bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Inheritance Code for New Zealand
Authors:   , Kelly Gregory Francis
Published: November 2021

In this thesis I review New Zealand's present inheritance laws which are characterised by: 20 disparate statutes stretching back 100 years; a lack of clear and consistent policies; a failure to adapt to fundamental changes in life expectancy, re-partnering and family groupings that have taken place over the last 40 years; inconsistent judicial decision-making; dual jurisdiction of the Family Court and High Court; mechanisms to avoid the consequences of the current legislation. Calls for urgent and fundamental reform have been met by piecemeal ad hoc changes. In contrast, reform in Australia has been systematic and carefully analysed. After considering the two common inheritance regimes around the world (the fixed rule scheme and the court-based discretionary system), I reach two fundamental conclusions: adoption of an inheritance code; recognition of the principle of testamentary freedom. In addition I recommend a number of changes to New Zealand's inheritance laws, and in particular: acceptance of the primacy of the position of a surviving spouse or partner; replacement of the current family protection and testamentary promises claims with support and contribution claims; restriction of estate claims to spouses, partners and minor children; recognition of the rights of "accepted children" (stepchildren and whangai); clarification of the ability to compromise and contract out of claims; empowering one court to administer all inheritance laws; anti-avoidance measures; equating the rights of spouses, civil union partners and long term de facto partners on separation. I conclude this thesis with a skeleton of the proposed inheritance code including drafts of some of the key provisions.
Strengthening the Effectiveness of Aid Delivery in Teacher Education: A Fiji Case Study
Authors:   , Ruru Donasiano Kalou
Published: November 2021

As a result of increasing development challenges and higher aid allocations to the Pacific, questions of aid effectiveness have become increasingly important. Efforts to professionalise aid delivery tools have been accompanied by debates over whether delivery tools are effective and compatible with more democratic and empowering relationships with beneficiaries. My research examines the effectiveness of international aid to teacher development, using the AusAID funded projects at Lautoka Teachers' College as a case study and the Fiji College of Advanced Education as background study. The conditions governing aid delivery mechanisms are explored, including logical frameworks, participatory processes, and financial probity. These conditions have been drawn from the 'Paris Declaration of Aid Effectiveness' and each is considered to be critical if aid effectiveness is to be enhanced and the investment sustained. Based on participatory research methodology, carried out through 'talanoa sessions', semi-structured interviews, and analysis of programme documents, the study explored the extent to which aid programmes and management practices are constrained by donor conditions, succeed in meeting their stated aims, and what sort of unintended consequences are generated. Further, the research identified how aid can best improve future aid to the Fiji education system through its delivery, impact and sustainability for national development, as laid out in the Pacific Principles of Aid Effectiveness The study also highlights the growing convergence between the 'aid donors' interests' and 'aid recipients' needs'. The debate on this relationship is necessary to reinvigorate thinking on the effectiveness of aid delivery for Fiji. The study draws up a practical framework, an aid bure designed as a heuristic device to assess the effectiveness of aid delivery for Fiji. The model may also be relevant to the wider Pacific context, and contribute to the global quest for a concrete guide to best practice which above all will continue to foster more sensitive, effective and enduring links between recipient countries and international aid donors.
Rocking the Boat:The Participation Rhetoric Exposed: Why Should People Living in Poverty Have a Voice and Space at the United Nations?
Authors:   , Soanes Vicki
Published: November 2021

Poverty is one of the most serious issues of our time, and the major seat of the poverty eradication discourse is at the United Nations. The term participation has increasingly featured in the high level poverty discourse in recent years, as well as in development practice. However, in contrast to other identity groups, such as women, indigenous people and people with disabilities, the participation of people living in poverty in high level UN processes is not given priority. They are not seen as an identity group in their own right, rather they are subsumed into others. Furthermore, any participation is assumed to be acceptably realised at the local level, with little priority placed on the facilitation of participation in transnational or global institutions such as the UN. NGOs are assumed to be able to represent the poor, a situation which is problematic and serves to further marginalise people living in poverty. As NGOs translate and represent, they effectively silence people living in poverty. In the absence of the poor, perceptions held by the general public and by decision makers about the poor continue to hamper the debate and restrict possible solutions. Furthermore, the exclusionary statistics-dominated language of UN debate and procedural restrictions present barriers to people living in poverty being meaningfully involved in the poverty discourse. Additionally, the overuse of statistics in these debates serves to abstract and dehumanise the poor. This thesis makes the normative argument that people living in poverty should have a place and space at the United Nations, as do other identity groups. Their participation represents an opportunity to force the debate beyond statistics, and expose the harsh realities of ongoing suffering resulting from the world's failure to act. Their testimony and input could provide an effective catalyst for mobilising political will. Drawing on critical theory, I argue that regular participation and testimony of the poor has the potential to pierce the political facade within which the powerful at the UN make decisions, with scant realisation of the often devastating consequences for the currently invisible poor. The conclusion drawn from this argument is that the poor must be allowed to be leaders of their own liberation and to reclaim their dignity.
Te Taumata -te Timata: the Pinnacle - the First Step
Authors:   , Wilkie Margaret A
Published: November 2021

