Perceptions of the Treaty/te Tiriti : a study of how education changes students' perceptions of the current relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Policy at Massey University, Albany Campus

The issues surrounding the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi are a major concern in New Zealand society today. Regrettably, most New Zealanders do not know the history relating to these issues and are therefore unable to carry out informed debate on the current relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi or fully understand the basis of Maori grievances. Education is an important tool which can be used to give society a more balanced understanding of the issues. Over the last twenty-five years a number of both Maori and Pakeha groups have been in the forefront of raising New Zealanders' consciousness of the unequal social, economic and political outcomes of Maori in comparison to other New Zealanders. Many of these groups have been directly agitating for change while other groups have been involved with anti-racist education and, Treaty/Tiriti. However, little research has been done to ascertain whether these actions are effective in changing people's perceptions of the current relevance of the Treaty/te Tiriti. This mainly qualitative study describes the perceptions of first year tertiary students of the current relevance of the Treaty/Tiriti, the education process they encountered through their first year of study and the degree to which their attitudes and perceptions changed as a result of education in this subject. The thesis considers the cultural aspects that are instrumental in forming these perceptions by examining the influence of family and friends, school, the media and the current debate on Treaty/Tiriti issues and recent Maori "activism." By comparing the two different educational approaches observed in this study, the thesis develops an understanding of the necessary criteria for effective education on the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is likely to lead to changes in perceptions and attitudes, so that changes in the structures of society can ultimately be instigated. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy and future research

Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of thermal waters of Okayama Prefecture, Japan

Hydrogen and oxygen isotope rations of thermal waters from 46 spas in Okayama Prefecture range from -62.6 to -29.2% in δD and from -10.0 to -4.4% in δ18O, respectively. The isotope rations indicate that all but one of the thermal water in Okayama prefecture are meteoric in origin. The Ofuku thermal water is the only exception, which is probably a mixture of seawater and meteoric water with the ratio of about 1. Sulfur isotope rations of dissolvel sulfate in the thermal waters range from -6.2 ti 59.3% in δ34S. The high δ34S values observed in some thermal waters may be due to bacterial reduction of sulfate

A Swing Generator Using Water Power Produced by the Wind

I focus on various kinds of natural energy sources, especially wind. Wind power generation is the most-used method of electricity generation using wind power. Wind power generation has many merits; it achieves high efficiency of electric power generation, it can generate electricity even during the night, it doesn’t make any hazardous materials. However, there are not only merits but also demerits. It can cause bird strike, environment disruption from noise and low-frequency wave. And besides, we must comply building laws when we build wind power generators. Thus I built ‘a swing generator using water power produced by the wind power’, taking a hint from swing generators in Spain. Its mechanism is as follows; Wind power shakes the pole (cylinder) placed on the ground, and the water in the bladder tank flows, turning micro hydrogenerator’s turbine. This is how electricity is generated. The costs of building and operating my generators are much lower than those of conventional wind and swing power generators. Moreover, it can be anywhere as long as the pole is flexible like bamboo. We can also generate electricity by swinging the pole by hand even when there is no wind

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), Westinghouse phase 1. Volume 12: Fuel cells

A parametric assessment of four fuel cell power systems -- based on phosphoric acid, potassium hydroxide, molten carbonate, and stabilized zirconia -- has shown that the most important parameters for electricity-cost reduction and/or efficiency improvement standpoints are fuel cell useful life and power density, use of a waste-heat recovery system, and fuel type. Typical capital costs, overall energy efficiencies (based on the heating value of the coal used to produce the power plant fuel), and electricity costs are: phosphoric acid $350-450/kWe, 24-29$450-700/kWe, 26-31%, and 12.8 to 16.9 mills/MJ (46 to 61 mills/kWh); molten carbonate $480-650/kWe, 32-46$420-950/kWe, 26-53%, and 9.7 to 16.9 mills/MJ (35 to 61 mills/kWh). Three types of fuel cell power plants -- solid electrolytic with steam bottoming, molten carbonate with steam bottoming, and solid electrolyte with an integrated coal gasifier -- are recommended for further study

