Taxonomy and diversity of New Zealand cave wētā (Orthoptera; Rhaphidophoridae)

Species are the fundamental unit for ecology and evolution. Taxonomy, the naming of species, grabbles with the problem of accurately representing these fundamental units. In this research I targeted a group of understudied and undervalued insects that are common throughout New Zealand. This work focuses on Rhaphidophoridae, a family of Orthoptera found globally, but the diversity in New Zealand is poorly understood and poorly described. I have been the first to use high specimen numbers in order to establish within and between species differences of New Zealand cave wētā. I have established the importance of multiple taxonomic methods. At no stage was the aim to fully resolve all issues, but rather to identify morphological characters that are useful in distinguishing species, and integrating mtDNA sequence data to test species hypotheses. I focused first on cave wētā specimens that came from a biodiversity studied but had not been identified to genus or species. I was able to identify characters that could distinguish between the taxa present in this sample and developed a method that could be transferred to other locations. Two key findings were that multiple cave wētā species co-exist across a range of habitats and that variation in abundance was species dependent. Of importance was my finding that juveniles cannot be distinguish and placed with their correct adult form due to changes in both subgenital plate shape and apical spines. From three regions in North Island New Zealand I was able to distinguish and identify fourteen putative cave wētā species. mtDNA sequence data were use to test putative species clusters identified by morphology and allowed me to confidently pair male and female specimens. Combinations of apical leg spines and subgenital plate shape could consistently diagnose most taxa. Many of the species are new to science. Therefore I described three new species in the genus Neonetus. I reviewed our current knowledge of the endemic genera Pleioplectron, Weta and Miotopus and based on evidence from mtDNA sequences and large samples I was able to clarify current species and describe one new Miotopus species. As with many insect species, male terminalia are the key to distinguishing among species, and species within the same genus have similar female subgenital plates

Nurses\u27 Perception of Family Presence During Resuscitation

Background Family witnessed resuscitation (FWR) is the concept of allowing family members at bedside during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Studies have shown that the lack of standard policies by hospitals regarding FWR forces nurses to make different decisions regarding family presence at bedside during resuscitation. The framework for this study is Sandman\u27s teleological model. Objectives To examine nurses\u27 perceptions of having family members present during adult cardiac resuscitation. Methods A descriptive study of 57 registered nurses (n = 57) from northern California was conducted. Participants completed a mailed survey consisting of a 22-item Likert scale questionnaire titled Family Presence Risk-Benefit Scale. Results Analysis from the questionnaire showed that the majority of participants were between the ages of 40-63 and had more than 20 years of working experience. About 51.9% worked in units with no formal policy on FWR and 71.7% had participated in a cardiac resuscitation. Study results show that nurses had varied opinions, but there were no statistically significant results to indicate that the majority of nurses favor FWR. Conclusions The study found there was no statistically significant data to conclude there was any consensus among nurses about the risks or benefits of families at bedside. This study concludes that nurses want to be present in the room if their loved ones were being resuscitated. To help nurses with decision-making guidelines during resuscitation, it is recommended that health-care institutions establish standard policies regarding FWR. Further studies need to be conducted to investigate nurses\u27 perceptions regarding FWR

Non-Equilibrium Steady States in Kac's Model Coupled to a Thermostat

This paper studies the existence, uniqueness and convergence to non-equilibrium steady states in Kac's model with an external coupling. We work in both Fourier distances and Wasserstein distances. Our methods work in the case where the external coupling is not a Maxwellian equilibrium. This provides an example of a non-equilibrium steady state. We also study the behaviour as the number of particles goes to infinity and show quantitative estimates on the convergence rate of the first marginal.Comment: 17 pages, no figure

Actions speak louder than words! The tension between stated beliefs and practices of a student-teacher during primary school English lessons

At times there seems to be a lack of consistency between what teachers state they do and what they actually do in classrooms. This mismatch between practice and beliefs may also be evident in the perception of language use of teachers or student teachers in a bilingual and multilingual setting. This departure from practice in line with stated intentions or beliefs might be undertaken consciously in order to respond to the situation in a responsible manner. In class teachers may engage in practices that do not support their beliefs or intentions about language teaching or learning due to various reasons. In this paper I delve into the experiences of a student-teacher during English lessons in Maltese Primary Schools to explore whether her practices tally with her stated beliefs. Reasons for tensions between stated beliefs and classroom practices will be studied through qualitative data collected through classroom observations, questionnaires and interviews with the student-teacher.peer-reviewe