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

Buyers, sellers and middlemen: variations in search theory

We study bilateral exchange, both direct trade and indirect trade that happens through chains of intermediaries or middlemen. We develop a model of this activity and present applications. This illustrates how, and how many, intermediaries get involved, and how the terms of trade are determined. Bargaining with intermediaries depends on how they bargain with downstream intermediaries, leading to interesting holdup problems. We discuss the roles of buyers and sellers in bilateral exchange, and how to interpret prices. We develop a particular bargaining solution and relate it to other solutions. We also illustrate how bubbles can emerge in the value of inventories.

China Bashing 2004

On April 26, 2004, Senator John Kerry released his six-point trade program, "Trade Enforcement: Asleep at the Wheel," and conspicuously targeted China for violating worker rights, dumping, and supporting "illegal currency manipulation" (Kerry 2004). Five days earlier, senior Bush administration officials met with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi to settle a few trade disputes (e.g., WiFi) but did not resolve the most contentious ones (exchange rates, semiconductors, and labor rights).

Prospects for Regional Free Trade in Asia

Frustrated with lackluster momentum in the WTO Doha Round and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and mindful of free trade agreement (FTA) networks centered on the United States and Europe, Asian countries have joined the FTA game. By 2005, Asian countries (excluding China) had ratified 14 bilateral and regional FTAs and had negotiated but not implemented another seven. Asian nations are also actively negotiating some 23 bilateral and regional FTAs, many with non-Asian partners, including Australia, Canada, Chile, the European Union, India, and Qatar. China has been particularly active since 2000. It has completed three bilateral FTAs—Thailand in 2003 and Hong Kong and Macao in 2004—and is initiating another 17 bilateral and regional FTAs. However, a regional Asian economic bloc led by China seems distant, even though China accounts for about 30 percent of regional GDP. As in Europe and the Western Hemisphere, many Asian countries are pursuing FTAs with countries outside the region. On present evidence, the FTA process embraced with some enthusiasm in Asia, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere more closely resembles fingers reaching idiosyncratically around the globe rather than politico-economic blocs centered respectively on Beijing, Brussels, and Washington.Regional free trade agreements, China, trade liberalization, Asia, FTA strategy

Modification of Micro- And Nano-Structures of Vanadium Oxide-Based Catalyst for Partial Oxidation of N-Butane

Sonochemical treatment on V₂O₅ and sonochemical synthesis were employed to produce VOP0₄2H₂O both using ultrasound irradiation. Intercalation-exfoliationreduction using different mixture of solvent as reducing agent to produce VOHPO₄·0.5H₂O and mechanochemical treatment were employed on both VOPO₄·2H₂O and VOHP0₄·0.5H₂O. Besides, the effects of Bi dopant addition also have been studied. The catalysts were synthesised by calcining the precursor, VOHPO₄·0.5H₂O in a flow of n-butane in air (0.75% n-butane in air) for 18 h at 733 K. The physico-chemical properties of the catalysts were characterised by using Xray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area measurement, redox titration, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscope (ICP-AES), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and temperature programmed reduction in H2 flow (H2-TPR). The catalytic properties of the selected catalysts were carried out by using temperature programmed reaction (TPRn) and online microreactor system. The experimental results indicated that V₂O₅ that undergoes ultrasound irradiation for 30 minutes showed an extremely high n-butane conversion (94%) due to its morphology which different from its bulk structures and with the present of kinetically reactive oxygen species. Moreover, nanostructured VPO catalyst produced using sonochemical treated V₂O₅ for 30 min as starting material also shows drastic increment in n-butane conversion (9%) compared to the reference catalyst synthesised via organic route. YOPO₄·2H₂0 produced through sonochemical synthesis technique drastically reduced the synthesis time to only 15 min compared to the conventional reflux method that consumed the synthesis time up to 24 h. The VPO catalyst produced which undergo sonochemical synthesis for 120 min (VPDS 120) shows a drastic increment in n-butane conversion (36%) due to its diameters and thickness of platelets which are smaller thus directly increase the active site of the catalyst for oxidation of n-butane. Furthermore, VPDS 120 catalyst contains more V4+ percentage which directly lead to the increment of the total amount of active and mobile oxygen attached to y4+ phase (0'-V4+ pair). VPO catalyst produced through intercalation-exfoliation-reduction technique using mixture of 2-butanol and ethanol as reducing agent while doping 1% bismuth as promoter, IERC(2Bu-Et)RBil gave the highest maleic anhydride (MA) selectivity due to reactive 02- species released from the additional crystalline V5+ phase formed (02-_V5+ pair) at relative lower temperature. Mechanochemical treated YPO catalyst, YPDM30 shows both reduction peaks occurred at lower temperature compared to the reference catalyst with a suitable oxygen species ratio from V5+N4+ of around 0.25. The lattice oxygen species in the V5+ and V4+ phases which are more reactive, mobile and can be removed easily shown to be the main contribution for YPDM30 to gave high n-butane conversion. A high amount of active oxygen released from V4+ phase (0-_V4+ pair) was shown to be the main contribution for mechanochemi cal treated bismuth doped VPO catalyst, VPDBiMill to be the most active catalyst for n-butane oxidation

