Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "New Zealand Institute"

Professions are characterised by the services they provide and in accounting this includes standard setting. The accounting profession became increasingly involved in the regulation of external financial reporting during the twentieth century by setting standards of accounting practice for its members and entity stakeholders. This narrative analysis of the history of accounting standards in New Zealand focuses on why the accounting profession in New Zealand, as elsewhere in the English-speaking world, assumed the responsibility to draft accounting standards. It argues that accountants did so to maintain their professional status. The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants was instrumental in creating accounting standards in New Zealand. Cautious to begin with, the Institute soon became a progressive and innovative standard setter, not only developing a conceptual framework for New Zealand standards but also making the standards sector neutral. The Institute retained control of the drafting of accounting standards even when, as happened in the latter decades of the twentieth century, the New Zealand Government became more involved in the standard setting process. Recent changes in the standard setting process, however, such as the development and use of international accounting standards and the creation of statutory bodies to draft and authorise standards raise questions about the accounting profession’s continuing use of standard setting as a mechanism for maintaining professional reputation.

Despite its origins in England two hundred years ago, the picturesque continues to influence landscape architectural practice in late twentieth-century New Zealand. The evidence for this is derived from a close reading of the published discourse of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, particularly the now defunct professional journal, The Landscape. Through conceptualising the picturesque as a language, a model is developed which provides a framework for recording the survey results. The way in which the picturesque persists as naturalised conventions in the discourse is expressed as four landscape myths. Through extending the metaphor of language, pidgins and creoles provide an analogy for the introduction and development of the picturesque in New Zealand. Some implications for theory, practice and education follow.

This thesis studies the relationship between the careers of women in accounting in New Zealand in the twentieth century and their membership of, and contribution to, the major accounting association in this country, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand. The relationship is placed within historical context. In recent decades there has been much research on the experiences of female professionals in their workplaces but little of this research has been on the involvement of these women in their professional associations. Yet these associations have an important role in defining, controlling and representing professions. This thesis argues, using accounting as an example, that there is a parallel between the careers of professional women and their participation in their professional associations. In New Zealand, as the social climate changed during the twentieth century so too did women's membership in the Institute and their employment as public accountants. The level and type of women's contribution in the Institute has reflected their participation in the wider profession.

Historical and contemporary views such as those held within Buddhist and Hindu religion support the idea that sound, colour and form in motion have the ability to alter physiological and psychological aspects of human function. Within these, religions, distinctive singing and meditation techniques can be used to aid concentration, calm and balance the mind, and soothe the body. A meditative technique adopted by Hindu and Buddhist practitioners is to draw the mind into a centred point of focus, blocking out external distractions that inhibit concentration. The sound based meditation Om, for example, is a most powerful mantra, capable of healing and elevating consciousness (Beck, 1995). Vocal sounding and chant as well as gazing at or visualising images are techniques that have been utilised in ancient religious practice to aid people to develop their natural capabilities to shift energy within body and mind. Contemporary neuroscientists are interested in the states of mind that Buddhist monks claim to enter into while sounding. Equipped with technology for analysing brainwave activity, experiments have revealed that electromagnetic stimuli such as sound, light and colour can have physical affect upon the practitioner’s brain. Researchers have developed new therapeutic tools and techniques to benefit the health and well-being of individuals from these findings. This thesis traces the therapeutic use of sound, light, colour and form in motion from ancient Hindu and Buddhist religion into its use in complementary therapy. Sound Vision is the name of the film which fulfils the practical component of this research. Inspired by the visual form and motion of sound, this thesis contemplates: if we could see sound, what would it look like and could those images function as a healing art form? Sound Vision translates ancient and contemporary techniques of therapy into a digital audio/visual medium to function as visual therapy and aid for meditation. The themes of this research are foremost to visualise sound and secondly to deduce aspects of sound and vision that have therapeutic qualities. Chapter Three of this thesis thematically outlines qualities of sound that have been found to be capable of exciting or calming its listener. The same process has been applied for vision, specifically how light and colour affect the viewer as well as for form in motion. An interim presentation of the preliminary film, Dance of Light, was exhibited in November 2008 and here formative feedback was gained through unobtrusive observation and discussions with viewers toward the development of Sound Vision. Aspects of the film were found to provoke feelings of unease and tension while other aspects incited focus and calm. Sound Vision, serves as a prototype apply healing using light therapy to create positive physical and psychological outcomes. From the research presented within this thesis, Sound Vision employs various digital methods and techniques which are recognised with ability towards healing. Explorations to further this thesis’ research may include Neurological brainwave analysis and patient testing to determine which kinds of video footage produce particular desirable results.

The original purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibility of setting up a school in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that operates according to the principles and philosophies of Summerhill School in Suffolk, England. An examination of Summerhill School is therefore the purpose of this study, particularly because of its commitment to self-regulation and direct democracy for children. My argument within this study is that Summerhill presents precisely the type of model Māori as Tangata Whenua (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) need in our design of an alternative schooling programme, given that self-regulation and direct democracy are traits conducive to achieving Tino Rangitiratanga (Self-government, autonomy and control). In claiming this however, not only would Tangata Whenua benefit from this model of schooling; indeed it has the potential to serve the purpose of all people regardless of age race or gender. At present, no school in Aotearoa has replicated Summerhill's principles and philosophies in their entirety. Given the constraints of a Master's thesis, this piece of work is therefore only intended as a theoretical background study for a much larger kaupapa (purpose). It is my intention to produce a further and more comprehensive study in the future using Summerhill as a vehicle to initiate a model school in Aotearoa that is completely antithetical to the dominant neo-liberal philosophy of our age. To this end, my study intends to demonstrate how neo-liberal schooling is universally dictated by global money market trends, and how it is an ideology fueled by the indifferent acceptance of the general population. In other words, neo-liberal theory is a theory of capitalist colonisation. In order to address the long term vision, this project will be comprised of two major components. The first will be a study of the principal philosophies that govern Summerhill School. As I will argue, Summerhill creates an environment that is uniquely successful and fulfilling for the children who attend. At the same time, it will also be shown how it is a philosophy that is entirely contrary to a neo-liberal 3 mindset; an antidote, to a certain extent, to the ills of contemporary schooling. The second component will address the historical movement of schooling in Aotearoa since the Labour Party's landslide victory in 1984, and how the New Zealand Curriculum has been affected by these changes. I intend to trace the importation of neo-liberal methodologies into Aotearoa such as the 'Picot Taskforce,' 'Tomorrows Schools' and 'Bulk Funding,' to name but a few. The neo-liberal ideologies that have swept through this country in the last two decades have relentlessly metamorphosised departments into businesses and forced ministries into the marketplace, hence causing the 'ideological reduction of education' and confining it to the parameters of schooling. The purpose of this research project is to act as a catalyst for the ultimate materialization of an original vision; the implementation of a school like Summerhill in Aotearoa. A study of the neo-liberal ideologies that currently dominate this country is imperative in order to understand the current schooling situation in Aotearoa and create an informed comparison between the 'learning for freedom' style of Summerhill and the 'learning to earn' style of our status quo schools. It is my hope to strengthen the argument in favour of Summerhill philosophy by offering an understanding of the difference between the two completely opposing methods of learning.

