title: Research, Analysis and Insight into National Standards (RAINS) Project. First Report: Researching Schools’ Enactments of New Zealand’s National Standards Policy

authors: Thrupp, Martin

subjects: Education

abstract: This is the first report of the Research, Analysis and Insight into National Standards (RAINS) project, one year into a three-year study of the introduction of National Standards into New Zealand primary and intermediate schools.

text: Research, Analysis and Insight into National Standards (RAINS) Project. First Report: Researching Schools’ Enactments of New Zealand’s National Standards Policy This is the first report of the Research, Analysis and Insight into National Standards (RAINS) project, one year into a three-year study of the introduction of National Standards into New Zealand primary and intermediate schools.

year: 2012-02

title: A new experimental model for the investigation of sequential hermaphroditism

authors: Goikoetxea, A

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: The stunning sexual transformation commonly triggered by age, size or social context in some fishes is one of the best examples of phenotypic plasticity thus far described. To date our understanding of this process is dominated by studies on a handful of subtropical and tropical teleosts, often in wild settings. Here we have established the protogynous New Zealand spotty wrasse, Notolabruscelidotus, as a temperate model for the experimental investigation of sex change. Captive fish were induced to change sex using aromatase inhibition or manipulation of social groups. Complete female-to-male transition occurred over 60 days in both cases and time-series sampling was used to quantify changes in hormone production, gene expression and gonadal cellular anatomy. Early-stage decreases in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) concentrations or gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1a) expression were not detected in spotty wrasse, despite these being commonly associated with the onset of sex change in subtropical and tropical protogynous (female-to-male) hermaphrodites. In contrast, expression of the masculinising factor amh (anti-Müllerian hormone) increased during early sex change, implying a potential role as a proximate trigger for masculinisation. Collectively, these data provide a foundation for the spotty wrasse as a temperate teleost model to study sex change and cell fate in vertebrates.

text: A new experimental model for the investigation of sequential hermaphroditism The stunning sexual transformation commonly triggered by age, size or social context in some fishes is one of the best examples of phenotypic plasticity thus far described. To date our understanding of this process is dominated by studies on a handful of subtropical and tropical teleosts, often in wild settings. Here we have established the protogynous New Zealand spotty wrasse, Notolabruscelidotus, as a temperate model for the experimental investigation of sex change. Captive fish were induced to change sex using aromatase inhibition or manipulation of social groups. Complete female-to-male transition occurred over 60 days in both cases and time-series sampling was used to quantify changes in hormone production, gene expression and gonadal cellular anatomy. Early-stage decreases in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) concentrations or gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1a) expression were not detected in spotty wrasse, despite these being commonly associated with the onset of sex change in subtropical and tropical protogynous (female-to-male) hermaphrodites. In contrast, expression of the masculinising factor amh (anti-Müllerian hormone) increased during early sex change, implying a potential role as a proximate trigger for masculinisation. Collectively, these data provide a foundation for the spotty wrasse as a temperate teleost model to study sex change and cell fate in vertebrates.

year: 2021-12-01

title: Character-less programming II: the spreadsheet

authors: Barbour, Robert H.

subjects: computer science

abstract: The spreadsheet is a commonly used, yet under-researched, application tool. Hendry and Green (1994) report fewer than ten entries about spreadsheets in the HCI community literature between 1984 and 1991. The 1993 Human Computer Interaction Proceedings of a Conference on Applications and Case Studies does not list the word 'spreadsheet' in the index whereas databases and wordprocessor are both referenced. The current situation in 1996 is not significantly different. For Polytechnic and University communities, many of whom are involved in teaching about application software, this situation means that the widespread teaching of the tool is simply not being reported in the research literature. The unanswered but researchable question raised in the Hendry and Green (1994) indicate the breadth of the field. Following a summary of these questions, the even more neglected issue of providing culturally appropriate spreadsheet software is raised. A set of constructs for thinking about multicultural software is presented. A model of a procedure for generating an elementary spreadsheet is provided, exemplified and demonstrated for the Maori Language in New Zealand.

text: Character-less programming II: the spreadsheet The spreadsheet is a commonly used, yet under-researched, application tool. Hendry and Green (1994) report fewer than ten entries about spreadsheets in the HCI community literature between 1984 and 1991. The 1993 Human Computer Interaction Proceedings of a Conference on Applications and Case Studies does not list the word 'spreadsheet' in the index whereas databases and wordprocessor are both referenced. The current situation in 1996 is not significantly different. For Polytechnic and University communities, many of whom are involved in teaching about application software, this situation means that the widespread teaching of the tool is simply not being reported in the research literature. The unanswered but researchable question raised in the Hendry and Green (1994) indicate the breadth of the field. Following a summary of these questions, the even more neglected issue of providing culturally appropriate spreadsheet software is raised. A set of constructs for thinking about multicultural software is presented. A model of a procedure for generating an elementary spreadsheet is provided, exemplified and demonstrated for the Maori Language in New Zealand.

year: 1995-11