Maori with Bachelors degrees in Information Technologies (IT) have specialist knowledge and skills far in advance of the general population of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Problematically, this point is lost in dominant higher education discourses that marginalise and position Maori negatively. The 'silence of the archives' with regard to Maori narratives of higher education is a compounding factor. While the largest proportions of Maori pursue tertiary education in the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP), very little is known about them. Kaupapa Maori theorising and research practices enabled a new approach in an 'insurrection of suppressed knowledges' to identify and inform issues that are problematic for Maori in particular. A traditional Maori metaphor of poutama is used as a heuristic to illuminate core values and foundations of a Maori worldview and philosophy, to generate a 'reversal discourse' that gives a Maori perspective of the problems. Computer Graphic technologies portray the spirals of learning implied by the multi-levelled, multi stepped poutama; two heuristically separated worlds of Te Ao Maori and Te Ao Pakeha and their integration into Te Ao Hou, The New World. Re-interpreting a traditional role of Pae Arahi (Guides) as a Kaupapa Maori research approach, respected members of tangata whenua, the indigenous people of the land the ITPs are built on, facilitated appropriate entry into fieldwork. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews conducted in 2006-2007 with 17 tauira Maori (students and graduates), 7 IT staff and 12 Maori staff from three ITPs are the basis of narratives that 'positively image' Maori who gained IT qualifications in the ITPs. A re-presentation of poutama as whakapapa or genealogy explains the significance of foundational Maori values of wairuatanga (spirituality), whenua (land), tangata (people) and whanau (family), in academic success. A Maori worldview offers new perspectives of what success is and challenges of being Maori in the tertiary academy that are not commonly understood or acknowledged by non-Maori. Five steps on a learning poutama follow the tauira Maori in their first introductions to IT and prior education; enlightenment to the value of higher education for whanau and openness to new understandings in the IT field; increasing confidence in their abilities to learn, to apply and share IT knowledges; mastering the requirements of degrees in the academy and the challenges of the virtually mono-cultural IT field and ITP environments; their achievement of a pinnacle of IT degrees and other qualifications, and their first steps into work. Te Taumata, Te Timata expresses potentials for 'Maori Ways' to be combined with 'IT Ways' and for more Maori voices to be heard in the higher education discourse. Centrally it celebrates 17 unique individuals who are role models, and inspirations for other Maori to follow to their own successes.
Enhancing Social Dynamism in Interior Architecture through the Use of Social Friction
Authors:   , Kachwalla Nazia
Published: November 2021

This thesis views urban design as a discipline that influences social patterns and interaction by using design elements to provide for different types of social connections. It studies the phenomenon of "social friction", a term coined by Richard Sennett in 1971, as a productive mechanism for social interaction in the urban context. The aim of the thesis is to explore whether urban design models to promote social friction are valid for interior architecture, and if so, to consider how social friction might positively inform the level of social dynamism in large public buildings. Since the 1960s urban theorists like Jane Jacobs, Christopher Alexander and others discuss urban elements within overlapping city structures that facilitate social interaction between the different social groups. Critical characteristics of successful urban structures recognise this system of overlap or exchange as a positive contribution to the social life in a city. Permeable boundaries, spatial adjacencies of different functions, the composition of new and old architecture on the same footpath, etc. are seen to establish activity flows between various categories of people. The ability of urban design to affect the social dynamism in any area is seen in this thesis as an opportunity to be exploited by the discipline of interior architecture. The thesis studies various elements that create an overlapping system within the city structure to enhance social interaction. During such a study it discovers three different social friction types: manipulated friction, visual friction and indirect friction. Each of these is seen to create different types of connections between diverse social groups. The thesis then analyses interior architectural elements which have similar characteristics and explains how they become mechanisms that can manipulate social friction when used in the interior setting of large public buildings like museums, libraries and airports. Traditional interior architectural circulatory elements and spatial elements are analysed with a view to determine the level and type of social interaction they allow. The study of the urban context enables such an analysis of the interior elements in terms of social interaction and the type of social friction they create.
The Fates of Dendritic Cells and Antigen Regulate CD4+ T Cell Responses
Authors:   , Ma Joel Zhi-Iong
Published: November 2021

