability to grow on minimal or near-minimal media and to exhibit extracellular protease activity. Environmental regulation of protease production by one such strain, Thermus Ok6, was investigated in detail. Protease activity was maximally derepressed during growth under conditions which lead to energy starvation (i.e. highly oxidized carbon substrate, oxygen limitation, slow growth rate and a high external pH), and was variably repressed by different nitrogen sources. These results suggest that the function of the enzyme is to scavenge carbon/energy and nitrogen. The protease was loosely attached to the cell under these growth conditions but could be released by growing the organism in high concentrations of trypticase peptone plus yeast extract, by exposing the culture to moderate shear forces or by washing cells in high ionic strength solutions of various inorganic salts, organic acids or amino acids. A simple and rapid procedure for the partial purification of the enzyme is described.

text: Aspects of protease production by Thermus strain Ok6 and other New Zealand isolates Thirteen strains of Thermus isolated from New Zealand hot pools were screened for their ability to grow on minimal or near-minimal media and to exhibit extracellular protease activity. Environmental regulation of protease production by one such strain, Thermus Ok6, was investigated in detail. Protease activity was maximally derepressed during growth under conditions which lead to energy starvation (i.e. highly oxidized carbon substrate, oxygen limitation, slow growth rate and a high external pH), and was variably repressed by different nitrogen sources. These results suggest that the function of the enzyme is to scavenge carbon/energy and nitrogen. The protease was loosely attached to the cell under these growth conditions but could be released by growing the organism in high concentrations of trypticase peptone plus yeast extract, by exposing the culture to moderate shear forces or by washing cells in high ionic strength solutions of various inorganic salts, organic acids or amino acids. A simple and rapid procedure for the partial purification of the enzyme is described.

year: 1988

title: Soil climate and permafrost temperature monitoring in the McMurdo Sound region, Antarctica

authors: Adlam, Leah Seree

subjects: Permafrost

abstract: A soil climate monitoring network, consisting of seven automated weather stations, was established between 1999 and 2003 in the McMurdo Sound region of Antarctica. Soil temperature, soil water content, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed and direction are recorded hourly and downloaded annually. Two 30 m deep permafrost temperature monitoring boreholes were established adjacent to the soil climate stations in the Wright Valley and at Marble Point in January 2007. Sixteen thermistors (accurate to ±0.1°C) were installed in each borehole measuring temperature once every hour and recording the mean every six hours. One year of permafrost temperatures were available (January 2007 to January 2008). The overall aim of this thesis was to make use of the soil climate monitoring database from 1999 to 2007 to investigate Antarctic soil climate.

Active layer depth (depth of thawing) varied inter-annually, with no significant trend between 1999 and 2007. The active layer increased with decreasing latitude (R2 = 0.94), and decreased with increasing altitude (R2 = 0.95). A multiple regression model was produced whereby active layer depth was predicted as a function of mean summer air temperature, mean winter air temperature, total summer solar radiation and mean summer wind speed (R2 = 0.73). 

Annual temperature cycles were observed at all depths in the boreholes. At Marble Point, an annual temperature range of lt;1°C occurred at 15.2 m, lt;0.5°C at 18.4 m and lt;0.1°C at 26.4 m and at Wright Valley, an annual temperature range of lt;1°C occurred at 14.0 m, lt;0.5°C at 17.2 m and lt;0.1°C at 25.2 m. Given that the depth of  Zero Annual Amplitude  determined depends on the sensitivity of the measurement method, it is suggested that instead of referring to a depth of  Zero Annual Amplitude , the depth at which the annual temperature range is less than a given value is a more useful concept. 

Mean annual and mean seasonal air and soil temperatures varied inter-annually and there was no significant trend of warming or cooling over the 1999 - 2007 period. Mean annual air temperatures were primarily influenced by winter air temperatures. Mean annual and mean summer soil temperatures were warmer than air temperatures due to heating by solar radiation. Mean summer air temperatures correlated well with the Southern Annular Mode Index (SAMI) at all sites (0.61 lt; R2 lt; 0.73) except Victoria Valley; however there was no correlation between mean annual or mean winter temperatures and the SAMI. 

