bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dependence structure in financial time series: Applications and evidence from wavelet analysis
Authors:   , Vo Long Hai
Published: November 2021

Conventional time series theory and spectral analysis have independently achieved significant popularity in mainstream economics and finance research over long periods. However, the fact remains that each is somewhat lacking if the other is absent. To overcome this problem, a new methodology, wavelet analysis, has been developed to capture all the information localized in time and in frequency, which provides us with an ideal tool to study non-stationary time series. This paper aims to explore the application of a variety of wavelet-based methodologies in conjunction with conventional techniques, such as the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models and long-memory parameter estimates, in analysing the short and long term dependence structure of financial returns and volatility. Specifically, by studying the long-memory property of these time series we hope to identify the source of their possible predictability. Above all else, we document the indispensable role of trading activities associated with low frequencies in determining the long-run dependence of volatility. It follows that GARCH models incorporating long-memory and asymmetric returns-volatility dynamics can provide reasonably accurate volatility forecasts. Additionally, the persistence parameter of returns, represented by the Hurst index, is observed to be correlated to trading profits obtained from typical technical rules designed to detect and capitalize on existing trending behaviour of stock prices. This implies that the Hurst index can be used as a good indicator of the long-memory characteristic of the market, which in turn drives such trending behaviour.
An investigation of private public partnerships using real options analysis
Authors:   , Chen Zonghao
Published: November 2021

This thesis develops a model that investigates aspects of New Zealand’s largest public-private partnership project, the rollout of Ultra Fast Broadband. The model features four cities with different demand and construction-cost characteristics. It is used to study the different choices of the private party (Chorus) and the public party (Crown Fibre Holdings (CFH)). Using a real options approach, we identify two sorts of potential conflicts between the two parties: a timing conflict about the number of cities the two parties would like to develop in each period and a sequencing conflict about the order in which the UFB network is rolled out in different cities. Inspired by the incomplete contracting and information asymmetry literatures, we introduce several incentive schemes (including four subsidy schemes and two fine schemes) that help manage the possible conflicts. We compare both their ability to reduce the conflicts and their sensitivity to the model’s underlying parameters. Overall, there are four main findings. First, the magnitude of the conflict is a non-monotonic function of the inter-city demand differences and the inter-city construction-cost differences; it is an increasing function of the ratio of consumer surplus to producer surplus and of demand volatility. Second, a demand-dependent lump sum subsidy has the best performance among all included incentive schemes in controlling the possible conflicts. Third, the conflict level becomes quite sensitive to the subsidy scheme in two cases. A) When either the inter-city demand differences or the inter-city construction-cost differences turn out to be modest; B) When either the ratio of consumer surplus to producer surplus or demand volatility turns out to be large. The above result may provide some suggestions in managing the optimal subsidy. Last but not least, the requirement that Chorus is willing to participate in the partnership means that the fine schemes are generally outperformed by the subsidy schemes. Relating our findings to the undertaking UFB project, we provide CFH with several practical suggestions that may improve its management of possible conflicts.
Use of Wikipedia by Legal Scholars: Implications for Information Literacy
Authors:   , Maher Darryl
Published: November 2021

This study examines the use of Wikipedia across a broad range of judicial and administrative bodies within New Zealand. The primary focus of the study is the use of Wikipedia in courts (and other legally influential bodies) and how this affects the way that information literacy is taught in legal studies, particularly with regards to Wikipedia and other similar internet-based resources. A secondary focus for this study is the use of Wikipedia in other legal documents, such as those issued by tribunals and regulatory bodies. There is also some discussion about best practices regarding the use of Wikipedia by those in legal professions, such as judges, solicitors, and barristers.
Oil, terrorism and China: Is there a new securitization of United States foreign policy in Africa?
Authors:   , Power Lucy
Published: November 2021

This thesis explores the question of whether there has been a “new” securitization of United States foreign policy in Africa since the late 1990s. It follows a stream of literature and real-world evidence suggesting that U.S. engagement with African countries has taken on a more securitized tone in the years since the end of the twentieth century. This thesis suggests that there are three key factors behind this securitization: oil, terrorism and the rise of China. I explore these factors in the context of wider U.S.-Africa engagement before examining in greater detail the case of the changing U.S. relationship with Nigeria. As one of Africa’s major oil producers as well as a site of terrorist activity and Chinese expansion, the case of Nigeria demonstrates how securitization has occurred and what effects this has had on the country and the wider African situation.
Population changes in rattail species on the Chatham Rise
Authors:   , Large Kathleen
Published: November 2021

