bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the electron and thermal transport in rare-earth nitrides
Authors:   , Maity Tanmay
Published: December 2021

Gadolinium nitride (GdN) and samarium nitride (SmN) have been widely studied to understand their ferromagnetic ordering and electronic structure, and for their promise in spintronics applications. This thesis presents experimental magnetotransport studies of GdN and SmN films in which experimental results have been compared with the existing band structure calculation. Three GdN films have been prepared in different conditions, among them two films are epitaxial quality and one film is polycrystalline in nature, and two films of SmN were also studied. Their magnetic properties were probed by SQUID magnetometry and they are found to be ferromagnetic. The transition temperature differs from sample to sample and this behaviour has been attributed to the presence of magnetic polarons that nucleate around nitrogen vacancies and give rise to an inhomogeneous ferromagnetic state.  The charge transport results have been discussed for all GdN and SmN films. A full set of charge/heat transport results are obtained on only one epitaxial GdN. The difference of resistivity among these samples is noticeable. The Hall effect results show the presence of different carrier concentration with at most only weak temperature dependence. We also have noticed the presence of anomalous Hall effect in the paramagnetic region for a lower-concentration epitaxial GdN.  The thermopower in both GdN and SmN was measured to provide further insight into the material’s electronic properties. In this thesis we present the first experimental investigation of the thermopower of epitaxial gadolinium nitride and samarium nitride films, measured using an experimental set-up designed for measuring the temperature dependent thermopower of thin films. Our result shows a negative thermopower for both GdN and SmN films and simple, though strong temperature dependence. At low temperatures we observe a peak near the ferromagnetic transition temperature in GdN. The results are interpreted in terms of the diffusion thermopower.  Overall the results suggest that the nitrogen vacancy concentration controls the carrier concentration and plays a significant role towards the transport properties. We conclude that all films are either heavily, moderately or weakly doped semiconductors with a metallic characteristic.
Gender identity: Exploring struggles & school support among New Zealand senior secondary students
Authors:   , Chandra Krishn
Published: December 2021

This research was undertaken with an intention to contribute to the existing literature and research on issues related to struggles and support for gender diverse students in New Zealand secondary schools. Gender diversity is a classification of individuals who do not see themselves as just male or female. LGBTQIA [lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and Queer] has been an acronym used to describe individuals of alternative lifestyles. The main objective of this study was to investigate in-depth to understand the positive and negative experiences of gender diverse students in New Zealand Secondary schools. A qualitative research approach was utilised and pragmatics as the research paradigm, as the focus was on the experiences of the learners and view of the teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used as this is regarded as a process of in-depth inquiry which has generated detailed descriptions. The outcomes of this research have been in line with the current and existing literature related to the experiences of gender diverse students in secondary schools in New Zealand. A review of existing literature indicates that gender diverse students are subjected to negative academic and social experiences such as verbal slurs, emotional harassment and abuse. Further, the disengagement of the curriculum and the support of the teachers in schools. The positive indication of this research was the support of the heterosexual students and teachers in the school however, there is a need for more support. It is recommended from this research that the school needs to provide professional development for its teachers and design their curriculum to create equality in the school.
From the world of wearable grasses: Vetiver (The use of local place-based knowledge to develop a scalable circular economy that enables positive social impact within the textile industry)
Authors:   , Khare Ananya
Published: December 2021

Progress is the first instinct for humans, with innovation and problem-solving driving forces within every generation. Sadly, as a part of this process, there has been a lack of recognition or interest in age-old, indigenous, local or place-based knowledge. In contrast to this belief of globalisation, this thesis advocates Indigenous Wisdom as a bridge to solving ‘wicked problems’ of our modern society. Horst Rittel describes wicked problems as interconnected and networked by nature, existing on multiple scales. This research identifies one such a wicked problem of textile pollution. One of the factors contributing to textile pollution is the resulting landfill. Connected to, contributing to or more abruptly put, causing this problem is fast fashion. In 2011 the United Nation Environment Program estimated that without intervention, the rate of consumption for fast fashion would continue to grow up to three-fold by the year 2050. The research explores the need for a durable, economical and more sustainable textile option that can both minimise production waste and is affordable for consumers. Paralleling Transition Design with local placed -based knowledge this research identifies a raw material that is the vetiver grass, a sustainable and straightforward production method, a community that is the inmates of Bhopal Central Jail, and a scalable circular economic model and connect them to make fabric based items for their use or sale and trade beyond their community.
An Investigation of How Change in Dynamic Risk and Protective Factors Affects the Prediction of Imminent Criminal Recidivism
Authors:   , Davies Simon
Published: December 2021

