Conference Posters

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7703

Browse

Filters

2005 - 200922010 - 201817

Settings

End date: 2019

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 29
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Why so unfit?: Assessing potential barriers to exercise adoption in middle-aged men
    (The Author(s), 10/02/2005) Towers AJ; Flett RA; Seebeck RF; Towers, AJ; Flett, RA; Seebeck, RF
    Compared to women, men:  have a higher mortality rate  consistently die younger  are more susceptible to sedentary-lifestyle related diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease)  are more likely to engage in behaviours that increase risk of injury, disease, or death  are less likely to seek help with physical health. Despite these statistics, the amount of literature devoted to women’s health in the past two decades still greatly exceeds that devoted to men’s health. The result is that we actually know very little about what influences men’s health behaviours. Introduction We utilised the transtheoretical model of exercise behaviour change to determine the pattern of exercise adoption in middle-aged men. We also analysed whether this pattern was influenced by three potential barriers to exercise: poor self-rated health, low levels of internal health locus of control, and high perceived stress levels. Hypotheses Compared to participants in the last stage of change (maintenance), it was hypothesised that participants in the first stage of exercise change (precontemplation) would have:  lower self-efficacy  less concern over the pros of exercise  more concern over the cons of exercise  poorer self-rated health  higher levels of perceived stress  lower levels of internal health locus of control [From Introduction]
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring root traits associated with increased yield under water deficit in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) germplasm of Mediterranean and European origins.
    (2015-10) Huassion S; Matthew C; Naeem M; Easton HS
    Exploring root traits associated with increased yield under water deficit in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) germplasm of Mediterranean and European origins Sajjad Hussain1, Cory Matthew2, Muhammad Naeem3, H. Sydney Easton4 1Plant Genetic Resources Institute, National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, 3Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Islamabad, Pakistan, 4AgResearch, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Contact: shmalik25@hotmail.com Introduction Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is now one of the most widely used forage grass species in temperate pastoral agriculture and in recent years breeding for improved performance in summer drought conditions has become a focus. Germplasm of Spanish origin has been widely used in New Zealand plant breeding (Stewart, 2006), but another possibility that has attracted comparatively little research to date is introgression of summer dormant germplasm of North African origin with material of European origin. Methods Plants of a New Zealand-bred perennial ryegrass cultivar “Grasslands Samson”, a summer dormant Australian cultivar “Medea” developed in the 1960’s from germplasm of Mediterranean origin (Silsbury, 1961), and the F1 and F2 progenies of the two parents were compared during summer 2010-11 in a glasshouse study at Palmerston North, New Zealand. The experiment compared rooting behavior and herbage yield of the two cultivars and studied the pattern of inheritance of those traits to F1 and F2 progeny. Plants grown in 100 cm lengths of soil-filled PVC pipes were initially bottom-watered in 200 liter drums and then drought was imposed by gradually lowering the water table until plants survived on water retained in the soil profile. At a concluding destructive harvest, herbage yield (DW) and tiller number (TN) were recorded, while total root mass (Rt), coarse root mass (Rc) fine root mass (Rf) and gravimetric soil moisture % (SMC) were all measured for three soil depths (0-30, 30-60 and below 60 cm). From these data root:shoot ratio (R:S), deep root (below 30 cm): shoot ratio (DR:S), an index of deep rooting (% total root below 30 cm, IDR), and DW/(0.2 – SMC) as an index of efficient water use (IEWU) were derived. Results and Discussion Medea exhibited deep rooting compared to Grasslands Samson indicated by higher R:S, DR:S and IDR, that had never been studied since its release in Australia. However, it had lower IWU, 83% lower DW and 87% lower TN than Grasslands Samson – a characteristic of Mediterranean origin pasture species. On the question of introgressing root traits of Medea to Grasslands Samson: in the F1 generation, some plants surpassed Medea for some root traits (eg DR:S and IDR), while F2 plants were similar to Grasslands Samson parents, However, within Grasslands Samson itself some plants showed high IEWU. Conclusion Introgression of Medea genes into Grasslands Samson will not be straight forward. However, direct selection for maintenance of growth under moderate water deficit with reduced soil moisture extraction per unit DW is an immediate option for improving drought tolerance in perennial ryegrass, providing the trait proves sufficiently heritable. Stewart AV (2006) Genetic origins of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) for New Zealand Pastures. Pp11-20 In: Breeding for success: diversity in action, (ed, CF. Mercer) Proceedings of the 13th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference, Christchurch, NZ. Silsbury JH (1961) A study of dormancy, survival and other characteristics in Lolium perenne L. at Adelaide, SA. Aust. J. Ag. Res.12:1-9.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A genome-wide scan of positive selection signature using Ovine Infinium® HD SNP BeadChip in two Romney lines, selected for resistance or resilience to nematodes
