bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking the Source of Enantioselectivity
Authors:   , Leeb Nina
Published: November 2021

Enantioselectivity remains one of synthetic chemistry’s most formidable problems. It arises due to the formation of diastereomeric species in a reaction, either in the form of diastereomeric intermediates or a set of diastereomeric transition states. Without control a racemic mixture is formed. A resolution method is then required to separate the enantiomers. Any given resolution method will rely on the differing energies of diastereomers to allow for their separation. Experimentally there are a myriad of different options that may be used to induce separation; for example chromatography and/or crystallisation. The actual process that occurs through- out this separation has not, however, been fully investigated in all cases. A better understanding of the process is able to provide an understanding of how resolution methods work i.e. when diastereomers occur and how great their energy differences are. This is vital in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of any given resolution method. This theoretical study completed an investigation of the reaction pathway between the enantiomers of 2-formyl-3-hydroxyl[2.2]paracyclophane (FHPC) with (S)-valyl-(S)-valine. A subsequent investigation of an alternative resolution method, involving (R)-α-PEAM, was also conducted. This latter resolution method was proposed experimentally as a simpler method that could aid in improving the separation of the enantiomers. This investigation was carried out using Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the PBE0 functional and the triple-ζ TZVP basis set. The complete reaction profile was determined and diastereomeric intermediates and transition states for both resolution methods along two different pathways were determined; the ‘N-deprotonation Pathway’ and the ‘O-deprotonation Pathway’. The inadequacy of the first resolution method was found to be due to the presence of copper(II). Furthermore it was discovered that the re- action for both pathways would most likely proceed through the ‘O-deprotonation Pathway’ due to the barriers being lower in energy.
“He reached across the river and healed the generations of hara”: Structural violence, historical trauma, and healing among contemporary Whanganui Māori
Authors:   , Vaeau Tarapuhi
Published: November 2021

This thesis provides insights into the unique forms of oppression that Māori face today. It explores how Māori experience, understand, and heal from historical trauma in contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand. It does this by arguing that space, state bureaucracies, and public discourse can be violent, and considering sites of (re)traumatisation for my participants, specifically by examining the internalisation of responsibilisation and colonial discourse disseminated through the media and government processes, underlining the implications for health care. I show the ways that space constructs and reproduces relations of power and surveillance. As well I explore spaces that act as living symbols of inequality. This thesis uses structural violence and historical trauma to frame this analysis and thus highlights the lived experience where neoliberalism and colonialism intersect. The understandings that are presented here are informed by seven months of fieldwork which was guided by a kaupapa Māori framework and used participant observation and interviews with Māori who have iwi affiliations to the Whanganui River. Using stories from eleven participants, as well as autoethnography, this thesis demonstrates the importance of whakapapa, whanaungatanga, and wairuatanga in healing for Māori.
The Effect of Prenatal Valproate Exposure in Serotonin Transporter Knockout Rats On Anxiety and Cognition: A Gene*Environment Interaction Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors:   , August Caren L.
Published: November 2021

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder which is often associated with increased anxiety and deficits in cognitive ability. The present research investigated a potential gene*environment interaction between two factors previously implicated in ASD in a rat model; prenatal exposure to valproate (VPA) and genetic reduction of the serotonin transporter (SERT). Wildtype and heterozygous SERT knockout rats prenatally exposed to VPA or saline on gestational day12.5 (G12.5) were assessed on measures of anxiety: elevated plus-maze and novelty suppressed-feeding and cognitive ability: prepulse inhibition and latent inhibition. A significant main effect was found for VPA exposure in all paradigms, showing increased anxiety-typical behaviour and abnormal cognitive ability. However, no significant effect of genotype or interaction was observed. Results from the present study do not confirm gene*environment interaction between prenatal VPA and heterozygous SERT knockout but this may be due to several factors that are discussed within the thesis. In any case, this study represents a starting point for further studies investigating other combinations of genetic and environmental factors as models of ASD pathogenesis.
Māori Performing Arts and the Weaving Together of Local, National and International Communities
Authors:   , Avery Jonathon
Published: November 2021

