title: A study of short-term remembering in the possum: Using a Delayed-Matching-To-Sample procedure

authors: Hardaker, Bethany Jane

subjects: possums

abstract: In Experiment one 7 Brushtail possums were trained, using food, to perform a Delayed-Matching-To-Sample procedure using still and flickering light stimuli, over a 0, 1 and 2 second delay.  A criterion of 80 percent correct for 5 consecutive days was set for the requirement to probe test.  Probe session delays were 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 seconds.  Performance was analysed using the measure of discrimination log d.  Log d = 1 at the possums training delay and dropped back to log d = 0 at the longer inexperienced delays.  The possums performance at this task was only adequate, so in case the stimuli were causing discrimination difficulties they were changed for the following experiment to horizontal and vertical light stimuli.  Experiment two used the horizontal and vertical light stimuli to further test DMTS in possums.  The possum's responding stayed at 50 percent correct, or chance, so the task was changed to a Simultaneous-Choice procedure.  However, this did not have any effect on improving their results with responding accuracy remaining at 50 percent correct.  Experiment three involved a conditional discrimination procedure, which was implemented to find out whether the possums could in fact discriminate between a horizontal and vertical light.  All the possums in this experiment reached 80 percent correct overall and at responding to either a horizontal or vertical light.  These results are enough to conclude that it was not the stimuli used in the previous two experiments which that had been causing the difficulties but the task itself.  It is not known exactly why the possums were so unsuccessful in performing a DMTS or MTS task.  More research into DMTS in possums in greatly needed and would offer a better understanding of the results of this study.

text: A study of short-term remembering in the possum: Using a Delayed-Matching-To-Sample procedure In Experiment one 7 Brushtail possums were trained, using food, to perform a Delayed-Matching-To-Sample procedure using still and flickering light stimuli, over a 0, 1 and 2 second delay.  A criterion of 80 percent correct for 5 consecutive days was set for the requirement to probe test.  Probe session delays were 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 seconds.  Performance was analysed using the measure of discrimination log d.  Log d = 1 at the possums training delay and dropped back to log d = 0 at the longer inexperienced delays.  The possums performance at this task was only adequate, so in case the stimuli were causing discrimination difficulties they were changed for the following experiment to horizontal and vertical light stimuli.  Experiment two used the horizontal and vertical light stimuli to further test DMTS in possums.  The possum's responding stayed at 50 percent correct, or chance, so the task was changed to a Simultaneous-Choice procedure.  However, this did not have any effect on improving their results with responding accuracy remaining at 50 percent correct.  Experiment three involved a conditional discrimination procedure, which was implemented to find out whether the possums could in fact discriminate between a horizontal and vertical light.  All the possums in this experiment reached 80 percent correct overall and at responding to either a horizontal or vertical light.  These results are enough to conclude that it was not the stimuli used in the previous two experiments which that had been causing the difficulties but the task itself.  It is not known exactly why the possums were so unsuccessful in performing a DMTS or MTS task.  More research into DMTS in possums in greatly needed and would offer a better understanding of the results of this study.

year: 2006

title: A comparison of verilog synthesis frontends

authors: Stokes, Daniel

subjects: software engineering

abstract: A crucial consideration in choosing a frontend synthesis tool is the quality of the synthesised result. This kind of benchmarking is critical to choosing a fit-for-purpose tool. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the only comparison of Odin II, the front-end of Verilog-to-Routing, and another synthesis tool was focused primarily on Odin II and Yosys’ performance with respect to commercial counterparts in the Xilinx ISE tool. Further, such an evaluation is to improve confidence in research findings utilising these tools. The quality of results for a poorly optimised research tool may not reflect the performance of real-world applications, adding uncertainty to any findings and requiring extra work from the researcher to obtain valid results. We compare Odin II and Yosys targeting the Xilinx Artix-7 architecture provided by SymbiFlow.

text: A comparison of verilog synthesis frontends A crucial consideration in choosing a frontend synthesis tool is the quality of the synthesised result. This kind of benchmarking is critical to choosing a fit-for-purpose tool. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the only comparison of Odin II, the front-end of Verilog-to-Routing, and another synthesis tool was focused primarily on Odin II and Yosys’ performance with respect to commercial counterparts in the Xilinx ISE tool. Further, such an evaluation is to improve confidence in research findings utilising these tools. The quality of results for a poorly optimised research tool may not reflect the performance of real-world applications, adding uncertainty to any findings and requiring extra work from the researcher to obtain valid results. We compare Odin II and Yosys targeting the Xilinx Artix-7 architecture provided by SymbiFlow.

