title: Just breathe: Dynamic breathwork as interoceptive exposure for veterans and police

authors: Pointer, Ben

subjects: breathwork

abstract: Military veterans and police officers experience high rates of trauma-related symptoms alongside autonomic dysregulation, yet many do not engage with or complete conventional therapies. Breathing-based interventions may provide a low-cost, acceptable alternative. I used a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design with eight veterans and police officers to evaluate a 10-session online dynamic breathwork protocol. I hypothesised that this intervention would (H1) increase resting heart rate variability (HRV) and reduce resting heart rate, (H2) improve self-reported psychological symptoms commonly associated with PTSD, and (H3) be rated as acceptable and feasible for home-based use. Participants practised cyclic hyperventilation, extended breath-holds, and a Valsalva-type manoeuvre in 10 sessions across a 20-day period. Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD) and heart rate were recorded daily with Polar® H10 sensors. Self-reported psychological measures of depression, anxiety, affect, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were completed at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Physiological outcomes did not show meaningful change. However, large effect sizes were observed across all psychological measures, with reductions in self-reported scores of depression, anxiety, and negative affect, and increases in mindful awareness and psychological flexibility. Social validity ratings indicated that the protocol was highly acceptable and feasible for home use. In contrast to traditional exposure therapies that target external trauma cues, this intervention employed breath-based interoceptive exposure to engage conditioned internal responses, offering a novel pathway for inhibitory learning. My results suggest that while short-term autonomic adaptation was not evident, structured online breathwork may offer a promising and scalable means of reducing psychological distress for trauma-exposed operational personnel.

text: Just breathe: Dynamic breathwork as interoceptive exposure for veterans and police Military veterans and police officers experience high rates of trauma-related symptoms alongside autonomic dysregulation, yet many do not engage with or complete conventional therapies. Breathing-based interventions may provide a low-cost, acceptable alternative. I used a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design with eight veterans and police officers to evaluate a 10-session online dynamic breathwork protocol. I hypothesised that this intervention would (H1) increase resting heart rate variability (HRV) and reduce resting heart rate, (H2) improve self-reported psychological symptoms commonly associated with PTSD, and (H3) be rated as acceptable and feasible for home-based use. Participants practised cyclic hyperventilation, extended breath-holds, and a Valsalva-type manoeuvre in 10 sessions across a 20-day period. Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD) and heart rate were recorded daily with Polar® H10 sensors. Self-reported psychological measures of depression, anxiety, affect, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were completed at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. Physiological outcomes did not show meaningful change. However, large effect sizes were observed across all psychological measures, with reductions in self-reported scores of depression, anxiety, and negative affect, and increases in mindful awareness and psychological flexibility. Social validity ratings indicated that the protocol was highly acceptable and feasible for home use. In contrast to traditional exposure therapies that target external trauma cues, this intervention employed breath-based interoceptive exposure to engage conditioned internal responses, offering a novel pathway for inhibitory learning. My results suggest that while short-term autonomic adaptation was not evident, structured online breathwork may offer a promising and scalable means of reducing psychological distress for trauma-exposed operational personnel.

year: 2025

title: Impacts of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on genetic diversity among New Zealand and Antarctic Arthropods

authors: Bennett, Kristi R.

subjects: Antarctica

abstract: Geological events such as glaciation and crustal uplift can impact on species' distributions and genetic diversity through the formation of dispersal barriers and fragmentation of habitat. This thesis investigates the effects of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on intra- and interspecific population diversity in a New Zealand aquatic invertebrate and an Antarctic terrestrial invertebrate. 
Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) are an aquatic invertebrate that are widespread and common throughout both islands of New Zealand. Species are used in stream health studies and as a measure of diversity, but knowledge of their genetic diversity is limited. Mitochondrial DNA (COI) sequence variability was used to examine levels of divergence among closely-related species of caddisflies collected from throughout New Zealand. Based on genetic analysis, seven closely related species pairs were identified, consisting of morphologically distinct species, each restricted to either the North or South Island. Another five species showed similar or greater levels of "intraspecific" divergence, with genetically distinct populations on each island. Sequence divergence between these twelve "species pairs" ranged from 0.41% in Confluens olingoides / Confluens hamiltoni, to 9.92% between the North and South Island populations of Pycnocentria evecta. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergences for these twelve species pairs were estimated to within the last 5 million years, with most dating to the beginning of the Pleistocene (2 Mya). I conclude that population fragmentation during the Pleistocene glaciations and subsequent closing of the Cook Strait land bridge have both played important roles in the isolation and speciation of the New Zealand caddisflies.
Mitochondrial DNA (COI) analysis was also used to examine the levels of genetic variability within and among populations of three endemic springtail species (Arthropoda: Collembola), collected from the Mackay Glacier region of southern Victoria Land, in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. I tested the hypothesis that genetic divergences would occur among glacially-isolated habitats within a fragmented landscape. Mitochondrial analysis of 97 individuals showed high levels of genetic divergence at small spatial scales (<15km). High levels of genetic divergence were found among populations for two of the three species. Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni, a widespread and common species showed 7.6% sequence divergence on opposite sides of the Mackay Glacier. Similar divergences were also found for Neocryptopygus nivicolus, a more range-restricted species showing 4.0% sequence divergence among populations. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergence of these populations occurred in the last 5 Mya. It was suggested that glaciations during the Pliocene (5-2 Mya) and throughout the Pleistocene (2 Mya - 10 Kya) have fragmented springtail populations in this region and isolated them in small, refugial nunataks. I conclude that glaciation has promoted and maintained the levels of diversity observed among populations of springtails and that isolation has occurred on extremely small spatial scales.
Collectively, the two studies presented here suggest that the Pleistocene glaciations are responsible for habitat fragmentation, the genetic signatures for which can be observed in invertebrate taxa in both New Zealand and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.

