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Categorical representation of DRC-semigroups
(Elsevier, 2026) East, James; Fresacher, Matthias; Azeef Muhammed, P. A.; Stokes, Tim E.
DRC-semigroups model associative systems with domain and range operations, and contain many important classes, such as inverse, restriction, Ehresmann, regular ⁎-, and ⁎-regular semigroups; concrete examples include diagram monoids, linear monoids, relation monoids, among many others. In this paper we show that the category of DRC-semigroups is isomorphic to a category of certain biordered categories whose object sets are projection algebras in the sense of Jones. This extends the recent groupoid approach to regular ⁎-semigroups of the first and third authors. We also establish the existence of free DRC-semigroups by constructing a left adjoint to the forgetful functor into the category of projection algebras.
Exploring opportunities for flexible wearables to support physical training
(ACM, 2025) Stawarz, Katarzyna; Everitt, Aluna; Bowen, Judy
Advances in digital fabrication with flexible and conductive materials are enabling new opportunities for customisable wearables that enhance physical training across various sports through on-body posture and movement monitoring. However, before developing new wearable devices, it is crucial to understand the unique challenges and opportunities of real-world use and the diverse needs of stakeholders such as athletes, trainers, and sports enthusiasts. In this paper, we report results of two co-design workshops conducted with 11 participants representing a range of sports backgrounds and interests to identify challenges and opportunities for flexible wearables. The participants’ designs and prototypes highlight the importance of supporting personalised wearable design, addressing varying contexts, and accommodating different skill levels. We propose design considerations for wearable devices that prioritise flexibility, both in their materiality to support a wide range of movement and in their adaptability to accommodate changing conditions and user progression across skill levels.
Is it you or is it me? Attrition and non-completion in community-based treatment for harmful sexual behaviour: A mixed method study
(The University of Waikato, 2026-11-02) Cowles, Brendan; Tamatea, Armon J.
This thesis will examine the pathways in which participants that engaged in a community based harmful sexual behaviour intervention programme dropped out of treatment; and what contributed to their decisions. A mixed-methods approach is used with two primary aims. Study one quantitatively investigated what is the extent of attrition within the service and what form do these exits pathways take. The results indicated that between 2018 and 2025, attrition accounted 22.4% of the overall data. Study two qualitatively explored the experiences of (n = 5) participants who exited their intervention early, to determine what factors contributed to early drop out. Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes that included: Ambiguity about programme processes, imposed hardship and disruptions. These results emphasise the complexity of treatment retention and highlight the role of both programme structure in conjunction with external barriers individuals face attending a community treatment programme. Future research could compare the experiences of completers with non-completers and utilise quantitative methods that incorporate data from risk assessment tools and include follow up data to report on recidivism rates. These findings highlight the importance of refining treatment delivery to support participant engagement and to enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitative efforts in sexual offender populations.
Physical and mental health issues in the Te Aroha district
(Historical Research Unit, University of Waikato, 2016) Hart, Philip
Although Te Aroha was considered to be a healthy district, until the early twentieth century it lacked clean water or adequate sanitation. There were justifiable fears of typhus and other diseases being created by these lacks and by the common ‘nuisances’ caused by unsanitary behaviour. Many people had a poor diet, which was normal for men undertaking prospecting far from their homes. For miners, their working conditions were always unhealthy, and miners’ complaint was common, affecting battery hands also. Medical services remained inadequate until the twentieth century because doctors could not settle for long (for financial reasons) and there was no local hospital. Some doctors, nurses, and dentists visited, but the seriously ill had to be sent out of the district. For injuries, chemists and nurses did their best, as did a dubiously skilled local doctor. Self-medication was common. Examples are given of breakdowns in mental health, which sometimes led to physical attacks on others or to suicide.
Introductory notes to working paper series ‘a social history of mining in the Te Aroha mining district’
(Historical Research Unit, University of Waikato, 2016) Hart, Philip
These working papers are provided as a resource for historians and genealogists. When covering the lives of individuals, they are deliberately as detailed as possible – possibly too detailed on such aspects as land ownership, but the intention is to provide as much information as is traceable. The nature of my research was inspired by the farewell address given by Sir Keith Hancock when he retired from being head of the History Department in the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, when I was a student there. He included the comment that, in his retirement, he would tend his own garden; not meaning an intention to turn from historical research to gardening but to focus his research on his own locality, meaning the district of Monaro to the south of Canberra. The outcome was his publication, through Cambridge University Press, in 1972, of his excellent Discovering Monaro: A study of man’s inpact on his environment. The structure of this book combined a general analysis of geology, weather patterns, farming practices, and many other issues with case studies of farmers and others who lived in and developed the district. As this is a social history of the Te Aroha district, concentrating on mining, his example has been followed, with general papers being combined with personal accounts that illustrate the points made in the former papers. For instance, there is a paper on the skills required for successful prospecting, and the paper on Billy Nicholl relates the story of one of the most successful prospectors (successful at Waihi, that is, much less so elsewhere). As an unexpectedly large amounts of information was uncovered about some of those included in the case studies, the latter have ballooned far beyond the modest mini-biographies originally anticipated.