title: Synthesis and characterisation of organo-platinum(II) complexes of the N,O-donor ligands hippuric acid (N-benzoylglycine) and N-phenylanthranilic acid

authors: Sim, Sophie A.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Reaction of [PtCl₂(cod)] (cod = cyclo-octa-1,5-diene) with either hippuric acid [PhC(O)NHCH₂COOH] or N-phenylanthranilic acid (ortho-PhNHC₆H₄COOH) in refluxing dichloromethane in the presence of silver(I) oxide gave the new organoplatinum derivatives [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] and [Pt{N(Ph)C₆H₄COO}(cod)] respectively. Ligand substitution reactions of the cod ligand in [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] provided a facile route to a selection of phosphine-substituted analogues [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}L₂] [L = phosphatriazaadamantane (pta), PPh3, or L₂ = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂ or Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄PPh₂) ₂] via displacement of the labile cod ligand. The complexes were characterised using NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry. The X-ray structure of [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] is also reported.

text: Synthesis and characterisation of organo-platinum(II) complexes of the N,O-donor ligands hippuric acid (N-benzoylglycine) and N-phenylanthranilic acid Reaction of [PtCl₂(cod)] (cod = cyclo-octa-1,5-diene) with either hippuric acid [PhC(O)NHCH₂COOH] or N-phenylanthranilic acid (ortho-PhNHC₆H₄COOH) in refluxing dichloromethane in the presence of silver(I) oxide gave the new organoplatinum derivatives [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] and [Pt{N(Ph)C₆H₄COO}(cod)] respectively. Ligand substitution reactions of the cod ligand in [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] provided a facile route to a selection of phosphine-substituted analogues [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}L₂] [L = phosphatriazaadamantane (pta), PPh3, or L₂ = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂ or Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄PPh₂) ₂] via displacement of the labile cod ligand. The complexes were characterised using NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry. The X-ray structure of [Pt{N(COPh)CH₂COO}(cod)] is also reported.

year: 2016

title: Lock-in thermography using miniature infra-red cameras and integrated actuators for defect identification in composite materials

authors: Ólafsson, G.

abstract: A novel approach for thermographic Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of laminated polymer composite structures is presented. The technique is based on Lock-In Thermography (LIT), which traditionally uses an external heat source. Here a new means of internal heating, via a lightweight embedded actuator capable of providing highly repeatable and uniform heating is presented. The equipment cost, complexity and hence size is reduced by removing the need for high power external thermal excitation. Instead, the necessary temperature modulation of the internal actuator is achieved with a compact and low-cost Arduino controlled circuit. The size and cost of the equipment is further reduced by demonstrating that a miniature printed circuit board mounted thermal core type micro-bolometer can be used effectively for LIT. The performance of the thermal core is quantitatively compared with the more expensive and bulky traditional infra-red cameras. It is shown that the thermal core can detect defects with similar overall performance as a cooled photon detector and an uncooled micro-bolometer. The low-cost, compact nature and small mass of the thermal core offers great potential in thermographic inspection opening the possibility of deploying devices permanently on structures in conjunction with the embedded actuators for in-situ monitoring in the service environment.

text: Lock-in thermography using miniature infra-red cameras and integrated actuators for defect identification in composite materials A novel approach for thermographic Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of laminated polymer composite structures is presented. The technique is based on Lock-In Thermography (LIT), which traditionally uses an external heat source. Here a new means of internal heating, via a lightweight embedded actuator capable of providing highly repeatable and uniform heating is presented. The equipment cost, complexity and hence size is reduced by removing the need for high power external thermal excitation. Instead, the necessary temperature modulation of the internal actuator is achieved with a compact and low-cost Arduino controlled circuit. The size and cost of the equipment is further reduced by demonstrating that a miniature printed circuit board mounted thermal core type micro-bolometer can be used effectively for LIT. The performance of the thermal core is quantitatively compared with the more expensive and bulky traditional infra-red cameras. It is shown that the thermal core can detect defects with similar overall performance as a cooled photon detector and an uncooled micro-bolometer. The low-cost, compact nature and small mass of the thermal core offers great potential in thermographic inspection opening the possibility of deploying devices permanently on structures in conjunction with the embedded actuators for in-situ monitoring in the service environment.