This research investigates critical methods for approaching aesthetic design decisions in illustration. As a method of communication illustration qualifies its subjects through aesthetic choices, or modalities. The qualifying nature of these modalities can affect communication in an image and this research seeks an explicit understanding of how this communication occurs. This practice-based research project employs two aesthetic extremes, line and tone, in the creation of four historic visual narratives designed to fill visual gaps in the history of 1 Commando Fiji Guerillas. Line and tone are tendered as a means of visually negotiating the informing records of the Fiji Commando experience, records characterised by both conflict and absence. Can these disparate, conflicting, yet necessary records of experience be visually acknowledged in an illustrated expansion of the Fiji Commando's visual history? This position serves as the point of departure for research. An understanding of the communicative properties of line and tone is followed by investigation into their relationship to the propositions they represent, with initial research suggesting that modalities reflect the social contexts from which they encode. This relationship implied a means to negotiate the historic records necessary in a contemporary visual articulation of the Fiji Commando experience through the strategic use of aesthetic modalities to acknowledge the nature of informing source material. This practice-based approach to research allowed the consolidation of both the possible and the probable in the creation of a new visual, historic text, while revealing analytical approaches to aesthetic choice.

The present study was aimed at extending our knowledge of the antioxidative properties of the milk protein products, whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium caseinate (NaCas), in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In particular, the objective was to contribute to our understanding of the compositional and processing factors that influence the oxidative stability of protein-stabilised O/W emulsions. Linoleic acid (approximately 60 %) was used as the lipid for the oil phase (10.6 %). The emulsion samples were usually incubated at 50 °C to accelerate lipid oxidation. Lipid oxidation indicators were lipid hydroperoxides and headspace hexanal, determined by solid phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography (GC). WPI- or NaCas-stabilised emulsions were prepared using a wide range of protein concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 7.0 or 10.0 %) at two droplet sizes (d32 = 0.31 and 0.65 µm). In general, higher lipid oxidation levels were found for the larger droplet size. Increasing protein concentration led to a decrease in the lipid oxidation rate. The greatest decrease in lipid hydroperoxide levels (values after 4 h) occurred at up to 4.0 % protein concentration. The greatest decrease in hexanal levels (values after 24 h) occurred at up to 4.0 % protein concentration in WPI emulsions (0.31 µm). The hexanal levels were more independent of the protein concentration in the other emulsion types. The hexanal level decreased at protein concentrations > 4.0 % in NaCas emulsions (0.31 and 0.65 µm) and at protein concentrations > 7.0 % in WPI emulsions (0.65 µm). The difference between lipid hydroperoxide generation in emulsions with small and large droplet sizes decreased with increasing protein concentration. This effect was more pronounced in NaCas emulsions. In general, NaCas was a better inhibitor of lipid oxidation than WPI, but WPI appeared to be the better antioxidant at some droplet size/protein concentration combinations. The protein in the continuous phase, i.e. the unadsorbed protein, played an important role in lipid oxidation. In principal, the lipid hydroperoxide and hexanal levels showed the same development over the continuous phase protein concentration as over the protein concentration in WPI and NaCas emulsions (d32 = 0.31 µm). A low NaCas level in the continuous phase already led to a relatively low hexanal level, whereas a higher WPI level was required. When NaCas solution was added to a WPI emulsion or WPI solution was added to a NaCas emulsion, a synergistic antioxidative effect was observed. The high molecular weight fractions (molecular weight = 12000-14000) of WPI and NaCas contained pro-oxidative metal ions that contributed to lipid oxidation in the emulsions. An enrichment of NaCas emulsions with the low molecular weight fraction of NaCas (with a molecular weight = 12000-14000) notably inhibited lipid oxidation. An enrichment of WPI emulsions with the low molecular weight fraction of WPI (with a molecular weight = 12000-14000) also seemed to inhibit lipid oxidation, but the effect was not significant. The protein solutions were enriched with these fractions before emulsion preparation. Pure WPI solution or mixed WPI/NaCas (1:1, weight/weight) solution with 1.12 or 2.24 % protein concentration was heated at 84 °C for up to 40 min, cooled and then used to prepare emulsions. Lipid oxidation was generally not affected by the heat treatment or the degree of whey protein denaturation. However, at the lower WPI concentration, more hexanal was produced for the longer heating times (20, 30 and 40 min) and this appeared to be connected with the physical instability of the emulsions. Greater oxidative stability was found at the higher protein concentration and when the proteins were mixed, pointing to a possible synergistic antioxidative effect of WPI and NaCas. The addition of the free radical source 2,2’-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) greatly increased the oxygen uptake and the generation of lipid hydroperoxides in the emulsions. The oxidative stability increased with increasing protein concentration (1.0, 4.0 and 7.0 %). NaCas had a greater antioxidative effect than WPI. The inhibition of oxygen uptake appeared to be largely influenced by the free-radical-scavenging activity of the system, determined by the protein type and the protein concentration, as the radicals were produced linearly over time and oxygen was consumed linearly over time. It can therefore be concluded that free-radical-scavenging activity represents a major antioxidative mechanism of the milk proteins. Oxygen was consumed much faster in emulsions than in protein solutions when the same level of AAPH was incorporated. In a WPI (1.0 % protein) emulsion, much lower levels of protein hydroperoxides than of lipid hydroperoxides developed. This pointed to a much greater reactivity of linoleic acid than of the milk proteins with oxygen. In contrast, the exposure of WPI to oxidising linoleic acid in an emulsion (1.0 % protein) or to AAPH in aqueous solution led to oxidative damage of the whey proteins, indicated by the loss of amino acids. The loss of specific amino acids was different for proteins in the continuous phase or cream phase of an emulsion or in WPI solution. The present study confirms the antioxidative potential of WPI and NaCas and gives new insights into their functionality as oxidative stabilisers in O/W emulsions.

The iron and manganese superoxide dismutases are a family of metallo-enzymes with highly conserved protein folds, active sites and dimer interfaces. They catalyse the elimination of the cytotoxic free radical superoxide to molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide by alternate reduction then oxidation of the activesite with the concomitant transfer of protons from the solvent. There are many key aspects of enzymatic function that lack a structural explanation. The focus of this study is on three crystal structures. The iron-substituted manganese superoxide dismutase from Escherichia coli complexed with azide, a substrate-mimicking inhibitor, was solved to 2.2 Å. This “wrong” metal form shows a binding pattern seen previously in the manganese superoxide dismutase from Thermus thermophilus. Wild-type manganese specific superoxide dismutase from the extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans was solved to 2.0 Å and has an active site reminiscent of other solved manganese superoxide dismutases despite a lack of product inhibition. The azide-inhibited manganese superoxide dismutase from Deinococcus radiodurans was determined to a resolution of 2.0 Å and showed binding of azide, and by inference superoxide, different to that seen in Thermus thermophilus, but reminiscent of that seen in azide-inhibited iron superoxide dismutases. These results indicate that the azide ion, and by inference superoxide, bind to the metal centre of manganese superoxide dismutases in two modes, and transition between the two modes may be entropy dependent. These structures, integrated with knowledge from other structures, known biochemistry and various spectra, provide insight into catalytic function. An outer-sphere mechanism of proton transfer that does not rely on through-peptide proton uptake is proposed and compared to a previously proposed inner-sphere mechanism. This is based on the observation that a water molecule moves into the active site of the manganese superoxide dismutase from Deinococcus radiodurans upon azide binding, providing a Grötthus pathway for rapid proton transfer to the active site from the bulk solvent. Also presented in this study are the partially refined structures of four point mutants (S82T, L83M, L133V, and M164L/L166V) of the manganese superoxide dismutase from Escherichia coli all solved to roughly 2 Å resolution, designed to investigate product inhibition which varies across species.