Dynamic risk and protective factors are changeable, psychosocial variables associated with an increased or decreased likelihood of future criminal behaviour. These variables have an important role in correctional psychology. In particular, they are increasingly central to the management and supervision of individuals released from prison. The changeable nature of these variables means that, with frequent reassessment, the likelihood of recidivism can be monitored during the release period, and intervention can be more carefully targeted to an individual’s needs. However, research has yet to clearly demonstrate that reassessment of dynamic risk and protective factors can accurately track the likelihood of recidivism over time. Further, relatively little is known about how these variables change over time, and how change is associated with recidivism.  This thesis set out to investigate whether reassessment of a dynamic risk assessment tool—the Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-entry (DRAOR; Serin, 2007; Serin, Mailloux, & Wilson, 2012)—would enhance the prediction of imminent recidivism among a large sample of high-risk men (n = 966) released from prison on parole in New Zealand. The analyses addressing this question were divided into three primary sections: 1) an investigation of whether a single proximal assessment was a more accurate predictor of imminent recidivism than a single baseline assessment completed shortly after release; 2) an investigation of whether a single proximal assessment was a more accurate predictor of recidivism than a series of aggregated measures across multiple time points, and; 3) an investigation of whether several different measures of intra-individual change demonstrated incremental predictive validity over the most proximal assessment. This approach represented a replication and extension of the framework set out by Lloyd (2015) in a recent thesis for testing whether reassessment of dynamic risk and protective factors enhances the prediction of imminent recidivism.  Across all three sections, results provided consistent evidence that the most proximal assessment was the most accurate predictor of imminent recidivism. The most proximal assessment was a significantly more accurate predictor than a baseline assessment, and neither aggregation nor measures of intra-individual change clearly improved predictive accuracy. These results highlight the importance of reassessment for monitoring changes in the likelihood of recidivism over time and have important implications for community correctional agencies who are tasked with managing individuals released from prison, particularly those deemed to be the highest risk of recidivism. The results also have theoretical implications for the concepts of dynamic risk and protective factors and their role in the process leading to recidivism. A better understanding of the recidivism process should lead to intervention strategies that are more effective at reducing recidivism.
Two U.S. elections: 1960 and 2000. A comparison of character
Authors:   , Power Simon
Published: December 2021

The United States presidential election in 2000 was one of the closest in history. In 1960, the winner of the popular vote in that presidential election won by the narrowest of margins. Forty years separated the two results, and both involved a sitting Vice President losing to a relative newcomer.  This study sets out the backgrounds of each of the four presidential candidates who competed in 1960 and 2000 and aims to understand the character of each by examining the influences on their lives and the development of their defining character traits. The second aim is to understand the authentic nature of their character by applying several theoretical frameworks to each of them. The application of these theoretical models is done in the context of the outcomes of the 1960 and 2000 elections and, in particular, the losing candidates’ reactions to those results. It is at this most crucial moment that decision-making best reflects whether the candidate’s reaction is authentic in the context of his character development.
Affective and musical understanding in piano chamber music pedagogy at the fundamental level
Authors:   , Gui Zhong
Published: December 2021

Individual piano lessons have limitations for peer interaction and cooperation, which leads to insufficient stimulation for children to achieve affective and musical understanding. This paper attempts to set up a piano chamber music program at the fundamental level in the first four years of learning piano, corresponding to children around five to nine years old) to close this gap. The program is a supplementary measure to solve problems deriving from a model of only individual lessons. It assists children in strengthening their existing knowledge as well as developing their abilities. The program is based on Piaget’s theory regarding cognitive development, and it combines theories of musical embodiment and music pedagogy. It promotes a rich musical environment and multiple opportunities for peer interaction so that children can make up for deficiencies arising from a single lesson model, using moderate stimulation from a suitable environment.
Seismic Anisotropy at the Rotokawa and Ngatamariki Geothermal Fields in the Taupo Volcanic Zone
Authors:   , Mroczek Stefan
Published: December 2021

