title: Indigenous vegetation types of Hamilton Ecological District

authors: Clarkson, Bruce D.

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: The following descriptions of indigenous vegetation types and lists of the most characteristic species have been compiled for the major landform units of the Hamilton Ecological District, which lies within the Waikato Ecological Region (McEwen 1987). The boundaries of the Hamilton Ecological District correspond approximately to those of the Hamilton basin, with the addition of parts of hills and foothills at the margins of the basin. The vegetation descriptions and species lists are based on knowledge of the flora of vegetation remnants in the ecological district, historical records (e.g., Gudex 1954), and extrapolation of data from other North Island sites with similar environmental profiles.

text: Indigenous vegetation types of Hamilton Ecological District The following descriptions of indigenous vegetation types and lists of the most characteristic species have been compiled for the major landform units of the Hamilton Ecological District, which lies within the Waikato Ecological Region (McEwen 1987). The boundaries of the Hamilton Ecological District correspond approximately to those of the Hamilton basin, with the addition of parts of hills and foothills at the margins of the basin. The vegetation descriptions and species lists are based on knowledge of the flora of vegetation remnants in the ecological district, historical records (e.g., Gudex 1954), and extrapolation of data from other North Island sites with similar environmental profiles.

year: 2007

title: Fatiguing verbal working memory to reduce explicit hypothesis testing during skill acquisition: A new implicit motor learning paradigm?

authors: Boaz-Curry, Ko-Tahi-Ra

abstract: How we learn novel motor skills is crucial for motor performance. Motor skills learned through implicit processes have been shown to have higher neural efficiency, lower likelihood of interference from conscious control during motor output, and more stable performance under pressure, stress, fatigue and multitasking situations (Maxwell, Masters & Eves, 2000; Steenbergen, Van Der Kamp, Verneau, Jongbloed-Pereboom & Masters, 2010; Zhu, Yeung, Poolton, Lee, Leung & Masters, 2015). These performance benefits are sought after in both clinical and sporting domains, and make implicit motor learning a viable alternative to explicit forms of learning. However, current implicit motor learning paradigms have encountered limitations that hinder their practical application (Lam, Maxwell & Masters, 2009; Zhu et al., 2015); therefore, new implicit motor learning paradigms need to be created. This thesis investigated whether cognitive fatigue can be used to encourage novices to perform a novel motor task in an implicit manner. We hypothesized that inducing cognitive fatigue in people would suppress verbal working memory activity, thereby minimising hypothesis testing about the task to be performed and causing implicit motor learning. The research was conducted on thirty-three healthy adults (women=19, men=14; mean age= 23.3±5.5) who reported limited golf experience. All participants were randomly allocated to one of two treatment conditions: control (non-fatigued) or experimental (fatigued). We analysed the differences in verbal working memory performance, motor skill performance and hypothesis testing measures between the two groups. Our results showed that participants in the experimental condition reported a significant increase in subjective feelings of fatigue following the intervention; however, this was not reflected by a decrease in working memory activity. The results also illustrated no significant differences in motor performance or hypothesis testing between the two groups. Overall, the cognitive fatigue task was shown to successfully alter self-reported levels of fatigue (VAS-f), although we speculate that the fatigue levels produced by the intervention were not sufficient to suppress working memory activity during performance of a novel motor task.

text: Fatiguing verbal working memory to reduce explicit hypothesis testing during skill acquisition: A new implicit motor learning paradigm? How we learn novel motor skills is crucial for motor performance. Motor skills learned through implicit processes have been shown to have higher neural efficiency, lower likelihood of interference from conscious control during motor output, and more stable performance under pressure, stress, fatigue and multitasking situations (Maxwell, Masters & Eves, 2000; Steenbergen, Van Der Kamp, Verneau, Jongbloed-Pereboom & Masters, 2010; Zhu, Yeung, Poolton, Lee, Leung & Masters, 2015). These performance benefits are sought after in both clinical and sporting domains, and make implicit motor learning a viable alternative to explicit forms of learning. However, current implicit motor learning paradigms have encountered limitations that hinder their practical application (Lam, Maxwell & Masters, 2009; Zhu et al., 2015); therefore, new implicit motor learning paradigms need to be created. This thesis investigated whether cognitive fatigue can be used to encourage novices to perform a novel motor task in an implicit manner. We hypothesized that inducing cognitive fatigue in people would suppress verbal working memory activity, thereby minimising hypothesis testing about the task to be performed and causing implicit motor learning. The research was conducted on thirty-three healthy adults (women=19, men=14; mean age= 23.3±5.5) who reported limited golf experience. All participants were randomly allocated to one of two treatment conditions: control (non-fatigued) or experimental (fatigued). We analysed the differences in verbal working memory performance, motor skill performance and hypothesis testing measures between the two groups. Our results showed that participants in the experimental condition reported a significant increase in subjective feelings of fatigue following the intervention; however, this was not reflected by a decrease in working memory activity. The results also illustrated no significant differences in motor performance or hypothesis testing between the two groups. Overall, the cognitive fatigue task was shown to successfully alter self-reported levels of fatigue (VAS-f), although we speculate that the fatigue levels produced by the intervention were not sufficient to suppress working memory activity during performance of a novel motor task.

