The phenomenology of near-death experiences in Northland Māori of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North Campus, Manawatū, New Zealand

Near-death experiences (NDEs) can be described as profoundly life-changing, subjective events, that typically manifest in those who have been pronounced clinically dead. Over the past four decades, NDEs have been a field of interest for many researchers. However, the majority of NDE research has been conducted in Western contexts, with fewer than ten studies completed in non-Western regions (Sleutjes, Moreira-Almeida, & Greyson, 2014). The limited non-Western NDE research makes it difficult to determine the role culture may play in the development or interpretation of the NDE. The focus of the current study is the phenomenology of the NDEs of Maori residing in Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Because of the Maori focus, Kaupapa Maori Research was selected as the most appropriate methodological framework for this study. A ‘whanau of supervisors’ consisting of five Kaumatua and Kuia assisted the non-Maori researcher with respect to Kaupapa Maori. Six participants took part in unstructured interviews. Findings revealed the significant role of tikanga Maori within the NDEs of participants’, as well as a high similarity with the features often reported by NDErs of Western culture. Based on these results, it is suggested the two positions previous authors have regarded as conflicting, are not in fact mutually exclusive. The NDE may be cross-cultural in nature and culturally interpreted, but incorporate elements developed in reference to culture

Parturient Safety: Proper Positioning Education Prior to Neuraxial Anesthesia

In the United States, 61% of parturient patients elect neuraxial anesthesia for labor pain (Koyyalamudi et al., 2016). The incidence of postdural puncture headache is estimated up to 81% following accidental dural puncture-especially in pregnant women receiving elective epidurals (Ragab & Facharzt, 2014). Although the combined rates of complications for spinal and epidural anesthesia are low (2.78%) (American Society Anesthesiologists, 2014), patient safety is extremely important and should be addressed by the overall healthcare system. The purpose of this project assessed a willingness to change which focused on the CRNAs incorporation of proper positioning education prior to neuraxial anesthesia into their plan of care. Current and past literature was synthesized to offer a practice change recommendation to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists at a local hospital in Southeastern Mississippi. The recommendation described the benefits of educating parturient patients prior to neuraxial anesthesia. Thirty-four Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists took part in a survey after the presentation of evidence regarding parturient education prior to neuraxial anesthesia. All of the participants agreed to incorporate proper positioning education into their plan of care for the parturient population prior to neuraxial anesthesia. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the data. This practice change supports patient safety initiatives outlined by the Institute of Medicine and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Keywords: PDPH, postdural puncture headache, post dural puncture headache, post-dural puncture headache, patient positioning, spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, regional anesthesia, neuraxial anesthesia, spinal headache, parturient education, obstetric safety, patient safety, labor pai

Family Nurse Practitioners\u27 Perceptions Of Bereavement Care

Studies have shown that long-term effects of bereavement increase health problems among many individuals. There is an increased need for bereavement care among family nurse practitioners to lessen physical and mental anguish among those who have experienced a loss. The purpose of this study was to describe and explore family nurse practitioners\u27 perceptions of bereavement care. This study\u27s importance was to find out what is being done to address patients\u27 bereavement issues by the family nurse practitioner. Orlando\u27s Nursing Process Theory was the theoretical framework that guided this study. The research question for this study was as follows : What are family nurse practitioners\u27 perceptions of bereavement care? The sample {N = 143) consisted of family nurse practitioners practicing in a rural state in the southeastern United States. Perceptions of family nurse practitioners were assessed using a modified survey developed by Lemkau et al. (2000) entitled Family Physicians and Grieving Patients. Data were analyzed using measures of central tendency including means, percentages, and frequencies to summarize and describe the findings. Respondents in 1 1 1 general viewed that identifying and treating bereaved patients was a necessary role of the family nurse practitioner. All respondents had strong beliefs that grief contributed to health problems. Family nurse practitioners expressed a need for further education and training on the topic of bereavement. Based on the findings from the study, several nursing practice recommendations were made. The nurse practitioner should recognize the importance of bereavement care. Thus, a plan of care could be implemented for the bereaved patient. Through interventions and an appropriate plan of care for the bereaved patient, the nurse practitioner could decrease negative effects that bereavement can have on individuals. Recommendations for future research include replication of this study with a larger sample and investigation of grieving patients\u27 perceptions of what is expected from their health care provider after a loss

An Exploration of the Best Practices for Securing Contractual Helpdesk Services

Contractual Helpdesk Services, which include offering customer service to consumers who have an issue, problem or concern, is a growing industry. For smaller companies outsourcing helpdesk services is becoming more and more popular as there are many technical aspects and high investment costs required to develop the infrastructure needed to support these services. Contracting Helpdesk Services alleviates smaller companies from being concerned with technical issues, doing research on the value proposition of emerging products or services, and in some cases even alleviates the need for hiring additional staff to take customer support calls. This paper explores best practices companies should consider when contracting for the services of a call center environment. The Contractual Helpdesk Service has evolved from just a Business to Consumer model to a Business to Business model via affiliation