The rapid activation of effector T cells by antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) is necessary to contain and eradicate pathogens. Upon eradication of the pathogens by effector T cells, the immune response eventually resolves, and the clearance of residual antigen is necessary to prevent immune cell exhaustion or immunopathology. It has been proposed that the elimination of antigen-presenting DCs by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) limits the duration of antigen presentation, hence resolving ongoing immune responses. However, inter-DC antigen transfer spreads antigens for further antigen presentation and may reduce the effect of CTL-mediated DC killing. The aim of my thesis was to examine the impact of CTL-mediated DC killing and inter-DC antigen transfer on the induction and the quality of resulting T cell responses. Initial experiments established that CTLs eliminated antigen-bearing DCs mainly through the cytolytic molecule perforin, whereas FasL played a minor role. CTL-mediated DC killing prevented antigen-bearing DCs from stimulating naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the draining lymph nodes. Thus, CTLs regulated the clonal expansion of naive T cells by controlling the survival of antigen-presenting DCs. The efficiency of CTL-mediated DC killing depended on the method of antigen loading onto DCs, and to a lesser extent, the method of generating CTLs. Surprisingly, efficient CTL-mediated DC killing that completely prevented the accumulation of injected DCs in the lymph nodes did not abolish T cell proliferation, indicating that other antigen presenting cells (APCs) were inducing the residual T cell proliferation when the antigen-bearing DCs were eliminated by CTLs. Further investigations revealed that the antigen from the injected DCs was transferred to host DCs. In the absence of direct antigen presentation by injected DCs, host DCs stimulated local T cell proliferation but did not induce a systemic effector T cell response. In contrast, in the presence of efficient CTL-mediated DC killing, inter-DC antigen transfer enabled the host DCs to stimulate T cell proliferation. These T cells then developed into iii functional effector T cells. In conclusion, in the absence of inter-DC antigen transfer, CTLmediated DC killing reduces the size of T cell responses. However, in the presence of inter- DC antigen transfer, the impact of CTL-mediated DC killing is reduced, hence influencing the size and quality of T cell responses. My findings shed light on how CTL-mediated DC killing and inter-DC antigen transfer regulate immune responses and how DC vaccine regimens for immunotherapy can be improved.
Necroeconomics: Power, Ethics, and the Political Economy of Human-Animal Relations
Authors:   , Dutkiewicz Jan
Published: November 2021

This paper is an innovative addition to the ongoing debate about human-animal relations. It approaches the topic from the perspective of political economy rather than moral philosophy and seeks to provide an explanatory framework combining commodification of animals and death in the global economy. While acknowledging the importance of the ongoing debate about animal rights, it seeks to shift the focus of analysis of industries which create value through the killing of animals toward one based on the Foucauldian notions of power as biopolitics and governance. In order to reconceptualise the relations of power which exist between human business interests and animal life, it introduces the notion that animals killed for meat, by-products, or research purposes are treated as necrocommodities; that is, commodities whose value is created as a direct result of death. By challenging the prevalent notions of speciesist hierarchisation and property rights, it seeks to cast a new light on the tangible power relations which exist between humans and animal species which are hunted or fished for profit. In doing so, this paper challenges the notion that the economy is amoral. Instead, it presents a preliminary picture of an economy rooted in inter-species power relations which is necessarily subject to a moral critique. The case study of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and ongoing "scientific" whaling is used to elucidate and introduce the concept of necroeconomics, but the main goal is to present an analytical framework that has a bearing on wider moral and structural issues in the international animal and animal product industry. Moreover, it situates animal-human relations within broader problems of modernity, thereby broadening its scope and calling for more academic focus on the place of animals in the modern political economy and its attendant circuits of power.
Context Awareness and Intelligence in Cognitive Radio Networks: Design and Applications
Authors:   , Yau Kok-Lim
Published: November 2021

