title: Food Preferences of the Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

authors: Cameron, Kristie Elizabeth

subjects: food preferences

abstract: The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) has been reported to eat vegetation, fruit, invertebrates, and occasionally fungi, eggs and meat. The relative preference between food types found in the wild, however, has not been investigated systematically in a controlled laboratory study. This research investigated captive possums’ food choice using two different methods of preference assessment. The first experiment involved a single stimulus assessment of possums’ (n = 20) consumption of individually presented food items. More than 75% of possums consumed berries, locusts and mushrooms but fewer than 50% of possums consumed fivefinger, raw chicken and eggs. The second experiment that used a paired stimulus assessment to establish relative preference for those foods revealed that no single food was preferred by all possums. Overall locusts were the most preferred food, followed in order of preference by berries, egg, mushrooms, chicken and foliage. The single stimulus preference assessment confirmed the palatability of foods. The paired stimulus assessment provided a rank order of food preferences.

text: Food Preferences of the Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) has been reported to eat vegetation, fruit, invertebrates, and occasionally fungi, eggs and meat. The relative preference between food types found in the wild, however, has not been investigated systematically in a controlled laboratory study. This research investigated captive possums’ food choice using two different methods of preference assessment. The first experiment involved a single stimulus assessment of possums’ (n = 20) consumption of individually presented food items. More than 75% of possums consumed berries, locusts and mushrooms but fewer than 50% of possums consumed fivefinger, raw chicken and eggs. The second experiment that used a paired stimulus assessment to establish relative preference for those foods revealed that no single food was preferred by all possums. Overall locusts were the most preferred food, followed in order of preference by berries, egg, mushrooms, chicken and foliage. The single stimulus preference assessment confirmed the palatability of foods. The paired stimulus assessment provided a rank order of food preferences.

year: 2013

title: The development of porous titanium products using slip casting

authors: Xu, Qian

subjects: porous materials

abstract: An optimized titanium slurry was developed from 43 vol.% of titanium powder, 0.3 dw.% of dispersant, 0.8 dw.% of plasticizer and 0.8 dw.% of binder, mixed with a balance of distilled water, which produced a viscosity of 40 cP. It was then poured into a plaster mold to form compacts with a green density of 45%. Thermal debinding was carried out at 320 ℃ with an argon flow for 2 h, followed by vacuum sintering different samples at 1000 ℃ and 1200 ℃ for 0.5 h, respectively. The porous sintered compacts had satisfactory tensile strength with some plastic deformation. The increase in oxygen and carbon content during processing was minor. An X-ray diffraction pattern showed pure alpha titanium peaks without any indication of contamination from organic additives. The results from this investigation suggested that slip casting is a potentially low-cost, simple production route for manufacturing porous titanium products.

text: The development of porous titanium products using slip casting An optimized titanium slurry was developed from 43 vol.% of titanium powder, 0.3 dw.% of dispersant, 0.8 dw.% of plasticizer and 0.8 dw.% of binder, mixed with a balance of distilled water, which produced a viscosity of 40 cP. It was then poured into a plaster mold to form compacts with a green density of 45%. Thermal debinding was carried out at 320 ℃ with an argon flow for 2 h, followed by vacuum sintering different samples at 1000 ℃ and 1200 ℃ for 0.5 h, respectively. The porous sintered compacts had satisfactory tensile strength with some plastic deformation. The increase in oxygen and carbon content during processing was minor. An X-ray diffraction pattern showed pure alpha titanium peaks without any indication of contamination from organic additives. The results from this investigation suggested that slip casting is a potentially low-cost, simple production route for manufacturing porous titanium products.

year: 2013

title: Supervising research in Māori cultural contexts: a decolonizing, relational response

authors: Berryman, Mere

abstract: We have collaborated for 25 years as indigenous Māori and non- Māori researchers undertaking research with Māori families, their schools and communities. We have endeavored to meet our responsibilities to the Māori people (indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand) and communities with whom we have researched, as well as meet the requirements and responsibilities of our academic institutions. In this paper, we reflect on the implications of these responsibilities for our work as supervisors of master’s and doctoral students (Māori and non-Māori) who seek to draw on decolonizing methodologies as they undertake research in Māori cultural contexts. We draw on the experiences and interactions we have had with four different postgraduate students whose research on improving educational outcomes for Māori students has required them to engage and participate in Māori cultural contexts.

text: Supervising research in Māori cultural contexts: a decolonizing, relational response We have collaborated for 25 years as indigenous Māori and non- Māori researchers undertaking research with Māori families, their schools and communities. We have endeavored to meet our responsibilities to the Māori people (indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand) and communities with whom we have researched, as well as meet the requirements and responsibilities of our academic institutions. In this paper, we reflect on the implications of these responsibilities for our work as supervisors of master’s and doctoral students (Māori and non-Māori) who seek to draw on decolonizing methodologies as they undertake research in Māori cultural contexts. We draw on the experiences and interactions we have had with four different postgraduate students whose research on improving educational outcomes for Māori students has required them to engage and participate in Māori cultural contexts.

year: 2017