title: Personal Semantic Timeframe

authors: Alahmari, Muteeb Saad

abstract: Human memories are often not grouped around objective times and places but rather guided by subjective perception of these dimensions. Various techniques are used to recall personal information such as remembering names, conferences and numbers, but how different experiences or events or the event that has taken place two years earlier raises a question. Occasionally, having experienced an event, one may be asked about its absolute time in autobiographical memory. It is surprisingly difficult to predict the time when this date needs to be remembered. There is a tendency to use partial temporal information such as birthdays, parties or seasons to remember, rather than a specific date e.g. 21 September 1996. People need appropriate facts or personal semantics of their time to access to their past experiences while remembering.

A user study was conducted to explore the use of past personal temporal information and capture this information to be used as personal time search features in an augmented memory system called Digital Parrot. These features aim to make temporal dates more easily accessible while remembering.
A proposed design was made according to requirements that are derived from findings of psychology perspective, an exploration of the use of time study, and the visualizing time study.
To evaluate how effective these features in locating and recalling past experiences, a user study was conducted with post questionnaires. The result of this study indicated that the most beneficial personal time search features are personal timespans, personal and public landmarks, and personal images.
The findings from all studies of the thesis were used to provide recommendations for future work to develop and implement personal time search in Digital Parrot system.

text: Personal Semantic Timeframe Human memories are often not grouped around objective times and places but rather guided by subjective perception of these dimensions. Various techniques are used to recall personal information such as remembering names, conferences and numbers, but how different experiences or events or the event that has taken place two years earlier raises a question. Occasionally, having experienced an event, one may be asked about its absolute time in autobiographical memory. It is surprisingly difficult to predict the time when this date needs to be remembered. There is a tendency to use partial temporal information such as birthdays, parties or seasons to remember, rather than a specific date e.g. 21 September 1996. People need appropriate facts or personal semantics of their time to access to their past experiences while remembering.

A user study was conducted to explore the use of past personal temporal information and capture this information to be used as personal time search features in an augmented memory system called Digital Parrot. These features aim to make temporal dates more easily accessible while remembering.
A proposed design was made according to requirements that are derived from findings of psychology perspective, an exploration of the use of time study, and the visualizing time study.
To evaluate how effective these features in locating and recalling past experiences, a user study was conducted with post questionnaires. The result of this study indicated that the most beneficial personal time search features are personal timespans, personal and public landmarks, and personal images.
The findings from all studies of the thesis were used to provide recommendations for future work to develop and implement personal time search in Digital Parrot system.

year: 2012

title: Modelling external light transmission through to the human fetus

authors: Isaac, Zac

subjects: fetal vision

abstract: Little is known about the visual experience of human fetuses within the womb. For many years, the uterus was assumed to be a dark environment, limited only to illumination under intense radiation. Recent research, however, shows that the human fetus exhibits brain activity when presented with visual stimuli and displays a preference for face-like stimuli presented via laser diode application to the maternal abdominal exterior. Despite growing evidence to support the notion of a visually engaged fetus during gestation, there has been minimal research undertaken to determine the extent to which the human uterus is illuminated by external light sources. Beyond aiding with experimental research in fetal vision, an understanding of uterine illumination begins to reveal the impact of varying environmental conditions on the fetal visual experience, with direct relevance to ongoing research across fields such as fetal vision, photoacoustics, and ectogenesis. This thesis outlines a mathematical model developed for the purposes of simulating the propagation of light sources through maternal tissue to the human fetus, with applications exploring the effect of adipose on transdermal monochromatic stimuli, the degree of uterine illumination imposed by natural light, and an extension to the illumination of a full maternal abdomen via a model that can account for curvature, varying tissue layer thicknesses, and the temporal aspects of pregnancy.

text: Modelling external light transmission through to the human fetus Little is known about the visual experience of human fetuses within the womb. For many years, the uterus was assumed to be a dark environment, limited only to illumination under intense radiation. Recent research, however, shows that the human fetus exhibits brain activity when presented with visual stimuli and displays a preference for face-like stimuli presented via laser diode application to the maternal abdominal exterior. Despite growing evidence to support the notion of a visually engaged fetus during gestation, there has been minimal research undertaken to determine the extent to which the human uterus is illuminated by external light sources. Beyond aiding with experimental research in fetal vision, an understanding of uterine illumination begins to reveal the impact of varying environmental conditions on the fetal visual experience, with direct relevance to ongoing research across fields such as fetal vision, photoacoustics, and ectogenesis. This thesis outlines a mathematical model developed for the purposes of simulating the propagation of light sources through maternal tissue to the human fetus, with applications exploring the effect of adipose on transdermal monochromatic stimuli, the degree of uterine illumination imposed by natural light, and an extension to the illumination of a full maternal abdomen via a model that can account for curvature, varying tissue layer thicknesses, and the temporal aspects of pregnancy.

year: 2024

title: Ngā Tuituinga o te Pōtae: Rangatahi perspectives of leadership within Ngāti Maniapoto

authors: Moss, Luke

subjects: Rangatahi

abstract: Research on youth leadership development is often saturated by adult perceptions and thus the literature often lacks youth voice and youth perspective on what integral areas are needed for successful youth leadership development. This research focuses on the rangatahi of Ngāti Maniapoto and their perspectives of leadership within the iwi to aid the gap in academic literature relating to youth perception of leadership development.

