Changes in pain and nutritional intake modulate ultra-running performance: A case report

Ultra-endurance running provides numerous physiological, psychological, and nutritional challenges to the athlete and supporting practitioners. We describe the changes in physiological status, psychological condition, and nutritional intake over the course of two 100-mile running races, with differing outcomes: non-completion and completion. Athlete perception of pain, freshness, and motivation differed between events, independent of rating of perceived exertion. Our data suggest that the integration of multiple sensations (freshness, motivation, hunger, pain, and thirst) produce performance. Increases in carbohydrate feeding (+5 g·h −1) and protein intake (+0.3 g·kg −1) also likely contributed to successful completion of a 100-mile race, by reducing the fractional utilization of maximal oxygen uptake and satiating hunger, respectively. Nutritional data support the notion that the gut is a trainable, and critical organ with respect to ultra-endurance performance. Finally, we propose future research to investigate the rate at which peak feeding occurs throughout ultra-endurance events, as this may further serve to personalize sports nutrition strategies

Stream temperature modeling and fiber optic temperature sensing to characterize groundwater discharge

The Ngongotaha Stream was used as a case study to assess the applicability of fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FODTS) to identify the location of springs and quantify their discharge. Thirteen springs were identified, mostly located within a 115 m reach, five discharged from the right bank and eight from the left bank. To quantify groundwater discharge, a new approach was developed in which the one‐dimensional transient heat transport model was fitted to the FODTS measurements, where the main calibration parameters of interest were the unknown spring discharges. The spatial disposition of the groundwater discharge estimation problem was constrained by two sources of information; first, the stream gains ∼500 L/s as determined by streamflow gauging. Second, the temperature profiles of the left and right banks provide the spatial disposition of springs and their relative discharges. FODTS was used to measure stream temperature near the left and right banks, which created two temperature datasets. A weighted average of the two datasets was then calculated, where the weights reflected the degree of mixing between the right and left banks downstream of a spring. The new approach in this study marks a departure from previous studies, in which the general approach was to use the steady‐state thermal mixing model (Selker et al. 2006a; Westhoff et al. 2007; Briggs et al. 2012) to infer groundwater discharge, which is then used as an input into a transient model of the general form of equation to simulate stream temperature (Westhoff et al. 2007)

Here I am: Wallace Gallery

Performance of " HERE I AM" for Soprano, Piano & Cello at the Wallace Gallery. Music by David Sidwell and Lyrics by Wayne Senior. Pamela Wallace - Soprano, Alexandra Wiltshire - Piano, Yotam Levy - Cello. SHIFT Exhibition Concer

Current challenges that New Zealand small: Medium sized enterprises face in retention of employees: With a focus on the landscape industry

Employee retention is a growing concern in Human Resources. Poor employee retention results in businesses incurring increased expenses. Businesses have to search for, recruit and retain employees when job vacancies occur. This is a costly process; therefore businesses are taking a greater interest in human resources and the retention of employees. There is very little literature focusing on employee retention in the landscape industry, so research collected was broadened to other industries with similar attributes to create viable results. The study investigates what factors influence employee retention in small to medium-sized enterprises with a focus on the landscape industry in New Zealand. Research is done on employee retention influencers in similar industries due to the limited amount of research on employee retention in the landscape industry. No research on large businesses was used as the principles of a large organisation would not be compatible with small – medium-sized enterprises. No primary research was used as there was only an available candidate pool of four people and it was believed this would not give viable results or insight into the topic. It was found that employee retention improved in businesses when the business’ organisational culture, values and beliefs matched those of the employees. It was found that when there was a mismatch between culture and employees, employees did not identify with or connect as well with the business, and this caused conflict and resulted in employees wanting to leave the organisation. Leadership was another key influencer on employee retention. Poor leadership causes misunderstanding, miscommunication, and therefore conflict and poor productivity, and has negative effects on organisational culture, resulting in worsened levels on employee retention. Career advancement was another significant influence on employee retention. When employees see a path to both develop and move forward within the business, this is firstly a highly motivational factor but also a factor that improves employee retention. When employees see that the business promotes internally, employees will feel there are greater opportunities at that particular business. Remuneration/ Rewards are the reason employees work in the first place. In industries such as the landscape industry where the hours are long and tiresome, improved remuneration package/rewards improve employee retention, as employees’ most desired need is being better satisfied. The final factor influencing employee retention is employee engagement, which can be improved to better retain employees. This can be done by giving employees more opportunities to take on responsibility and more challenging tasks. This will improve employee engagement as the work employees do gains more variety, and employees are actively challenged and pushed to work at their best

Stain removal, shopping and social responsibility: Aunt Daisy, New Zealand’s first multi-media celebrity, 1933 -1960