In order to investigate the cracks/fractures in the geothermal fields of Rotokawa and Ngatamariki, we measure seismic anisotropy across both fields and interpret the results in the context of stress aligned microcracks. Cracks aligned perpendicular to the direction of maximum horizontal stress close and their fluid is forced into cracks aligned with maximum horizontal stress (SHmax). Seismic anisotropy is the directional dependence of a seismic wave's velocity and provides a measure of crack orientation and density.  To measure seismic anisotropy we conduct shear wave splitting measurements on 52,000 station-earthquake pairs across both Rotokawa and Ngatamariki from earthquakes recorded during 2015. Both fields are the subject of other geophysical and geological studies. Thus they are excellent subjects for studying seismic anisotropy. We cluster our measurements by their station-event path and fit the parameters from these clusters to those from theoretical crack planes. We also apply 2-D tomography to shear wave splitting time delays (𝛿t) and spatial averaging to shear wave splitting fast polarisations (∅). In addition, we compare time delays with P-wave to S-wave velocity ratios (νP / vS).  Local measurements of stress within Rotokawa and regional measures of stress within the Taupo Volcanic Zone provide a comparison for the shear wave splitting measurements. We measure ∅ which agrees with the NE-SW regional direction of SHmax across Ngatamariki and parts of Rotokawa. Within Rotokawa, we observe a rotation of ∅ away from NE-SW toward N-S that agrees with borehole measurements of direction of SHmax of 023° and 030°. Spatial averaging of ∅ reveals mean orientations close to the strike of nearby active faults.  The theoretical crack planes, that fit best to the shear wave splitting measurements, correspond to aligned cracks striking 045° outside of both fields, 035° within Ngatamariki, and 035° through to 0° within Rotokawa.  The average percent anisotropy for the full dataset, approximately 4%, is close to the upper bound for an intact rock. Delay time tomography shows regions of higher delay time per kilometre of path length (s=km) within both fields and possibly associated with the production field fault in Rotokawa.  vP =vS shows a wide range of normally distributed values, from 1.1 through to 2.4 with a mean of 1.6, indicating a mixture of gas filled and saturated cracks. A positive correlation between delay time per kilometre (𝛿tpkm) and νP /νS indicates that the majority of the cracks are saturated.
Mapping Saltwater Intrusion using Transient ElectroMagnetic Data in Maopa, Central Province, Papua New Guinea
Authors:   , Verave Ronald
Published: December 2021

Saltwater intrusion studies in coastal Papua New Guinea (PNG) are a rarity despite recognized vulnerabilities to salination of coastal groundwater resources. For many seaside communities such as Maopa the threat of salination is exacerbated by high extraction rates by a growing population and the likelihood of the effects of climate change. Saltwater intrusion can be addressed using various methods, including direct water sampling from wells and electrical resistivity measurements. This study advances knowledge of a previous assessment of saltwater intrusion and groundwater in this region that used DC Schlumberger resistivity soundings, through an extensive and cost-effective Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) survey. The study aims to map the lateral and vertical extent of salination and the characterization of groundwater in the landward direction over seven lines of TEM soundings along Keakalo Bay. The TEM method proved successful in identifying four main geoelectric layers. The top layer has a highly variable resistivity (range of 5 to 355 Ωm) inferred as the vadose zone. Beneath this layer is a layer of intermediate resistivity (100 Ωm > p ≥ 20 Ωm) characterizing a perched freshwater aquifer with a thickness range of 3.2 to 15 m. An intermediate layer of low resistivity (20 Ωm > p ≥ 3 Ωm) was detected at the boundary separating the freshwater aquifer from the inferred saltwater intrusion. This layer is typically thicker than the freshwater aquifer and is referred to as the mixing zone. The deepest layer constituting the salination zone has a very low resistivity (3 Ωm > p ≥ 0.4 Ωm), occurring at depths of up to 42 m. The depth to the salination zone varied from deep in the middle of the survey area to shallow in the fringes of the survey. This pattern is reflective of surface seawater infiltration marked by mangrove forest in the interior and subsurface infiltration from the coast. Similar depth trends but at shallower depths were also observed for the mixing zone, and the freshwater region. In some cases the mixing area overwhelms the freshwater regions. Layering confirmed groundwater resource and salination patterns as those of basic models reflective of small island hydrology, except that salination and the freshwater boundary were less distinctive due to the relatively high thickness of the dispersion zone. The use of different sounding parameters in line 7 provided useful information about the nature of the deep basement unit and thickness of the overlying unconsolidated quaternary sediment.
Geodetic investigation of triggered slip below Fiordland
Authors:   , Lindsay Danielle
Published: December 2021