Ovariohysterectomy and castration are common surgical procedures in small animal practice that can result in clinically significant postoperative pain. One way of controlling postoperative pain is administration of a single analgesic or a combination of different classes of analgesics prior to the onset of noxious stimuli. A constraint to the perioperative use of traditional opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is their undesirable side effects. In this series of experiments, the preventive (pre-emptive) analgesic efficacy of two popular human analgesics, tramadol (an ?atypical? opioid) and parecoxib (a NSAID with selective COX-2 inhibition) was evaluated in dogs. Initially, the efficacy and renal safety of parecoxib, tramadol and a combination of parecoxib, tramadol and pindolol (a -adrenoceptor blocker and 5-HT1A/1B antagonist) were screened in anaesthetised healthy dogs. These analgesics increased the dogs? nociceptive threshold to mechanical stimuli, without causing significant alterations in the dogs? glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated by plasma iohexol clearance. Subsequently, the efficacy of tramadol was compared with morphine, in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy or castration. The Glasgow composite measure pain scale-short form score (CMPS-SF) and changes in intraoperative electroencephalogram (EEG) responses were used to assess the efficacy of analgesics. Of the three treatment groups (preoperative morphine, 0.5 mg kg-1; preoperative tramadol, 3 mg kg-1; a ?combination? of preoperative low-dose morphine, 0.1 mg kg-1, and postoperative tramadol 3 mg kg-1), dogs given the ?combination? had significantly lower pain scores after ovariohysterectomy. In castrated dogs, preoperative tramadol (3 mg kg-1) and morphine (0.5 mg kg-1) were tested and no significant difference in the CMPS-SF score were observed between them. Changes in EEG variables were not specific between the treatment groups in ovariohysterectomised dogs. Finally, the efficacy of test drugs was evaluated against acute noxious electrical stimulation in anaesthetised dogs, using EEG. Median frequency of the EEG, a reliable indicator of nociception, increased significantly in tramadol and parecoxib groups, compared to morphine, after electrical stimulation. These studies demonstrated that tramadol and parecoxib can produce analgesia in dogs with insignificant side effects. The efficacy of tramadol appears to vary with the type of noxious stimulus. A complete prevention of noxious input by administration of analgesics pre- and post-operatively could have important clinical applications.

Following the initial enthusiasm shown by institutions to embark on e-learning, a sense of disillusion has followed. With many institutions feeling that the promise of e-learning has not been realised, these same institutions have been re-examining their e-learning use. This study examines the use of e-learning by vocational institutes in New Zealand by exploring lecturers' use of the technology and the impact on their students' success. The study also looks at what type of programmes use e-learning. Finally, the study examined the organisational support provided to the lecturers.Data for this study were collected from two different groups by means of two different research methods. Lecturers from 13 vocational institutes completed surveys and e-learning managers from the same institutions were interviewed. Data were analysed by statistical methods and a grounded theory approach.Lecturers who taught mainly diploma, degree or a mix of courses had a more positive perspective on how e-learning affected their students' success. Lecturers also held more positive views on using e-learning with theory-based courses. In terms of gender mix, lecturers who taught mainly female or mixed gender courses viewed the use of e-learning as having a positive effect on student success.The e-learning managers' interviews were included to provide background about professional development and organisational support available to the lecturers. The analysis of the interviews indicated that a range of professional development opportunities were made available. It also indicated that the level of support was dependent on what drove the development of the courses. If the development was lecturer driven, the support provided was much smaller scale. If the development was driven by senior management or external funding, the support was provided on a much larger scale. These larger scale developments were generally project-based. This analysis echoed the lecturers' responses as the majority indicated that they had developed their own courses. The conclusions that can be drawn from this are that the majority of the lecturers who participated in the survey were e-learning enthusiasts. The key message for institutions is to encourage these enthusiasts, while also encouraging the larger scale online developments.

This thesis is presented as a collection of research papers synthesising knowledge gained during the period of candidacy. Its underlying focus is the examination of evolution from a variety of perspectives for terrestrial arthropods (springtails) in an Antarctic setting. These perspectives include investigation of the ways in which springtail populations respond both physiologically and genetically to environmental variability over historical and contemporary time-scales. While the physiological and genetic may seem two worlds apart, this thesis recognises that, in reality the two are inextricably linked. Thus, when genetic differentiation between populations of the same species can be demonstrated, physiological differentiation of these populations may also be predicted (and vice versa). Therefore, across several locations and springtail species, physiological and genetic parameters of individuals and populations are examined both separately and, where possible, in concert. The physiological aspect of this thesis focuses on the springtail Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni from continental Antarctica. In addition to providing the first metabolic rate data for a continental Antarctic springtail, seasonal variation in metabolic rates is examined across multiple temporal and spatial scales to evaluate the ways in which individuals and populations respond to environmental variability. Metabolic activity in this species is intricately linked to a variety of factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. These include biological function, temperature profiles in the local microclimate, and body mass and genetic differences among populations. In the genetically-focused aspect of this thesis, population genetic patterns of G. hodgsoni from several continental locations and Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus from locations across the Antarctica Peninsula are compared. Here, the importance of differing evolutionary histories in influencing patterns of contemporary genetic population structure is highlighted. While both species have been similarly affected genetically by Pleistocene (2 Ma – present) glacial cycling, it is clear that differences in timing of colonisation events and subsequent population expansions have left distinct genetic signatures in each species. In a separate molecular study, phylogenetic analyses are employed to study members of the circum-Antarctic springtail family Isotomidae. Thesis Abstract The genetic ancestry among these closely related species is shown to reflect a diverse evolutionary origin in the Miocene (23 – 5 Ma), subsequent to which both vicariant and dispersal processes have been important. Phylogenetic re-constructions tease out the relationships among sister species, and the identification of several genetically distant lineages suggests that a revision of current species designations is required. Finally, two studies that integrate the physiological and molecular genetic are presented. First, metabolic rate variation across several locations on sub-Antarctic Marion Island in the springtail Cryptopygus antarcticus travei is examined. This variation is related to the genetic structure of populations to show that historical and contemporary environmental characteristics have left their trace in the expression of both genetic and physiological variability of these populations. Second, the perceived association between metabolic rate and genetic (mutation) rate is investigated more closely - a sophisticated Bayesian correlation analysis detects that there is an indirect relationship between metabolic rate and underlying species phylogeny in C. a. travei. Thus, the physiological and molecular genetic elements of this thesis test or advance important hypotheses within their own fields, and the integrated approach applied is a new step in interpreting evidence of physiological adaptation in Antarctic species. In its multi-faceted approach to evolutionary studies, this thesis enhances understanding of the current picture of springtail evolution in polar environments.