Māori performing arts provides a valuable contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand society. Māori performing arts has an intrinsic link to Māori culture and is used to connect 1) Māori who are disengaged from iwi/hapu/whanau, as well as 2) non-Māori, in New Zealand and around the world with Māori culture. Performance genres such as waiata-a-ringa, haka and mōteatea contain a body of knowledge that communicate Māori ways of being and doing and provide participants with an opportunity to become connected to a culturally literate and informed community. Using ethnographic techniques of participant observation, interviews and performance, this thesis examines the experiences of individuals who engage with Māori performing arts and the meaning they attribute to their engagement with the art form. Drawing on contemporary ideas of community and meaning, this thesis also investigates how Māori performing arts builds and strengthens relationships and whanaungatanga by connecting participants to local, national and international Aotearoa New Zealand communities. This thesis draws on two contexts in Wellington where people engage with Māori performing arts - The Ngāti Pōneke Young Māori Club at Pipitea marae and Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music. Along with exploring two Māori performance context in detail, this these explores how Māori performing arts is used as a platform to educate participants about Māori knowledge, language and culture while also discussing how Māori performing arts is used to symbolise and represent Aotearoa New Zealand nationally and internationally.
The Effect of Meditation on Visual and Auditory Sustained Attention
Authors:   , Badart Paige
Published: November 2021

Failures of attention can be hazardous, especially within the workplace where sustaining attention has become an increasingly important skill. This has produced a necessity for the development of methods to improve attention. One such method is the practice of meditation. Previous research has shown that meditation can produce beneficial changes to attention and associated brain regions. In particular, sustained attention has shown to be significantly improved by meditation. While this effect has shown to occur in the visual modality, there is less research on the effects of meditation and auditory sustained attention. Furthermore, there is currently no research which examines meditation on crossmodal sustained attention. This is relevant not only because visual and auditory are perceived simultaneously in reality, but also as it may assist in the debate as to whether sustained attention is managed by modality-specific systems or a single overarching supramodal system.  The current research was conducted to examine the effects of meditation on visual, auditory and audiovisual crossmodal sustained attention by using variants of the Sustained Attention to Response Task. In these tasks subjects were presented with either visual, auditory, or a combination of visual and auditory stimuli, and were required to respond to infrequent targets over an extended period of time. It was found that for all of the tasks, meditators significantly differed in accuracy compared to non-meditating control groups. The meditators made less errors without sacrificing response speed, with the exception of the Auditory-target crossmodal task. This demonstrates the benefit of meditation for improving sustained attention across sensory modalities and also lends support to the argument that sustained attention is governed by a supramodal system rather than modality-specific systems.
The relationship between music therapy goals, health goals and education goals in a transition school for adolescents with mental health needs
Authors:   , Jackways Alice
Published: November 2021

This exegesis explores the relationship between music therapy goals, health goals and education goals in a transition school for adolescents with mental health needs. Secondary analysis of data uncovered language and goals from the schools Individual Education Plans and Individual Therapeutic Plans. The language and goals from each plan were compared and set against language and goals derived from student music therapist’s music therapy goals. The research showed that although goals set by teachers and therapists in the school addressed different areas of education and health, they were in fact linked. The team worked collaboratively to support students to reach health and education goals. Music therapy supported both health and education goals in the school context. This study presents a community perspective on education and health goals in a school context. Adolescents may need support from teachers and therapists to reach education and health goals in New Zealand schools.
Mitigating Visual Discomfort on Head Mounted Displays using Estimated Gaze Dependent Depth of Field
Authors:   , Carnegie Kieran
Published: November 2021

Virtual Reality (VR) applications on Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) are now more common and accessible for personal viewing than before with the introduction of consumer-level devices like the Oculus Rift. However, exposure to VR applications on HMDs results in significant discomfort for the majority of people, the severity of which can both increase or decrease after repeated exposures. This is disadvantageous for the development and adoption of VR, as a long adaptation period cannot be relied on for making Virtual Environments palatable.  Symptoms of discomfort caused by the viewing of content on VR devices including HMDs are historically described as “Simulator Sickness” and include eye fatigue, headaches, nausea and sweating; symptoms very similar to those experienced by sufferers of motion sickness. We refer to the specific subset of Simulator Sickness Symptoms caused by visual stimuli as symptoms of “Visual Discomfort”.  A conflict between accommodation and vergence depth cues on stereoscopic displays is known to be a significant cause of visual discomfort. This report describes a psychophysical evaluation used for judging the effectiveness of dynamic Depth of Field (DoF) blurring on reducing visual discomfort caused by initial exposure to stereoscopic content on HMDs.  Our DoF implementation adjusts the focal region of stereoscopic content based on an estimation of users’ view vectors in real time and is realised in a commercial game engine. Participants report a significant reduction of visual discomfort using a simulator sickness questionnaire when DoF blurring is enabled. On average, a 34% reduction in our sickness measure is observed, indicating that dynamic DoF blurring is an effective rendering technique for reducing visual discomfort.
Care-Oriented Practice In At-Risk Units: Risks, Realities and the Role of Multi-Disciplinary Teams
Authors:   , Harris Alexis
Published: November 2021

