Assessing the sustainability of indigenous food systems in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Nutrition & Food Systems at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Chapter 2 is reproduced with the publisher's permission. This article was published in Vogliano, C., Murray, L., Coad, J., Wham, C., Maelaua, J., Kafa, R., & Burlingame, B., Progress towards SDG 2: Zero hunger in Melanesia – A state of data scoping review, Global Food Security, 29, 100519, © Elsevier 2021. Chapter 3 is reproduced with permission. This article was published as Chapter 4, From the ocean to the mountains: Storytelling in the Pacific Islands, in FAO and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Indigenous Peoples’ food systems: Insights on sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change, Rome, 2021, http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb5131en. Chapters 4 & 5 are re-used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Appendices A & H are re-used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/. Appendix B was removed for copyright reasons. Appendix C is re-used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Indigenous Peoples living in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) who have traditionally relied on locally grown, biodiverse foods for their primary source of nutrition are now seeing the adverse impacts of changing diets and climate change. Shifts away from traditional diets towards modern, imported and ultra-processed foods are likely giving rise to noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, which are now the leading causes of mortality. Climate change is magnifying health inequities and challenging food and nutrition security through heavier rains, longer droughts, and rising sea levels. COVID-19 has highlighted additional challenges for those living in PSIDS, exposing vulnerabilities across global food systems. Using Solomon Islands as a proxy for the broader Pacific, this thesis aims to assess PSIDS food system sustainability, including diet quality and diversity, as well as perceived food system transitions. Findings from this thesis can help strengthen discourse around promoting sustainable and resilient food systems and help achieve food and nutrition security targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The role of stigma in writing charitable appeals

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)This study investigated choices made by fundraisers when crafting appeals to unknown potential donors. Specifically, it asked if and how fundraisers’ choices vary depending on whether they were raising money for a population that faced societal stigma. Research on fundraising often focuses on donor behavior, without considering the type of the beneficiary and the discretionary decisions made by fundraisers. This study drew on literature about stigma and literature about fundraising communication. It employed mixed methodologies to explore this research question. The first part of the study used an online experimental survey, in which 76 practicing fundraisers wrote an acquisition appeal letter for a nonprofit after random assignment to benefit either clients with mental illness (stigmatized population) or older adults (non-stigmatized population), then answered attitudinal questions about the beneficiary population. Participants believed individuals with mental illness were more stigmatized than older adults. Analysis of the letters using linguistic software showed that fundraisers used more humanizing language when writing about the non-stigmatized population, compared to the stigmatized population. Several aspects of the appeal letters, identified through existing theory, were examined but did not vary at statistically significant levels between the groups. Exploratory factor analysis showed several patterns of elements recurring within the letters. One of these patterns, addressing social expectations, varied significantly by client group. In the second part of the study, semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants showed that writing for the stigmatized client population raised special concerns in communicating with potential donors: many interviewees described identifying client stories and evidence to justify helping stigmatized clients in a way that wasn’t thought as necessary for non-stigmatized clients. They also attempted to mitigate threatening stereotypes to maintain readers’ comfort levels. Fundraisers regularly evaluated how readers were likely to think of different kinds of clients. Fundraisers’ own implicit assumptions also came into play

Evaluating Evolving Leukocyte Populations In Peripheral Blood Circulation Post-Concussion In A Human Longitudinal Analysis Of Female Athletes

Concussions are generating increasing concern due to potential long-term neurological consequences. Currently there is no universally recognized diagnostic approach for concussion. I hypothesize that a signature temporal response of biomarkers of inflammation in systemic circulation will provide an objective diagnosis of concussion and could also be used to track patient recovery. The Western University women’s rugby team underwent blood draws at pre-season and post-season as a baseline evaluation, and players determined to have sustained a concussion underwent repeat blood analysis post-concussion. Blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry to profile immune cell populations alongside accepted concussion assessments, and complete blood count. Immune profiles demonstrated significant changes in total leukocytes and subsets post-concussion compared to baseline. It was demonstrated that we could successfully and feasibly recruit and perform a discovery investigation into potential blood biomarkers of concussion longitudinally. My study provides new insights for future blood biomarker research of concussive injury