Acoustic Modal Patterns and Striations (AMPS) experiment G-325, Norfolk Public Schools

This paper will describe how high school students with the guidance of volunteer mentors were able to successfully complete an acoustics space experiment. Some of the NORSTAR program strategies used to effectively accomplish this goal will be discussed. The experiment and present status of results will be explained

A Decision Model For Contracting Helpdesk Services

Contractual helpdesk services, also known as call center outsourcing is a growing industry. Helpdesk solutions, which offer customer service to consumers who have an issue, problem or concern, are an integral part of many organizations\u27 wider service function. For smaller companies, outsourcing helpdesk services is becoming more and more popular given the technical expertise and high investment costs required to develop, implement and maintain the infrastructure needed to support these services. Contracting for helpdesk services helps to alleviate smaller companies from concerns with technical issues, retaining employees dedicated to continuous research on the value proposition of emerging products or services, and in some cases, the need for hiring additional staff. While the basic principles for negotiating an outsourcing contract apply, this paper explores the special considerations pertinent to contracting helpdesk services. These include determining an optimal solution by mapping business requirements to specific call center resource options, determining the optimal call routing structure given budgetary considerations and understanding technical problems associated with the call center environment and developing a satisficing plan to address problems should they occur. As the technologies, including telecommunications and call routing options, that form the basis of helpdesk services evolve, so does the importance of helpdesk services as they move from cost centers to profit generating ventures

The AI Author in Litigation

Many scholars have posited whether a computer possessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be considered an author as defined per the Copyright Act of 1976. What was once a thought experiment is now becoming reality. To date, scholarship has focused primarily been on whether an AI meets the requirements of authorship from a purely objective legal framework or whether an AI could be an author based on the doctrines of incentives, independent creation, and creativity. However, a burden inherent in the rights and liabilities of authorship is the ability to be held liable if that author’s expressive work is infringing on another’s. A cause of action is meaningless if a copyright owner cannot enforce it by suing the infringer or if the infringer is judgement-proof. Thus, when contemplating whether an emancipated AI—or any non-human—can be an author under the Copyright Act, part of that examination should be whether the AI which created the work can sue or be sued for infringement. This article considers issues from the theoretical, like civil procedure and remedies, to the practical, such as legal representation and discovery. How is an AI served with a lawsuit? What would be an adequate, enforceable remedy for an AI’s infringement? Is an AI even bound by our laws? Additional questions—and procedural barriers—are raised when considering other roles an AI might play in an infringement action: as a witness, a co-party, or even a plaintiff seeking to protect its own creative expression. This morass of legal headaches goes beyond any doctrinal issues regarding authorship, and provide ample reason to keep legal authorship in the hands of humans or entities controlled by humans—at least until legal procedure catches up to technological realities and possibilities for litigation that AI parties present

Cooking Turkey in Aluminum Foil

Roasting a good-sized turkey by the traditional method always has called for some expert maneuvering on the part of the homemaker. Does the [unknown] of aluminum foil make turkey roasting easier? Some Iowa State College food researchers discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method

Does the production value of a short science video hosted on YouTube influence how much the desired audience is likely to enjoy and engage with it?

This thesis continues the research of Welbourne and Grant (2016) within the field of science communication on YouTube, by following the study that Figueiredo, Almeida, & Benevenuto designed to evaluate whether content factors determine YouTube video popularity (2014). This study experimentally evaluates whether the production value of a short science video hosted on YouTube influences how much the desired audience is likely to enjoy and engage with it. Science communication is an increasingly significant area of research and practice, relevant to all aspects of science and technology. Scientists are increasingly expected to publicly share their work with the public, therefore it is important to understand the best ways to get these messages to their target audience. YouTube, the most popular video-sharing network, was created as a user-generated social network, however in recent years professional organisations have been able to contribute too. Resultingly, there is a divergent style differentiation between professionally generated content (PGC), and user generated content (UGC). In this study, two near-identical pairs of videos consistent with the science communication genre were created to imitate PGC and UGC YouTube channels respectively. A survey (n=900) was conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk where participants were asked to watch one PGC and one UGC video, and report on which video they enjoyed, would share, predicted would be more popular and found more reliable. They were asked which channel they would like to watch again. A Pearson’s chi2 test found statistically significant preference to enjoyability and shareability for the UGC videos, but no preference between production value for predicted popularity. Surprisingly, participants opted to watch a PGC in the future, despite the overall preference to UGC. This study directs specific attention into the rapidly-expanding landscape of online video, and its relevance to videographic content creators within the realm of science communication