title: Institutional responses to mental deficiency in New Zealand, 1911-1935: Tokanui Mental Hospital

authors: Hoult, Adrienne

subjects: mental deficiency

abstract: This thesis considers the response of one New Zealand institution, Tokanui Mental Hospital, to legislation and policies for 'mental deficiency' introduced during the first half of the twentieth century. Institutional reactions to these policies have been under examined in New Zealand. While psychiatric or mentally ill patients have been the subject of a number of New Zealand histories of the asylum, 'mental defectives' have often been overlooked. Yet during the early-twentieth century, 'mental defectives' were thought to be a source of a number of social problems, and the New Zealand government considered a range of measures aimed at limiting the spread and effect of mental deficiency in society. Policies for 'mental deficiency' were influenced by contemporary anxieties about crime, sexuality and hereditarism. As a policy of segregation was formally prescribed, more 'mental defectives' were committed to mental hospitals and other institutions than ever before. An understanding of the responses to this perceived problem also provides an insight into wider social policies in New Zealand in the first half of the twentieth century. This thesis argues that gender was a significant factor in the decision to commit mental defectives to Tokanui. Subsequent categorisation and treatment within Tokanui was also affected by gender. Official reports inform us about the policies that were in place, and historical materials from Tokanui show how these worked in practice. Most of the archives of Tokanui Mental Hospital have been unexamined by historians before now, and close analysis of patient cases also reveals more about institutional practices. The connection between Tokanui and neighbouring Waikeria Prison is also explored, in the context of contemporary fears surrounding 
mental deficiency and crime.

text: Institutional responses to mental deficiency in New Zealand, 1911-1935: Tokanui Mental Hospital This thesis considers the response of one New Zealand institution, Tokanui Mental Hospital, to legislation and policies for 'mental deficiency' introduced during the first half of the twentieth century. Institutional reactions to these policies have been under examined in New Zealand. While psychiatric or mentally ill patients have been the subject of a number of New Zealand histories of the asylum, 'mental defectives' have often been overlooked. Yet during the early-twentieth century, 'mental defectives' were thought to be a source of a number of social problems, and the New Zealand government considered a range of measures aimed at limiting the spread and effect of mental deficiency in society. Policies for 'mental deficiency' were influenced by contemporary anxieties about crime, sexuality and hereditarism. As a policy of segregation was formally prescribed, more 'mental defectives' were committed to mental hospitals and other institutions than ever before. An understanding of the responses to this perceived problem also provides an insight into wider social policies in New Zealand in the first half of the twentieth century. This thesis argues that gender was a significant factor in the decision to commit mental defectives to Tokanui. Subsequent categorisation and treatment within Tokanui was also affected by gender. Official reports inform us about the policies that were in place, and historical materials from Tokanui show how these worked in practice. Most of the archives of Tokanui Mental Hospital have been unexamined by historians before now, and close analysis of patient cases also reveals more about institutional practices. The connection between Tokanui and neighbouring Waikeria Prison is also explored, in the context of contemporary fears surrounding 
mental deficiency and crime.

year: 2007

title: Correlations Between a Cyanobacteria Bloom's Decline and Environmental Dynamics.

authors: O'Rorke, Richard

subjects: cayanobacteria

abstract: Lake Kainui is an ombrogenous peat lake that is eutrophic and has frequent cyanobacterial blooms.  This research aimed to elucidate the factors that correlated with cyanobacterial bloom decline in Lake Kainui.  Abiotic and biotic variables in Lake Kainui were monitored weekly across the bloom decline phase.  Physicochemical parameters measured included nutrients, micronutrients, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and meteorological variables.  Planktonic and particle-associated bacterial community composition (BCC) was assessed through time using molecular fingerprinting (ARISA).  Total algal, cyanobacterial, planktonic bacteria, planktonic viruses and planktonic crustacean abundances were determined using microscopy.

The bloom decline coincided with multiple factors including; an increasing ratio of TN:TP, changes in the ratio of mixing depth (z¬mix) to euphotic depth (zeu) and pH.  The lake was stratified for several weeks before the decline and the resulting lake stability potentially created an adverse environment for cyanobacterial dominance.  Changes in planktonic biota were various.  Virus dynamics were positively correlated with phytoplankton dynamics.  If virus abundance was negatively correlated to phytoplankton diversity, it would potentially mean that viruses were controlling the phytoplankton assemblage, however virus abundance was positively correlated to phytoplankton diversity, which suggests that viruses had a positive impact on the bloom.  The positive effect was most likely due to to viruses upregulating the amount of dissolved organic matter through lysis.  Bacterial abundance showed no clear correlation with other variables, but bacterial community composition (BCC) shifted as the bloom declined.  Planktonic Cladocera spiked just after the bloom decline.  Bosmina was the dominant species of Cladocera, but was probably too small to ingest colonial Microcystis, which suggests that the Bosmina may be consuming degradation products produced by Microcystis.  These observations indicate that if planktonic biota played a role in bloom dynamics it was most likely due to shifts in the biota causing shifts in trophic cycling that alternately favour or disfavour blooming.