DIATOM COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN LAKE GEORGE, AN OLIGOTROPHIC LAKE IN THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS

Lake George is a highly monitored, oligotrophic lake that experiences widespread tourism in the summer months. The southern basin is more developed than the northern basin, suggesting a north-south gradient of anthropogenic impairment. This study aimed to assess differences in nearshore diatom communities regarding gradients of water chemistry and watershed development throughout the lake. Using Redundancy analyses, water chemistry was found to explain more variation within diatom assemblages than watershed variables. Weighted averaging optima and tolerances specified taxa of concern, F. gracilis and A. formosa, that indicate increased phosphorus (μg/L) and conductivity (μS/cm), respectively. Two hypotheses related to the effect of climate change on phytoplankton communities are potentially affirmed with comparison to past diatom studies in the lake. Increased development and warming temperatures are predicted to cause an increase in abundance of smaller centric diatoms and benthic diatoms. Our results verify that the effects of human development and concomitant effluents can be observed in diatom communities that may be used as biological indicators or sentinels of environmental change

Skin Graft

Skin graft is one of the most indispensable techniques in plastic surgery and dermatology. Skin grafts are used in a variety of clinical situations, such as traumatic wounds, defects after oncologic resection, burn reconstruction, scar contracture release, congenital skin deficiencies, hair restoration, vitiligo, and nipple-areola reconstruction. Skin grafts are generally avoided in the management of more complex wounds. Conditions with deep spaces and exposed bones normally require the use of skin flaps or muscle flaps. In the present review, we describe how to perform skin grafting successfully, and some variation of skin grafting

Neuropeptide and Gonadal Steroid Action on Arcuate Kisspeptin Neurons: Implications for Central Regulation of Fertility.

Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release is essential to fertility and is modulated by gonadal steroids, most likely via steroid-sensitive afferents. Arcuate neurons coexpressing kisspeptin, neurokinin B (NKB), and dynorphin (KNDy neurons) are steroid-sensitive and have been postulated to both generate GnRH pulses and mediate steroid feedback on pulse frequency. KNDy neurons have been proposed to interact with one another via NKB and dynorphin to activate and inhibit the KNDy network, respectively, and thus alter kisspeptin output to GnRH neurons. To test the roles of NKB and dynorphin on KNDy neurons and the steroid sensitivity of these actions, targeted extracellular recordings were made of fluorescence-identified neurons from male mice that were either gonad-intact or castrate and otherwise untreated or treated in vivo with steroid receptor agonists. Senktide, an agonist for the high-affinity receptor for NKB (neurokinin-3 receptor, NK3R), increased action potential firing in KNDy neurons. Dynorphin reduced spontaneous KNDy neuron activity, but antagonism of kappa-opioid receptors (KOR) failed to induce firing in quiescent KNDy neurons. Senktide-induced activation was greater in KNDy neurons from castrate mice, whereas dynorphin-induced suppression was greater in those from intact mice. Similar to the intact condition, both estradiol and dihydrotestosterone suppressed NK3R agonist-induced KNDy neuron firing and enhanced the inhibition of firing rate caused by KOR activation. An estrogen receptor-alpha agonist but not an estrogen receptor-beta agonist mimicked the effects of estradiol on NK3R activation. These observations support stimulation and inhibition of KNDy neuron firing by NK3R and KOR activation, respectively. Modulation of these responses by gonadal steroids may be a mechanism mediating steroid negative feedback. Overall, the work presented here supports contribution of KNDy neurons to steroid-sensitive elements of a GnRH pulse generator.PhDMolecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116667/1/karuka_1.pd

Approximating maximum edge 2-coloring in simple graphs via local improvement

AbstractWe present a polynomial-time approximation algorithm for legally coloring as many edges of a given simple graph as possible using two colors. It achieves an approximation ratio of 2429≈0.828

Asian Americans with Disabilities

Asian Americans with disabilities face social stigma from Asian cultures and invisibility from the model minority myth. Along with the structural barriers related to immigrant status, these obstacles negatively impact Asian Americans’ access to disability-related services