Secretary Island, at the head of Doubtful Sound in Fiordland, has been seismically active in past 30 years, with earthquakes larger than M w 6.5: the 1989 Doubtful Sound, 1993 Secretary Island, and 2003 Fiordland earthquakes. These events were approximately coincident with the 17° bend in the strike of the young, obliquely-converging, and steeply dipping Puysegur Subduction Zone. This section of the plate interface also has a history of triggered slip: the 1989 earthquake is inferred to have triggered the 1993 earthquake and, further north at George Sound, triggered afterslip was reported following the 2009 Dusky Sound earthquake. We have used L-band (23.6 cm-wavelength) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the ALOS1 and ALOS2 satellites, and C-band (5.5 cm-wavelength) SAR data from Sentinel 1A/B satellites, to test the hypothesis that triggered slip also occurred in the vicinity of Secretary Island following the 2007 George Sound, 2009 Dusky Sound and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes. SAR images were aligned, interfered, filtered, and unwrapped using GMTSAR processing tools. Long-wavelength ionosphere noise was removed by inverting for the best-fitting linear plane, and we assumed a linear function of height to remove short-wavelength atmospheric noise. Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) timeseries analysis indicated a localised deformation signal centred on Secretary Island following the Dusky Sound earthquake. A re-analysis was undertaken of the co- and post-seismic deformation caused by the Dusky Sound earthquake so that any surface deformation centred on Secretary Island could be isolated. Campaign and continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) data were simultaneously inverted with co- and post-seismic interferograms using a statistical Bayesian modelling approach to determine the optimal Dusky Sound earthquake source parameters. Limitations arising from orbital drift, the frequency of SAR acquisitions and the observation geometry hindered our ability to constrain the timing, magnitude and location of reactivated slip from a source similar to the 2003 Secretary Island earthquake. Our findings indicate that slip was not triggered following either the 2007 George Sound earthquake or 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. However, we cannot rule out triggered slip near Secretary Island following the 2009 Dusky Sound earthquake. Any such slip likely occurred on an area of c. 350 km² (c. 15 km updip of the Secretary Island epicentre) with an average slip of 1–3 m, producing motion away from the satellite of c. 25 mm at Secretary Island.
Unpredictable Verticality: Paradigm of a Vertical City
Authors:   , Lai Siaw Kwan Joel
Published: December 2021

With the densification of urban cities, our urban concrete jungles are populated by self-supporting and monolithic building blocks such as high rises and skyscrapers, connected only by the ground plan that they sit on. Although the buildings of today’s cities are getting taller, the architecture of today’s cities is still being developed on a two-dimensional template, where ground is the base plane and tall buildings remain independent to one another. This has created a segregation between the claimed internal spaces of our built environment and the public domain of architecture within the vertical realm of our urban fabric.  This thesis speculates what vertical architecture of the future could be like if we challenge the conventional perception of our claimed vertical space, proposing an alternative while exploring the idea of a three-dimensional urban fabric. The research also encapsulates exploration of future technologies that may aid in the feasibility of this type of vertical architecture.  Utilizing a design-led research approach, design experiments were employed to explore different ideologies surrounding futuristic alternatives in approaching vertical architecture. The research explores the proposition through design experiments of three different scales, namely, an installation exploring connectivity through abstraction, a ‘mid-scale’ vertical residence and a vertical city at a public scale. This research was predominantly influenced by the theoretical works of Yona Friedman, Nat Chard, Lebbeus Woods and Cedric Price. Their works were analyzed and merged to generate a hybrid concept for an alternate utilization of vertical space.
Informing Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management from an Indigenous Perspective: The Mōtū Kahawai Fishery
Authors:   , Maxwell Kimberley
Published: December 2021

Despite agencies striving to manage fisheries sustainably, focusing on large-scale commercial interests and ignoring target species and their wider ecosystem interactions, has depleted or collapsed fisheries globally. Indigenous community well-being, practices, knowledge, and food supplies have also diminished as a result. Fisheries managers are now developing a more combined approach to decision-making, which recognises the social and ecological relationships of fisheries. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries encourages fisheries scientists and managers to engage with each other, and with the wider community, and to include information on the wider social and ecological components of fisheries systems in decision-making.  This thesis explores an Indigenous fishery by demonstrating how to appropriately gather information from a wide range of sources to inform its management. We focus on a case study fishery for kahawai (Arripis trutta), from the perspective of Te Whānau-a-Hikarukutai/Ngāti Horomoana (TWAH/NH). This Hapū (sub-tribe) is part of the larger Te Whānau-a-Apanui Iwi (tribe) of New Zealand (NZ), who have strong cultural connections to, and a unique system for managing, the Mōtū kahawai fishery. This fishery is a small-scale, land-based, hand-line fishery for a medium-sized pelagic teleost fish based at the Mōtū river mouth, located at Maraenui in the eastern Bay of Plenty, NZ.  This research demonstrates holistic ecosystem-based fisheries research as a template for future fisheries research activities. A transdisciplinary research approach, grounded in kaupapa Māori research principles and Māori research ethics, was taken. A strategy was developed to direct engagement with Māori for fisheries research. The existing NZ fisheries management system was defined, and Independent fishery forum plans were identified as the most proactive way to inform the system. A plan can also be used to inform fisheries through other mechanisms; therefore, it is a valuable resource to create. Information on the history, background and value of the fishery was gathered and the Mōtū kahawai fishery identified as a cultural keystone species for TWAH/NH. Kahawai trophic and ecosystem interactions were described from ecology and mātauranga studies. This information was collated in a Hapū plan to inform management of the Mōtū kahawai fishery. This fishery has existed for ca. 600 years and the Hapū wish for it to thrive indefinitely. The Hapū plan will inform wider fisheries management, of Hapū values, practices, and knowledge, to be recognised by the wider community, and to support Hapū rangatiratanga (sovereignty) over the fishery.
Do firms develop dynamic capabilities differently? The case of professional services firms in New Zealand
Authors:   , Dickens Andrea
Published: December 2021