Im Februar und März 2007 wurde vom Geographischen Institut der Universität eine Exkursion nach Neuseeland durchgeführt. Der hier vorliegende Bericht bezieht sich auf diese Exkursion. Im ersten Teil wird durch 17 Protokolle der Exkursionsverlauf wiedergegeben. Im zweiten Teil befassen sich sechs Texte näher mit je einem thematischen Aspekt der Exkursion. Autoren der Protokolle und der thematischen Texte sind die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer der Exkursion. Zum ersten Teil des Berichts – der Exkursionsverlauf Im ersten Teil dieses Berichtes wird der Verlauf der Exkursion Neuseeland 2007 des Geographischen Instituts der Universität Potsdam durch Tagesprotokolle dargestellt. Die Exkursion begann am 14. Februar 2007 in Auckland und endete am 4. März 2007 in Christchurch. Während dieser 19 Tage wurden verschiedene Orte auf der neuseeländischen Nord- und Südinsel aufgesucht, wobei die Exkursionsgruppe verschiedene Aspekte der neuseeländischen Gesellschaft aus einer humangeographischen Perspektive studierte. Im Mittelpunkt standen die Themen historische und jüngere Migration nach Neuseeland, Maori, Milchwirtschaft, Holzwirtschaft und Tourismus in Neuseeland. Die Tagesprotokolle machen deutlich, dass die Exkursion weniger in einer thematisch-systematischen Art und Weise durchgeführt wurde. Statt dessen erfolgte das Aufsuchen exemplarischer Orte, an denen Beobachtungen und darüber hinausgehende Erkundungen stattfanden. Die entsprechenden Aussagen sind in den Protokollen wiedergegeben, schwerpunktmäßig wird dabei folgendes angesprochen: Der erste Exkursionstag, das war der 14. Februar 2007, wurde für den Besuch des Geographischen Institutes der Auckland University genutzt. Dort wurde zum Beispiel eine Diskussionsrunde mit den beiden Humangeographen Richard Le Heron und Gordon Winder veranstaltet. Auch die folgenden zwei Tage verbrachten die Exkursionsgruppe in Auckland, wobei sie sich im »Auckland Museum« über die neuseeländische Geschichte und insbesondere über die Kultur der Maori informierte. Mit einem Maori-Guide unternahmen die Teilnehmer eine Stadtführung durch Auckland, wobei ebenfalls das Leben der Maori im Fokus stand. Außerdem besuchten sie eine private Einwanderungsagentur und führten in Kleingruppen Expertengespräche zum Thema »Migration und Integration in Neuseeland« durch. Am 17. Februar erkundeten die Exkursionsteilnehmer drei Orte in der näheren Umgebung Aucklands. Zunächst begaben sie sich zum Otara Market, einem Wochenmarkt der Pacific Islanders, der immer samstags in Otara abgehalten wird. Anschließend ging es weiter an die westliche Küste, wo sie unter Führung einer Rangerin durch den Muriwai-Regionalpark wanderten. Auf der Rückfahrt nach Auckland machten sie Halt in Soljan’s Winzerei, wo der Betrieb vorgestellt wurde und Wein verkosten werden konnte. Am 18. Februar verließ die Exkursionsgruppe Auckland in Richtung Norden, um zum Ort Puhoi zu gelangen. Dort beschäftigten sich die Teilnehmer mit den sogenannten Bohemians, die einst aus Böhmen nach Neuseeland auswanderten und deren Traditionen dort auch heute noch (zumindest teilweise) gepflegt werden. Am nächsten Tag fuhren sie weiter nach Pahia, dem nördlichsten Aufenthaltsort während der Exkursion. Auf dem Weg dorthin machten sie einen Umweg über Matakohe, wo das Kauri-Museum und der Tane Mahuta, der größte Kauribaum Neuseelands, besichtigt wurden. Am 20. Februar stand vormittags die Beschäftigung mit der Geschichte Neuseelands auf dem Tagesplan. Hierfür besuchte die Exkursionsgruppe die Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Dort informierten sich die Teilnehmer über den Vertrag von Waitangi und darüber, welche Folgen dieser für das Leben der Maori hatte. Am Nachmittag stand das Thema Tourismus im Mittelpunkt. Die Exkursionsteilnehmer machten sich mit einem Teil des touristischen Angebots vertraut, indem sie eine Bootstour durch die Bay of Islands unternahmen. Am 21. Februar fuhr die Gruppe in die Hamilton-Region, wo sie sich auch die folgenden zwei Tage aufhielt. Auf dem Weg dorthin wurde ein Zwischenstopp in Kawakawa und an den Whangarei Falls eingelegt. In Hamilton war die Exkursionsgruppe Gast im Geographischen Institut der Waikato University und im Waikato Migrant Resource Centre. Außerdem stand das Thema Milchwirtschaft auf dem Programm. Hierfür besichtigten die Teilnehmer das Unternehmen AmBreed, welches die Grundlage für die Aufzucht von Hochleistungsmilchkühen bereitstellt – nämlich das Bullensperma. Außerdem konnten sie sich über die Organisation und Probleme einer Milchfarm informieren. Darüber hinaus gestalteten in der Waikato-Region wohnende Nachfahren der böhmischen Einwanderer ein Abendprogramm für die Exkursionsgruppe. Den 24. Februar verbrachten die Teilnehmer im Gebiet von Rotorua. Dort durchkreuzten sie das Thermal Wonderland, in dem heiße Quellen und Geysire sowie die dadurch geschaffenen Oberflächengegebenheiten studiert werden können. Die heißen Quellen werden hier auch zur Energiegewinnung herangezogen, wovon sich die Exkursionsteilnehmer bei einer Besichtigung der Geothermal Power Station of Warakei überzeugen konnten. Auf der Fahrt zum Tongariro Nationalpark bewunderten sie die Huka Falls und machten Halt am Lake Taupo, dem größten See Neuseelands. Im Nationalpark unternahmen sie am 26. Februar eine Wanderung. Tags darauf fuhren sie weiter über Marton nach Wellington, der Hauptstadt Neuseelands. Dort war nachmittags sowie am 28. Februar Gelegenheit, die Stadt zu erkunden, unter anderem auf einer Stadtführung mit Prof. Bredlich. Daneben erfuhr man bei einem Besuch des neuseeländischen Nationalmuseums Te Papa viel Wissenswertes über Gesellschaft und Geschichte Neuseelands. Am 1. März überquerten sie mit der Fähre die Cookstraße, um zur Südinsel zu gelangen. Den Nachmittag dieses Tages verbrachte die Exkursionsgruppe in Upper Moutere, wo sie sich mit der Einwanderung Deutscher in der Region Nelson befasste Am Tag darauf fuhren die Teilnehmer zur Westküste und beschäftigten sich mit den Landschaftsformen der Südalpen und der Küste sowie mit der Frage, welche wirtschaftliche Rolle diese Region einst spielte und welche sie heute einnimmt. Am 3. März überquerten sie die Südalpen über den Athur’s Pass und kamen am Nachmittag in Christchurch an. Am nächsten Tag erlebten sie eine Besichtigungstour durch die größte Stadt der Südinsel unter Leitung von Prof. Parson vom Institut für Geographie der Universität von Canterbury. Dabei standen insbesondere Fragen des städtischen Wandels im Mittelpunkt, welcher mit den ökonomischen Reformen seit Ende der 80er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts einherging. Damit endete am 4. März die Exkursion in Christchurch. Zum zweiten Teil des Berichts – die thematischen Texte Neben dem Gewinn eines ersten Eindrucks vor Ort bietet eine Exkursion als Form der Erkundung eines Landes durchaus auch die Gelegenheit, kritisch über gesellschaftliche Vorgänge zu reflektieren. Über solche Reflexionen geben die Darstellungen im zweiten Teil dieses Exkursionsberichtes Aufschluss. Das Spektrum der in den Texten aufgegriffenen Themen reicht dabei von physisch-geographischen Gegebenheiten, über Land- und Forstwirtschaft, die Maori bis zu bevölkerungsgeographischen Fragestellungen zur Migration und Integration in Neuseeland. Dem zu Grunde liegt ein – in der Geographie lange verwurzeltes – holistisches Verständnis der Disziplin. In den Berichten findet die zentrale Debatte in der Geographie um die Bedeutung und das Zusammenspiel von globalen, regionsunabhängigen und lokalen, regionsspezifischen Faktoren (»Glokalisierung«) an vielen Stellen ihren Ausdruck. Da während der Exkursion Einblick in verschiedenste Bereiche des Lebens in Neuseeland gewonnen werden konnten, ist es im thematischen zweiten Teil des Berichts vorrangiges Ziel, einen guten Überblick über Neuseeland und seine Bevölkerung zu geben. Dabei überwiegt ein beschreibender Charakter der Texte, gleichzeitig sollen aber auch zentrale Veränderungen und Herausforderungen für die neuseeländische Gesellschaft angesprochen, Erklärungsansätze gegeben und Lösungsstrategien aufgewiesen werden. Im Einzelnen ist der thematische Teil folgendermaßen aufgebaut: Zu Beginn widmet sich Anja Lehmann den Maori und beleuchtet Geschichte, Kultur und heutige Situation der indigenen Bevölkerung Neuseelands. Anschließend gehen Katharina Popig und Manuel Hundt in ihrem Text auf die frühe europäische Einwanderung nach Neuseeland, insbesondere auf die Rolle der deutschen bzw. böhmischen Einwanderer, ein. Im darauf folgenden Text zeigt Manuel Hundt die sich verändernden Muster in der jüngeren Migration auf und beleuchtet Fragen der Integration in Neuseeland, wobei insbesondere auf die Rolle der Pacific Islanders eingegangen wird. Dann folgt der Text von Lilli Maier. Sie beschäftigt sich mit Fragen des Tourismus und schildert die Gestalt des Fremdenverkehrs und seine Bedeutung für die neuseeländische Wirtschaft. Natalia Kiselgof gibt einen Überblick sowohl über physisch-geographische Aspekte und den Naturraum Neuseelands als auch über die Struktur der neuseeländischen Landwirtschaft, bevor Sören Sturm die Forstwirtschaft Neuseelands einer kritischen Analyse unterzieht.