At-Risk Units (ARUs), which contain and prevent suicide and self-harm among prisoners, have been criticised for their isolating, non-therapeutic nature. This thesis explores the potential for care-oriented practice to develop in ARUs at two prisons, with a particular emphasis on the role that multi-disciplinary teams and an enhanced healthcare presence can play in achieving this goal. Adopting a qualitative framework, this research draws upon nineteen interviews with nursing, forensic and custodial ARU staff from Hawkes Bay Regional Prison (HBRP) and Rimutaka Prison (RP). This research found that while normative care-oriented operational safeguards and legal frameworks underpin current ARU policies, they can often become shaped, or in some cases inhibited, by managerial adherence to compliance, risk-management priorities, limited resourcing, staffing issues and a punitive prison culture. However, in instances where multi-disciplinary teams are well resourced, have open channels of communication and operate within health-focused ARU environments, as evidenced in the current workings of RP, positive care-oriented responses to ‘at-risk’ prisoners can be better provided. The thesis concludes by noting that incremental reforms to the current framework may be useful in enhancing care-oriented ARU practice. However, even with change, the question remains whether correctional ARUs can stem burgeoning mental health issues and ‘at-risk’ behaviours among prisoners.
National Standards: A secondary analysis of the NZCER 2010 Primary and Intermediate Schools National Survey
Authors:   , Mazengarb Jess
Published: November 2021

This thesis describes a secondary analysis of the NZCER 2010 Primary and Intermediate Schools National Survey. The aim of this project was to conduct an exploratory investigation into the attitudes of education stakeholders toward National Standards. Open response data from the NZCER 2010 Primary and Intermediate Schools National Survey principal, teacher, trustee, and parent questionnaires was coded in two different ways. First, a thematic framework was developed and the open responses were coded against the themes. The open responses were then recoded as a binary attitude variable, according to whether they were considered to convey a negative or positive attitude toward the standards. Logistic regression and Fisher’s exact tests were used to determine statistically significant relationships between the binary attitude variable and other elements of the survey data, in the interests of finding predictors for attitude to the National Standards. These analyses were carried out with a selection of items from each of the principal, teacher, and trustee questionnaires; and with all of the items from the parent questionnaire. For teachers and principals (and to a lesser extent, trustees), findings from the thematic analysis of open responses largely reflected concerns about the standards being voiced by sector groups and academics around the time the survey was undertaken. Results from the statistical analysis of the binary attitude variable indicated that principal and teacher attitudes were associated with teaching experience and career plans. General findings from the analysis of parent responses included a suggestion that parents may lack knowledge and understanding of the National Standards, and may be expecting the standards to deliver something they are not designed for. Patterns in parent responses also indicated that attitudes to the National Standards might be related to wider perceptions of the purpose of education, and the various roles of education stakeholders. A similar pattern emerged in analysis of trustee responses. More specific findings related to parent attitude included associations with student year level, and with school reporting practice.
Renewing Materials: 3D Printing and Distributed Recycling Disrupting Samoa's Plastic Waste Stream
Authors:   , Taito-Taaalii Matamua Lionel
Published: November 2021