Differences in dynamic capabilities (DCs) help explain firms’ abilities to change. DCs research has explored what DCs might be and generic categorisations of them after they have emerged, but little light has been thrown on the specific practices that enable or inhibit their emergence. This study explores how DCs emerge and why firms might develop DCs differently under the same market conditions.   This thesis sought to understand these questions and respond to calls for longitudinal empirical studies to extend DC theory by studying the paths of four professional services firms in New Zealand over three decades. Using a multi-case study design and thematic analysis, this research applied Teece’s (2007) framework of sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities to identify the presence of DCs within each case, before attempting to identify the enablers and inhibitors influencing the development of such capabilities. While elements of each generic class of DC were evident in each case, the findings suggest that in order to utilise DCs to adapt effectively to environmental changes, a firm must deploy all three classes of capabilities at the same time.   This research contributes to the DC literature by proposing a prioritised typology of antecedents that may help stimulate Teece’s sensing, seizing and transforming DCs, while identifying the rigidities that could inhibit their development. The empirical results reported on in this thesis suggest that similar firms’ development of DCs may be different because of idiosyncratic leadership and culture that can limit a firm’s ability to perceive the importance of DCs. Other characteristics that inhibit the development of DCs include centralised, non-participative cultures and high internal (or inward looking) orientation. These results extend current theory about triggers for developing DCs by identifying that the strongest triggers may be either serious macro-economic events or internally driven by firm-defined goals or strategies.
From Callas To Netrebko: Diva power, vocality, and the mediatisation of the operatic voice
Authors:   , Wollerman Jennifer
Published: December 2021

Maria Callas’s fame as an opera star in the 1950s is still recognised today, and, for many, her name is synonymous with the modern concept of the opera ‘diva’. The increasing diversity of mediatised forms of operatic performances since her time has altered the way audiences engage with the art form. This has implications for singers in terms of values around vocality, authorship and power, and, in particular, the agency of singers in creating the meaningful, affective, and distinctively personal vocal tone that opera calls for. I suggest that for “divas” as defined by twentieth- and twenty-first century global stardom, power is amassed at least in part through particular ways in which they make use of their vocality or vocal timbre, and the way they manage their voices’ presentation in the mediatised versions of their performances.  The recent turn towards a performative focus in musicology encourages the investigation of such aspects of performance. While authorship remains central in the consideration of performance, the contribution of the singer to the authorial and creative process has tended to be ignored, and at times the singer’s work has been regarded as servile to the point of nullification. A critical examination of scholarly writings around operatic performance, with reference to those of diva, voice, and stardom studies, forms the foundation of my study. In case studies of Callas and two later divas, Kiri Te Kanawa and Anna Netrebko, I examine the individual vocality of each singer, their interaction with the forms of mediatisation of their time, their position in the continuum of vocal fashion and influence, and the function of all of these factors in relation to perceptions of creative agency.  My study investigates these issues from the standpoint of a singer, and it provides insights into the singer’s processes around the creation of vocality. It offers a new perspective through a fine-tuned analysis of vocal production, which reconnects perceptions of specific timbres with explicitly defined techniques for their production. Through this dissertation I show how signature vocality works: how it is created and managed by these divas, and how the mediatisation of vocality affects perceptions of their power as performers.
He Waka Eke Noa at Korowai Manaaki: A Process Evaluation of a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-informed skills programme for young people in a secure youth justice residence
Authors:   , Weenink Molly
Published: December 2021