Landscape Visualization: Influence on Engagement for Climate Resilience

Research suggests an “Adaptation Deficit” exists in the realm of climate change mitigation and adaptation. There is a lack of climate adaptation goals, policies and projects implemented at the local level. Climate resilience relies on effective public engagement to ensure implementation. This type of engagement includes: (1) being aware of the issue and solutions; (2) feeling concerned about the problem; and (3) taking action. This research explores the impact of in situ 3D landscape visualization coupled with meaningful dialogue, on public engagement for climate change resilience. A mixed methods approach was used to undertake this research study using landscape visualization in an experiential outdoor setting in San Mateo County, California. San Mateo County was chosen as an optimal site for this research because of efforts underway to plan and prepare for sea level rise across the region. Since the research was part of a larger project with numerous stakeholders, many characteristics of Action Research (AR) were incorporated into the research design. This included working with local, regional, state and federal stakeholders to choose the exact site location, target audience, and project objectives to be accomplished from the research study. The overall goal of the project was to increase community concern about sea level rise and prompt target audience members to take an active role in their community on climate change adaptation. The research component of the project tested the use of landscape visualization to gauge impacts on concern and engagement levels, along with correlations between age, concern and engagement. The landscape visualization process used 3D imagery loaded into two viewfinders, called OWLS, that depicted current and future sea-level rise scenarios along with two possible solutions for Coyote Beach recreational area. Findings indicate that landscape visualization increases concern levels in participants that harbor low to no concern about existing sea-level rise, high tides, and storms. There was a statistically significant relationship between high concern levels and higher levels of engagement on the issue of climate adaptation. Lastly, data were collected to understand barriers to climate change engagement and adaptation and consider solutions that could overcome specific barriers identified. Using visual imagery along with meaningful dialogue allowed for a deep exploration of these barriers and solutions to be explored. Further research is needed to further test the application of landscape visualization along with meaningful dialogue on the issue of climate change in other locations, and to explore applicability in different settings and with different audiences

Advances in Image Processing, Analysis and Recognition Technology

For many decades, researchers have been trying to make computers’ analysis of images as effective as the system of human vision is. For this purpose, many algorithms and systems have previously been created. The whole process covers various stages, including image processing, representation and recognition. The results of this work can be applied to many computer-assisted areas of everyday life. They improve particular activities and provide handy tools, which are sometimes only for entertainment, but quite often, they significantly increase our safety. In fact, the practical implementation of image processing algorithms is particularly wide. Moreover, the rapid growth of computational complexity and computer efficiency has allowed for the development of more sophisticated and effective algorithms and tools. Although significant progress has been made so far, many issues still remain, resulting in the need for the development of novel approaches

MOCCASIN ECONOMICS: ENTANGLED MUSEUM STORIES OF NIITSITAPI WOMEN, LABOR, AND FOOTWEAR

This dissertation emphasizes how anthropologists can use museum collections as anthropological data banks (Sturtevant 1973) to uncover the unwritten histories of objects, people, and cultures. I show how museum collections are repositories for the untold stories of Native women’s economic histories and how objects embody women’s critical contributions to the economic, spiritual, and cultural survival of their communities throughout time. To reveal the complex, hidden labor processes involved in historical and contemporary moccasin-making, I draw on interviews with contemporary Niitsitapi moccasin-makers, as well as object-based analyses of 109 pairs of moccasins from five museum collections and numerous archival documents and photographs. Analyses revealed that most of the Niitsitapi moccasins in these five museum collections are outgrowths of production for tourist markets. Additionally, I show how moccasin production has historically been influenced by the colonial policies of the United States government and how moccasins’ stories are influenced by museum categorization tools