The aim of this project was to conduct a stock assessment to determine the population dynamic characteristics of rattail species taken as bycatch in the hoki, hake and ling fishery on the Chatham Rise. No quantitative assessment of the current size of rattail populations , and how these may have changed over time, has been carried out before. There is interest in the need to quantify the impact of commercial fishing on the rattail populations, as rattails (Macrouridae family) are considered to be an ecologically important species complex in the deep ocean, and there may be the potential for the development of a commercial fishery based on their value as processed fishmeal. The minimum data required for a stock assessment are an abundance index and a catch history. Abundance indices are available for over 20 species of rattail produced from scientific surveys conducted annually on the Chatham Rise since 1992. Catch histories for individual rattail species in the same area are not available. A method was developed to reconstruct commercial catches of rattails from commercial effort data and survey catch and effort data. A surplus production model was fitted to the reconstructed catch data and survey abundance indices, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods to estimate model parameters and uncertainty. A surplus production model has two components: an observation model for abundance indices and a process model for population dynamics. Maximum likelihood estimation was applied to a model that specified errors for the observations only, and this produced estimates that had wide confidence intervals. A Bayesian approach was then taken to fit a statespace version of the model that incorporates errors associated with the observation and process models. While the Bayesian method produced more plausible parameter estimates (in comparison to the maximum likelihood method) and parameter uncertainty was reduced, our analysis indicated the posterior estimates were highly sensitive to the specification of different priors. There may be several reasons for these results, including: the small number of observations, lack of contrast in the data and mis-specification of the model. Meaningful estimates of the absolute size of rattail populations are not possible with these results, where estimates can vary by orders of magnitude depending on prior specification. This implies that more work needs to be done to develop more effective methods that can be used to help inform decisions regarding the management of these fish populations. Improving data collection, investigating informative priors and extending/respecifying the model are considered worthwhile avenues of future work to improve stock assessments of rattails.
An Analysis of the Information Architecture of New Zealand Tertiary Library Websites
Authors:   , Bledsoe Summer Michelle
Published: November 2021

Library websites are becoming more and more important as so much of a library’s content is accessed through its website. It is important that this is usable for the site’s users and that the information contained in the site is findable. In order for this to happen the site must have a good information architecture.  This study was done firstly as a literature analysis to determine what is currently considered to be best practice in information architecture for library websites. This was then formed into a checklist of best practice criteria and was used to analyse a sample of New Zealand’s tertiary library websites to determine what areas that these sites were doing well with their information architecture and what areas may need improvement. The study found that in many areas the sites matched well with the criteria such as having effective site navigation systems and using clear label terms. There were also areas that needed improvement such as the prominence of the library branding and search tools needing to be more user-friendly.  This study provides a good picture of the current state of New Zealand tertiary library sites information architecture that could be used when updating these sites and it also provides a good checklist that can be used in the analysis of other library sites. Future research could extend this project by analysing sites more thoroughly and it could also do a more specific analysis by looking at what a certain library’s users want and need in the information architecture of their library site.
Hunter S. Thompson, Transmetropolitan, and the Evolution from Author to Character
Authors:   , Nelson Ashlee Amanda
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines American author Hunter S. Thompson, in the context of his own works – primarily Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary– as well as the representation of him as a character in the graphic text Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. The evolution of Thompson from author to character and the development of that character in his own works is examined, as well as how this development allowed for his character to be fully realised in a completely fictional world. In turn, the fully developed use of Thompson’s character is the starting point for my analysis of Transmetropolitan could potentially be read as a work of New Journalism, albeit a fictional one. The first chapter examines how Thompson began writing himself as a character in his early fictional work The Rum Diary. Though largely overlooked by critics because of its long delayed publication and the focus on the more flashy and better known Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rum Diary is critical to Thompson’s development of himself as a character in his works in particular, and to his development as an author in general. Though The Rum Diary is ostensibly a purely fictional novel, this chapter examines how the character Paul Kemp is actually largely autobiographical, and how Kemp is an early version of the same character Thompson uses in his later nonfiction. I then analyse the development of that nonfiction version, Raoul Duke, in Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. As The Rum Diary is not actually purely fictional, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is not actually completely nonfictional. Thompson, as this chapter shows, did not believe in the divide between fact and fiction, and he uses the character he develops in Raoul Duke to write about himself while creatively embellishing the truth. I then look at how Thompson wrote himself so strongly into his character that he became inextricably viewed as actually being Raoul Duke, and how that character was in turn viewed and written about. The second chapter examines the legacy of Thompson’s fully formed self-characterisation, as it is picked up by another author and written in the fully fictional context of the graphic novel series Transmetropolitan. I consider how Transmetropolitan’s main character Spider Jerusalem continues Thompson’s self-as-character through his characterisation, behaviour, and language. Furthermore I analyse how, within the world of the series, Spider as a journalist continues Thompson’s legacy as a writer. The third and final chapter examines how Spider’s characterisation as a continuation of Thompson is an important contextual factor for considering Transmetropolitan as a work of New Journalism. I consider the connection to Thompson, the content of Spider’s articles, and the format in which the articles are depicted in the graphic novel
Are 'green' landscapes associated with 'green' behaviours? A study into the relationship between urban green space visitation and pro-environmental behaviour in Wellington, New Zealand
Authors:   , Giacon Ivana
Published: November 2021