Isolation and Sequence Analyses of Salinity Tolerance Genes from Bruguiera Cylindrica (L.) Blume

Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting the productivity of crop plants globally. The discovery of novel genes in stress adaptation will provide effective genetic engineering strategies leading to g reater stress tolerance. The objectives of this research are to identify and isolate salinity tolerance genes from the mangrove plant, Bruguiera cylindrica (L.) Blume through suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and bacterial functional assay. B. cylindrica propagules were grown in fresh water and 20 ppt salinity water. Root morphology differences between B. cylindrica grown in fresh water and 20 ppt salinity water were largely due to the need of roots to obtain more water and nutrients during salinity stress. B. cylindrica plants grew better in the presence of salt as higher mean values were obtained for all morphological measurements compared to B. cylindrica plants grown in fresh water. Four RNA extraction methods were attempted to obtain high yield and high purity RNA. The cesium chloride method was chosen for RNA extraction as it gave the highest amount of pure RNA. Subtracted cDNAs were prepared from the roots of the B. cylindrica seedlings that were grown in fresh water and salt water, respectively. A total of 84 subtracted cDNAs were cloned into pCR-BLUNT II TOPO and sequenced. A total of 51 subtracted cDNAs with good sequencing quality were assembled into 7 contigs and 10 singletons. These non-redundant sequences were grouped into unknown protein (41.18%), novel (29.41%), protein destination and storage (11.76%), energy (5.88%), intracellular traffic (5.88%) and protein synthesis (5.88%). Some motifs of novel and unknown sequences may involve in the salinity tolerance of B. cylindrica such as Kv1.3 voltage-gated K+ ion(s) channel signature, calcium-activated BK potassium channel alpha subunit and Kir2.1 inward rectifier K+ ion(s) channel signature. Meanwhile, a cDNA library was also constructed from the roots of B. cylindrica that were grown in fresh water. Bacterial functional assay was performed to identify cDNAs that confer salt tolerance. A total of 85 cDNA clones that were able to grow on 2x YT containing 400 mM NaCI were sequenced and 73 cDNAs with good sequence quality were assembled into 9 contigs and 53 singletons. The non-redundant sequences were also categorised into unknown protein (58.06%), metabolism (9.68%), transporters (9.68%), transcription (6.45%), energy (4.84%), cell growth/division (4.84%), novel (3.23%), miscellaneous (1.61%) and disease/defense (1.61%) A motif search on novel and unknown cDNAsequences had revealed some possible motifs that may be involved in salinity tolerance of B. cylindrica e.g. C. elegans Srg family integral membrane protein signature and 2Fe-2S ferredoxins, iron-sulfur binding region signature. Sequence analysis of subtracted cDNAs and putative salt tolerant cDNAs isolated by bacterial functional assay showed some putative proteins that may be involved in the salinity tolerance of B. cylindrica such as putative potassium transporter HAK 1p (M33), putative zinc finger protein (M3), ubiquitin (BC27) and L-ascorbate peroxidase (A46)