For over thirty years Maud Basham was a New Zealand food writer and media personality who, under the name of ‘Aunt Daisy’, exerted an immense and unparalleled influence over domestic behaviour, household spending and pantry stocks. So prominent was she, that she was named a ‘Goodwill’ ambassador for New Zealand and made several visits to the USA during and after WWII where she was described as ‘The Dynamo from Down Under’. Best known in popular memory as a radio personality, Aunt Daisy wrote regular magazine columns, also fifteen cookery books and books of handy hints, which combined nonfiction and fictional components, and included tips for recycling products as well as readings, quotations and sayings which she found inspiring. By focusing on these innovative texts, this paper will look at how the voice, personality and attitudes of the ‘first lady of New Zealand radio’ are embodied in nonfiction prose to create texts that are still popular, in print, and on sale in the twenty-first century

Reflexivity in 'sensitive' qualitative research: Unfurling knowledge for nursing

Sensitive research presents particular challenges for the qualitative researcher because it involves topics that are stressful and may cause emotional pain for both the participants and researcher (McCosker & Berber, 2001). This paper presents challenges I have experienced in researching with registered nurse participants, who like me, had cared for a dying family member in palliative care. The research was inspired by my curiosity about what it was like for other nurses living within their family and community as a nurse and how they managed the complexities caring for a dying family member brought to their lives. Face to face interviews with these nurses made me aware of the participants’ vulnerability, and my own, in sharing experiences about loss and bereavement. As the interviews progressed I realized how much I shared the participants’ culture; linguistically, relationally and experientially (Harper, 2003). While shared identities and experiences give qualitative nurse researchers particular skills and insights (Leslie & McAllister, 2002), my relationship to the topic, and with the participants, had to be made explicit in writing up the research. The term reflexivity describes this process of explaining how the researcher’s experience has influenced the research. As the research progressed I realized that I was having trouble asking the ‘hard to ask’ questions in the research interviews. Counselling, undertaken as part of the ethics approval for the research, reflected my own words and actions back to me. It allowed me to see how the idea of vulnerability and a desire to avoid harm had preoccupied my thinking about the participants. I was turning the audio-tape off the moment participants became distressed and backing away from exploring sensitive issues. Reflexivity involves being able to think critically about the self and others, with a robust and open curiosity about how we find ourselves situated in events and interpret the behaviour of other people and ourselves (Coles, 1992). It creates deeper insight and understanding of what it means to be a researcher by facilitating awareness of the effects of my own actions and values in gathering data and making decisions in the research (Harper, 2003)

A day in the life of...

Waiora Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand is the biggest hospital campus in Australasia. Waikato DHB is the biggest business in the Waikato, one of the top 10 state-owned services, has an annual turnover of $1.1 billion and employs 6000 people – which makes it about the size of Morrinsville. The 6000 employees include many in non-clinical occupations. Dec 1, 2011 is the 125 anniversary of Waikato Hospital. "A day in the life of..." is a project that documented some of the many employees who were tracked during 24 hours at Waikato Hospital

Marketing strategies for petrol stations

This study is based on a big organisation which deals in fuel, gas bottles, lubricants, oils and other general use products. The organisation has many stations spread throughout New Zealand. Marketing strategy is a key element for the success of an organisation. Through their advertising system execution firms utilize rare assets through showcasing capacities, keeping in mind the end goal which is to achieve their set objectives and targets. The aim of this study is to learn how to improve marketing strategies for a leading petrol station in New Zealand. It is also stated in the study in which areas the organisation is behind others, and how can it improve. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used for the research. The manager of a leading petrol station was interviewed with a series of questions. The study showed that the petrol station used coffee machines that were basic and automatic. The petrol station does not have ultra premium fuel. It provides forecourt service to every customer. It is recommended that the company should end its present contract and do its own branding. The organisation should also offer barista style coffee, provide forecourt service only to those who need it, and launch ultra premium fuel

Design Factory New Zealand: A co-creation space where students work in multidisciplinary teams with industry partners to solve complex problems

This workshop provided an opportunity for participants to work with Design Factory New Zealand (DFNZ) principles to experience learning as a multidisciplinary team, working on a complex problem. Participants had a chance to see how DFNZ acts as a transformation agent within students, staff, institution and the wider community. DFNZ as a curriculum allows students to explore new themes that challenge the usual paradigms. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning, to be open minded, and to have the freedom to respond to solutions without the shackles of a traditional design process driven by cost. By partnering with industry and exposing students to create solutions for real world problems, DFNZ has the aim of producing global citizens who have a better chance of succeeding in the workplaces of the future. Currently DFNZ has facilitated learning to students from Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Communication, Information Technology, Business, Design and Sports Science. Industry partners working with the DFNZ team tap into a pool of carefully selected and motivated students who are supported to come up with innovative and holistic solutions to their problems. Industry can use DFNZ as an opportunity to solve specific and existing needs of the company, or utilise fresh thinking to approach complex and wider issues. Involvement with the Design Factory can provide industry with critical strategic insight

A working strategy for improving International students' pass rates

This report reviews performance of International students enrolled in the GradDipIT, specifically changes to credit recognition for introductory modules. We found that making our introductory modules compulsory for all, regardless of previous qualifications, improved pass rates, as it eases students into New Zealand environments and students help each other