Air temperature was linearly correlated with near-surface soil temperature (1.3 - 7.5 cm) 
(R2 gt; 0.79). Near-surface soil temperature was strongly correlated with incoming solar radiation at Victoria Valley (0.14 lt; R2 lt; 0.76) and Granite Harbour (0.49 lt; R2 lt; 0.82), but was not significantly correlated at other sites (0 lt; R2 lt; 0.57). There was no significant correlation between air temperature and wind speed, air temperature and solar radiation and near-surface soil temperature and wind speed, despite occasions of strong correlation on the diurnal time scale. Diurnal summer cycles in air and soil temperatures were driven by solar radiation. Multiple regressions combining the effects of air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed approximated near-surface soil temperatures well at every site during both summer and winter (0.88 lt; R2 lt; 0.98).

text: Soil climate and permafrost temperature monitoring in the McMurdo Sound region, Antarctica A soil climate monitoring network, consisting of seven automated weather stations, was established between 1999 and 2003 in the McMurdo Sound region of Antarctica. Soil temperature, soil water content, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed and direction are recorded hourly and downloaded annually. Two 30 m deep permafrost temperature monitoring boreholes were established adjacent to the soil climate stations in the Wright Valley and at Marble Point in January 2007. Sixteen thermistors (accurate to ±0.1°C) were installed in each borehole measuring temperature once every hour and recording the mean every six hours. One year of permafrost temperatures were available (January 2007 to January 2008). The overall aim of this thesis was to make use of the soil climate monitoring database from 1999 to 2007 to investigate Antarctic soil climate.

Active layer depth (depth of thawing) varied inter-annually, with no significant trend between 1999 and 2007. The active layer increased with decreasing latitude (R2 = 0.94), and decreased with increasing altitude (R2 = 0.95). A multiple regression model was produced whereby active layer depth was predicted as a function of mean summer air temperature, mean winter air temperature, total summer solar radiation and mean summer wind speed (R2 = 0.73). 

Annual temperature cycles were observed at all depths in the boreholes. At Marble Point, an annual temperature range of lt;1°C occurred at 15.2 m, lt;0.5°C at 18.4 m and lt;0.1°C at 26.4 m and at Wright Valley, an annual temperature range of lt;1°C occurred at 14.0 m, lt;0.5°C at 17.2 m and lt;0.1°C at 25.2 m. Given that the depth of  Zero Annual Amplitude  determined depends on the sensitivity of the measurement method, it is suggested that instead of referring to a depth of  Zero Annual Amplitude , the depth at which the annual temperature range is less than a given value is a more useful concept. 

Mean annual and mean seasonal air and soil temperatures varied inter-annually and there was no significant trend of warming or cooling over the 1999 - 2007 period. Mean annual air temperatures were primarily influenced by winter air temperatures. Mean annual and mean summer soil temperatures were warmer than air temperatures due to heating by solar radiation. Mean summer air temperatures correlated well with the Southern Annular Mode Index (SAMI) at all sites (0.61 lt; R2 lt; 0.73) except Victoria Valley; however there was no correlation between mean annual or mean winter temperatures and the SAMI. 

Air temperature was linearly correlated with near-surface soil temperature (1.3 - 7.5 cm) 
(R2 gt; 0.79). Near-surface soil temperature was strongly correlated with incoming solar radiation at Victoria Valley (0.14 lt; R2 lt; 0.76) and Granite Harbour (0.49 lt; R2 lt; 0.82), but was not significantly correlated at other sites (0 lt; R2 lt; 0.57). There was no significant correlation between air temperature and wind speed, air temperature and solar radiation and near-surface soil temperature and wind speed, despite occasions of strong correlation on the diurnal time scale. Diurnal summer cycles in air and soil temperatures were driven by solar radiation. Multiple regressions combining the effects of air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed approximated near-surface soil temperatures well at every site during both summer and winter (0.88 lt; R2 lt; 0.98).

year: 2009

title: E kore e ngaro, he takere waka nui: Te mātauranga whakatere waka me ōna take nunui

authors: Tuaupiki, Jackie Whetumarama

abstract: E kapi ana te hautoru o te ao i te Moana nui a Kiwa. I ngā tau manomano ka huri, ka puea ake i Āhia ki te tonga mā rāwhiti, he iwi māia, he iwi mātau ki te hanga me te whakatere i ō rātou waka. Ka tupu ngātahi hoki i a rātou tētehi mātauranga whakatere i tarawhitia e rātou ngā tōpito katoa o te Moana nui a Kiwa. Koinei ngā tāngata tuatahi, nāna i kau ngā ara terenga waka onamata. Nō ngā tau maha i muri iho, ka whanake tēnei mātauranga me tō rātou hangarau waka, ā, ka tīmata ngā terenga whakawhiti roa e tau haeretia ana ngā moutere o Poronīhia, tatū mai ki Aotearoa. Engari ia, i roto i te wā, i tino waikauere ngā mahi whakatere waka, ā, i ētehi moutere o Poronīhia, i wairuhi kau, he mahara noa i mau i te kōrero tuku iho. Ko tātou tērā, te iwi Māori.