This research addresses the serious issue of plastic waste in the Pacific. Using Samoa as a case study, we hypothesise that distributed recycling combined with 3D printing offers an opportunity to re-purpose and add new value to this difficult waste stream. It is also an opportunity to engage diverse local communities in Samoa by combining notions of participatory design, maker-spaces and ‘wikis’ of parts with traditional Samoan social concepts such as ‘Fa’a Samoa’, or ‘the Samoan way’ and sense of community.  The project seeks to explore creative and innovative solutions to re-purposing plastic waste via a range of design research methods. Field work in Samoa has established the scope of the issue through interviews with different stakeholders such as Government, waste management businesses, the arts and crafts community and education. The field work has also helped identify potential product areas and collaborative partners. The different types of plastic in the waste stream have been identified and material experiments such as plastic shredding and filament extrusion are underway using low cost open source processing equipment to transform plastic waste into usable 3D printing filament. From this filament, potential 3D printed end products are explored through a hands-on researching by making process.  The experiments inform the design of workable, economically viable, socially empowering and sustainable scenarios for re-purposing and up-cycling plastic waste; printed in the form of useful and culturally meaningful 3D printed objects, artifacts and products.Applications range from creating greater awareness of the issue by way of tourism and the Samoan notion of ‘mea alofa’ or ‘gifting’, through to functional utensils and parts. It is an opportunity to expand Samoa’s traditional forms of craft into new self-sustaining communities, maker-spaces and small scale local industries. The outputs of the initial project are intended to provoke discussion and invite participation in the implementation of these different scenarios of production.
Export performance of Ghanaian firms in the agricultural, handicraft and manufacturing industries
Authors:   , Sraha Gloria
Published: November 2021

Studies involving the export performance of firms in emerging economies, particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries, are underrepresented in the existing literature which takes a typically developed country perspective. The objective of this study is to investigate how the interplay between certain internal resources and capabilities and their interaction with the external environment contribute to export performance of internationalising firms in the agricultural, handicraft and manufacturing industries in Ghana. The study contributes specifically to the export performance literature that has featured in international business, international entrepreneurship and international marketing.  This research employed the resource-based view as the underpinning theory to examine the internal and external characteristics of the firm to identify what determines export success for firms in these industries. The study applied a mixed method approach using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The data for this study consists of 116 questionnaire survey and 18 semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants in the three industries in Ghana. Quantitative data analysis applied PLS-SEM and content analysis was undertaken to develop interview themes for the qualitative study. The study found that product and place (distribution) were the most adapted export marketing mix strategies (out of the 4Ps that are a fundamental aspect of the marketing literature) for the firms, with promotion and price highlighted as the least adapted strategies. The relationship between international experience, export commitment, export marketing mix strategy (4Ps), and export performance were supported across the models. Export commitment, place, product and foreign market attractiveness emerged as strong antecedents of export performance in the study.  Drawing from resource based view of the firm, the study makes three key contribution to the export performance literature. First, it explains how exports market mix strategy transforms the impact of international experience, export commitment and export promotion programs on export performance. Secondly, it establishes moderating effects of foreign market attractiveness on the association between export marketing mix strategy and export performance. Lastly, the study provides enhanced understanding of key determinants of export performance for exporting firms in Ghana. This research responds to the call for advancing theory in Africa. The study further provides recommendations for public policy makers and managers to improve their export development programmes in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Transgressive Gestures: Women and Violin Performance in Eighteenth-Century Europe
Authors:   , Bell Jordan Hester
Published: November 2021

