http://muir.massey.ac.nz The Massey Research Online digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. Search the Channel search http://muir.massey.ac.nz/simple-search http://muir.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1194 Title: Hyperspectral proximal sensing of the botanical composition and nutrient content of New Zealand pastures : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Science <br/> <br/>Authors: Sanches, Ieda Del'Arco <br/> <br/>Abstract: The potential of hyperspectral proximal sensing to quantify sward characteristics important in making critical decisions on the management of sheep and dairy pastures in New Zealand has been investigated. Hyperspectral data were acquired using an ASD FieldSpec® Pro FR spectroradiometer attached to the Canopy Pasture Probe (CAPP). The CAPP was developed to enable the collection of in situ reflectance data from New Zealand pasture canopies independent of ambient light conditions. A matt white ceramic tile was selected as a reflectance standard to be used with the CAPP, after testing a variety of materials. Pasture reflectance factor spectra between 350-2500 nm (with spectral resolutions of 3 nm between 350-1000 nm and 10 nm between 1000-2500 nm) and pasture samples were collected from six hill country and lowland areas, across all seasons (August 2006 to September 2007) in a number of regions in the North Island of New Zealand. After pre-processing (e.g. spectral averaging, de-stepping, elimination of noisy wavelengths, smoothing) the spectral data collected from sites were correlated against pasture botanical composition (expressed as proportions of grass, legume and weed) and pasture nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur) expressed in percentage of dry matter (%) and amount (kg ha-1) using partial least squares regressions (PLSR). The accuracy and precision of the calibrations were tested using either the full cross-validation leave-one-out method or testing datasets. Regressions were carried out using the reflectance factor data per se and after mathematical transformation, including first derivative, absorbance and continuum-removed spectra. Overall best results were obtained using the first derivative data. The quality of predictions varied greatly with the pasture attribute, site and season. Some reasonable results were achieved for the prediction of pasture grass and legume proportions when analysing samples collected during autumn (grass: R2 > 0.81 and SD/RMSEP 2.3 and legume: R2 > 0.80 and SD/RMSEP 2.2), but predicting pasture weed content was poor for all sites and seasons (R2 = 0.44 and SD/RMSEP = 1.2). The inaccurate predictions might be explained by the fact that the diversity found in the field and observed in the pasture spectral data was not taken into account in the pasture botanical separation. The potential for using proximal sensing techniques to predict pasture nutrients in situ was confirmed, with the sensing of pasture N, P and K increased by the procedure of separating the data according to the season of the year. The full potential of the technology will only be realised if a substantial dataset representing all the variability found in the field is gathered. The importance of obtaining representative datasets that embrace all the biophysical factors (e.g. pasture type, canopy structure) likely to affect the relat ionship, when building prediction calibrations, was highlighted in this research by the variance in the predictions for the same nutrient using different datasets, and by the inconsistency in the number of common wavelengths when examining the wavelengths contributing to the relationship. The ability to use a single model to predict multiple nutrients, or indeed individual nutrients, will only come through a good understanding of the factors likely to influence any calibration function. It has been demonstrated in this research that reasonably accurate and precise pasture nutrient predictions (R2 > 0.74 and SD/RMSEP 2.0) can be made from fresh in situ canopy measurements. This still falls short of the quality of the predictions reported for near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for dried, ground samples analysed under controlled laboratory conditions Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:58:59 GMT http://muir.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1193 Title: Parenting : concept and praxis: a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Monash University, Australia <br/> <br/>Authors: Gilling, Margaret <br/> <br/>Abstract: For most people parenting is a crucial experience. We enter the world via our parents; we learn what it is to be a child, a human being in that particular time-space-people context. We carry our parents' legacy from conception to death. The questions central to this research concern the concept and praxis of parenting. Why is parenting so important for human being? What do terms such as loving, caring, nurturing, mean? What does it mean to be a 'family', a 'mother', a 'father'? What of power in families? How do parenting relationships differ from other forms of relationship? How does parenting 'fit' in society? The task I set myself was the comprehension of parenting. I wanted to grasp as much as I could about the definitions, ideas, practices which people use in their everyday lives, and I wanted to understand these in society. The work is a theoretical one. The phenomenological method underpins the total process; the introduction, the field research, the analysis of data, the writing. Phenomenology, as I understand it, is concerned essentially with uncovering meaning. I wanted to learn the meaning of parenting praxis in society in order to develop a theory of parenting which could be used as a catalyst, and provoke questions which I believe are critical for human being. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first is the preparation or journey into the research. Time is spent on defining such basic terms as 'body', 'self', 'perception', in building an ontological and methodological framework sufficient for my needs. Portraits of the six families with whom I lived are presented in triptych form in the middle part of the thesis. I wanted, needed, to immerse myself in people's lives, not simply to visit and ask questions which they may/may not have been able or willing to answer, but I wanted to become part of their lives, albeit for a short time. Then I could hear, see, taste, feel .. what it is like to be in their family. People are revealed warts and all, and parenting shown to be complex, ambiguous, tedious, awesome In the third part of the thesis focus is on parentingin-society. C. Wright Mills' questions anchor the discussion of the history of parenting, and on parenting in Australian society. The concept and praxis of parenting is un-covered, and shown to be an ongoing social construction. I argue that the particular construction, this ordering of power, this definition and conceptualisation of parenting, is brought about by a systematic orchestration, an ordering of people's lives which inhibits full realisation of human being. The liberal democratic ideology fuels this construction, and contradictions inherent in parenting praxis are denied, deflected, dismissed by reference to this ideology. Sat, 29 Oct 1983 22:58:59 GMT http://muir.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1192 Title: Production of alginate beads : a project report [i.e. thesis] presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Food Technology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 1 May 2011 <br/> <br/>Authors: Ren, Lu <br/> <br/>Abstract: This paper was to improve the production of calcium-induced alginate gels manufactured by a company in Auckland. Problems encountered included yield and syneresis of the beads post-gelation. Essentially the alginate, sugars and other ingredients were dissolved in water at 80ºC. The pH of the solution was adjusted and the alginate beads were extruded into a 5% CaCl2 bath before being drained and dried. The chemical reaction between sodium alginate and calcium ions is dependent upon the solubility and availability of calcium ions. Some calcium salts (e.g., CaCl2, calcium lactate) were readily soluble and fully dissociated in water and resulted in an immediate gelation of the alginate. Dicalcium phosphate (DCP) was sparingly soluble at pH 7 and calcium ions were not released significantly until the pH reached about pH 4.2. Sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) is a chelating agent and this was used to soak up small quantities of Ca+2 to ensure no gelation occured while the alginate was being mixed. The optimum quantities of alginate, DCP and SHMP were defined in the laboratory trials. The use of SHMP, maltodextrin, and gums significantly affected the hardness and stickiness of gel beads. It was found that the combination of xanthan and alginate Protanal LF 120 gave the best results in terms of minimal stickiness and maximum yield after drying. Key words: alginate gel beads, syneresis, formula, pH, citric acid, gelation time, SHMP, setting time, yield rate, drying, hardness, stickiness, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, guar gum, stickiness by touching, leakage, apparent viscosity. <br/> <br/>Description: Content removed from thesis due to copyright restrictions: Winger, R.J. and L. Ren (2009). "Solubility of sodium and potassium iodates in saturated salt solutions." Food Chemistry 113: 600-601. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:28:29 GMT http://muir.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1191 Title: Me aro ki te ha o hineahuone : women, miscarriage stories, and midwifery : towards a contextually relevant research methodology : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Midwifery at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand <br/> <br/>Authors: Kenney, Christine M <br/> <br/>Abstract: Professional ethics and legal competencies require midwives practising in New Zealand to provide care for childbearing women in a partnership characterised by continuity, equality, mutual respect, trust, shared responsibility and decision making. New Zealand is culturally and legislatively a bi-cultural environment and the cultural safety of Maori (indigenous peoples) are prioritised within health legislation. The midwifery philosophy of partnership and bi-cultural legislation, have provided a foundation for developing a research methodology for the profession. This thesis stories the interweaving of multiple epistemologies, theoretical tenets, philosophical concepts, indigenous and Western European world views as well as women’s narratives in creating and implementing a contextually relevant qualitative research methodology, ‘Te Whakamaramtanga’. The methodology was trialled in the field of miscarriage; a practice issue for midwives in New Zealand. Research participants were recruited through ‘word of mouth’ and snowballing methods. Twenty women participated in the research project and of these nine identified as midwives. Twelve participants were of Non Maori descent, including four women who were immigrants to New Zealand, and eight participants identified as Maori. Participants’ stories were gathered through dialogical interviews, which recognised the co-construction and exploration of knowledge. Ethical tenets outlined in the methodology involved the use of extensive, ongoing consultation with Maori, midwifery and local communities. Maori, women, and midwives share an oral culture that values narratives as facilitating the constitution of identities, creation and transmission of knowledge, and the development of social relationships. Whole narrative, thematic and narrative elements analyses of participants’ miscarriage-related talk have been developed through drawing on kaupapa Maori philosophy, the social theories of Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucault, Bruno Latour, Paul Ricouer, and Rom Harre as well as the narrative concepts of Arthur Frank and Margaret Somers. Substantive chapters explore whakapapa, corporeal temporalities, narrative silences and women’s desires for recognition and relationships. A new theory is advanced that methodologies, narratives, genealogies, temporalities, silences and women voices are simultaneously co-constituted metaphysical and material technologies. These heterogeneous and relational entities are collectively perceived as actants, hybrid actors, actor networks as well as technologies, which exist within a range of dynamic and hierarchical networks and/or fields in which this thesis is also embedded. My development of a multicultural midwifery research methodology informed by multidisciplinary theoretical approaches is innovative for midwifery research and theory, and potentially other health disciplines. My research also addresses gaps in midwifery, miscarriage–related, professional development, Maori health and health research literature. Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:58:59 GMT