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) aims to help people live a life worth living. It has increasingly been developed and adapted to address a range of mental health symptoms across different ages, cognitive abilities and environmental contexts; however, its popularity in implementation has outpaced empirical research. The current study was a Process Evaluation which assessed professionals’ perspectives about a DBT-informed skills group called He Waka Eke Noa operating at Korowai Manaaki – a youth justice secure residence in New Zealand (NZ). The study involved 11 interviews with professionals across two organisations involved in facilitating He Waka Eke Noa and/or supporting the young people who participated. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews and three overarching themes were identified. The first theme, ‘Factors influencing practical effectiveness’, explored areas which professionals highlighted as having a significant impact on how He Waka Eke Noa worked and had three subthemes: ‘Generalisability’, ‘Cultural Responsivity’, and ‘Criminal Justice Environment’. The second theme, ‘Theoretical application of DBT to young people in NZ’ investigated the compatibility of DBT with young people in secure youth justice residences in NZ. The final theme, ‘Motivation’, considered the role that motivation played in engagement and continuation of treatment for people involved in He Waka Eke Noa. The findings from this study shed light on how the group was operating and highlighted the importance of the relationship between facilitators and young people. It identified the challenges He Waka Eke Noa faced including the difficulty of balancing a risk-reduction approach with creating a therapeutic environment. Further developments are considered that would assist He Waka Eke Noa in maximising its effectiveness through increasing resources and ensuring diversity amongst the clinicians (e.g., increasing cultural diversity). The thesis concludes with recommendations for the future direction of operation, for example, rolling out DBT-informed skills groups in other residences and the community; and potential research avenues.
Aegean diffusions - Diffusions of power: Cultural connections between Minoan Crete and Pharaonic Egypt
Authors:   , Kerr-Harris Vinko
Published: December 2021

The development of Minoan society has traditionally been considered by scholars to have been an insular phenomenon unique to the southern Aegean. Such assumptions, however, fail to acknowledge the wider context of the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. Contact between the people of Crete and their contemporaries in Egypt and the Levant is well attested in the archaeological record, with a plethora of artefacts – imported and imitation – appearing on both sides of the Libyan Sea. Whilst investigations into the economic nature of these exchanges have been undertaken, little thought has been given to the cultural consequences of inter-regional contacts. This thesis examines the evolution of palatial society upon Crete and considers the extent to which interactions with comparatively more mature civilisations may have influenced the increasingly hierarchal trajectory of Minoan society, by re-evaluating the corpus of material culture and interconnectivity.
State estimation for dynamic weighing using Kalman filter
Authors:   , Pitawala Sunethra
Published: December 2021

Dynamic weighing has become an essential requirement in a diverse range of industries. Dynamic weighing is different from static weighing in that static weighing involves determining the weight while the product being weighed is stationary whereas dynamic weighing weighs the products while they are moving. Force sensors are commonly used in these weighing systems. In static weighing, the weighed object is placed stationary on the platform and the steady state of the sensor signal is used to assess the weight. However, in dynamic weighing the sensor signal may not reach the steady state during the brief time of weighing, hence the weight is assessed for example, by averaging the tail end of the signal after it has been through a low-pass filter. The resulting mass estimates can be inaccurate for faster heavier items. It is useful to consider better ways of estimating the true weight, in high speed weighing applications.  The proposed method is to employ the 1-D Kalman filter algorithm to estimate the optimal state of the signal. The improved steady state signal is then used in weight estimation. The proposed method has been tested using data collected from a loadcell when different masses pass over the loadcell. The results show a significant improvement in the filtered signal quality which is then used to improve the weight assessment.
Trap or Treasure: An economic history of primary production in Hawke's Bay province, 1945-2010
Authors:   , Davie Malcolm
Published: December 2021

Comprised of a broad range of primary activities, Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s foremost agricultural provinces. Consequently, the province provides an excellent template by which to assess New Zealand agriculture and test differing perspectives of staples-led development. Importantly, the province provides a positive example of staples-led growth and this thesis argues that adjustment within, rather than abandonment of, existing primary production structures has been a rational response to changed economic, social and political circumstances since 1945. Most particularly, two essential adjustment mechanisms existed. First, a dynamic process of land use inter-changeability provided the flexibility required for diversification and delivered strong relative investment returns. Second, levels of corporatisation and internationalisation increased significantly as participants sought productivity enhancements, greater scale and additional capital. Crucially, although aspects of classical staples theory are evident in Hawke’s Bay after 1945, the development of the province’s primary sector does not support interpretations of classical theory as a ‘staples trap.’ Therefore, Hawke’s Bay’s multi-polar model of staples-led economic development challenges the notion, typified by Sutch, that primary sector led economic development is undesirable. It is similarly significant that scholars have not previously considered staples theory within a dynamic system of land use change.  The history of the Hawke’s Bay primary sector since 1945 enables the consideration of broader issues in New Zealand’s economic history. Tariffs, regulation, deregulation and agricultural subsidies played a prominent role in the province after World War Two, the impact of which permits one to locate the Hawke’s Bay story in the wider history of the New Zealand economy. But most importantly, Hawke’s Bay illustrates the distortions of productivism, a concept backed in the first instance by New Zealand farmers and later pursued by the New Zealand government as a remedy for declining agricultural commodity prices and farm profitability. Historical evidence from Hawke’s Bay suggests that productivism and its policy offspring, most notably Supplementary Minimum Prices, rendered the task of structural adjustment to declining commodity prices and changed market conditions substantially more difficult.
The characterisation and application of bacterial nitroreductase enzymes
Authors:   , Condon Sarah
Published: December 2021