CR technology, which is the next-generation wireless communication system, improves the utilization of the overall radio spectrum through dynamic adaptation to local spectrum availability. In CR networks, unlicensed or Secondary Users (SUs) may operate in underutilized spectrum (called white spaces) owned by the licensed or Primary Users (PUs) conditional upon PUs encountering acceptably low interference levels. Ideally, the PUs are oblivious to the presence of the SUs. Context awareness enables an SU to sense and observe its operating environment, which is complex and dynamic in nature; while intelligence enables the SU to learn knowledge, which can be acquired through observing the consequences of its prior action, about its operating environment so that it carries out the appropriate action to achieve optimum network performance in an efficient manner without following a strict and static predefined set of policies. Traditionally, without the application of intelligence, each wireless host adheres to a strict and static predefined set of policies, which may not be optimum in many kinds of operating environment. With the application of intelligence, the knowledge changes in line with the dynamic operating environment. This thesis investigates the application of an artificial intelligence approach called reinforcement learning to achieve context awareness and intelligence in order to enable the SUs to sense and utilize the high quality white spaces. To date, the research focus of the CR research community has been primarily on the physical layer of the open system interconnection model. The research into the data link layer is still in its infancy, and our research work focusing on this layer has been pioneering in this field and has attacted considerable international interest. There are four major outcomes in this thesis. Firstly, various types of multi-channel medium access control protocols are reviewed, followed by discussion of their merits and demerits. The purpose is to show the additional functionalities and challenges that each multi-channel medium access control protocol has to offer and address in order to operate in CR networks. Secondly, a novel cross-layer based quality of service architecture called C2net for CR networks is proposed to provide service prioritization and tackle the issues associated with CR networks. Thirdly, reinforcement learning is applied to pursue context awareness and intelligence in both centralized and distributed CR networks. Analysis and simulation results show that reinforcement learning is a promising mechanism to achieve context awareness and intelligence. Fourthly, the versatile reinforcement learning approach is applied in various schemes for performance enhancement in CR networks.
Sustainable Liquid Biofuels in New Zealand: Can Sustainability Standards Help Distinguish the Good from the Bad?
Authors:   , Grimmer Natalie
Published: November 2021

Concerns surrounding the environmental and social impacts of biofuel production have led to the rapid development of biofuel sustainability assessment schemes internationally. The New Zealand government is currently developing a voluntary biofuel sustainability reporting scheme. This thesis assesses the extent to which a sustainability standard could support the domestic biofuels industry, and avoid negative environmental and social impacts associated with biofuel production. It describes the current scope of the domestic biofuel industry, discusses relevant environmental and social concerns relating to biofuel production, and reviews international literature surrounding sustainable biofuel initiatives. From a study of the literature New Zealand biofuels appear more sustainable than most, although direct and indirect land-use change should be included for feedstocks from energy crops. Impacts vary across feedstocks and production methods, and each biofuel must be considered in its own merit. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders from industry, relevant government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and biofuel experts to discuss the potential for a domestic biofuels sustainability standard. The majority of stakeholders interviewed supported the development of a government-led sustainability standard, which would include principles addressing greenhouse gas emissions, food security and biodiversity loss. There is good evidence to support the movement towards mandatory sustainability requirements, as soon as this is feasible. In the future, biofuels should be supported by technology-neutral policies (such as carbon-pricing) which reward their benefits, rather than indiscriminately promoting biofuels. The development of enforceable sustainability standards is crucial if biofuels are to contribute to a future low-carbon transport sector in New Zealand.
What are the Implications for Public Policy in New Zealand regarding Biochar as a Climate Change Mitigation Tool?
Authors:   , Quade Dorothee
Published: November 2021

The past years have seen biochar appearing on the political radar as a potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation tool. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that is produced from smouldering biomass in oxygen-starved conditions in a kiln. The resulting light and highly porous material can be applied to soil where it has been suggested that it sequesters carbon and increases soil fertility. This research surveys the current scientific understanding of biochar and the institutional framework pertinent to climate change mitigation and potential future biochar deployment in NZ. This is complemented by empirical data, gathered via semi-structured interviews and online surveys. The stakeholder groups determined for the purpose of this study are agriculture (with an emphasis on organic agriculture), forestry and wood processing, bioenergy/biochar businesses, research institutions and government agencies. There is no recognition of biochar in international compliance carbon markets at present and the debate about biochar's future inclusion is ongoing. Biochar performance in soils is highly variable depending on feedstock, manufacturing conditions, soil type and climate to name a few. Scientific uncertainties are related to the permanence of carbon storage in biochar, its agronomic benefits when applied to soil and its life cycle performance in terms of greenhouse gases and energy. While research into a more detailed understanding of biochar is underway, there is still a lack of large-scale and long-term field trials both internationally and domestically. In this context, public policy is faced with decision-making under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Theory suggests some guidance in the form of environmental policy principles such as the sustainability and Precautionary Principles. General policy criteria, including effectiveness, efficiency, equity, compliance with international obligations and political and social acceptability, as well as innovation theory are also proposed as a theoretical framework against which to assess the viability of biochar in a NZ setting. Results suggest that biochar deployment in NZ may be a boutique solution for niche applications rather than a large-scale commercial opportunity. Biochar research in NZ is nascent, yet future policy decision-making depends on its outcomes to assess the merits of biochar for NZ. If biochar technology is to be diffused in NZ, policy will need to carefully craft legislation and incentive structures so as to ensure a sustainable pathway. Various stakeholder groups need to be consulted throughout the decision-making process. Transparency is key to building trust and understanding about the potentials and pitfalls of biochar deployment in NZ. A public debate and continuous dialogue between the research, policy, practitioners and other communities is required to achieve a mutually satisfactory outcome.
Mechanisms Involved in Type II Macrophage Activation and Effector Functions
Authors:   , Kharkrang Marie Clare Lydia
Published: November 2021