In February and March 2007 the Institute of Geography at Potsdam University carried out a field trip to New Zealand. The report refers to this field trip and is divided into two parts. The first part gives an account of the field trip’s course in 17 daily reports. The second part attends to different thematic aspects of the field trip, each dealt with in one of the six texts. Authors of the daily reports and the thematic texts are the participants of the field trip. Part One – The course of the field trip In the first part of this report we will depict the course of the field trip of the Institute of Geography at Potsdam University to New Zealand 2007 by means of reports for each of the field trip’s days. The field trip began on February 14, 2007 in Auckland and ended on March 4, 2007 in Christchurch. During these 19 days, the group visited different places on New Zealand’s North and South Island, in which different aspects of New Zealand’s society were studied from a human geographical perspective. In the centre of interest were topics such as historical and recent migration to New Zealand, Maori, agriculture, forestry and tourism in New Zealand. The daily reports make clear, that the field trip was not strictly conducted systematically in a thematic way. Instead, exemplary places were visited, where observation and exceeding investigations took place. The according explanations are to be found in the daily reports, some of the topics in the focus of interest were the following: The first day of the field trip, February 14, 2007, was used for a visit at the Institute of Geography at Auckland University. They organized presentations and discussions about a wide range of New Zealand and Auckland related topics, amongst others with the human geographers Richard Le Heron and Gordon Winder. For the following two days the group stayed in Auckland and visited the “Auckland Museum”, which gave a good insight into New Zealand history and especially into Maori culture. Historical and contemporary Maori life in Auckland was also in the focus of a guided tour through the city with a Maori guide. Furthermore, the group visited a private immigration agency and conducted interviews in smaller groups with experts about “migration and integration in New Zealand”. On February 17, the participants of the field trip explored three places in the surroundings of Auckland. At first they went to Otara Market, a weekly market of the Pacific Islanders community which is held every Saturday in Otara. Then they continued to Muriwai Regional Park on the Western Coast, where a guided walk with a Park Ranger took place. On the way back to Auckland, they made a last stop at Soljan’s Winery, where the owner explained the history of the family owned business and the process of winemaking. On February 18, the field trip group left Auckland northbound to reach Puhoi by midday. There the main emphasis was put on history and contemporary situation of the “Bohemians”, who once moved from Bohemia to New Zealand and whose traditions have been living on until today. On the following day, the group headed on to Pahia, the northernmost point of the field trip. On the way there, they passed Northland’s ‘Kauri Coast’, visited the Kauri Museum in Matakohe and saw New Zealand’s largest Kauri tree, the ‘Tane Mahuta’. The history of New Zealand was on the agenda for the morning of February 20: The group visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where there were possibilities to find out about the contents of the Treaty of Waitangi and about its consequences for the life of the Maori in past and present times. In the afternoon tourism was in the centre of interest: The participants of the field trip got to know one of the tourist attractions of the region and went on a boat trip through the Bay of Islands. On February 21, the group continued on its course to the region of Hamilton, where it also stayed for the following two days. On the way there, they made a stop at Kawakawa and at Whangarei Falls. In Hamilton they visited the Institute of Geography at Waikato University, where they heard a talk by Jacques Poot, professor and director of the university’s Population Studies Centre. The afternoon saw a visit of the Waikato Migrant Resource Centre. Another thematic emphasis in the Hamilton Region was put on dairy farming. For this, the students visited the company ‘AmBreed’, which specialized in artificial cattle breeding and in the production of the basis of industrialized and efficient dairy farming – the production of top-rate bull’s semen. On a typical mid-sized dairy farm the group could get an insight into organization and problems of dairy farming in New Zealand. Besides, descendants of Bohemian migrants, who had once settled in the Waikato region, organized an evening programme for the field trip group including a barbeque and the playing of traditional tunes. February 24, the participants spent in the area of Rotorua, where they wandered through ‘Thermal Wonderland’. The geothermally very active area that is to be found here created interesting surface forms and colours and there were hot springs and geysers to be studied. The existing geothermal activities are also used for the generation of energy, of which the participants of the field trip could convince themselves during a visit of the Warakei Geothermal Power Station. On the journey to Tongariro National Park they admired the blue waters of the Huka Falls and made a stop at Lake Taupo, the biggest lake in New Zealand. On the next day, February 26, there was some time to explore the volcanic landscape on a day hike in Tongariro National Park. The day after, the group went on to Marton and then to Wellington. In the afternoon as well as during the next day there was time to get to know the city and to form an opinion about New Zealand’s capital, for instance during a guided tour through the town with Professor Bredlich. Furthermore, a visit of New Zealand’s National Museum ‘Te Papa’ offered plenty of information worth knowing about society and history of New Zealand. On March 1, they crossed the Cook Strait by ferry to get to New Zealand’s South Island. The afternoon was spent in the village of Upper Moutere, where the group dealt with German migration in the Nelson region. The next day, the participants went to the West Coast and took a closer look at the landscape forms of the Southern Alps and coastline as well as at the former and recent economic role of this region. On March 3, they crossed the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass and arrived at Christchurch in the afternoon. During the following last day of the field trip they took part in a guided tour through the biggest city of the South Island by Professor Parson from the Institute of Geography at the University of Canterbury. In the focus of his explanations were questions of urban change, which came along with the economic reforms at the end of the 1980’s. With this, the field trip to New Zealand ended in Christchurch on March 4, 2007. Part Two – The thematic texts Apart from gaining a first impression, a field trip as a way of exploring and studying a country also opens up the possibility of critically reflecting about social questions and processes. Those reflections are the centre of the following texts in the second part of this report. The range of topics dealt with in the texts reaches from physical-geographical features, agriculture and forestry as well as Maori related topics to population geographical questions regarding migration and integration in New Zealand. The choice of this wide range is based on a holistic understanding of geography, as it is deeply rooted in this discipline. One important reference, that you will find in various parts of the different reports, deals with a central debate in geography – the impact and interaction of global factors, independent of locality, and local factors, specific to certain regions (“Glocalization”). Because it was possible for the participants to get an insight into very different fields of life in New Zealand, the main aim of the second part of this report should be to give a good overview of New Zealand and its people. Predominantly, the texts are of a descriptive character, nevertheless there are many parts where crucial changes and challenges for New Zealand society shall be mentioned, explanatory approaches be given and strategies for possible solutions be shown. In detail, the thematic part is structured as follows: At first, Anja Lehmann attends to Maori life in ‘Aotearoa’ and examines history, culture and present situation of New Zealand’s indigenous population. Then, Katharina Popig and Manuel Hundt depict the early European migration to New Zealand in their text, with an emphasis on the role of German or Bohemian settlers. In the following text Manuel Hundt shines a light on changing patterns in recent migration and takes a closer look on questions of integration in New Zealand, especially regarding the role of Pacific Islanders. After that, the text by Lilli Maier deals with tourism, examining its forms and its role in New Zealand economy. Natalia Kiselgof gives an overview both of physical geographical aspects and landscape forms in New Zealand as of the structure of New Zealand agriculture. In the last text, New Zealand’s forestry is subject to a critical analysis by Sören Sturm.

