The connection between biodiversity and well-being: A New Zealand case study

The link between human well-being and biodiversity has not been well studied and was therefore the goal of this research project. Focus was placed on an increase in New Zealand native biodiversity, by an increase in the number of native trees and shrubs being planted on public lands. An increase in well-being occurred in response to an increase in native biodiversity for urban residents that have lived in their current home for less than six years. Responses were also affected by household income, whether a person was self employed and their level of education. We believe this information will be useful in targeting future community participants for voluntary biodiversity projects

Bulk collection, intrusion and domination

The [...] discussion is divided into five sections. In the first, technologies for targeted surveillance will be reviewed, along with the risks of unjustified intrusion they carry. I shall address the question why intrusion is normally morally wrong. This will involve me in discussing the value of privacy and the different zones protected by established informal conventions about privacy. Privacy in the relevant sense is associated with access to information rather than control of information. On the basis of the distinction between access and control, I give reasons in the second section for thinking that bulk collection is not as intrusive as better established technologies used for targeted surveillance. Section 3 distinguishes the NSA and bulk collection from the Stasi and its methods of intelligence collection, and rejects the claim that the two are relevantly similar. In section 4, I introduce a concept from republican theory – that of domination — to articulate a sound line of objection against bulk collection: namely that it contributes to “domination” on a modest scale, that is, a potential for infringing some citizens’ negative liberty, if it is not, as it is not, effectively regulated and overseen. I end by suggesting that the main problem with bulk collection is that too much information surrounding it is classified, wrongly impeding the scrutiny of even security - cleared, democratically elected legislators

Opening Eyes by Opening Classroom Doors: Multicultural Musings of Study Abroad in Italy

Abstract Opening Eyes by Opening Classroom Doors: Multicultural Musings of Study Abroad in Italy This narrative inquiry examines multicultural site-based experiences of five pre-service teachers (early childhood and special education) during a four-week university sponsored study abroad program. Experiential learning (Kolb, 1984) opportunities were created for observations and teaching mini-lessons in Italian classrooms and immersion into Italian culture. The researcher’s study emanates from the pre-service teachers’ daily journal entries, informal conversations, and personal observations of reflections of their developing multicultural understandings, scaffolding upon their rural American backgrounds. To facilitate processing their lived experiences, it was necessary to work from an operational definition of culture (Nieto & Bode, 2012), collecting and interpreting data, and making their unique stories personally meaningful (Connelly and Clandinin, 2006). Conclusions indicate program goals of opening eyes through opening classroom doors were met, stimulating a wider global lens and a more critical, deeper understanding of others, moving beyond generalizations and stereotypes. Keywords: Pre-service teachers, study abroad, multiculturalism, narrative inquir

Cultural Heritage & Built Environment Scoping Report

This report presents the findings of a scoping study that explores engagement between a heritage institution and its local community. The report addresses this topic by considering the opportunities and limitations of urban screens to form new audiences for heritage institutions; specifically through a case study of the BBC Big Screens. Literature suggests that urban screens have the potential to form new types of audiences for heritage institutions yet processes for achieving this are rarely described. This report proposes that understanding these processes may help address issues of measuring engagement associated with urban screens and contribute to assessing the value of urban screens for communities and heritage institutions. Key themes of participation, site and value are explored through a literature review. These themes are then used to structure the analysis and discussion of the case study. Further questions for future study are described

Report I: An Assessment of the Coastal and Marine Economies of Massachusetts

This three-part study — An Assessment of the Coastal and Marine Economies of Massachusetts — provides an analysis of the economic value of the coastal and marine economies as well as an overview of employment, wages, business activities and trends within important sectors of the Massachusetts marine economy. The data used is primarily from 2004, unless otherwise noted

A user centred approach to the modelling of contextualised experience adaptation in relation to video consumption

