title: Bioavailability of phosphorus transported during storm flow to a eutrophic, polymictic lake

authors: Abell, Jonathan Michael

subjects: algal assays

abstract: The bioavailability of catchment-derived particulate phosphorus (PP) to lentic phytoplankton was investigated. Two stream inflows to Lake Rotorua (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand) were sampled during moderate (March) and large (August) discharge peaks in 2012. Phosphorus (P) fractions in samples were quantified and a bioassay was undertaken using samples from the March event to determine whether P-limited phytoplankton could utilise PP. Phosphorus composition differed markedly between events but was comparable between streams. For the March event, all PP (persulphate extractable) was bioavailable if exposed to anoxia, whereas c. 25% was potentially bioavailable for the August event. Despite this, the laboratory bioassay indicated that, under oxic conditions, suspended sediments acted as a sink rather than a source of bioavailable P to P-limited phytoplankton. This study highlights the importance of considering P speciation and the nature of the receiving environment when assessing the bioavailability of P transported through hydrological landscapes.

text: Bioavailability of phosphorus transported during storm flow to a eutrophic, polymictic lake The bioavailability of catchment-derived particulate phosphorus (PP) to lentic phytoplankton was investigated. Two stream inflows to Lake Rotorua (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand) were sampled during moderate (March) and large (August) discharge peaks in 2012. Phosphorus (P) fractions in samples were quantified and a bioassay was undertaken using samples from the March event to determine whether P-limited phytoplankton could utilise PP. Phosphorus composition differed markedly between events but was comparable between streams. For the March event, all PP (persulphate extractable) was bioavailable if exposed to anoxia, whereas c. 25% was potentially bioavailable for the August event. Despite this, the laboratory bioassay indicated that, under oxic conditions, suspended sediments acted as a sink rather than a source of bioavailable P to P-limited phytoplankton. This study highlights the importance of considering P speciation and the nature of the receiving environment when assessing the bioavailability of P transported through hydrological landscapes.

year: 2013

title: Parental perceptions of preschooler overweight and obesity: Implications for health providers

authors: Chatwin, Julie Louise

subjects: preschooler

abstract: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in developed countries and is a serious public health issue in New Zealand. An increasing prevalence of young children identified as being overweight or obese has prompted a recent shift in research focus from older children to the pre-schooler population. Although the risk factors for young children becoming overweight or obese have been explored, there is little research that has focused solely on the perceptions of pre-schooler parents. The primary aim of this research was therefore to explore the perceptions of pre-schooler parents towards overweight and obesity in pre-schoolers. The secondary aim was to inform how health providers may effectively engage with pre-schooler parents and encourage them to participate in relevant interventions. Sixteen parents of pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years old who were concerned about their pre-schooler being overweight participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified five broad themes. Parents considered childhood overweight to be a serious health problem, although not necessarily in early childhood. Parents were apprehensive about the prospect of their pre-schooler being overweight when they were older and appeared more concerned about the psychosocial implications for their child than the physical health risks. They were conscious of being negatively evaluated by others, including their health provider. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle included the perceived high cost of healthy food options, time scarcity, and difficulty managing challenging behaviour, particularly around eating. Finally, specific cultural perceptions of childhood overweight were identified. The implications of these findings for health providers included the need to engage with pre-schooler parents in a sensitive and culturally responsive way when seeking to address overweight and obesity in the pre-schooler population.

text: Parental perceptions of preschooler overweight and obesity: Implications for health providers Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in developed countries and is a serious public health issue in New Zealand. An increasing prevalence of young children identified as being overweight or obese has prompted a recent shift in research focus from older children to the pre-schooler population. Although the risk factors for young children becoming overweight or obese have been explored, there is little research that has focused solely on the perceptions of pre-schooler parents. The primary aim of this research was therefore to explore the perceptions of pre-schooler parents towards overweight and obesity in pre-schoolers. The secondary aim was to inform how health providers may effectively engage with pre-schooler parents and encourage them to participate in relevant interventions. Sixteen parents of pre-schoolers aged 3-5 years old who were concerned about their pre-schooler being overweight participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified five broad themes. Parents considered childhood overweight to be a serious health problem, although not necessarily in early childhood. Parents were apprehensive about the prospect of their pre-schooler being overweight when they were older and appeared more concerned about the psychosocial implications for their child than the physical health risks. They were conscious of being negatively evaluated by others, including their health provider. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle included the perceived high cost of healthy food options, time scarcity, and difficulty managing challenging behaviour, particularly around eating. Finally, specific cultural perceptions of childhood overweight were identified. The implications of these findings for health providers included the need to engage with pre-schooler parents in a sensitive and culturally responsive way when seeking to address overweight and obesity in the pre-schooler population.