    (3/07/2017) Yan J; Dukkipati VSR; Blair HT; Biggs PJ; Hamie JC; Greer A
    A study was undertaken to identify selection signatures associated with resistance to gastrointestinal nematodiasis in sheep. Ninety-three Romney sheep from two selection lines (resistant or resilient) were genotyped using the Ovine Infinium® HD SNP BeadChip, and extended haplotype homozygosity (EHH) and site-specific extended haplotype homozygosity (EHHS) analyses were undertaken. In total, 224 SNPs (147 in EHH and 77 in EHHS) were found to be significant (p <0.0001). Preliminary exploration of 10 SNPs found them to be located within two previously identified QTLs, namely LATRICH_2 and FECGEN, which were associated with nematode larval count and faecal egg count, respectively.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Engaging in spaces: How mature distance students fit study into their homes and lives
    (2/07/2013) Kahu ER
    In order to fit study around family and work, a third of mature aged tertiary students in New Zealand study by distance. By enabling students to study when and where they want, distance study is said to overcome the barriers of space and time. But space and time must still be found and the blurring of the physical boundaries between study and home creates new challenges. While much has been written about how distance students juggle time, little has considered how they manage space; yet it is often the availability of an appropriate learning space that determines not just when and where they study, but the quality of their engagement. This qualitative study, following 19 mature aged distance students and their families through their first semester, examines how the students carved learning spaces from their busy lives, the nature of those spaces, and the impact this had on their engagement. For some, a space without other people was the essential characteristic and they achieved this through either a physical separation strategy such as studying at work, or a temporal separation strategy such as studying only when children were at school. For others, isolation was a barrier to their engagement and they gravitated to shared living spaces. Individual lifeload, context, and personal preference mean there are no right or wrong choices, but family support is a critical influence on the success of different strategies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Interception of PAR and RUE of irrigated sweet potato (Ipomea batatas L.) grown in a temperate climate
    (17/08/2014) Searle B; Shaw S; Sorensen I; Kerckhoffs LHJ
    Searle, B., S. Shaw, I. Sorensen and L.H.J. Kerckhoffs (2014). . Poster presentation at the (Brisbane, 17-22 August 2014). [EE4]
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    New Zealand child and youth profile
    (8/06/2016) McLaughlin T; Budd JM
    Effective tools to better understand children’s functioning are critical to plan for and promote positive outcomes. The New Zealand Child and Youth Profile supports teams to reflect on and organize their understanding of a child’s strengths and limitations; sensory function; participation in key settings; and interests and preferences. The toolkit is designed to help teams identify priority areas for interventions. Preliminary results from a pilot study will be shared.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Short-term effects of deep ploughing on soil C stocks following renewal of a dairy pasture in New Zealand
    (14/08/2018) Calvelo Pereira R; Hedley MJ; Hanly J; Bretherton M; Horne D; Bishop P; Beare M; McNally S
    In New Zealand’s high producing permanent pastures the topsoil constitutes a large reservoir of soil organic carbon (SOC), which shows a marked stratification with depth. As consequence, sub-surface layers can contain 10 times less carbon than the surface soil. In permanent pastures with high carbon inputs, the formation and decomposition of these surface SOC stocks are often at equilibrium and C storage shows little change over time. Pastoral based dairy systems utilising ryegrass plus clover cultivars require renewal every 7-10 years to avoid reversion to less productive grasses. This may involve spring cultivation (either no-till, shallow till or full cultivation), summer forage cropping and autumn re-grassing. It has been hypothesised that SOC stocks can be increased by inverting the soil profile at pasture renewal through infrequent (once in 25-30 years) deep mouldboard ploughing (up to 30 cm depth). Increased C sequestration occurs when the new grass quickly rebuilds SOC stocks in the new topsoil (exposed low C sub-soil) at a rate faster than the decomposition of SOC in the rich former topsoil transferred to depth (now below 15 cm). However, benefits form accelerated C storage may be offset if crop and pasture production is adversely affected by the ploughing event (e.g., as result of compaction or excessive drainage). Hence, the aim of this work was to assess the short-term effects of infrequent inversion tillage of long-term New Zealand pastoral-based dairy soils under summer crop management and autumn re-grassing. An imperfectly drained Typic Fragiaqualf under dairy grazing was deep ploughed (approx. 