This research focused on the development of a user centric framework for the interpretation of contextualised TV and video viewing experiences (UX). Methods to address content overload and provide better contextualisation when consuming video have been an area of academic discussion for almost 20 years (Burke, Felfernig, & Goker, 2011). However over the same period technical system design for video has actually moved away from attempts to model the nature of real viewing contexts. With now near ubiquitous access to video from a range of disparate devices the addition of contextualisation within video applications and devices represents an opportunity in terms of improving viewer UX. Three user studies were carried out to inform development of the framework and employed mixed method approaches. The first focused on understanding where video is watched and the contextual factors that defined those places as viewing situations. This study derived eight Archetype viewing situations and associated contextual cues. The second study measured viewing UX in context. Significant differences in subjective ratings for measured UX were found when viewing was compared within subjects across Viewing Archetype situations. A third study characterised viewing UX, identifying behavioural, environmental and technological factors which through observed frequency and duration were identified as indicative enablers and detractors in the creation of viewing UX. Concepts generated within the studies that related to viewing context identification and viewing UX classification through experiential factors were integrated into the framework. The framework provides a way through which to identify, describe and improve viewing UX across contexts. Additionally the framework was referenced to develop an exemplar system model for contextual adaptation in order to show its relevance to the generation of technical system design. Finally information for designers was created in the form of scenarios and suggestions for use in order to bring the framework to life as a resource for development teams

Birthing into death: stories of Jewish pregnancy from the Holocaust

This thesis investigates the stories of Jewish women and men living in Europe during the Holocaust who made decisions related to pregnancy, abortion, birth, and ‘parenting’ in ghettos, concentration camps, and in hiding. By reviewing existing, publicly accessible survivor testimonies, and by interviewing still-living survivors, I analyze the various ways Jewish women and men used available but limited forms of reproductive assistance to preserve their own lives and to secure the safety of their unborn or born children. Jewish women and their doctors or other ad-hoc medical providers weighed the risks of possible illness or diseases resulting from clandestine care against the seemingly greater or graver risk of Nazi exposure. By highlighting stories from Holocaust survivors who speak about experiences receiving or providing reproductive “health care” during the Holocaust, this study emphasizes what survivors say about seeking or providing abortions under conditions they might not have otherwise accepted, pursued, or suggested. Women who became pregnant during the Holocaust embody the unspeakable dilemma of “birthing into death,” as reproduction often meant murder for Jewish mothers. Pregnant Jewish women and their partners, the medical providers who attended to them, and their witnesses during the Holocaust all have unique perspectives on their own in-the-moment responses to pregnancy under extreme conditions. Their testimonies speak to how the decisions they made involved Jewish cultural notions of childrearing in Europe during the time of the Holocaust, and to the complex shaping of traumatic memory

“Pornographic binges” as a key characteristic of males seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behaviors: Qualitative and quantitative 10-week-long diary assessment

Background and aims Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSBs) are an important clinical and social issue. Despite the increasing number of studies, some of CSB’s aspects remain under-investigated. Here, we explore the nature of CSB, such as binge pornography use and masturbation (PuM), and verify the correspondence between self-perceived factors leading to such behavior with its measures obtained in a diary assessment. Methods Semi-structuralized interviews with nine treatment-seeking males aged 22–37 years (M = 31.7, SD = 4.85) were followed by a questionnaire and a 10-week-long diary assessment, allowing us to acquire real-life daily patterns of CSB. Results Six out of nine subjects experienced binge (multiple hours or times a day) PuM. All subjects presented a high level of anxiety and perceived PuM as a way to regulate mood and stress. Data collected in the diary assessment uncovered a high diversity in the patterns of sexual behaviors (such as frequency of regular and binge PuM) and its correlates. Binge PuM was related to decreased mood and/or increased stress or anxiety. The causal relation between these correlates remains undetermined. Discussion and conclusions Binge PuM seems to be one of the most characteristic behavior among males who are seeking treatment for CSB and is related to the feeling of losing control over one’s sexual activity. CSB individuals indicate a variety of binge triggers. Also, diary assessment data indicate that specific correlates of binge PuM (decreased mood, increased stress, and anxiety) differ between subjects. It suggests the existence of significant individual differences in binge PuM behaviors, and a need to study these differences, as it may help guide personalized treatment