Autoimmunities are extremely difficult to treat and involved in their pathogenesis are pro-inflammatory immune responses redirected against one's own tissues. Studies in our lab have shown macrophages that are induced to become type II macrophages protect against an animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), with protection due to immune deviation. Another way to deviate immune responses away from inflammation is by infection with the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni, which also protects against EAE. The contribution of type II macrophages in this protection is unknown, as are the mechanisms involved in promoting the phenotype induced by type II activation. This project investigates key mechanisms involved in type II activation, while also elucidating the possible effect of schistosome exposure on the induction of this activation state. Using a validated model of type II activation in vitro, we compared the effects of schistosome immune complexes on various macrophage properties such as cytokine, surface marker and enzymatic profiles. This thesis identified that exposure to schistosome complexes induces a macrophage state with characteristics of two distinct activation states (type II and alternative activation), as well as completely novel characteristics. This activation state shows many phenotypic properties associated with immune regulation, and may have important consequences for understanding mechanisms involved in protection against inflammatory illnesses. We also investigated key mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory responses induced by type II activation. Cytokine, chemokine and surface marker profiles of macrophages were assessed in response to type II activation in vitro, with the main emphasis on determining the effects of IL-10 and CD40 on the type II activation phenotype and function. This investigation found that type II activated macrophages depend on low levels of CD40/CD40L signalling to polarise Th2 development, as the expression of receptors for Th2-inducing cytokines are significantly impaired in the absence of this interaction. This suggests an important role for the low but maintained levels of CD40 on type II activated macrophages, in aiding the deviation of immune responses, while maintaining Th2 polarization. We also suggest a suppressive role of CD40/CD40L in IL-10 production, which is a novel find. The requirement of new treatments for MS is escalating as more people are affected each year. The impact of MS on the quality of life is severe and long lasting. Having a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in deviating pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses will enable the development of much more effective treatments and therapies in the future.
The Korowai Framework: Assessing GE through the Values the ART Confederation Associates with Ngarara
Authors:   , Baker Mahina-a-rangi
Published: November 2021

The aim of this thesis is to assess genetic engineering (GE) through the values that the Confederation of Te Ati Awa, Ngati Raukawa ki te tonga and Ngati Toarangatira (the ART Confederation) associates with ngarara. The Korowai Framework was developed to conduct this assessment. Interviews were conducted with 14 participants from across the ART Confederation on the values they associate with ngarara and their interpretations of GE. The values associated with ngarara that were identified in the interviews, were used constitute the kaupapa of the Korowai Framework. The key values identified are: mauri, whakapapa, tohu, tapu, and kaitiakitanga. It emerged from the interviews that ngarara appeal to us to be conscious of our intricately bound connection to and dependency on living systems. The assessment through the Korowai Framework found that the outcomes of GE do not uphold the values associated with ngarara. Participants articulated significant concerns that GE confounds the ART Confederation's control over their relationship with the world around them. This thesis has demonstrated that the Korowai Framework can be used as a tool for the Confederation to get to the decision making table with a comprehensive evidence based understanding of the people's position on GE from which they can negotiate. It demonstrates that robust and legitimate assessment of GE can be conducted using theories, methodologies, kaupapa, tikanga, and frameworks that are specific to the ART Confederation.
Becoming a Homebirther, Smooth Sailing or Rocky Road? An Exploration of Pakeha Women's Experience on the Path to Homebirth
Authors:   , Ozturk Kassandra Jane Littlejohn
Published: November 2021