year: 2015

title: No explanation required: Entrenchment and perception of Māori loanwords in a diachronic newspaper corpus of New Zealand English

authors: Levendis, Katharine Joy

subjects: New Zealand English

abstract: Māori loanwords are uncontestably the most notable feature of New Zealand English (Gordon, 2005; Macalister, 2006b). Although frequencies of Māori loanwords are reported to be increasing in recent years (Macalister, 2006b), and analyses strongly indicate a skew in loanwords across certain topics (Davies & Maclagan, 2006; de Bres, 2006), no studies have yet addressed whether Māori loanword behaviour differs in a corpus restricted to a single topic (with the exception of Calude, Miller, Harper, & Whaanga, Forthcoming). Nor has a thorough diachronic analysis been made on the subject since Davies and Maclagan (2006) and Macalister (2006b). This thesis is concerned with frequency of use and perception of Māori loanwords in a diachronic corpus restricted to a singular theme: te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. Using a quantitative methodology in a corpus constructed from New Zealand regional and national newspaper articles spanning 2008-2017, average Māori loanword frequencies are found to be almost 5 times that of the most recent comparable diachronic study (Macalister, 2006b), and demonstrate a statistically significant diachronic increase in use. In contrast, the markedness (or translation) of Māori loanwords shows a statistically significant decreasing diachronic trend over the 10-year period. However, practice of marking appears to be affected by user perceptions and intention to educate, and therefore cannot be relied upon as a gauge of loanword entrenchment. Other conventional measures of loanword entrenchment such as frequency, listedness and morphological assimilation are also shown to be unreliable when considered independently from one another, and in cases such as that of New Zealand English where a change from above influenced by social and cultural factors (Māori loanwords functioning as an expression of political attitude and stance) appears to be interfering in loanword use. Measurement of Māori loanword entrenchment cannot be made using the same criteria as loanwords from non-threatened languages, and suggestions are made for the revised criteria for studying loanword entrenchment which takes into account the sociolinguistic context in which the loanwords are used.

text: No explanation required: Entrenchment and perception of Māori loanwords in a diachronic newspaper corpus of New Zealand English Māori loanwords are uncontestably the most notable feature of New Zealand English (Gordon, 2005; Macalister, 2006b). Although frequencies of Māori loanwords are reported to be increasing in recent years (Macalister, 2006b), and analyses strongly indicate a skew in loanwords across certain topics (Davies & Maclagan, 2006; de Bres, 2006), no studies have yet addressed whether Māori loanword behaviour differs in a corpus restricted to a single topic (with the exception of Calude, Miller, Harper, & Whaanga, Forthcoming). Nor has a thorough diachronic analysis been made on the subject since Davies and Maclagan (2006) and Macalister (2006b). This thesis is concerned with frequency of use and perception of Māori loanwords in a diachronic corpus restricted to a singular theme: te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. Using a quantitative methodology in a corpus constructed from New Zealand regional and national newspaper articles spanning 2008-2017, average Māori loanword frequencies are found to be almost 5 times that of the most recent comparable diachronic study (Macalister, 2006b), and demonstrate a statistically significant diachronic increase in use. In contrast, the markedness (or translation) of Māori loanwords shows a statistically significant decreasing diachronic trend over the 10-year period. However, practice of marking appears to be affected by user perceptions and intention to educate, and therefore cannot be relied upon as a gauge of loanword entrenchment. Other conventional measures of loanword entrenchment such as frequency, listedness and morphological assimilation are also shown to be unreliable when considered independently from one another, and in cases such as that of New Zealand English where a change from above influenced by social and cultural factors (Māori loanwords functioning as an expression of political attitude and stance) appears to be interfering in loanword use. Measurement of Māori loanword entrenchment cannot be made using the same criteria as loanwords from non-threatened languages, and suggestions are made for the revised criteria for studying loanword entrenchment which takes into account the sociolinguistic context in which the loanwords are used.

year: 2018