25 cm) and re-sown with turnip in October 2016; other treatments included were shallow (< 10 cm) cultivation and no-till. The site was core sampled (0-40 cm) before cultivation and after 5 months of turnip growth to assess changes in SOC. Plant growth, herbage quality, and nutrient leaching were monitored during the 5-month period; root growth was assessed at the end of the crop rotation. Full cultivation transferred SOC below 10 cm depth, as expected. Soil bulk density decreased whereas root mass increased (10-20 cm depth; P < 0.05) under deep cultivation only. Besides, losses of mineral N were attenuated under deep tillage, resulting in a relative increase in crop yield. The potential for infrequent inversion tillage increasing soil C sequestration as a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation tool is currently being tested at other sites in New Zealand.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Experiencing the educational interface: Understanding student engagement
    (3/07/2017) Kahu ER; Picton C; Nelson K
    Student engagement is widely recognised as critical to student retention and success – simply put, students who are engaged with their studies are more likely to be successful. However, the mechanisms contributing to an individual student’s engagement have not yet been clearly articulated and the term engagement is used differently in various contexts. We understand engagement to be an individual student’s psychosocial state: their behavioural, emotional, and cognitive connection to their learning. In 1984, Astin proposed that student involvement, as he called it, was the missing link in our understanding of how institutional factors influenced student success. Aligned with Astin’s rationale, Chickering and Gamson (1987) proposed and later explored seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, along with six ‘powerful forces’ that they believed shaped the student experience. In the decades since, these early contributions have strongly influenced curricular and co-curricular practices which have positively impacted on student outcomes. These practices include: peer to peer participation, access and interactions with staff, timely feedback, a scaffolded curriculum, early identification of students at risk, assessment aligned with learning outcomes, clearly articulated expectations, and a supportive but challenging learning environment. More recently, Students as Partners initiatives have been taken up with much enthusiasm. However, while the impact of these good practice initiatives has been comprehensively demonstrated, the mechanisms that explain how these initiatives actually influence an individual student’s retention and success have not yet been clearly identified. In 2013, Kahu proposed a comprehensive framework that shed light on the influences on and consequences of student engagement. In 2017 Kahu and Nelson refined this framework to include the notion of the educational interface as a metaphor for the individual psychosocial space within which a student is engaged in their learning. This new framework incorporates four key constructs within the interface, dimensions of the student’s psychosocial experience. These constructs are self-efficacy, belonging, emotions, and well-being. These four constructs represent pathways by which curricular and co-curricular initiatives and other factors influence student engagement and success. For instance, a student with financial difficulties or a heavy lifeload will have reduced well-being, which will inhibit their engagement with their studies. Or a student who forms good relationships with staff and peers will feel a sense of belonging which makes them more comfortable in class and thus more willing to actively participate. This revised framework is a leap forward in our understandings about the mechanisms that underpin student engagement and provide a firm foundation for practice. This poster presents and briefly explains the revised framework as well as illustrating the framework by presenting data from a current study following a group of 19 first year students at a regional Australian university for their first year. References Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308. Chickering, A. W. & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7 Kahu, E. R. (2013). Framing student engagement in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 758-773. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2011.598505 Kahu, E. R., & Nelson, K. (in press). Student engagement in the educational interface: Understanding the mechanisms of student success. Higher Education Research & Development