This study explores the experiences of primiparous women on the path to planning the homebirth of their first child. There are many challenges along the way and although there are many supports, society does not generally view homebirth as a safe option. This study highlights the themes emerging about the relative ease or disease of the journey. Was the experience smooth sailing on an undulating ocean or a testing trek along a rocky road? There is a vast body of evidence about homebirth, with much of the quantitative literature being outcome focussed and most of the qualitative literature exploring women's experience of the homebirth-day. Birthing at home has been linked with increased maternal satisfaction compared with other birth venues and correlates with a feeling of maintaining power and control during the birth process. Homebirth has also been shown to have similar rates of intrapartum and neonatal mortality, as well as lower maternal intervention rates, in low risk populations. This study principally investigates the experience of Pakeha New Zealand women on their way to planning a homebirth for their first baby. The findings of this narrative inquiry include that women make the journey to becoming a homebirther both before pregnancy and during pregnancy, and that they need good support and information. Hearing positive homebirth stories, having a midwife who professes a preference for homebirth, and having access to homebirth resources play integral roles in becoming a homebirther.
The Older Nurse in the Workplace Retention or Retirement
Authors:   , Powell Samantha
Published: November 2021

The nursing workforce, as with other health professionals, is aging with 50% aged over 47 years. In combination with predictions of continuing nursing workforce shortages, an aging population and increasingly complex health environment, this presents a unique set of challenges to the healthcare sector as both the population and nursing workforce continue to age. A review of the international literature suggests that the majority of older nurses in the workplace (50 years and over), are highly experienced and have extensive knowledge and practice wisdom from their years of nursing. What is also clear is that the current environment does not always support this cohort of nurses and that they often feel less valued. As a consequence, in a time of unprecedented shortages, we are at risk of losing this valuable experience from the workplace prematurely. Some suggested strategies to support this group of nurses include consideration of health and safety issues, flexibility with rosters and shift pattern, options for part time work, continuing professional development and ensuring their experience and knowledge continues to be valued in the work place. This research was carried out to explore the understanding of the issues facing the older nurse in a New Zealand context. There is a significant gap in literature as to the experience in the workplace of older nurses in New Zealand. In relation to health workforce retention, strategies are described from a general workforce perspective. Specific strategies in relation to the retention of the older nurse are not addressed or described. The international literature describes both the older nurses' experiences and strategies that can be used to retain them in the workforce, which have relevance to the local healthcare environment. Using a descriptive survey design two groups of Clinical/Charge Nurse Managers in two separate District Health Boards were asked about their awareness of the issues facing older nurses and what strategies they were using to address them. It was the assumption that as a group they were very aware of the issues facing older nurses and were often using informal strategies in an attempt to retain this group of nurses. The aim of this research was to raise awareness of the needs of the older nurse in the workplace and to capture and describe the strategies being used. Results indicated that indeed the Clinical/Charge Nurse Managers were very aware of the issues facing older nurses in the workplace and were innovative in their attempts to retain them in the workplace, and these retention strategies were similar to those discussed in the international literature. The need for national direction and organisational policy in place to support the Clinical/Charge Nurse Managers' retention efforts was also raised in the literature and I believe also needs consideration in the New Zealand context.
Swimming with or Against the Tide: Has the International Labour Organisation Been Co-Opted by Neoliberal Hegemony
Authors:   , Habens Gemma
Published: November 2021

Work is one, if not the, primary mechanism through which the majority of the world's population experience economic globalisation. Work is intimately connected to matters of human rights, social equality, welfare, and class struggle and it is increasingly determined by activities that occur in the international and transnational levels. Neoliberal globalisation has fundamentally restructured the world of work. It has also undermined the social democratic worldview of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on which the global governance portfolio for labour most squarely falls. The ILO's current Director General Juan Somavia, in referring to this era of neoliberal hegemony, has said that "the ILO has often been swimming against the tide". This thesis undertakes a thorough examination of Somavia's statement in order to determine the extent to which the neoliberal tide has saturated the organisation and its ideas?
'Be(com)ing' Ngati Kahungunu in the Diaspora: Iwi Identity and Social Organisation in Wellington
Authors:   , Gonzalez Christina M.
Published: November 2021