Reference, context and propositions

This thesis is a detailed investigation of a web of philosophical problems surrounding what I call Kripke' s Thesis: if proper names are directly referential then such identity statements as 'Hesperus is Phosphorus', which are constructed from two distinct but co-referential proper names, are necessary and yet a posteriori. Chapter 1 clarifies some confusions surrounding Kripke's view about rigidity (rigid designation) and his theory of naming. Problems concerning the scope interpretation of rigidity, rigid descriptions, and Kaplan-rigidity are dealt with. My major claim is that the fundamental notion of Kripke's theory of naming is direct reference, not rigidity. In Chapter 2, I first establish the 'modal half of Kripke's Thesis. Then an objection against Kripke's Thesis is presented. The central claim of the objection is this: given that proper names are directly referential and that the proposition expressed by (e.g.) 'Hesperus is Hesperus' is a priori, 'Hesperus is Phosphorus' expresses the same proposition as 'Hesperus is Hesperus', and is therefore a priori. An attempt, based on a suggestion by Plantinga, to defend Kripke's Thesis is shown to be unsuccessful. In Chapter 3, it is first noted that the objection previously presented involves the assumption (T): 'a priori' applies primarily to propositions and derivatively to sentences. Then, on the basis of Stalnaker's semantic apparatus of propositional concepts, a two-dimensional account of a priority is developed. By rejecting (T) and embracing a sentence-relative view of 'a priori propositions', this account provides a defence of Kripke's Thesis. It is argued that this is not an ad hoc defence. In Chapter 4, attention turns to some problems concerning context dependence, a central feature of the two-dimensional account proposed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 starts with the observation that the account seems to be committed to an indexical treatment of proper names. This prompts a demonstration of the compatibility of indexicality and rigidity. The demonstration, drawing on Kaplan's semantics for indexicals, introduces, however, the more serious problem of how to square the purported indexicality of proper names, as revealed by the two-dimensional account, with Kaplan's contention that proper names have a stable character. A solution which invokes the notion of frame relativity is proposed. The first section of Chapter 5 aims to clarify the intricate relation between 'singular propositions' and 'direct reference'. The rest of the chapter is a detailed analysis of Salmon's attempt to refute Kripke's Thesis. It is argued that Salmon's attempt fails, and that the source of his failure lies in his characterization of a priority. Some objections to this analysis are considered and rejected

Fabrication Of 3d Porous Beta Tricalcium Phosphate Bone Scaffold Coated By Oly(Vinyl Alcohol) And Poly(Lactic Acid)_

The interconnected porous β-TCP scaffold was produced via polyurethane (PU) foam replica method. PVA and/or PLA were coated on the scaffold to enhance the compressive strength. The first part of this study was to optimise the internal architecture of β-TCP scaffold with minimal defect before biopolymer coating. Optimum macro- and microporosity in β-TCP scaffold were produced by slurry with ratio 10g:8ml of powder to water and addition of 2 wt. % of PVA and PEG and sintered at 1250°C for 2 hours. The optimum scaffold had 95.3% of porosity with unblock macropore, minimum crack and regular thickness of strut. In the second part, during biopolymer coating, single layer coating with higher PVA concentration had macropores blockage, while lower PVA concentration coating showed uncoated at interior of the scaffold. Bi-layer coating with PLA was to compensate the uncoated interior region in lower PVA concentration coated sample. In terms of mechanical property, compressive strength of the coated scaffold increased with the coated weight percentage of biopolymer. Polymer stretched at the crack opening showed crack bridging mechanism, which toughened the brittle β-TCP scaffold. Scaffold bi-layer coated with 3 wt. % of PVA and subsequently 5 wt. % PLA (V3_L5) had the highest compressive strength (83.7 kPa) with no macropore blocking by biopolymer. In terms of bioactivity, β-TCP without biopolymer coating took 2 weeks to form apatite but V3_L5 took 4 weeks after immersion in SBF. This showed that coating with hydrophobic PLA delayed the time of apatite formation