Studies concerning eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century women musicians abound within recent musicological scholarship, but the focus on singers and keyboard players – whose musical activities are understood to have “affirmed” their femininity – has had the effect of obscuring players of less typical instruments. Violin-playing, frequently cast as a man’s activity and imbued with indecent associations, was a case in point. Yet despite the connotations of the instrument, a small but significant group of women did play the violin: it is these violinists that this thesis takes as its central focus. Looking first at the complex reasons behind objections to women’s violin performance, a number of factors that restricted women’s access to the violin – including the influence of the male gaze and limits placed on women’s physical movement – are revealed. Particular conditions nevertheless enabled certain women to play the violin, namely the personal, educational, and economic support available from diverse sources such as family members, patrons, and institutions like convents and the Venetian ospedali.  In addition to placing women violinists in their historical context, this thesis centres on an analysis of a violin concerto by one of the most well-known female violinists of the era, the Italian virtuoso Regina Strinasacchi. The analysis of Strinasacchi’s Violin Concerto in B flat major is strongly performance based and focuses on the issue of gender and physical movement (performance gesture), topics which were of much interest to eighteenth-century commentators who witnessed women violinists performing. As such the analysis engages with concepts from “embodied” musicology. In exploring Strinasacchi’s concerto we see that female violinists could experiment with a variety of gendered roles through violin performance, embodying both masculinity and femininity through their transgressive gestures. By taking a closer look at women’s violin performance and experiences, this thesis aims to show that these violinists were not as peripheral to the workings of the wider musical community as is sometimes implied. Furthermore, it aims to put women violinists more firmly at the centre of their own stories, challenging the tendency to treat female violinists as novel anomalies.
Investigating the function of CLU in Alzheimer's Disease in in vitro and in vivo models
Authors:   , Vithal Tanisha
Published: November 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is responsible for 50-80% of dementia cases and is characterised by lack of visuospatial perception, impairment of language and memory. One of the main physiological attributions towards this disease is the accumulation of large insoluble deposits of amyloid beta, a toxic peptide, which results in the generation of amyloid plaques found in between neurons in the brain. Currently no therapeutic treatments are available. Clusterin (CLU) is an apolipoprotein that when defective is the second highest genetic risk factor for AD. It has been strongly debated whether CLU counteracts or promotes AD pathology. With the roles of CLU including but not limited to acting as a chaperone for cholesterol transport and aiding autophagy functionality in cancer models, this thesis investigates these two specific functionalities by overexpressing CLU in an in vitro SH-SY5Y and in an in vivo AD model of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). Conclusions from this study reveal that within D. melanogaster, CLU reduced Aβ42 levels and increased cholesterol effect through the blood brain barrier. Additionally, in human cells, CLU ameliorated the defective flux in autophagy. This thesis sheds light into how CLU plays a protective role within an Alzheimer’s disease mammalian system.
Mapping Memories: Do Sketchplans Help Young Adolescents Recall more Information about an Event?
Authors:   , O'Connor Paula
Published: November 2021

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.
An analysis of restorative justice and intimate partner violence policy and practice: professionals' perspectives and perceptions
Authors:   , Garber Melissa L.
Published: November 2021

This qualitative research project endeavoured to open up the conversation around RJ and IPV and highlight gaps in policy in order to give voice to an area in the RJ process that has, up to this point, been virtually silent. There were two overarching aims. The first was to identify the underlying practice assumptions and values evident in the New Zealand Ministry of Justice (MOJ) restorative justice (RJ) standards for family violence (FV) cases (MOJ, 2013). These would be viewed from the perspective of working with intimate partner violence (IPV) cases in particular. The intention was to compare these assumptions and values with RJ and IPV international theory and New Zealand practice. The second aim was to clarify the processes and criteria used to determine/assess IPV offender suitability and readiness for RJ, ascertain the ways in which these practices were theoretically justified, and to compare the implementation of practice to the explicit and implicit guidelines present in New Zealand policy. To these ends, a collection of 30 criminal justice professionals (judges, lawyers, police officers) and restorative justice facilitators involved in the referral and assessment process of IPV offenders participated in interviews in person, over the phone, or via Skype, which were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then subject to analysis in order to create a conceptual framework. The analysis identified 18 main themes that were grouped into four main categories: RJ IPV conceptualization, effective RJ IPV assessor qualities, IPV offender assessment for RJ suitability/readiness, and RJ IPV practice issues. These results were compared with policy and with the international literature in order to identify consistencies and inconsistencies and to discover where gaps in policy may become clarified. Results showed that a great deal of the policy was supported by the international literature, however there were several gaps and inconsistencies. Several issues were of interest – namely the lack of clarity in the framework of RJ for IPV (i.e. where does it sit in relation to the traditional criminal justice system, intervention vs. pathway vs. overarching framework), the timing of RJ assessment in terms of treatment and interventions, siloing of agencies, and funding/resourcing issues. A final question that arose for me during analysis was regarding the purpose and value of assessment in these cases. Rather than making a decision regarding suitability in order to exclude an IPV case from the RJ process, if the process was truly restorative, perhaps the outcome of an assessment of IPV offender/case suitability should, instead, be to determine what resources are necessary in order to support any IPV case through the RJ process.
Women who inject drugs: barriers to their access of Needle Exchange services, and gendered experiences
Authors:   , Gibson Kirsten Mary
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines the gendered experiences of women who inject drugs, and barriers they face when accessing needle exchange services. Globally, studies suggest women access needle exchange services less than men. In New Zealand, the evidence suggests a similar situation. From the little that is known about women’s experiences in this context, studies are often quantitative, medically-based, or lack the voices of women who inject. This thesis aims to understand the gendered factors affecting the experiences of women who inject drugs. This study is a feminist, qualitative study, and employed semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. Five key participants who had injected drugs and four key informants who work with people who inject drugs were interviewed. The data from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.  This study found that stigma presented as an overwhelming, pervasive barrier to the participants, not only in their access to needle exchange services, but also as a harm in other facets of their lives. Additionally, other barriers such as location also affected their access. The data confirms the significance of gender in their experiences and how, within a drugs context, gendered issues mirror wider society. The findings provide a platform for further research in this field and contribute to the academic understanding of a marginalised and stereotyped population. They also support the implementation of women-sensitive initiatives within needle exchange services.
The role of Islam in Indonesia's contemporary foreign policy
Authors:   , Al Anshori Mohamad Zakaria
Published: November 2021