This study investigated students’ perceptions of their actual and preferred learning environments and their attitudes towards learning computer courses in New Zealand’s Polytechnics and Institutes of Technology. A mixed methodology was used to collect data. The relevant literature and the results of the data analysis aimed at answering three research questions and, further constructing a teaching framework to optimise teaching and learning computer courses. This study is expected to benefit the nominated education sector and future researchers.

is a major polysaccharide of the plant cell wall which is known to play a role in many mechanical functionalities, especially when a gel is formed in the presence of calcium. Understanding the gelling abilities of pectin is of great interest to the food industry also, since pectin is a widely used as a gelling agent and thickener. The aim of this study was to apply two complementary microrheological techniques to these systems, multiple particle tracking (MPT) and a light scattering technique called diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS). While the first one provides fundamental information about the homogeneity of the studied gel, the second gives access to the high frequency behaviour, related to the nature of the basic strands of the network. Firstly, after verifying the validity of the experimental apparati and analysis approaches in a series of careful control experiments on archetypal systems, a regime where pectin gels exhibit the signatures of semi-flexible networks was identified in experiments carried out on gels made of pectin chains pre-engineered by enzymatic deesterification and subsequently assembled with the release of Ca2+. These results were the first showing that polysaccharides networks could be accommodated within the framework of semi-flexible networks, which have become a paradigm for biological gels, such as the well-known F-actin solutions present in the cell cytoskeleton. However, in the plant cell wall, where calcium is already present, the assembly mechanism could be controlled in a different manner, and a more biologically relevant system was studied where the action of the plant enzyme pectinmethylesterase was used to liberate ion-binding groups in the presence of Ca2+. Gels formed according to this alternative methodology were found to behave as punctually cross-linked flexible networks, strikingly different from the first results. This would be explained by the presence of short blocks of charged residues. Finally, experiments on pectins carried out with controlled blocky structures showed that a pectin made of short blocks can exhibit both sorts of network, depending on the polymer and Ca2+ concentrations. This lead naturally to the construction of a state diagram for the regimes of assembly, with proposed control parameters being the polymer concentration and the ratio of the amount of Ca2+ to the quantity of pectic residues which can effectively bind the calcium into cross-links, christened Reff.

This thesis presents the results of a series of studies on the epidemiology of TB in brushtail possum and domestic cattle populations in New Zealand. The first set of studies provides an analysis of the results of routine TB testing carried out in the Featherston area from July 1980 to June 2004. The median annual incidence rate of TB reduced from 4.7 cases per 1000 cattle-years at risk for the period 1986 to 1991 to 1.8 cases per 1000 cattle-years at risk for the period 1992 to 2003, coincident with the use of poisoning to control possums in the surrounding forest park (a major possum habitat area). We identified clusters of cattle TB cases adjacent to the forest park and found no evidence of spatio-temporal interaction of TB risk among farms. Our findings support the hypothesis that possums living in the forest park are a source of bovine TB in this area and that farm-to-farm transmission was not an important mechanism of infection spread. A mixed-effects Poisson regression model was developed to investigate the influence of farm-level covariates on the number of cattle confirmed with TB. The model showed that, despite intensification of possum control activities, proximity to forest parks remained a significant predictor of the number of confirmed TB cases per farm per year. Our analyses identified a significant, 3-fold increase in TB risk in dairy cattle relative to beef conditional on the size of local possum habitat, and confirmed the positive influence of cattle population size and the presence of previous infection status as a determinant of the number of confirmed TB cases per farm per year. The second set of studies investigates details of capture events recorded during a longitudinal, capturemark- recapture study of possums in a 22-hectare study site near Castlepoint, from April 1989 to August 1994. Social network analyses were used to identify contact patterns and to estimate the influence of contact on R0 for bovine TB. The average number of contacts per possum ranged from 20 to 26 per year. We estimated that TB would spread if an average of between 1.94 and 1.97 infective contacts occured per year per infected possum. We evaluated the effect of sex, habitat and contact behaviour of 26 postmortem confirmed TB cases in possums with those of 104 matched controls. Unit increases in the number of infected contacts increased the odds of TB infection by 2.61 (95% CI 1.29 – 5.29, P <0.01). Our results show that individual contact behaviour is a determinant of the presence of TB foci within this population and challenge the hypothesis that contact with many individuals increases the probability of infection. A model to predict spatial variation in possum abundance was developed using a Geographic Information System. Details of possum capture events were obtained from 157 10-trap lines distributed within 42 randomly located transects at Molesworth Station. Two GIS-based models were developed to predict the number of possums caught per line using Poisson regression techniques. The first model used remotely sensed environmental data; the second used a combination of remotely sensed and fine-scale data. Both models provided adequate predictive ability with Pearson correlation coefficients greater than 60%. We conclude that the prediction maps produced from this model provide a useful decision support tool for possum control managers. These results have implications for the management of TB in this area of New Zealand, providing the information that will allow effective control activities to be applied at significantly lower cost.

Gold nanoparticles, are one of the most widely investigated nanoparticles (NP) and are normally synthesized by the reduction of metal salts in citrate solution. The reason for studying this nanostructured material from a technological standpoint is mainly the anticipated application in different areas based on optical properties explained with plasmon resonance. The main work of this study was to develop different sensing systems using gold nanoparticles. Three techniques have been utilized, being lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A one-step semi-quantitative LFIA strip test was developed using colloidal gold coated by a partially-purified polyclonal antibody (pAb) raised in sheep as a signal generator, and bovine serum albumin-Estriol-16-glucuronide (BSA-E3-16G) conjugates as the capture agent spotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane as the test line. In this system, gold nanoparticles were applied for visualising the response. The application of the strip sensor to urinary samples from pregnant woman proved successful. A quantitative evaluation of low levels of E3-16G in liquid media was developed based on SPR, which used the same pAb-nanogold conjugates employed for the LFIA analysis. The assay can be carried out directly on any urine samples without sample pretreatment. In this system, gold nanoparticles were utilized as high mass label to improve the sensitivity of the assay. A SERS probe was developed which comprised of Raman reporter molecules (RRM) and gold NPs. Results showed that the conducting polymer materials of 3’-[(E)-2-(4-R-phenyl)ethenyl]-2’2’:5’,2”-terthiophene (R-pe3T, where R is NO2 or NH2) showed significant enhancement. Moreover, high bio-activity groups included in the compounds make them potential candidates for the development of a SERS based sensing system.

By means of semiotic analysis and exploration of contextual analogies this paper interprets both historical and contemporary New Zealand milk signs and packaging since the 1800’s and explains how these signs and simulacra, in a mergent urbanised society, evidence and express a battle of culture versus nature. It sees these signs as an exemplar of semiosis at play that explains the significance of their allegorical meaning in the culture. It also visually articulates children’s responses to some fundamental elements of contemporary signs and with some pre industrialised packaging examples arrives at one possible industrial generic packaging solution, using new, biodegradable materials, that presents milk as it is – an industrialised product from nature not as nature itself.

