āwhina: a programme for Māori and Pacific tertiary science graduate and postgraduate success

In New Zealand, Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) and Pacific students tend not to attain the same levels of educational success as Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent). Addressing this problem is a particular challenge in the sciences. The kaupapa (values-base) of Te Rōpū Āwhina (Āwhina) is to produce Māori and Pacific professionals to contribute to Māori and Pacific development and leadership through the creation of an inclusive off- and on-campus whānau (extended family) environment where high expectations, aspirations and achievement, collective success, and reciprocity are normalised. This paper reviews theories and practices of recruitment and retention relevant to Māori and Pacific students at tertiary level, presents the rationale for Āwhina in the Faculties of Science and Architecture and Design at Victoria University of Wellington, and assesses the impact of the whānau. Based on analyses of quantitative measures of student achievement, and biennial surveys of student responses from the first 6 years of Āwhina, it is suggested that the results are consistent with improving Māori and Pacific graduate and postgraduate achievement and retention. Potential implications for efforts to reduce disparities in tertiary education in New Zealand and elsewhere are summarised.     

An evolving Learning Management System for new educational environments using 2.0 tools

The tools used in learning processes are in a continuous state of flux. One of the most significant changes is the application of Information and Communications technologies (ICTs) to educational contexts. This provides new possible ways to carry out learning activities, new learning services, the possibility to use new kinds of contents and activities, etc. However, ICTs have not provided as many advantages as they were supposed to, so changes are necessary. In this context, a new set of tools, Web 2.0, offers a new way to understand the Web, in which the user is the centre. Further, users can cooperate in order to define contents. This concept is also applied in technology-mediated learning but there are important problems when one tries to integrate such tools and concepts with existing systems. This paper explores the integration of these tools in traditional learning environments, the various possibilities and their advantages and drawbacks. After that, an interoperability scenario is described and two experiences are presented to show how 2.0 tools can be integrated in learning activities, and its effect in educational process.     

单纤维对训练的适应

随着特殊的训练计划被教练员们采用以促进运动员的肌肉适应能力,肌肉训练也成为渐进式康复的重要组成部分,它能阻止与丧失运动能力、老化、疾病或微重力相关的萎缩效应。为了优化不同类型的干扰措施,需要更好地理解运动训练产生的反应,以及识别决定肌肉功能的各种机制。虽然整体肌肉活动在某种程度上是通过适应运动神经元爆发、运动单元补充模式或者肌肉量来进行的,本研究着重探讨肌肉纤维类型的表达以及训练后收缩肌的功能性适应能力。单一无皮纤维被证明是常用的实验模型,用于研究与肌浆球蛋白重链对碘氧基苯甲醚相关的试管内收缩特性。人体纤维主要的功能和生化特性在过去二十年中已经被详细研究了,但近来,无皮纤维模式正被用于研究不同类型的诱发训练后单纤维的功能适应性。本文的目的是概述收缩肌对于特定运动训练计划的反应,以及帮助形成适用于运动科学和康复的训练计划。     

Arousal and cognition: The stimulation-seeking motive and structural effects in the comprehension of film

The authors present a study of comprehension as a function of the stimulation-seeking motive in relation to the degree of structure involved in information presented in film. While no significant effects were obtained in measuring comprehension of verbal and pictorial stimuli and literal and inferential processing, the stimulation-seeking motive may have had a moderating effect on the relationship among memory or information-processing systems. This would indicate possible differential-encoding or information-processing strategies between individuals high and low in the stimulation-seeking motive.     

Mixed-method pre-cooling reduces physiological demand without improving performance of medium-fast bowling in the heat

This study examined physiological and performance effects of pre-cooling on medium-fast bowling in the heat. Ten, medium-fast bowlers completed two randomised trials involving either cooling (mixed-methods) or control (no cooling) interventions before a 6-over bowling spell in 31.9±2.1°C and 63.5±9.3% relative humidity. Measures included bowling performance (ball speed, accuracy and run-up speeds), physical characteristics (global positioning system monitoring and counter-movement jump height), physiological (heart rate, core temperature, skin temperature and sweat loss), biochemical (serum concentrations of damage, stress and inflammation) and perceptual variables (perceived exertion and thermal sensation). Mean ball speed (114.5±7.1 vs. 114.1±7.2 km · h(-1); P = 0.63; d = 0.09), accuracy (43.1±10.6 vs. 44.2±12.5 AU; P = 0.76; d = 0.14) and total run-up speed (19.1±4.1 vs. 19.3±3.8 km · h(-1); P = 0.66; d = 0.06) did not differ between pre-cooling and control respectively; however 20-m sprint speed between overs was 5.9±7.3% greater at Over 4 after pre-cooling (P = 0.03; d = 0.75). Pre-cooling reduced skin temperature after the intervention period (P = 0.006; d = 2.28), core temperature and pre-over heart rates throughout (P = 0.01-0.04; d = 0.96-1.74) and sweat loss by 0.4±0.3 kg (P = 0.01; d = 0.34). Mean rating of perceived exertion and thermal sensation were lower during pre-cooling trials (P = 0.004-0.03; d = 0.77-3.13). Despite no observed improvement in bowling performance, pre-cooling maintained between-over sprint speeds and blunted physiological and perceptual demands to ease the thermoregulatory demands of medium-fast bowling in hot conditions.     

A hybrid approach to managing job offers and candidates

The evolution of the job market has resulted in traditional methods of recruitment becoming insufficient. As it is now necessary to handle volumes of information (mostly in the form of free text) that are impossible to process manually, an analysis and assisted categorization are essential to address this issue. In this paper, we present a combination of the E-Gen and Cortex systems. E-Gen aims to perform analysis and categorization of job offers together with the responses given by the candidates. E-Gen system strategy is based on vectorial and probabilistic models to solve the problem of profiling applications according to a specific job offer. Cortex is a statistical automatic summarization system. In this work, E-Gen uses Cortex as a powerful filter to eliminate irrelevant information contained in candidate answers. Our main objective is to develop a system to assist a recruitment consultant and the results obtained by the proposed combination surpass those of E-Gen in standalone mode on this task.