year: 2018

title: A Portfolio of Compositions

authors: Dobson, Elizabeth Jane

subjects: music

abstract: The pieces in this portfolio cover a wide range of methods and styles - from work for a single vocalising percussionist, to singing bowl and electronics and a work for full orchestra. The aim of this portfolio is to demonstrate my technical and musical proficiency as well as to give an overview of my personal composing philosophy and style.
The portfolio opens with a work for orchestra, A Study in Scarlet. It differs from my previous orchestral works and is based on a musical code of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book, titled A Study in Scarlet. This was read in the 2009 Todd/ NSZO Young Composer Readings. The second work is .manatu.. It features tinkly piano, wind chimes and ethnic instrumentalists in a chamber ensemble to create a musical sound world. This was written for and premiered at Bang on a Can's summer music festival in Massachusetts 2009. The piano work .ātanga. is an adaptation of .manatu. for solo pianist and was written for the Dame Malvina Major Foundations Showcase Concert in New Plymouth. This adaptation proved to be a worthwhile exercise in efficient use of music material. Wrong Number is a Janet Frame poem set for soprano and real-time effect processing of audio. Confessions - Part I and II, for solo violin and string orchestra is based on the Fibonacci series and explores my love for string sonorities. Sand Song was written for a friend who asked me to set a poem she wrote. Here I demonstrate my love for setting text and voice to say something beautiful and precise. This song now stands as a eulogy for her Father. Parihaka, for vocalising percussionist, is a setting of Apirana Taylor's poem Parihaka and was written for Australian performer Louise Devenish. I explore further in the realm of live acoustic and electroacoustic music with Orison a piece I wrote for myself to perform live with singing bowl and Ableton Live. Finally The Headlines Today for five improvising musicians explores the music of shouting and the vernacular of place.

text: A Portfolio of Compositions The pieces in this portfolio cover a wide range of methods and styles - from work for a single vocalising percussionist, to singing bowl and electronics and a work for full orchestra. The aim of this portfolio is to demonstrate my technical and musical proficiency as well as to give an overview of my personal composing philosophy and style.
The portfolio opens with a work for orchestra, A Study in Scarlet. It differs from my previous orchestral works and is based on a musical code of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book, titled A Study in Scarlet. This was read in the 2009 Todd/ NSZO Young Composer Readings. The second work is .manatu.. It features tinkly piano, wind chimes and ethnic instrumentalists in a chamber ensemble to create a musical sound world. This was written for and premiered at Bang on a Can's summer music festival in Massachusetts 2009. The piano work .ātanga. is an adaptation of .manatu. for solo pianist and was written for the Dame Malvina Major Foundations Showcase Concert in New Plymouth. This adaptation proved to be a worthwhile exercise in efficient use of music material. Wrong Number is a Janet Frame poem set for soprano and real-time effect processing of audio. Confessions - Part I and II, for solo violin and string orchestra is based on the Fibonacci series and explores my love for string sonorities. Sand Song was written for a friend who asked me to set a poem she wrote. Here I demonstrate my love for setting text and voice to say something beautiful and precise. This song now stands as a eulogy for her Father. Parihaka, for vocalising percussionist, is a setting of Apirana Taylor's poem Parihaka and was written for Australian performer Louise Devenish. I explore further in the realm of live acoustic and electroacoustic music with Orison a piece I wrote for myself to perform live with singing bowl and Ableton Live. Finally The Headlines Today for five improvising musicians explores the music of shouting and the vernacular of place.

year: 2010