Otirā, i roto i ngā tau e whā tekau ka pahemo atu rā, kua whakawhāiti mai tētehi ohu ki te whakahaumanu i ngā mahi whakatere waka me tōna mātauranga. He waka hourua kua hangaia i Poronīhia, i te ātārangi tawhito hei amo i ngā whakamanawatanga o ngā iwi me ngā kaupapa whakarauora i ēnei mahi tūpuna. Ka tika te oha ki te hunga hāpai kura i takere nui ai, i haumi tūporo ai ki te whakahaumanu i te mātauranga whakatere waka. Nō reira, o ngā mahi rangatira kua tutuki i te rāngai waka i Aotearoa i ngā tau tata nei, ko tā tēnei rangahau, he kohura i ētehi o ngā take nunui me ngā kaupapa whakahirahira e puta mai ana i mua i te aroaro o te mātauranga whakatere waka me ōna kaumoana i ēnei rangi, ki tā te Māori titiro. Waihoki, ko te pānga o aua take nunui ki te ahurea Māori. Koinei te matū o tēnei tuhinga kairangi. He pūtoi whakaaro, he whakaemieminga kōrero ki te whakatakoto i ngā huatau o ngā puhi kai moana Māori e tākawe ana i tēnei wānanga.

Mātua rā, e kore e tukua kia riro anō ngā mahi whakatere waka i te nenewhatanga o te rā, tau ki te rua. Kua whakatupuria e te wā he kura kaumoana Māori, māna ngā take matua o tēnei tuhinga roa e whakatutuki ki tua i te pae kai ao.

“E kore e ngaro, he takere waka nui”

text: E kore e ngaro, he takere waka nui: Te mātauranga whakatere waka me ōna take nunui E kapi ana te hautoru o te ao i te Moana nui a Kiwa. I ngā tau manomano ka huri, ka puea ake i Āhia ki te tonga mā rāwhiti, he iwi māia, he iwi mātau ki te hanga me te whakatere i ō rātou waka. Ka tupu ngātahi hoki i a rātou tētehi mātauranga whakatere i tarawhitia e rātou ngā tōpito katoa o te Moana nui a Kiwa. Koinei ngā tāngata tuatahi, nāna i kau ngā ara terenga waka onamata. Nō ngā tau maha i muri iho, ka whanake tēnei mātauranga me tō rātou hangarau waka, ā, ka tīmata ngā terenga whakawhiti roa e tau haeretia ana ngā moutere o Poronīhia, tatū mai ki Aotearoa. Engari ia, i roto i te wā, i tino waikauere ngā mahi whakatere waka, ā, i ētehi moutere o Poronīhia, i wairuhi kau, he mahara noa i mau i te kōrero tuku iho. Ko tātou tērā, te iwi Māori.

Otirā, i roto i ngā tau e whā tekau ka pahemo atu rā, kua whakawhāiti mai tētehi ohu ki te whakahaumanu i ngā mahi whakatere waka me tōna mātauranga. He waka hourua kua hangaia i Poronīhia, i te ātārangi tawhito hei amo i ngā whakamanawatanga o ngā iwi me ngā kaupapa whakarauora i ēnei mahi tūpuna. Ka tika te oha ki te hunga hāpai kura i takere nui ai, i haumi tūporo ai ki te whakahaumanu i te mātauranga whakatere waka. Nō reira, o ngā mahi rangatira kua tutuki i te rāngai waka i Aotearoa i ngā tau tata nei, ko tā tēnei rangahau, he kohura i ētehi o ngā take nunui me ngā kaupapa whakahirahira e puta mai ana i mua i te aroaro o te mātauranga whakatere waka me ōna kaumoana i ēnei rangi, ki tā te Māori titiro. Waihoki, ko te pānga o aua take nunui ki te ahurea Māori. Koinei te matū o tēnei tuhinga kairangi. He pūtoi whakaaro, he whakaemieminga kōrero ki te whakatakoto i ngā huatau o ngā puhi kai moana Māori e tākawe ana i tēnei wānanga.

Mātua rā, e kore e tukua kia riro anō ngā mahi whakatere waka i te nenewhatanga o te rā, tau ki te rua. Kua whakatupuria e te wā he kura kaumoana Māori, māna ngā take matua o tēnei tuhinga roa e whakatutuki ki tua i te pae kai ao.

“E kore e ngaro, he takere waka nui”

year: 2017