The experience of animal therapy in residential aged care in New Zealand : a narrative analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Volunteer-led animal visitation programmes are common within Aged Residential Care facilities in New Zealand. Visits by animals and handlers, often referred to as Animal Therapy, are primarily social and intended to improve the quality of life of people in residential care. Animal Therapy has been shown to have both physiological and psychological benefits for older people, including improvements in outlook and social interaction. Very little research has been conducted in New Zealand, particularly on the informal animal visitation programmes typical in care facilities in New Zealand. This project examined the experience of animal therapy in aged residential care. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven older people about their experiences of animal therapy, and analysed using narrative analysis. Older people in residential care do value animal therapy, but it is narrated as a fleeting pleasure, rather than having a long-lasting or far-reaching impact on the daily experience of residential care. In some ways, the structure of the AAA programme may underscore the challenges to everyday autonomy and identity in the everyday lived experience of residential aged care. This can be used to develop services that acknowledge the context of living in aged care for residents

The non-linear behaviour of elastic frames

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The Marketing Plan of the Cotai Strip

In 2003, when most the current Cotai Strip was still a piece of reclaimed land, Sheldon Adelson started a visionary development on this piece of land: the Asian Las Vegas - the Cotai Strip under the corporate Sands China Limited. Its first property, the Venetian Macau was opened in August 2007 followed with a Four Seasons hotel in 2008 with a great success. The forthcoming project is the Sands Cotai Central which includes a 1,200-rooms Holiday Inn Macau, a 600-rooms Conrad Macau and a 4,000-rooms Sheraton Macao with an additional complex of casino, meeting facilities, and shopping mall. Marketing these different hotels and the Venetian Macao separately is not only costly but is also possibly conflicting to each other. Together with the existing resources Sands China owns (the Cotai Jet – ferry service between HK & Macau, the largest fleet of tour bus and the existing strong brand image of the Venetian Macau), it will be much cost effective and efficient to market a new tourist destination – the entire Cotai Strip, that consists of different hotels and other element of entertainment where customers have a great variety of choice to stay and experience

Microclimate variations between semienclosed and open sections of a marathon route

The Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, held annually, is one of the most popular international marathon events. Its primarily urban environmental setting characterized by high-density urban areas, semienclosed tunnels, and suspension bridges, together with the herds of runners, has an influence on the microclimate along the marathon course. This study focused on assessing and comparing variations in temperature and vapour pressure (vis-à-vis relative humidity) against the crowd of runners, or the herd effects, in two different environmental settings along the marathon course: semienclosed (a tunnel) versus open space (a suspension bridge). A series of small iButtons were deployed at strategic locations along the course to undertake minute-by-minute measurements of temperature and relative humidity. It was found that herd effects of varying degrees were present in both semienclosed and open settings. Various environmental differences also played a role in ameliorating or amplifying the climatological effects of the herd of runners. Our study suggests that microclimate variations in different environmental settings and crowd conditions could have an impact on runners. This new knowledge can inform the design of marathon routes. It also establishes the feasibility of employing the iButton logging sensors for widespread deployment and monitoring of meteorological situations

Microclimate variation of urban heat in a small community

Urbanization is known to disrupt the surface energy balance of an urban area. The phenomenon of higher temperatures and thermal discomforts within a local urban setting is broadly known as the urban heat Island (UHI) effect. This research employed roadside temperature measurements to examine microclimate UHI variation in Mongkok, a small urban community of Hong Kong. Results of the spatio-temporal examination indicated diurnal and seasonal variations in the microclimate. A five-level index named the UHI Threat Rating was devised to offer easy interpretation of the microclimate UHI variations and facilitate identification of temperature hotspots within a small urban community