Auckland University of Technology

About: Auckland University of Technology is a education organization based out in Auckland, New Zealand. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 4116 authors who have published 13461 publications receiving 353076 citations. The organization is also known as: AUT & AUT University.

A Unified Probabilistic Framework for Name Disambiguation in Digital Library

Abstract: Despite years of research, the name ambiguity problem remains largely unresolved. Outstanding issues include how to capture all information for name disambiguation in a unified approach, and how to determine the number of people K in the disambiguation process. In this paper, we formalize the problem in a unified probabilistic framework, which incorporates both attributes and relationships. Specifically, we define a disambiguation objective function for the problem and propose a two-step parameter estimation algorithm. We also investigate a dynamic approach for estimating the number of people K. Experiments show that our proposed framework significantly outperforms four baseline methods of using clustering algorithms and two other previous methods. Experiments also indicate that the number K automatically found by our method is close to the actual number.

An Australasian study of reading and comprehension skills in novice programmers, using the bloom and SOLO taxonomies

Abstract: In this paper we report on a multiinstitutional investigation into the reading and comprehension skills of novice programmers. This work extends previous studies (Lister 2004, McCracken 2001) by developing a question set within two key pedagogical frameworks: the Bloom and SOLO taxonomies. From this framework of analysis some interesting emergent patterns relating the cognitive level of the questions to student performance have been identified.

Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail experience

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of atmospherics in the creation of an hedonic retail experience by comparing the perceived differences between a retail environment attempting to provide an hedonic experience and one with a more utilitarian focus.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was employed, using protocol analysis and in‐depth semi‐structured interviews that were conducted with ten participants.Findings – The paper highlights several atmospheric cues and their influence on the hedonic retail experience. The first category of cues – attractive stimuli – were those cues that attracted attention, exciting the participant and eliciting approach behaviours. The second category – facilitating stimuli – included those cues that were necessary in order to facilitate product engagement.Originality/value – The paper provides a broad categorisation of atmospheric cues, providing factors that shop designers can be aware of when creating a store with the hedonic exper...

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.

Abstract: Background : Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the leading cause of death in developed countries for most of the last century Most CVD deaths, however, occur in low- and middle-income, developing countries (LMICs) and there is great concern that CVD mortality and burden are rapidly increasing in LMICs as a result of population growth, ageing and health transitions In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where all countries are part of the LMICs, the pattern, magnitude and trends in CVD deaths remain incompletely understood, which limits formulation of data-driven regional and national health policies Objective : The aim was to estimate the number of deaths, death rates, and their trends for CVD causes of death in SSA, by age and gender for 1990 and 2013 Methods : Age- and gender-specific mortality rates for CVD were estimated using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 methods with some refinements made by the GBD 2013 study to improve accuracy Cause of death was estimated as in the GBD 2010 study and updated with a verbal autopsy literature review and cause of death ensemble modelling (CODEm) estimation for causes with sufficient information For all quantities reported, 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were also computed Results : In 2013, CVD caused nearly one million deaths in SSA, constituting 383% of non-communicable disease deaths and 113% of deaths from all causes in that region SSA contributed 55% of global CVD deaths There were more deaths in women (512 269) than in men (445 445) and more deaths from stroke (409 840) than ischaemic heart disease (258 939) Compared to 1990, the number of CVD deaths in SSA increased 81% in 2013 Deaths for all component CVDs also increased, ranging from a 7% increase in incidence of rheumatic heart disease to a 196% increase in atrial fibrillation The age-standardised mortality rate (per 100 000) in 1990 was 3276 (CI: 3062-3517) and 3302 (CI: 3129-3600) in 2013, representing only a 1% increase in more than two decades Conclusions : In SSA, CVDs are neither epidemic nor among the leading causes of death However, a significant increase in the number of deaths from CVDs has occurred since 1990, largely as a result of population growth, ageing and epidemiological transition Contrary to what has been observed in other world regions, the age-adjusted mortality rate for CVD has not declined Another important difference in CVD deaths in SSA is the predominance of stroke as the leading cause of death Attention to aggressive efforts in cardiovascular health promotion and CVD prevention, treatment and control in both men and women are warranted Additionally, investments to improve directly enumerated epidemiological data for refining the quantitation of risk exposures, death certification and burden of disease assessment will be crucial

Last-chance tourism: the boom, doom, and gloom of visiting vanishing destinations

Abstract: Popular press and industry stakeholders are reporting a travel trend whereby tourists increasingly seek to experience the world's most endangered sites before they vanish or are irrevocably transformed. Termed ‘last-chance’ or ‘doom’ tourism in the popular media, the desire for tourists to witness vanishing landscapes or seascapes and disappearing species may have important consequences for tourism management, yet the nature of these consequences is poorly understood by the academic community. This paper describes how last-chance tourism is promoted in various tourism marketing strategies, especially in the Arctic. The analysis is supported through a literature review of web-based information and an analysis of three different studies conducted in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada – the self-declared polar bear capital of the world. The authors also examine more closely the concepts of dark and last-chance tourism, and elaborate on the possible connections between the two. The paper concludes with a discussion ...