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen that infects a large proportion of the world's population and is associated with serious diseases such as gastric ulcers and adenocarcinoma. The motility of this organism, by virtue of sheathed polar flagella is essential to colonisation and persistence in the human host. The sequencing of the H. pylori genome in 1996 identified homologues of the majority of the flagellar genes found in S. enterica serovai typhimurium. These included genes encoding the flagellum ATPase, FliI and FliH a presumptive inhibitor, the primary focus of this study. Sequencing did not originally identify an H. pylori homologue of the flagellar chaperone FliJ, and this is also considered in this study. Bioinformatic analysis and modeling suggests a structural and functional relationship between FliI and homologues such as F1-ATPase α- and β-subunit. In particular, residues 2-91 of FliI resemble the N-terminal domain of the F1-ATPase α- and β-subunits. Biochemical analyses reported in this thesis showed that a truncated FliI-(2- 91) protein was folded, although the N-terminal 18 residues were likely unstructured. Furthermore, deletion mutagenesis showed that this disordered segment of the protein mediates interaction with FliH and very likely forms an amphipathic α-helix upon forming of the FliI-FliH complex. The scanning mutagenesis of this interaction segment of FliI identified a cluster of conserved hydrophobic residues that was critical for the interaction with FliH. Thus, the interaction between FliI and FliH has similarities to the interaction between the N-terminal α-helix of the α-subunit and the globular domain of the δ-subunit of the F1-ATPase. This similarity suggests that FliH, by analogy with the δ-subunit of the F1-ATPase, may function as a molecular stator of the flagellum. The findings presented above have been published (96). The function of a putative H. pylori FliJ homologue, HP0256, was also investigated by knock-out mutagenesis. Disruption of this gene does not abolish flagellar assembly, however further research continued beyond this thesis showed that the knock-out mutant results in impaired motility.

Prostate apoptosis response factor-4 (Par-4) is a ubiquitously expressed pro-apoptotic and tumour suppressive protein. Par-4 contains a highly conserved coiled coil (CC) region at the Cterminus, particularly the distal 40 residues fulfil the criteria for a leucine zipper (LZ). This Cterminal domain serves as the primary recognition domain for a large number of binding partners. Par-4 is tightly regulated by the aforementioned binding partners and also by posttranslational modifications. Biophysical data presented here describe Par-4 as primarily an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP). Bioinformatic analysis of the highly conserved Par-4 reveals low sequence complexity and enrichment in polar and charged amino acids. High proteolytic susceptibility and increased hydrodynamic radii are consistent with largely extended structures in solution. Spectroscopic measurements using circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) also reveal characteristic features of intrinsic disorder. Under physiological conditions, data show that Par-4 self-associates via the C-terminal domain possibly through coiled coil formation. Analysis of various constructs comprising the Par-4 LZ domain by NMR, CD, light scattering and other techniques reveals an environment-dependent conformational equilibrium between primarily disordered monomers and predominantly coiled coil dimers. Whereas the disordered monomers are easily observed by NMR, the coiled coil fraction is not amenable to NMR studies possibly due to intermediate exchange processes. Mutational approaches that stabilise the coiled coil fraction result in NMR spectra of lower quality compared to the wild-type form. The high degree of sequence conservation suggest that coiled coil formation and intrinsic disorder are essential for Par-4 to function as an effective regulator of apoptosis.

To be successful, social network sites need continual activity to flourish and grow. One of the most important challenges faced by designers of social network sites, is to encourage contribution from community members. ‘Self-sustainability’ is critical to the survival of networked communities and is dependent on community members adding content in a sustained way over time. Motivating community members to take it upon themselves to freely contribute information is the key to the success of any social network environment (Powazek, 2002; Ling et al., 2005). This thesis aims to investigate whether persuasion techniques can be used to inform the design process in order to motivate members of a social network community to contribute content. While persuasion theories have been effective in influencing target behaviour outside of the online environment, traditionally they have not been utilised by digital media designers. With the advent of social media, the application of social psychology is becoming more valuable in the development of features and strategies for the online environment. Recently the field of Captology has begun to systematically investigate computers as persuasive technology. Within this field, this thesis has investigated using the ‘Elaboration Likelihood Model’ (ELM) as a strategic framework and ‘Social Proof’ as a motivating influence to develop peripheral elements designed to encourage user online contribution, and to design a site that is visually appealing and functional. This is essential in establishing the credibility of the site without which the influences of persuasion are unable to function. This Masters ‘research through design’ project engages an existing community group of water sports enthusiasts in a trial of a live prototype website. The website was designed to utilise the internet as a medium and social networking as a tool, in order to gather individual knowledge, give it a context, and to create a self-sustaining collective knowledge base of locations, optimum conditions and user experiences. Users were divided randomly into two groups – the test and the control. Using ELM, the peripheral and central routes of processing communication were identified, and used to build the framework on which to develop the test environment. Both groups were exposed to the same fundamental design and functionality, however the test group was presented with additional peripheral elements designed using the principles of Social Proof. The research charted user contributions over the course of 82 days, with a survey undertaken with both groups at the completion of the test period. Results indicated a significant difference between the two test groups with users exposed to the influences of Social Proof more motivated to contribute content and visit the website more often than users from the control group. The findings of this study show that motivating contribution can be achieved using ELM and Social Proof to design persuasive elements in a social networking environment. The synthesis of graphic design, interface design and the theories of social science can guide designers in the creative process of developing networked environments for social media, and lead to a more engaging user experience.

Compounds derived from the breakdown of glyceride esters of milk fat, such as free fatty acids and short chain esters, are recognised as playing an important role in the flavour of a range of fermented foods. Esterases, capable of hydrolysing ester bonds, and in some cases, synthesising them via an acyltransferase mechanism, typically enter the fermentation from the starter and adjunct lactic acid bacteria that are used to inoculate milk to initiate the fermentation process. With such an important role in the development of both desirable and undesirable flavours, understanding how these enzymes operate is essential for product control. In this study, the crystal structures of three lactic acid bacterial esterases were solved: EstA from Lactococcus lactis, and AA7 from Lactobacillus rhamnosus which are both capable of hydrolysis of short chain triglycerides as well as synthesising esters via a transferase mechanism, and AZ4, an esterase from L. rhamnosus which appears to be limited to hydrolysis reactions. Whilst all three were found to be members of the hydrolase family, unique features were found for each enzyme, reflecting the large differences in their primary sequences, substrate specificities and activities. EstA and AA7 were both found to have a shallow substrate binding cleft, bisected by the catalytic machinery. The divided binding cleft suggests that during a transferase reaction the transferred group binds in one pocket, with the donor and acceptor groups (dependant on the stage of catalysis) binding in the other. In contrast, AZ4 was found to have a single deep substrate binding cavity, extending into the enzyme interior, with the catalytic residues located near its entrance. The absence of a second binding site for an acceptor is consistent with AZ4 having only one function – that of a hydrolase. The structures presented in this study are the first three dimensional structures of esterases from lactic acid bacteria to be reported. Their analyses, both in native form, and complexed with a varity of ligands mimicking various stages of the reaction cycle have highlighted how this basic fold can be adapted to efficiently catalyse different reactions. More importantly, in the case of AZ4, these structures have suggested that there is a novel mechanism used by the esterases to promote the enzyme reaction to proceed to completion, by preventing a futile catalytic reaction.