Ngati Kahungunu is an ideal example to investigate the processes of identity management and socio-political representation within and outside of their traditional tribal territory. It is the third most populous iwi in Aotearoa/New Zealand, with approximately 60,000 members, and boundaries that span from the Wairoa district down to the Wairarapa region. Kahungunu's complexity and dynamism are not restricted to its territorial boundaries. A large portion of Kahungunu members form expatriate tribal communities located beyond their tribal district. The Wellington region hosts the largest number of Kahungunu members dwelling outside of their tribal territory, as well as the Ngati Kahungunu Embassy. The Embassy is an organisation which, like many other expatriate Maori tribal bodies, faces the challenges of locating and reaching its tribal members to connect them to their Kahungunu home and heritage, while simultaneously representing their particular, Wellington-specific voices. This thesis explores the ways that Ngati Kahungunu identities are articulated, maintained and transformed by individuals and institutions in Wellington today, by analysing qualitative interviews with ten Kahungunu men and women, and a case study on the Kahungunu Embassy. Three chapters on iwi identity, home and social organisation illustrate how Kahungunu voices in Wellington can more adequately be heard, and their experiences included, in the tribe, despite their apparent geographic and cultural distance. A range of theoretical tools, including Diaspora theory, urban indigeneity, translocalism, flexible notions of home and belongingness to group, as well as cultural concepts grounded in Maori epistemology, such as whakapapa, are useful to reflect upon diverse ways of belonging to community and to place(s). I argue that many Kahungunu in Wellington extend and expand the meaning of 'be(com)ing' Kahungunu through introducing the concept of a 'third space of forms'. The semantic expansions of identity, home and social organisation can inform the purpose and direction of groups, like the Kahungunu Embassy, to better reflect the lived realities of its members.
Striking a Balance: Improving Practice as a Student Doing Group Music Therapy with Adults with Substance Abuse and Dependence
Authors:   , Yearsley Sharon
Published: November 2021

An action research project was devised to help a music therapy student improve her practice in a group alcohol and drug treatment setting. The project initially focussed on improving practice by delivering more creative, sustained and holistic experiences. Four action cycles of one week each were carried out, each cycle comprising planning, action and reflection stages. Data sources were gathered in the form of clinical notes, a reflective journal and supervision notes from meetings and session de-briefs with counselling staff at the facility. The data was then woven into narrative accounts of each cycle, and key learning points for each cycle were identified. Cycles were also examined for common themes, and nine themes were identified. Findings show the student developing a deeper understanding of practice through the examination of structure and flexibility in facilitation style and musical interactions, and how and when to find balance between structure and freedom. Other key factors relevant to improving practice such as building confidence and working with the interdisciplinary team, are explored. Findings are discussed, along with ideas about the value of carrying out an Action Research project, and suggestions for future projects focussed on improving practice with this client group.
Practicing with Respect: What Does that Mean for Teachers Working with Infants
Authors:   , Christie Toni
Published: November 2021

This qualitative case study examines the teaching practices, inspired by the Pikler approach and RIE philosophy, in one infant and toddler centre in a main city of New Zealand. Specifically the practices studied were primary caregiving, freedom of movement and respect for infants’ confidence and competence. Recommendations for practitioners are made at the conclusion of this thesis. Data were collected through non-participant observations, semistructured interviews with teachers, a focus group interview with parents, and collation and analysis of relevant documentation. The framework for data interpretation and analysis was based on a thematic coding of observations and interview data. The findings indicated that a culture of respect was embedded throughout all aspects of teachers’ interactions with children, colleagues and parents within the centre. Respect, defined as treating with consideration, was the overarching feature underpinning the values and actions of teachers. Teachers engaged in ways that would suggest they accept each person as an individual with rights and freedoms. Teachers invited children to engage with them and no action would be initiated for or with a child without his or her agreement. This agreement was shown through cues and gestures, to which the teachers were all highly attuned. Teachers slowed their pace intentionally and offered children choices in their care and education. Peaceful observation from teachers enhanced their ability to interpret individual children’s needs and wants and they would provide support for children rather than intervene unnecessarily. Limitations to this research included the fact that I only studied one early childhood centre and completed observations over a limited period of two weeks. The centre studied had ratios better than the minimum ratios required by early childhood regulations, which means
The Collected Works of Charlotte Evans 1841-1882 Introduction and Biography
Authors:   , Brown Anne Doreen
Published: November 2021

This thesis provides an introductory view of the life and works of early New Zealand romantic novelist Charlotte Evans 1841-1882. The work is comprised of three separate sections, including two introductions, a biographical essay and footnoting and markup for digitisation. Evans wrote short stories in addition to novels and poetry. I have attempted to create here a useful and informative overview of her two published novels Over the Hills and Far Away: A Story of New Zealand and A Strange Friendship: A Story of New Zealand - each of which were published in 1874. In the biographical essay I include a discussion of Evans’ general works, in particular the collection of poetry published by her husband Eyre Evans in 1917 entitled Poetic Gems of Sacred Thought. An important feature of the thesis has been to establish how Evans’ range of literary output may be cited and contextualised within New Zealand’s literary heritage in more detail than has previously been available. A significant aspect of the research has, in addition, involved examining the social and historical influences surrounding the author, both prior to and at the time of writing. In that respect the discussion has drawn upon available materials, such as book reviews and items published in newspapers. An appendix has been compiled of selected published poetry and articles from the North Otago Times of relevance to the foregoing text discussion. Contemporary photographs of Evans and map material of the ‘Teaneraki’ district are also included. It is hoped that situating the research evidence to specifically New Zealand contexts may provide a basis for positing Evans’ works more fully as New Zealand texts in their overall relation to pioneer period fiction. An important feature of the project has therefore meant developing a foundation of historical work concerning the author, much of which has been sourced from the National Alexander Turnbull Library and recently published family history that draws upon archive material related to the Evans and Lees families. Due reference to a range of recent critical texts has also, it is further hoped, enabled a more in-depth and detailed response to Evans’ contribution to the developing field of New Zealand literature and more specifically, Victorian Studies.
Using the H-Index to Measure Research Performance in Higher Education: A Case Study of Library and Information Science Faculty in New Zealand and Australia
Authors:   , Tyson Amber
Published: November 2021

