Against All Odds

More than eighty years on from the Holocaust, what Elie Wiesel called the ‘duty to bear witness for the dead and for the living’ continues to find literary expression. This year alone, a forgotten novel written at breakneck speed by an exiled German Jew in the aftermath of Kristallnacht – Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz’s, The Passenger,  described as part John Buchan, part Franz Kafka – was unearthed and published in translation by Pushkin Press in London, while previously-unheard testimonies of Nazi ‘death march’ survivors have been transcribed to form the centrepiece of an important new exhibition in the same city

Between two worlds: a study of migrant writers in New Zealand

This thesis begins with a consideration of what constitutes migrant writing, and points to the difficulties in arriving at an absolute definition. Some justification is given for the fact that the ensuing discussion concerns short stories alone, and some of the particular qualities of the short story which make it an appropriate form for migrant literature are examined. The first chapter also makes a brief survey of the context for migrant writing within New Zealand literature, and compares the work of several short story writers, migrant and non-migrant. The work of two New Zealand migrant short story writers is discussed closely in the chapters that follow: Amelia Batistich's stories are examined in Chapter Two, and Yvonne du Fresne's in Chapter Three. In each discussion, formal qualities are given equal attention as matters of content and theme. The final chapter attempts to draw connections between the work of these two writers and the problems of definition raised in the first chapter. Consideration is also given to the attitudes and expectations of readers of migrant fiction. The appendices to the thesis contain biographies of Amelia Batistich and Yvonne du Fresne, and transcripts of conversations with them. The conversations were recorded in 1984, and have been lightly edited. A bibliography is included which provides a selective guide to the two authors published and unpublished work, and a full account of all secondary material consulted

Assessing the divide between humans and the natural world: effects of increased experience in natural areas

There is speculation as to whether humans are able to comprehend, appreciate, and protect natural environments when they have received minimal or no exposure to such areas. There are many speculative explanations for this bifurcation between humans and nature; however, there is an absence of a solution to address the issue. Current research strongly emphasizes the health benefits of receiving more exposure to nature, especially since much of North America has witnessed a dramatic shift towards a more technologically driven culture that is heavily reliant on the urban environment. This study investigates the declining connections between humans and the natural world, and the effect nature-based experience has on individual perspectives regarding stewardship and environmental awareness. Utilizing qualitative research methods, interviews were conducted with nine participants of three different Outward Bound Canada expeditions in order to determine whether a trip of one week or longer had influenced participants’ sense of stewardship and/or environmental connectivity. Results demonstrate a positive correlation between participant exposures to isolated natural environments and an increased sense of environmental commitment or stewardship, especially with regard to forming connections with nature, willingness to participate in environmental-based volunteer initiatives, and mitigating fear of the outdoors

Lime, phosphorus and sulphur response of French serradella (Ornithopus sativus) grown in an acid upland soil

Soil acidity severely restricts legume persistence and growth in grazed upland agriculture in New Zealand. An alternative and potentially acid tolerant forage legume, French serradella (Ornithopus sativus), was examined in a climate controlled experiment. Plants were grown for 48 weeks in an acid (pHH20 4.9) upland soil and shoot yield measured every 8 weeks. Treatments were fully replicated combinations of lime (CaCO3; 0, 2, 4 or 8 t ha-1), phosphorus (P; 0, 50, 150 or 500 mg P L soil-1) plus various controls. Shoot yield varied significantly between lime treatments (P < 0.001), but were not strongly affected by P rate. Importantly, yields on the unlimed control treatments were 85% of maximum yield, suggesting that high yields are potentially achievable on even very acid soils. french serradella grew 16.9 g DM pot-1compared to 5.3 g DM pot-1 for the commonly grown reference species, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum). French serradella showed significant potential as a new pasture legume suitable for acidic upland soils

Intensified gradients for endogenous amino acid substrates for transport system L on injecting a specific competitor for that system

The injection into the rat of 8.1 mmoles of amino(+/-) -2- aminobicycloheptane-2-carboxylic acid per kg body weight intensified in 2 hr the gradients of several System L substrates characteristically maintained by the liver with respect to the blood plasma. The gradients of amino acids predominantly transported by systems other than L were not, with the exception of proline, significantly influenced. We interpret this effect on System L substrates as supporting the principal service of System L in net cellular exodus of these amino acids, although other factors in the effects are not necessarily excluded.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24279/1/0000545.pd