year: 2021

title: Restoring the flow: Challenging the existing management frameworks to integrate Mātauranga Māori

authors: Hall, Tredegar Rangiātea

subjects: tangata whenua water management

abstract: Within the context of the current regimes of fresh water management in Aotearoa, this thesis is an exploration of the significance of freshwater to Māori; our rangatiratanga, Treaty rights and ownership. The Māori world view and the way this relates to fresh water is described and contrasted with the principles and practices of water management in the contemporary neo-liberal governance structures of this country. The impacts of the commodification of water through ownership rights, the limited monitoring capacity and the inability to provide a governance structure that will work across diverse environments are seen to threaten the sustainability of a critical part of our environment. The primary focus of on this research is on the relationship between the exclusion of tangata whenua from decision making in resource management and the degradation of the environment.
 
The thesis comments on the development of resource management legislation and actions of the state in Aotearoa, and uses post-colonial theory as a starting point to document the subordinate relationship of Māori within contemporary governance. This has privileged mono-cultural and neoliberal forms of water management that has scarred Papatūānuku and threatens human sustainability into the future.
    
The recent co-management agreement for the Waikato River is the specific case study against which a recent effort to reduce the alienation of Māori is viewed. A kaupapa Māori methodology is used to acquire and understand the importance of mātauranga Māori/ Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and what is required for these principles to enhance water management practices within the case study area. The original contribution of the work is drawn from interviews conducted with Māori and others who are involved in or informed by the commitment to explore co-management sustainable management options. These views are woven into a substantial and interpretative commentary on the role of Māori in future water governance.

The thesis argues that the best way to enhance water management and environmental protection is by inducing a planning paradigm shift where tangata whenua are given greater influence in environmental decision making that resembles an equal Treaty of Waitangi partnership, where the ethic of kaitiakitanga is empowered. Such a strategy would allow decision making regarding water and environmental management to be more focused on what is best for the resource and its survival rather than what most cost effective for some owners of water rights. Encouraging the acceptance of mātauranga Māori and incorporating more efficient and sustainable innovative technologies can restore the mauri of water in our place.

text: Restoring the flow: Challenging the existing management frameworks to integrate Mātauranga Māori Within the context of the current regimes of fresh water management in Aotearoa, this thesis is an exploration of the significance of freshwater to Māori; our rangatiratanga, Treaty rights and ownership. The Māori world view and the way this relates to fresh water is described and contrasted with the principles and practices of water management in the contemporary neo-liberal governance structures of this country. The impacts of the commodification of water through ownership rights, the limited monitoring capacity and the inability to provide a governance structure that will work across diverse environments are seen to threaten the sustainability of a critical part of our environment. The primary focus of on this research is on the relationship between the exclusion of tangata whenua from decision making in resource management and the degradation of the environment.
 
The thesis comments on the development of resource management legislation and actions of the state in Aotearoa, and uses post-colonial theory as a starting point to document the subordinate relationship of Māori within contemporary governance. This has privileged mono-cultural and neoliberal forms of water management that has scarred Papatūānuku and threatens human sustainability into the future.
    
The recent co-management agreement for the Waikato River is the specific case study against which a recent effort to reduce the alienation of Māori is viewed. A kaupapa Māori methodology is used to acquire and understand the importance of mātauranga Māori/ Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and what is required for these principles to enhance water management practices within the case study area. The original contribution of the work is drawn from interviews conducted with Māori and others who are involved in or informed by the commitment to explore co-management sustainable management options. These views are woven into a substantial and interpretative commentary on the role of Māori in future water governance.

The thesis argues that the best way to enhance water management and environmental protection is by inducing a planning paradigm shift where tangata whenua are given greater influence in environmental decision making that resembles an equal Treaty of Waitangi partnership, where the ethic of kaitiakitanga is empowered. Such a strategy would allow decision making regarding water and environmental management to be more focused on what is best for the resource and its survival rather than what most cost effective for some owners of water rights. Encouraging the acceptance of mātauranga Māori and incorporating more efficient and sustainable innovative technologies can restore the mauri of water in our place.

year: 2012