As academia increasingly turns to bibliometric tools to assess research impact, the question of which indicator provides the best measure of research quality is highly debated. Much emphasis has been placed on the value of the h-index, a new bibliometric tool proposed in 2005 which has quickly found favour in the scientific community. One of the first applications of the h-index was carried out by Kelly and Jennions (2006), who found a number of variables could influence the h-index scores of ecologists and evolutionary biologists. To test these findings, this study calculated the h-index scores of New Zealand and Australian researchers teaching in the field of library and information science (LIS). Publication and citation counts were generated using the Web of Science (WoS), where a number of limitations with using the database to calculate h-index scores were identified. We then considered the effect that gender, country of residence, institutional affiliation, and scientific age had on the h-index scores of LIS researchers in New Zealand and Australia. The study found a positive relationship between scientific age and h-index scores, indicating that the length of a scientist's career should be considered when using the h-index. However, analysis also showed that gender, country of residence, and institutional affiliation had no influence on h-index scores.
Re-awakening Cannons Creek: Revitalising the commercial centre
Authors:   , Manalo Mikaela Ethel
Published: November 2021

As of last year, the Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and urban development has announced a 25-year project to regenerate Eastern Porirua. $1.5 billion will be contributed towards delivering better public housing as well as a safer and better neighbourhood. (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, 2020) “This is a large, long investment to deliver a step-change for this strong vibrant community, who are amongst the most disadvantaged in New Zealand”(Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, 2020).

As of right now, Cannons Creek has a dying commercial centre that has been struggling for many years. Research has shown that many locals living in the area are familiar with their ‘negative reputation’ of an unsafe neighbourhood with high crime rates (James, n.d). Therefore, this has affected the community’s growing progress (James, n.d). Based through site observation, the centre has poor infrastructure, unused carpark spaces, and abandoned buildings. Therefore, the current state may encourage crime to occur around the area.

Moreover, there is no place for social support, public information and other facilities a community would need.

Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to investigate ways of creating a liveable community by integrating an urban intervention into the area. In this context, intervention is defined as combining architecture and urban interventions to create a place of activity and social engagement. Cannons Creek will be revitalised into a vibrant community to live in.

Eastern Porirua overall is slowly growing and changing, there is now more diversity within the population. The Transmission Gully that is set to finish within 2020 which will also add more value towards the land and people living in Porirua. There is now an opportunity to foster intensification within the suburbs town centres.
The Role of Steroids, Growth Factors and CAMP Stimulators on the Gap Junction Activity in Cumulus Oocyte Complexes in the Rat
Authors:   , Yadav Manvi
Published: November 2021

Bidirectional communication between mammalian oocytes and their surrounding somatic cells is essential for oocyte maturation. Gap junctions promote the transfer of essential metabolites, nucleotides, amino acids and ions from cumulus cells to the oocyte that are crucial for oocyte growth and development. However, the range of factors present in the microenvironment of the developing antral follicle, which modulate gap junction activity of the cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), is largely unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of various steroids, growth factors and cAMP stimulators on the gap junction activity in rat COCs. The gap junction activity was measured in presence or absence of different treatments using a fluorescence dye and in the presence of milrinone, a phosphodiesterase type 3 inhibitor. The major findings of this study were that cAMP stimulators increased the rate of dye transfer from cumulus cells to the oocyte. Under in vitro conditions it was established that neither steroids nor IGF1 by themselves were able to modulate gap junction activity in rat COCs. Furthermore, forskolin, a potent cAMP stimulator; caused a relative increase in Cx37 gene expression levels following a four hours incubation period. The outcomes from the present study may help to provide new insights into developing suitable in vitro conditions, for the in vitro maturation of mammalian oocytes.