This study aims to investigate the extent to which Islam influences Indonesian foreign policy in the post-Suharto era. Specifically, this research intends to examine under what circumstances the influence of Islam on Indonesian foreign policy will be substantial and under what conditions it will have less of an effect. Focusing on the era of the administration of President Yudhoyono, the issues covered in this study embrace Indonesia’s policies towards Iran’s nuclear programme, Kosovo’s independence and Palestinian statehood.   This study puts emphasis on the interplay between Muslim groups and the government in relation to the conduct of the country’s foreign policy. As interest groups, Muslim groups in Indonesia have had significant concerns about Muslim issues in both Indonesia’s domestic affairs and in its foreign policy.  In general, this study argues that there has been an increased role for Islam in Indonesia’s post-Suharto foreign policy. Islamic elements and Muslim groups’ aspirations have been increasingly included and accommodated in the country’s foreign policy. These accommodations are made to the extent that the aspirations these views reflect do not contradict fundamentally with Pancasila as state philosophy, the 1945 constitution and the country’s vital national interests, mainly those related to territorial integrity.  Specifically, the case of the Iranian nuclear programme has showed that the government ‘bowed’ to the Muslim groups’ pressures which were backed by the parliament. The government changed its position from supporting UNSC resolution 1747 on sanctions against Iran to abstaining on the similar resolution no. 1803. In this regard, the influence of Muslim groups on the country’s foreign policy was important and substantial as Muslim groups’ interests and members of parliament’s interests did converge against the government’s policy on that matter.   The Kosovo case has demonstrated an opposite effect. The government apparently firmed up its non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence and disregarded Muslim groups’ aspirations. Muslim groups’ aspiration to recognise Kosovo’s independence is perceived to contradict the most vital of the country’s national interest, namely national integrity. Finally, the case of Palestinian statehood has showed that the Indonesian government’s policy and Muslim groups’ aspirations have been aligned (unlike their differences over Iran) with a similar voice being presented.
Generative Meditations: Exploring Generative Art From the Perspective of Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy
Authors:   , Jack Benjamin
Published: November 2021

the purpose of this thesis is to document and explore the subjective struggles I have encountered in my own practise as a generative artist rather than to provide an objective overview of computational generative art. Hopefully this process will give some context from the ground up (from an artist’s perspective) to some of the larger questions that I and others in the field are asking about generative art.  From the preliminary questions arising from these struggles I begin to explore and develop a generative art practise that primarily focuses on the topics of human experience and ideas directly related to human experience. This is opposed to using generative processes to explore ideas fundamentally based on computation (a-life, emergence, computational creativity, and data etc..). The foundation of, and reasons behind, such a focus are based on the non-realist and non-materialist philosophical tenets of Tibetan Buddhism, in particular the philosophy of the Madhyamika-Prasangika school of thought. The purpose of developing a generative practise based on the philosophy and symbolism of Tibetan Buddhism is to find a method to create personally relevant artwork with a firm foundation in a well established culture of art and philosophy. I might add however, that this isn’t merely a self-reflective exercise but rather it should be of interest to others in the field of (and study of) Generative art to see how this artistic method might be approached from a vastly different philosophical stance to the materialist view that receives the majority of attention in the field.
Goal-oriented processes: Exploring the use of goals in music therapy to support young people with autism spectrum disorder
Authors:   , Lowery Oliver
Published: November 2021

