title: Text categorization and similarity analysis: similarity measure, architecture and design

authors: Fowke, Michael

subjects: computer science

abstract: This research looks at the most appropriate similarity measure to use for a document classification problem. The goal is to find a method that is accurate in finding both semantically and version related documents. A necessary requirement is that the method is efficient in its speed and disk usage. Simhash is found to be the measure best suited to the application and it can be combined with other software to increase the accuracy. Pingar have provided an API that will extract the entities from a document and create a taxonomy displaying the relationships and this extra information can be used to accurately classify input documents. Two algorithms are designed incorporating the Pingar API and then finally an efficient comparison algorithm is introduced to cut down the comparisons required.

text: Text categorization and similarity analysis: similarity measure, architecture and design This research looks at the most appropriate similarity measure to use for a document classification problem. The goal is to find a method that is accurate in finding both semantically and version related documents. A necessary requirement is that the method is efficient in its speed and disk usage. Simhash is found to be the measure best suited to the application and it can be combined with other software to increase the accuracy. Pingar have provided an API that will extract the entities from a document and create a taxonomy displaying the relationships and this extra information can be used to accurately classify input documents. Two algorithms are designed incorporating the Pingar API and then finally an efficient comparison algorithm is introduced to cut down the comparisons required.

year: 2013-12

title: Pituitary mRNA expression of FSH and LH in yellowbelly flounder (Rhombosolea leporina)

authors: Curtis, Robert

subjects: yellowbelly flounder

abstract: Recent interest has been expressed in cultivating the native, yellowbelly flounder (Rhombosolea leporina). This is largely due to its high market and cultural value. Currently, there is little research on this species, both in an aquaculture setting and from an ecological perspective. This study focused on assessing pituitary mRNA expression of two gonadotropin-beta subunit genes, follicle-stimulating hormone (fshβ) and luteinising hormone (lhβ), in wild-caught yellowbelly flounder, to better understand captive reproduction for aquaculture.

The first study characterised the expression of both pituitary fshβ and lhβ in wild-caught yellowbelly flounder in different stages of ovarian development: 1) previtellogenic (PVO), 2) early vitellogenic (EVit), 3) vitellogenic (VIT), and 4) final oocyte maturation (FOM). Both genes showed significant increases in expression between stages 1 and 4. The expression patterns of both pituitary fshβ and lhβ were similar, with a trend of increasing levels across all ovarian stages to peak at stage 4. However, peak expression levels were much greater in fshβ. This is unexpected compared to typical fish models, where pituitary lhβ expression is often many-fold greater than fshβ during oocyte maturation. The reason for this apparent anomaly in peak expression levels is unknown. However, the general profile of increasing levels of co-expressed pituitary fshβ and lhβ throughout oogenesis likely reflects the multiple-batch group synchronous ovarian development found in yellowbelly flounder.

The second study focused on quantifying fshβ and lhβ expression over a five-day period following the injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa). Each female yellowbelly flounder was assigned to one of four treatment groups: 25 μg/kg, 50 μg/kg, 100 μg/kg, or a control group (0 μg/kg). Although there were no statistically significant increases in fshβ or lhβ expression from day 1 to day 5, an upward trend in both lhβ and fshβ expression was observed in fish treated with 25 μg/kg of GnRHa. Similarly, an increasing trend in lhβ expression was observed in fish treated with 50 μg/kg of GnRHa. GnRHa-treated fish accounted for the highest number of individuals entering FOM, comprising 87% of all fish that reached this stage. Additionally, 85% of all fish treated with GnRHa progressed to early maturation (EM) or further. Interestingly, the 100 μg/kg GnRHa treatment resulted in a downward trend of both fshβ and lhβ expression on both days 1 and 5 post-treatment. Despite this, the 100 μg/kg GnRHa treatment exhibited the joint-highest proportion of oocytes reaching maturity (33.3%) and had 90% of individuals reaching the early migratory (EM) stage or beyond. However, none of the fish were observed to ovulate over the 5-day experimental period.

text: Pituitary mRNA expression of FSH and LH in yellowbelly flounder (Rhombosolea leporina) Recent interest has been expressed in cultivating the native, yellowbelly flounder (Rhombosolea leporina). This is largely due to its high market and cultural value. Currently, there is little research on this species, both in an aquaculture setting and from an ecological perspective. This study focused on assessing pituitary mRNA expression of two gonadotropin-beta subunit genes, follicle-stimulating hormone (fshβ) and luteinising hormone (lhβ), in wild-caught yellowbelly flounder, to better understand captive reproduction for aquaculture.