year: 2022

title: The Effects of a Shared Reading Intervention on the English Reading Skills of Year One Students in a Level Two Māori-medium Educational Context

authors: Te Arihi, Kylie

subjects: English Reading Skills

abstract: One of the biggest challenges confronting literacy education in Aotearoa  New Zealand is accommodating the differences in English reading-related variables at school entry to produce equitable outcomes in later reading achievement (Wilkinson, Freebody, & Elkins, 2000).  English-medium schools in Aotearoa struggle to negotiate effective literacy practices that validate and cater for the cognitive, cultural, and linguistic differences children bring to the process of learning to read in English.  Whereas, the role of English reading instruction in Māori-medium schools has been an under-researched and controversial issue.  How to accommodate for these differences to achieve equitable English reading outcomes in a year 1 level 2 Māori-medium context is the theme that this research seeks to explore.
	This Masters thesis reports on a shared reading intervention that explicitly teaches phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge to examine its effects on the English reading skills of year 1 students in a level 2 Māori-medium setting.  The research implemented a Kaupapa Māori framework and used interviews, surveys, reliable literacy measures, and research-based literacy instruction to explore reading acquisition for this particular cohort.  Thus, the purposes of the study were (a) to glean an in-depth understanding of the literacy and language practices that potentially shaped the participants English reading–related variables, (b) to examine the range of English reading-related skills for this cohort, and (c) to determine the effects of the intervention on their English reading skills.
	Eight students were divided and matched with a pair according to their reported pre-test phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge scores, and then randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 4) or treatment control (n = 4) group.  The intervention programme was carried out over a six week period and comprised 12, 30 minute lessons that integrated phonological and alphabetic based decoding skills within the shared reading approach.  The duration of the treatment control programme was also carried out over a six week period and comprised 12, 30 minutes lessons that integrated semantic, syntactic, and visual graphophonic sources of information to recognise words.  The results indicated the breadth and depth of English reading skills in year 1 level 2 Māori-medium contexts are diverse and the children had a positive attitude and sense of efficacy towards reading.  A comparison of the test results between the intervention and treatment control group demonstrated that a shared reading intervention that focused explicitly on phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge is effective in raising letter-naming knowledge, pseudoword decoding, phonemic awareness, and invented spelling.  The results are discussed in light of theoretical assumptions about reading acquisition that underlie word-base and text-base approaches to word recognition.
	Overall, this study supports the development and reform of training and professional development opportunities in phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge to better support, inform, and educate Aotearoa reading teachers.  This study contributes to the knowledge of English reading acquisition that validate the depth and breadth of early cognitive and linguistic differences to increase equitable English reading outcomes in level 2 Māori-medium contexts.

text: The Effects of a Shared Reading Intervention on the English Reading Skills of Year One Students in a Level Two Māori-medium Educational Context One of the biggest challenges confronting literacy education in Aotearoa  New Zealand is accommodating the differences in English reading-related variables at school entry to produce equitable outcomes in later reading achievement (Wilkinson, Freebody, & Elkins, 2000).  English-medium schools in Aotearoa struggle to negotiate effective literacy practices that validate and cater for the cognitive, cultural, and linguistic differences children bring to the process of learning to read in English.  Whereas, the role of English reading instruction in Māori-medium schools has been an under-researched and controversial issue.  How to accommodate for these differences to achieve equitable English reading outcomes in a year 1 level 2 Māori-medium context is the theme that this research seeks to explore.
	This Masters thesis reports on a shared reading intervention that explicitly teaches phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge to examine its effects on the English reading skills of year 1 students in a level 2 Māori-medium setting.  The research implemented a Kaupapa Māori framework and used interviews, surveys, reliable literacy measures, and research-based literacy instruction to explore reading acquisition for this particular cohort.  Thus, the purposes of the study were (a) to glean an in-depth understanding of the literacy and language practices that potentially shaped the participants English reading–related variables, (b) to examine the range of English reading-related skills for this cohort, and (c) to determine the effects of the intervention on their English reading skills.
	Eight students were divided and matched with a pair according to their reported pre-test phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge scores, and then randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 4) or treatment control (n = 4) group.  The intervention programme was carried out over a six week period and comprised 12, 30 minute lessons that integrated phonological and alphabetic based decoding skills within the shared reading approach.  The duration of the treatment control programme was also carried out over a six week period and comprised 12, 30 minutes lessons that integrated semantic, syntactic, and visual graphophonic sources of information to recognise words.  The results indicated the breadth and depth of English reading skills in year 1 level 2 Māori-medium contexts are diverse and the children had a positive attitude and sense of efficacy towards reading.  A comparison of the test results between the intervention and treatment control group demonstrated that a shared reading intervention that focused explicitly on phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge is effective in raising letter-naming knowledge, pseudoword decoding, phonemic awareness, and invented spelling.  The results are discussed in light of theoretical assumptions about reading acquisition that underlie word-base and text-base approaches to word recognition.
	Overall, this study supports the development and reform of training and professional development opportunities in phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge to better support, inform, and educate Aotearoa reading teachers.  This study contributes to the knowledge of English reading acquisition that validate the depth and breadth of early cognitive and linguistic differences to increase equitable English reading outcomes in level 2 Māori-medium contexts.

year: 2014