The aims of this doctoral study were to: isolate naturally occurring bacteria, able to degrade microcystins (MCs), from New Zealand waterbodies; to understand the biological processes of microcystin degradation by bacteria; and to develop small scale biofilm technology for testing the effectiveness of bacteria for microcystin degradation and/or remediation. A significant amount of microcystins were required for biodegradation experiments. A modified method, using DEAE and Strata-X cartridge chromatography, was optimized for purifying microcystin variants from lyophilized bloom samples of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, collected en masse from Lake Horowhenua. Seven microcystin variants, MC-RR, MC-dMe-RR, MC-YR, MC-LR, [Dha7]MC-LR, MC-FR, and MC-AR were purified by chromatography and then identified by reverse-phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector (UVD) and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A mixture of [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR, the main microcystin variants present, was used for examining biodegradation of microcystins by degrading bacteria. Three isolates of bacteria—NV-1, NV-2 and NV-3—purified from Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand were capable of degrading [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR. Among these isolates, NV-3 demonstrated the strongest degradative activity and was identified as a member of the genus Sphingomonas. On the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing, and 100% nucleotide sequence homology, it aligned most closely to strain MD-1. Based on the detection of two intermediate by-products (linearized peptides and a tetrapeptide) and the identification of four genes (mlrA, mlrB, mlrC and mlrD), that encode four putative proteins (enzymes) involved in microcystin degradation, it was suggested that the degradation of [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR by the Sphingomonas isolate NV-3 occurred by a similar mechanism previously described for Sphingomonas strain MJ-PV (ACM-3962). The bacterium Sphingomonas isolate NV-3 was examined for its ability to inhibit the growth of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa strain SWCYNO4. It was found that the bacterium did not have any significant affect on the growth of the cyanobacterium, either by means of secretion of bacterial extracellular products or cell-to-cell contact between bacterial and cyanobacterial cells. It was established that Sphingomonas isolate NV-3 was a moderate biofilm former, based on two types of biofilm formation assays, namely, microtiter plate assays and coupon biofilm assays. This was carried out in preparation for using the bacterium in a bioreactor for biodegradation of [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR. The bacterium attached most effectively to ceramic, followed by PVC, polystyrene, stainless steel, and finally glass coupons. Biodegradation of MCs by the bacterium, in an internal airlift loop ceramic honeycomb support bioreactor (IAL-CHS bioreactor), was established in batch and continuous-flow experiments. In the batch experiment, NV-3 degraded a combination of [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR at an initial concentration of 25 µg/ml at 30 degrees C in 30 hours, whereas in the continuous-flow experiment, NV-3 degraded the same concentration of [Dha7]MC-LR and MC-LR in 36 hours with an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 hours. This study has demonstrated that microcystin-degrading bacteria are present in New Zealand waterbodies and that these bacteria could be used, potentially on a larger scale, for removing microcystins from water.

This PhD thesis consists of nine chapters describing aspects of the subsistence farms of western Nepal in general, and a need-based evaluation of multipurpose fodder trees (MFT) as a source of dry-season forage for ruminants in particular, as a basis for mitigating the current high rate of land degradation and loss of productivity in livestock production systems in the region. Understanding the complex farming systems that provide a living for 65% of the 27.1 million people in Nepal is the key to designing effective programmes of research and development. Evaluation methods include review of past work, farmers group workshops to identify current practice in the use of MFT in Nepal, studies on biomass production of Artocarpus lakoocha and Ficus glaberrima trees older than 50 years in Nepal and the propagation of F. benjamina, comparison of the feeding preferences of sheep for alternative browse species, and study of the nutritive value of alternative forage diets for lactating buffalo. Reviews showed 2.2 million cattle and 1 million buffalo are an extra burden to steep land where productivity is declining at the rate of 1.25% per year. Indigenous knowledge identified Ficus glaberrima with its three varieties (Maghe, Chaite and Jethe), A. lakoocha, F. benjamina and Bassia butyracea as the best four MFT for renovating degraded lands. A survey study showed significantly higher dry matter (DM) production by F. glaberrima than A. lakoocha (154 vs 91 kg DM /tree/year) during dry periods at low altitude (800 - 1000m). There was no significant difference in production of fat - corrected milk (FCM ) between buffalos eating A. lakoocha, F.glaberrima or a diet of 53% straw and 47% F. glaberrima (DM basis). Metabolisable energy balance (MJME/day) was greater in Artocarpus than Ficus, with the mixed diet intermediate (+1.60, -0.34 and -12.94 MJ ME/buffalo/day respectively, relative to requirements, P=0.0318). When fed together in an indoor trial, poplar (48% = 106 g DM/sheep/day) and willow (43% = 95 g DM/sheep/day) were preferred to Ficus benjamina (8% = 18 g DM/sheep/day) by sheep, reflecting the greater maturity and structural strength of leaves of Ficus. These results are used to develop recommendations for choice of MFT species and management strategies to improve the sustainability and productivity of livestock systems incorporating fodder trees

New Zealand, having large areas of hilly landscapes, is subject to the risk of soil erosion, and summer and autumn droughts that limit pasture growth, which in turn affects the livestock-based economy. The nitrogen and phosphorus input in fertilisers coupled with livestock excreta and soil disturbance impose a serious threat to downstream water quality. The planting of trees is one option used to decrease soil erosion, increase the quantity of forage and manage runoff. To date, research has mainly focused on wide spaced poplar trees for feed quality and their effects on understorey pasture growth. However, there is increasing interest in the use of densely planted willow and poplar for fodder purpose. The effects of young (< 5 yrs old) willow and poplar planted at close spacing on runoff, soil erosion, growth of understory pasture and nutrient losses have never been studied in New Zealand. Three field trials (two at Crop and Research Unit, Moginie, Manawatu and one at Riverside Farm, Masterton) were conducted between October 2004 and November 2006 that incorporated comparative establishment and growth of densely planted willow and poplar and their effects on soil moisture, runoff, sediment load and nutrient losses from grazed and fertilised farmland. It was concluded that densely planted willow and poplar (3-4 yrs) reduced total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) by 47 % each and sediment load by 52 %. Young trees reduced surface runoff and soil moisture more as they aged. However, due to their deciduous nature willow and poplar were not effective in reducing surface runoff in winter and early spring. Sheep preferred camping under trees, especially in late spring and summer, and this led to greater deposition of dung and urine under trees than open pasture. Sheep grazing, especially in winter, significantly increased sediment and nutrient loads in runoff water. The N and P fertiliser application increased nutrient load in runoff water well above the threshold level required to initiate algal growth to create eutrophication. Densely planted willow and poplar significantly reduced understorey pasture growth by 23 % and 9 %, respectively, in their second year at Moginie, mainly due to shade, but coupled with soil moisture deficit in summer. The pasture growth in a willow browse block was 52 % of that in open pasture as a result of shade and differences in pasture species composition. Sheep browsing reduced willow leaf area significantly. Willow and poplar survival rates were similar (P > 0.05) after two years of establishment (100 % vs 90.5 %, respectively). However, willow grew faster than poplar in height (1.90 vs 1.35 m), stem diameter (43.5 vs 32.6 mm), canopy diameter (69 vs 34 cm) and number of shoots (8.7 vs 2.3) at the age of two years, respectively. The research clearly demonstrated that densely planted young willow and poplar trees can reduce runoff, sediment load and nutrient losses from farmland to freshwater, but shade and soil moisture can limit pasture growth under trees. It is recommended that willow and poplar should be planted at wide spacing on the whole farm to minimise loss of pasture. Where blocks of trees are necessary, such as willow browse blocks, sheep browsing can be used as a tool to reduce shade to improve pasture growth. Livestock access to riparian strips should be minimal to avoid livestock camping that can have deleterious effects on water quality.