Cancer is an increasing global concern, with the number of people diagnosed growing rapidly each year. Gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) is emerging as a front-runner of new technologies that seek to combat the growing number of cases. One developing approach to GDEPT involves the use of bacterial nitroreductase enzymes to reduce prodrug substrates, which, upon reduction to their active form, are toxic to cancer cells through DNA crosslinking.  Nitroreductases have the ability to activate a variety of nitro-quenched compounds, not only anti-cancer prodrugs, but also nil bystander antibiotics and masked fluorophores, through the reduction of strongly electron-withdrawing nitro substituents on aromatic rings. My research initially sought to exploit this capability by partnering nitroreductases with nil bystander antibiotics for targeted cell ablation, as a component of a larger gene directed enzyme prodrug therapy project. This has potential to provide important safety features for removal of viral and bacterial vectors following anti-cancer gene therapy.  From this, the main focus evolved into utilising nitroreductase enzymes for targeted cell ablation for applications in developmental and regenerative biology. This exploited the ability of nitroreductases to activate nil bystander antibiotics in partnership with masked fluorophores for imaging purposes. It has previously been shown that antibiotics can be applied to a nitroreductase under control of a tissue-specific promoter in a transgenic model organism, enabling controlled ablation of that tissue at precise stages of development. However, direct imaging of the nitroreductase location and activity, by application of masked fluorophore probes prior to ablation, has not previously been explored.  During the course of this work, several promising combinations of nitroreductases that exhibit opposing specificities for certain combinations of masked fluorophores and nil-bystander antibiotics were identified through screening in bacterial systems. In general, these results were found to translate effectively into eukaryotic cell lines. Pairs of nitroreductases that have opposite specificities for two different antibiotic substrates offer potential for the multiplexed ablation of either (or both) of two different labelled tissues in the same transgenic model organism, according to the substrate(s) administered to that organism.  Throughout this screening process, a nitroaromatic substrate (niclosamide) was identified that is, uniquely, initially toxic to Escherichia coli but becomes non-toxic upon reduction of the nitro substituent. Using niclosamide, a novel strategy with potential for identification of new nitroreductases, as well as selection-based directed evolution to improve desired activities, was explored.
Implementing a Managed Print Solution for Tainui NZ Ltd
Authors:   , Cao Liang
Published: December 2021

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the failure of implementing a managed print solution to control costs and reduce waste associated with outsourcing practices in a complex and legacy environment.  Design/methodology/approach – Project documentation and literature reviews versus interview results by key stakeholders of the project.  Findings – It is found that there are critical successful factors would directly affect the result of a project implementation. Multi-party collaboration is quite challenging to each party, especially the product owner. It needs a strong leader to indicate each party’s responsibility and make sure communication can go through smoothly.  Practical implications – Organizations who have more complex infrastructure and legacy systems would need to take extra care when integrating new systems.  Originality/value – This paper can be used by Tainui or other organization leaders and project managers to be more effectively achieve future project success.  Keywords - Print management, Printers, Waste, Cost saving, IT project, CSF, Multi-party collaboration, Outsourcing  Paper type - Case study
Modelling the Generation of the Cochlear Microphonic
Authors:   , Ayat Mohammad
Published: December 2021