The first study characterised the expression of both pituitary fshβ and lhβ in wild-caught yellowbelly flounder in different stages of ovarian development: 1) previtellogenic (PVO), 2) early vitellogenic (EVit), 3) vitellogenic (VIT), and 4) final oocyte maturation (FOM). Both genes showed significant increases in expression between stages 1 and 4. The expression patterns of both pituitary fshβ and lhβ were similar, with a trend of increasing levels across all ovarian stages to peak at stage 4. However, peak expression levels were much greater in fshβ. This is unexpected compared to typical fish models, where pituitary lhβ expression is often many-fold greater than fshβ during oocyte maturation. The reason for this apparent anomaly in peak expression levels is unknown. However, the general profile of increasing levels of co-expressed pituitary fshβ and lhβ throughout oogenesis likely reflects the multiple-batch group synchronous ovarian development found in yellowbelly flounder.

The second study focused on quantifying fshβ and lhβ expression over a five-day period following the injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa). Each female yellowbelly flounder was assigned to one of four treatment groups: 25 μg/kg, 50 μg/kg, 100 μg/kg, or a control group (0 μg/kg). Although there were no statistically significant increases in fshβ or lhβ expression from day 1 to day 5, an upward trend in both lhβ and fshβ expression was observed in fish treated with 25 μg/kg of GnRHa. Similarly, an increasing trend in lhβ expression was observed in fish treated with 50 μg/kg of GnRHa. GnRHa-treated fish accounted for the highest number of individuals entering FOM, comprising 87% of all fish that reached this stage. Additionally, 85% of all fish treated with GnRHa progressed to early maturation (EM) or further. Interestingly, the 100 μg/kg GnRHa treatment resulted in a downward trend of both fshβ and lhβ expression on both days 1 and 5 post-treatment. Despite this, the 100 μg/kg GnRHa treatment exhibited the joint-highest proportion of oocytes reaching maturity (33.3%) and had 90% of individuals reaching the early migratory (EM) stage or beyond. However, none of the fish were observed to ovulate over the 5-day experimental period.

year: 2025

title: Māori child rearing and infant sleep practices

authors: Jones, Horiana Majorie

abstract: Sleep is important to a healthy lifestyle for parents and children, and having effective ways of putting a child to sleep contributes significantly to mental and physical wellbeing. Cultural groups around the world have developed a variety of approaches to this task, for example, rocking, co-sleeping, bed-sharing, breastfeeding to sleep, and encouraging infants to self soothe through various methods of infant sleep training. In New Zealand the continuation of traditional Māori approaches to infant sleep, e.g. co-sleeping, bed-sharing, responsivity to infant cues have been over-shadowed by its negative association with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and dependence on parent interaction when initiating infant sleep. In this study, we were interested in the approaches Māori parents used to put their pēpi (child, 2 months-2 years of age) to sleep and the various factors that have influenced these approaches. Data were collected through online surveys (n =58) and face-to-face interviews (n =10) with Māori parents. Survey results indicated that being held and breast or bottle fed to sleep were the most practiced techniques by Māori parents. Parent assisted approaches, e.g., rocking, feeding, lying with baby until they go to sleep, were the most practiced. Many parents planned for their babies to sleep separately but very few actually persisted with self-soothing approaches due to a number of factors, such as discomfort with listening to their babies cry, culture, whānau (extended families) influences safety, and convenience. The majority of participants expressed a desire for separate sleep; however, few within the interview group actually successfully practiced separate sleep regularly.

text: Māori child rearing and infant sleep practices Sleep is important to a healthy lifestyle for parents and children, and having effective ways of putting a child to sleep contributes significantly to mental and physical wellbeing. Cultural groups around the world have developed a variety of approaches to this task, for example, rocking, co-sleeping, bed-sharing, breastfeeding to sleep, and encouraging infants to self soothe through various methods of infant sleep training. In New Zealand the continuation of traditional Māori approaches to infant sleep, e.g. co-sleeping, bed-sharing, responsivity to infant cues have been over-shadowed by its negative association with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and dependence on parent interaction when initiating infant sleep. In this study, we were interested in the approaches Māori parents used to put their pēpi (child, 2 months-2 years of age) to sleep and the various factors that have influenced these approaches. Data were collected through online surveys (n =58) and face-to-face interviews (n =10) with Māori parents. Survey results indicated that being held and breast or bottle fed to sleep were the most practiced techniques by Māori parents. Parent assisted approaches, e.g., rocking, feeding, lying with baby until they go to sleep, were the most practiced. Many parents planned for their babies to sleep separately but very few actually persisted with self-soothing approaches due to a number of factors, such as discomfort with listening to their babies cry, culture, whānau (extended families) influences safety, and convenience. The majority of participants expressed a desire for separate sleep; however, few within the interview group actually successfully practiced separate sleep regularly.

year: 2017