text: Impacts of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on genetic diversity among New Zealand and Antarctic Arthropods Geological events such as glaciation and crustal uplift can impact on species' distributions and genetic diversity through the formation of dispersal barriers and fragmentation of habitat. This thesis investigates the effects of the Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations on intra- and interspecific population diversity in a New Zealand aquatic invertebrate and an Antarctic terrestrial invertebrate. 
Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) are an aquatic invertebrate that are widespread and common throughout both islands of New Zealand. Species are used in stream health studies and as a measure of diversity, but knowledge of their genetic diversity is limited. Mitochondrial DNA (COI) sequence variability was used to examine levels of divergence among closely-related species of caddisflies collected from throughout New Zealand. Based on genetic analysis, seven closely related species pairs were identified, consisting of morphologically distinct species, each restricted to either the North or South Island. Another five species showed similar or greater levels of "intraspecific" divergence, with genetically distinct populations on each island. Sequence divergence between these twelve "species pairs" ranged from 0.41% in Confluens olingoides / Confluens hamiltoni, to 9.92% between the North and South Island populations of Pycnocentria evecta. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergences for these twelve species pairs were estimated to within the last 5 million years, with most dating to the beginning of the Pleistocene (2 Mya). I conclude that population fragmentation during the Pleistocene glaciations and subsequent closing of the Cook Strait land bridge have both played important roles in the isolation and speciation of the New Zealand caddisflies.
Mitochondrial DNA (COI) analysis was also used to examine the levels of genetic variability within and among populations of three endemic springtail species (Arthropoda: Collembola), collected from the Mackay Glacier region of southern Victoria Land, in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. I tested the hypothesis that genetic divergences would occur among glacially-isolated habitats within a fragmented landscape. Mitochondrial analysis of 97 individuals showed high levels of genetic divergence at small spatial scales (<15km). High levels of genetic divergence were found among populations for two of the three species. Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni, a widespread and common species showed 7.6% sequence divergence on opposite sides of the Mackay Glacier. Similar divergences were also found for Neocryptopygus nivicolus, a more range-restricted species showing 4.0% sequence divergence among populations. Based on molecular clock estimates, divergence of these populations occurred in the last 5 Mya. It was suggested that glaciations during the Pliocene (5-2 Mya) and throughout the Pleistocene (2 Mya - 10 Kya) have fragmented springtail populations in this region and isolated them in small, refugial nunataks. I conclude that glaciation has promoted and maintained the levels of diversity observed among populations of springtails and that isolation has occurred on extremely small spatial scales.
Collectively, the two studies presented here suggest that the Pleistocene glaciations are responsible for habitat fragmentation, the genetic signatures for which can be observed in invertebrate taxa in both New Zealand and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.

year: 2013

title: Using Twitter in an Indigenous language: An analysis of te reo Māori tweets

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

abstract: Language revitalization theory suggests that one way to improve the health of a language is to increase the number of domains where the language is used. Social network platforms provide a variety of domains where indigenous- language communities are able to communicate in their own languages. Although the capability exists, is social networking being used by indigenous- language communities? This paper reports on one particular social networking platform, Twitter, by using two separate methodologies. First, Twitter statistics collated from the Indigenous Tweets website are analysed. The data show that languages such as Basque, Haitian Creole, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Frisian and Kapampangan do have a presence in the “Twittersphere”. Further analysis for te reo Māori (the Māori language) shows that tweets in te reo Māori are rising and peak when certain events occur. The second methodology involved gathering empirical data by tweeting in te reo Māori. This served two purposes: it allowed an ancillary check on the validity of the Indigenous Tweets data and it allowed the opportunity to determine if the number of indigenous- language tweets could be influenced by the actions of one tweeter.

text: Using Twitter in an Indigenous language: An analysis of te reo Māori tweets Language revitalization theory suggests that one way to improve the health of a language is to increase the number of domains where the language is used. Social network platforms provide a variety of domains where indigenous- language communities are able to communicate in their own languages. Although the capability exists, is social networking being used by indigenous- language communities? This paper reports on one particular social networking platform, Twitter, by using two separate methodologies. First, Twitter statistics collated from the Indigenous Tweets website are analysed. The data show that languages such as Basque, Haitian Creole, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Frisian and Kapampangan do have a presence in the “Twittersphere”. Further analysis for te reo Māori (the Māori language) shows that tweets in te reo Māori are rising and peak when certain events occur. The second methodology involved gathering empirical data by tweeting in te reo Māori. This served two purposes: it allowed an ancillary check on the validity of the Indigenous Tweets data and it allowed the opportunity to determine if the number of indigenous- language tweets could be influenced by the actions of one tweeter.

year: 2015