This qualitative research project explored how a student music therapist utilised goal-oriented processes to support young people with autism spectrum disorder throughout their course of music therapy. Inductive thematic analysis of selected literature relating to goals in music therapy developed an initial framework of what goal-oriented processes could include. The student music therapist’s clinical data (including session notes, monitoring sheets, client reports and reflective journal entries) was then coded through deductive secondary analysis, from which five key themes were formed. The findings indicated that clients’ goals were supported by: employing a client-centred philosophical approach; nurturing therapeutic relationships; collaborating with clients and their caregivers; utilising the referral, assessment and review processes; and observing and documenting clients’ development. These goal-oriented processes helped to support goals that were meaningful for the clients and their caregivers. Themes were explored in detail using a case vignette to illustrate and provide a context for the findings. Although the context-bound qualitative nature of this research project limits its generalisability, it attempts to provide insight into what goal-oriented processes in music therapy might include, encouraging other music therapists to consider how they utilise goals in their own practice.
An affordance lens on the influence of incubators on firms’ strategy development
Authors:   , Douché Jenny Patricia
Published: November 2021

Business incubators provide resources to help create successful new ventures (Hackett & Dilts, 2004b). However little is known about how the strategies of the incubated firms develop and the specific role of incubators in this process. While incubators have received increased attention in academic literature in recent years, most of this research has focused on the economic benefits of incubators, the firms’ survival rates, and on the incubators’ provisions to firms. There has been minimal attention on how incubators influence what firms actually do and about strategy development in new entrepreneurial firms.  This thesis explores how incubators influence firms’ strategy developments. The theory of affordances (TOA) recognises that objects allow for varying opportunities for action (Gibson, 1977) and provides the theoretical lens for this study. This lens was chosen due to its inherent acknowledgement of the complexity of relationships between objects, actors and the environment.  First the TOA, incubator, and strategy development literature are examined. This examination concludes with the development of a conceptual model to operationalise incubators’ provisions and firms’ strategy developments. The conceptual model highlights that the relationship between incubators’ provisions and firms’ strategy developments may not simply be one of cause and effect; it takes into account how the affordances of the provisions are perceived and realised, and how this is related to the incubators’ influence on the firms’ strategy development. The conceptual model also identifies contextual factors that could impact this process.  A mixed methodology approach was employed which involved in-depth interviews and a survey. The participants were from all six incubators that were in the New Zealand Government’s incubator support programme and included both the incubators and their firms, enabling a triangulated analysis of this primarily qualitative data.  The application of the TOA aided the contribution to incubator knowledge. It was found that firms’ judged the value of provisions differently depending on use, and the affordances arising from the provisions varied in scope and changed over time. The firm’s product type, governance structure, duration-factors and the breadth of focus of the incubators, may be associated with how the firms perceived and realised affordances from the incubators’ provisions and, in turn, how their strategies were influenced. In the process of applying the TOA in organisational studies three underlying themes emerged regarding its application; the specificity of affordances, the substitutability of objects and path dependency. Based on these three themes, contributions to the TOA are also proposed.  Knowledge gained from this study could inspire further use of the TOA to gain a greater understanding of its application, particularly in organisational settings. From a practice standpoint, knowledge gained should lead to enhancements and greater efficiencies in the incubation sector.
Implementing the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in a New Zealand secondary school: The experiences of staff and Year 9 students
Authors:   , Fay Laurence
Published: November 2021

Increasing rates of young people’s anxiety and depression is a concern for New Zealand secondary schools and this results in issues for students such as decreased wellbeing and school attendance, health difficulties and social isolation. In 2013 the Ministry of Education introduced a pilot of the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme into secondary schools for students in Year 9. This thesis reports on the experiences of teachers and students of the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in one secondary school context. This programme is based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles and has been developed to support young people build their understanding and skills in resilience to enhance their wellbeing. The programme has been implemented and evaluated with young people in a number of countries. Research has shown it to have beneficial effects in promoting emotional resilience and in reducing anxiety and depression in students. The findings of this school case study are explored, and the impact of the programme for the students and their school community is presented. A case study methodological approach was used that enabled the collection of rich data to explore the deep meaning from teachers and students. This involved an in-depth instrumental case study within one secondary school involving teachers, students, the counsellor, the principal and students’ parents. Observations, document analysis and interviews took place to build a comprehensive understanding of how teachers and students learned through the programme. Findings suggest the students see the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme as a positive, useful programme that has enabled them to learn various strategies to deal with challenging scenarios in their life. The findings also address barriers to implementation and possible implications for the future. Several suggestions for the programme are discussed along with certain adaptations of the programme to make it more relevant to the New Zealand context.
Realigning Lifestyle: An integrated approach to ecology, production and living within rural subdivision
Authors:   , Wong Monica
Published: November 2021