The human ear is a remarkable sensory organ. A normal healthy human ear is able to process sounds covering a wide range of frequencies and intensities, while distinguishing between different components of complex sounds such as a musical chord. In the last four decades, knowledge about the cochlea and the mechanisms involved in its operation has greatly increased, but many details about these mechanisms remain unresolved and disputed. The cochlea has a vulnerable structure. Consequently, measuring and monitoring its mechanical and electrical activities even with contemporary devices is very difficult. Modelling can be used to fill gaps between those measurements that are feasible and actual cochlear function. Modelling techniques can also help to simplify complex cochlear operation to a tractable and comprehensible level while still reproducing certain behaviours of interest. Modelling therefore can play an essential role in developing a better understanding of the cochlea. The Cochlear Microphonic (CM) is an electrical signal generated inside the cochlea in response to sound. This electrical signal reflects mechanical activity in the cochlea and the excitation processes involved in its generation. However, the difficulty of obtaining this signal and the simplicity of other methods such as otoacoustic emissions have discouraged the use of the cochlear microphonic as a tool for studying cochlear functions. In this thesis, amodel of the cochlea is presented which integrates bothmechanical and electrical aspects, enabling the interaction between them to be investigated. The resulting model is then used to observe the effect of the cochlear amplifier on the CM. The results indicate that while the cochlear amplifier significantly amplifies the basilar membrane displacement, the effect on the CM is less significant. Both of these indications agree with previous physiological findings. A novel modelling approach is used to investigate the tuning discrepancy between basilar membrane and CMtuning curves. The results suggest that this discrepancy is primarily due to transversal phase cancellation in the outer hair cell rather than longitudinal phase cancellation along the basilar membrane. In addition, the results of the model suggest that spontaneous cochlear microphonic should exist in the cochlea. The existence of this spontaneous electrical signal has not yet been reported.
Motivation interventions via study programmes for under-achieving students, focusing on Paifika students
Authors:   , Sanders Peter
Published: December 2021

Research has shown that lower motivation orientations are associated with under-achievement and that ethnicity may also be associated with motivation and achievement. This study investigates if student motivation can be altered by two intervention programmes — a traditional study (TS) programme and a motivation-enhanced study (MS) programme. A total of 57 students participated, from three different groups, attending Year 11 (median age 15 years) at two New Zealand Secondary Schools. This mixed-methods study used Martin’s (2008) Student Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES-HS) and Meyer, McClure, Walkey, McKenzie and Weirs’ (2008) Survey of NCEA Goals Year 10 and Year 11 Students to gain quantitative data. Qualitative data about perceptions on motivation and achievement were gained from interviews with students. MS students, across all three groups, had steeper gains in academic achievement, showed decreases in maladaptive intra-personal motivation orientations and increases in inter-personal motivation orientations compared to corresponding TS students. However, Pasifika students had the highest gains in achievement, showed stronger decrease on intra-personal adaptive motivation factors, and greater increases on inter-personal motivation orientations compared to non-Pasifika students. These results are discussed within a theoretical framework of how changes in intra-personal and inter-personal motivation orientations may be associated with ethnicity and achievement-related outcomes.
The Ethics of Treaties: A Humean Account
Authors:   , Riley Steven Guy
Published: December 2021

This thesis concerns the reasons that states have to comply with their treaty commitments. It aims to answer two questions. Firstly, what reason does signing a treaty give to a state to act in accordance with the treaty? Secondly, assuming that there is such a reason, how does entering into a treaty generate that reason?  One answer to these questions is to say that treaties are kinds of promises between states. To enter into a treaty is to make a promise and promises should be kept. But promises are a puzzling way of generating reasons for action. It is not clear how it is possible to create a reason to do something merely by communicating an intention to create a reason. So, to say that treaties are promises seems merely to transpose this puzzle from the relations between individual persons to international affairs and the relations between states.  In this thesis I endorse a view of treaty making that understands treaties as promises as the philosopher David Hume understands them. I argue that this provides a plausible account of treaty making. I suggest that the resulting view, which I label ‘Treaty as Humean Promise,’ provides plausible and appealing answers to the two questions mentioned above.  Treaty as Humean Promise claims that states entering treaties create self-interested reasons to comply with those treaties. They do this by invoking an independent social convention of treaty making one of the rules of which is that treaties must be kept. Continued access to this social convention is important to states. They jeopardise this continued access by violating their treaties and giving their treaty partners, and potential treaty partners, reason to withdraw future trust in them. I set this out in chapters 1 and 2. In chapter 3 I claim that Treaty as Humean Promise can make sense of the intuition that there are moral reasons to comply with treaties. In chapter 4 I look at what Treaty as Humean Promise has to say about different types of treaty.  In chapters 5 and 6 I discuss Hume’s own views on treaty making. I offer a charitable reading of some puzzling remarks by Hume from a section of A Treatise of Human Nature called ‘Of the laws of nations’. In doing so, I defend Hume against a number of his critics.  In the final two chapters I discuss a ‘political realist’ account of treaties. I distinguish between ‘act’ and ‘rule’ variants of political realism. Political realists, I suggest, should be rule realists at least about treaties. This means that they should endorse and follow the rule that treaties should be kept all else being equal.