Maniapoto has an abundance of leadership examples from the plethora of tūpuna that have developed the iwi to the leaders of contemporary Maniapoto pushing the iwi forward. The purpose of this research is to delve into the perspectives of rangatahi Maniapoto that pertain to good leadership qualities, their perception of leadership, unique leadership styles within Maniapoto, rangatahi leadership skills and perspectives of youth development within the iwi. By interviewing rangatahi with strong connection to Maniapoto this information of their perspectives revealed four integral areas of rangatahi leadership development were collated into a model for dissemination and use within the iwi for youth development practices. This model is named Ngā Tuituinga o te Pōtae and has four areas, education, collective, communication and vision. Education was identified by rangatahi as they found that learning Maniapoto reo and tikanga was integral for a Maniapoto leader, in addition they saw an opportunity to establish a wānanga to future proof our Maniapototanga. A collective approach to leadership was highlighted as the rangatahi perceive that Maniapoto leaders need to be well known in the community and have good relationships with iwi members to be successful. Rangatahi reported that communication was an important attribute for leaders to have, not just speech but communicating by doing was essential for a Maniapoto leader. Finally, rangatahi explained that leaders need to have a vision for the taiao and a vision for our people to be a successful leader, and be able to take the iwi to a place they have not been to before.

This study adds to the scarce literature on youth perceptions on youth leadership development and definitively answers the question on how rangatahi of Maniapoto perceive leadership and how rangatahi of Maniapoto would develop leadership within Te Nehenehenui. The key findings presented in this thesis indicate that rangatahi from Maniapoto engage and identify leadership in many ways, however they do agree that leadership development is necessary for Maniapoto to flourish in the future. Applying this model and research within the iwi will create new foundations for leadership to grow within Maniapoto, and fill the gap of leadership for the iwi that rangatahi have identified.

text: Ngā Tuituinga o te Pōtae: Rangatahi perspectives of leadership within Ngāti Maniapoto Research on youth leadership development is often saturated by adult perceptions and thus the literature often lacks youth voice and youth perspective on what integral areas are needed for successful youth leadership development. This research focuses on the rangatahi of Ngāti Maniapoto and their perspectives of leadership within the iwi to aid the gap in academic literature relating to youth perception of leadership development.

Maniapoto has an abundance of leadership examples from the plethora of tūpuna that have developed the iwi to the leaders of contemporary Maniapoto pushing the iwi forward. The purpose of this research is to delve into the perspectives of rangatahi Maniapoto that pertain to good leadership qualities, their perception of leadership, unique leadership styles within Maniapoto, rangatahi leadership skills and perspectives of youth development within the iwi. By interviewing rangatahi with strong connection to Maniapoto this information of their perspectives revealed four integral areas of rangatahi leadership development were collated into a model for dissemination and use within the iwi for youth development practices. This model is named Ngā Tuituinga o te Pōtae and has four areas, education, collective, communication and vision. Education was identified by rangatahi as they found that learning Maniapoto reo and tikanga was integral for a Maniapoto leader, in addition they saw an opportunity to establish a wānanga to future proof our Maniapototanga. A collective approach to leadership was highlighted as the rangatahi perceive that Maniapoto leaders need to be well known in the community and have good relationships with iwi members to be successful. Rangatahi reported that communication was an important attribute for leaders to have, not just speech but communicating by doing was essential for a Maniapoto leader. Finally, rangatahi explained that leaders need to have a vision for the taiao and a vision for our people to be a successful leader, and be able to take the iwi to a place they have not been to before.

This study adds to the scarce literature on youth perceptions on youth leadership development and definitively answers the question on how rangatahi of Maniapoto perceive leadership and how rangatahi of Maniapoto would develop leadership within Te Nehenehenui. The key findings presented in this thesis indicate that rangatahi from Maniapoto engage and identify leadership in many ways, however they do agree that leadership development is necessary for Maniapoto to flourish in the future. Applying this model and research within the iwi will create new foundations for leadership to grow within Maniapoto, and fill the gap of leadership for the iwi that rangatahi have identified.

year: 2021