The Kapiti Coast is changing. The long awaited expansion of the state highway will see rapid growth along the coast and with it, the rural landscape will face a new set of challenges. As the demand for rural land increases, so does land-use tension. Productive land, which was once converted from an extensive wetland network, is slowly being redeveloped into residential subdivisions in order to fulfil an increasing demand for the country lifestyle. However, lifestyle blocks usually have little productive value and subdivisions fragment natural habitats and ecological systems.  The typical method of dealing with land-use is the district plan, which designates the most appropriate land-use to the most appropriate area. However, despite good intentions, it has become increasingly apparent that this planning process is no longer reaching its desired outcome. This thesis will explore new strategies for designing rural-residential subdivision, aiming to address land-use issues through increasing diversity.  Set in the beach hamlet of Peka Peka, the design investigates one of the last undeveloped areas of private coastal land in the district. This area is prime real estate, but also holds a high capacity for production. It is situated on the remnants of the Great Swamp, a large network of interconnecting wetlands that used to span the length of the coast, providing the potential to significantly increase the ecological value of this land. The design embraces the opportunity to use the residential development as an economic driver to help this degraded landscape and turn these investments into something that is not only beneficial to its residents, but beneficial to the larger region.
Interiority of a Disconnected Mind
Authors:   , Cheetham Sarah
Published: November 2021

As the population of New Zealand ages, the rate of people with dementia is also increasing, creating greater demand for specialised dementia facilities. However, few of these are located in the rural context that New Zealand is known for. In addition, as a society we have created a stigma around aged care, and tend to design un-home-like and institutional centres. The importance of creating a space that provides contextual features, appropriate wayfinding and therapeutic characteristics has been overtaken by the need to design for efficiency of staffing requirements. Current settings and the relocation to a more urban living environment increases the confusion for those rural people with dementia, as there is little to prompt their memory or make them feel at home. This thesis proposes the design of a dementia care facility that reflects the lifestyle rural people have come from. It examines how these three aspects: context, wayfinding and therapeutic design can be included to enhance the design of a dementia facility, as well as create a space that is enlivening for the residents.
Development of an Underground Mine Scout Robot
Authors:   , Molyneaux Lance
Published: November 2021

Despite increased safety and improved technology in the mining industry, fatal disasters still occur. Robots have the potential to be an invaluable resource for search and rescue teams to scout dangerous or difficult situations. Existing underground mine search and rescue robots have demonstrated limited success. Identified through literature, the two primary concerns are unreliable locomotion systems and a lack of underground mine environment consideration. HADES, an underground mine disaster scout, addresses these issues with a unique chassis and novel locomotion.  A system level design is carried out, addressing the difficulties of underground mine environments. To operate in an explosive atmosphere, a purge and pressurisation system is applied to a fibre glass chassis, with intrinsic safety incorporated into the sensor design. To prevent dust, dirt and water damaging the electronics, ingress protection is applied through sealing. The chassis is invertible, with a low centre of gravity and a roll-axis pivot. This chassis design, in combination with spoked-wheels allows traversal of the debris and rubble of a disaster site. Electrochemical gas sensors are incorporated, along with RGB-D cameras, two-way audio and various other environment sensors. A communication system combining a tether and mesh network is designed, with wireless nodes to increase wireless range and reliability. Electronic hardware and software control are implemented to produce an operational scout robot.  HADES is 0.7 × 0.6 × 0.4 m, with a sealed IP65 chassis. The locomotion system is robust and effective, able to traverse most debris and rubble, as tested on the university grounds and at a clean landfill. Bottoming out is the only problem encountered, but can be avoided by approaching obstacles correctly. The motor drive system is able to drive HADES at walking speed (1.4 m/s) and it provides more torque than traction allows. Six Lithium-Polymer batteries enable 2 hours 28 minutes of continuous operation. At 20 kg and ~$7000, HADES is a portable, inexpensive scout robot for underground mine disasters.