text: Correlations Between a Cyanobacteria Bloom's Decline and Environmental Dynamics. Lake Kainui is an ombrogenous peat lake that is eutrophic and has frequent cyanobacterial blooms.  This research aimed to elucidate the factors that correlated with cyanobacterial bloom decline in Lake Kainui.  Abiotic and biotic variables in Lake Kainui were monitored weekly across the bloom decline phase.  Physicochemical parameters measured included nutrients, micronutrients, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and meteorological variables.  Planktonic and particle-associated bacterial community composition (BCC) was assessed through time using molecular fingerprinting (ARISA).  Total algal, cyanobacterial, planktonic bacteria, planktonic viruses and planktonic crustacean abundances were determined using microscopy.

The bloom decline coincided with multiple factors including; an increasing ratio of TN:TP, changes in the ratio of mixing depth (z¬mix) to euphotic depth (zeu) and pH.  The lake was stratified for several weeks before the decline and the resulting lake stability potentially created an adverse environment for cyanobacterial dominance.  Changes in planktonic biota were various.  Virus dynamics were positively correlated with phytoplankton dynamics.  If virus abundance was negatively correlated to phytoplankton diversity, it would potentially mean that viruses were controlling the phytoplankton assemblage, however virus abundance was positively correlated to phytoplankton diversity, which suggests that viruses had a positive impact on the bloom.  The positive effect was most likely due to to viruses upregulating the amount of dissolved organic matter through lysis.  Bacterial abundance showed no clear correlation with other variables, but bacterial community composition (BCC) shifted as the bloom declined.  Planktonic Cladocera spiked just after the bloom decline.  Bosmina was the dominant species of Cladocera, but was probably too small to ingest colonial Microcystis, which suggests that the Bosmina may be consuming degradation products produced by Microcystis.  These observations indicate that if planktonic biota played a role in bloom dynamics it was most likely due to shifts in the biota causing shifts in trophic cycling that alternately favour or disfavour blooming.

year: 2009

title: Responding to the message: Responsive written feedback in a Maori to English transition context

authors: Glynn, Ted

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper reports on the writing component of a community and
school Maori to English literacy transition programme implemented in a kura
kaupapa Maori (Maori language immersion school. 21 Year 6, 7 and 8
students received responsive written feedback for their writing in English,
over a ten-week period, during their weekly independent writing time.
Students’ stories were mailed to a young Maori woman (the third author) in a
provincial city 100 kilometres from the kura . She was not known to any of the
students prior to the study, but she acted as an interested audience, and
responded in writing by focussing on the content or messages in students’
stories. She did not provide any corrective feedback on students’ writing.
The study employed an intra-subject multiple-baseline research design across
four school terms, with the responsive written feedback being introduced
sequentially to each of three student Year groups. Measures were taken of
total words written, adventurous words written, as well as holistic ratings of
audience impact and language quality. Data demonstrate positive gains in
both the quantity and quality of students’ writing, as well as maintenance of
high levels of writing accuracy for all Year groups.

text: Responding to the message: Responsive written feedback in a Maori to English transition context This paper reports on the writing component of a community and
school Maori to English literacy transition programme implemented in a kura
kaupapa Maori (Maori language immersion school. 21 Year 6, 7 and 8
students received responsive written feedback for their writing in English,
over a ten-week period, during their weekly independent writing time.
Students’ stories were mailed to a young Maori woman (the third author) in a
provincial city 100 kilometres from the kura . She was not known to any of the
students prior to the study, but she acted as an interested audience, and
responded in writing by focussing on the content or messages in students’
stories. She did not provide any corrective feedback on students’ writing.
The study employed an intra-subject multiple-baseline research design across
four school terms, with the responsive written feedback being introduced
sequentially to each of three student Year groups. Measures were taken of
total words written, adventurous words written, as well as holistic ratings of
audience impact and language quality. Data demonstrate positive gains in
both the quantity and quality of students’ writing, as well as maintenance of
high levels of writing accuracy for all Year groups.

year: 2005