With global environmental change looming there is a call for urban societies to change behaviours and lead more sustainable lifestyles. However, behaviour change policies have mostly been ineffective with urban society’s weak emotional connection to nature cited as a major barrier. Wilson’s (1986) biophilia hypothesis posits humans have an innate desire to preserve and protect the natural environment programmed into our biological evolution and that exposure to nature fosters this desire. With fifty percent of the world’s population now living in urban environments there is the concern that a reduced contact with nature will further reduce emotional connections to nature and acceptance of pro-environmental behaviour change. Governments worldwide have neglected to incorporate nature exposure into pro-environmental behaviour change policies highlighting the need for empirical evidence to demonstrate a positive relationship between nature exposure and pro-environmental behaviour. This study fills this literature gap. With urban green space acting as the main form of nature contact for many urban residents, urban green space visitation was used as a proxy for nature exposure. Data collected by the Wellington City Council was examined for a relationship between urban green space visitation and pro-environmental behaviour using a series of regression techniques. Regressions restricted to different types of urban green space and pro-environmental behaviours were analysed for significant correlations. Gender, age, income, pride, and quality of life were also examined for moderating effects. A statistically significant relationship was reported between urban green space visitation and pro-environmental behaviour with sports field visitation the weakest predictor. There was no evidence of significant moderation by gender, age, income, pride, or quality of life. My results provide evidence for further research into urban green space expansion and promotion as a behaviour change tool.
A macro-financial theory of corporate financing and forecast modelling of market movements
Authors:   , Sutton David
Published: November 2021

This thesis identifies a gap in existing theories of corporate finance. This gap is an implication of a Keynesian-Minskian analysis of markets and market-based economies. From a founding theoretical perspective rooted in the view that markets are not reliably efficient the case is developed that past price trend extrapolation is an important factor in corporate financing decisions. At a macro-financial level, companies repurchase equity over periods of strong market rises, while increasing debt at the same time. During periods of sustained, substantial market decline debt is retired and large new equity issues occur. This change in corporate financing is implicitly expensive as relatively low prices are realised for the new stock issued at these times. These factors suggest that conventional theories of corporate financing decisions that rely on corporate rationality and optimisation do not provide a compelling fit with observations in the period 1980-2012. Moreover, inference to Minsky’s (1986) argument that companies are compelled through market declines to shore up their balance sheets provides a better fit with the evidence. These arguments form the basis for the development of the ‘extrapolative expectations’ theory of corporate finance. The second major development in this thesis draws on the theoretical development outlined above to create market movement description and prediction models. These models operate on data drawn from the US Standard & Poors 500 index over the period 1980-2012. Two primary models are developed using binomial logistic regressions. The dichotomous dependent variables are drawn as quarters of market rise (1) or no rise (0), and market falls (1) or no fall (0), respectively for the ‘buy’ model and the ‘sell’ model. Variables tested and those found to add to an explanation of the dependent variables include: corporate debt flows, corporate equity flows, corporate dividend flows, interest rates, market volumes, and historical market levels. Each variable is tested for up to ten lags (two-and-a-half years). Collectively, the variables add to our understanding of those factors influencing (or at the least, signalling) market levels, enabling quarter ahead market forecasts to be made with greater accuracy than arises from an assumption of a random walk. This conclusion crystallises the view that company macro-financial flows and prices are an important cause or signal of future market direction.
Earthquake-induced hydrologic changes in the geoengineered schist landslides of Cromwell Gorge, Central Otago
Authors:   , O'Brien Grant
Published: November 2021

Geoengineered groundwater systems located within seven large (> 100 ha surface area), deep-seated, slow-creep schist landslides in Cromwell Gorge (Otago, New Zealand) are observed to respond systematically to 10 large (>Mw6.2), regional earthquakes at epicentral distances of 130-630 km. The permeabilities of the schist landslides have previously been reported to be c. 1 x 10⁻¹⁷ - 4 x 10⁻⁶ m2 and the permeability structure is dominated by large fracture zones. Of the 315 hydrological instruments in the gorge for which data have been analysed, 21 monitoring well piezometers record repeated metre- or centimetre-scale groundwater level changes, and 12 underground V-notch weirs record elevated flow rates induced by the same earthquakes. Groundwater level changes exhibit consistent temporal characteristics at all monitoring sites, namely a time to peak pressure change on the order of one month and a subsequent recovery period on the order of one year. Changes in weir flow rate are near-instantaneous with maximum flow rates reached within 0-6 hours, followed by recession periods on the order of one month. Hydrological responses to different earthquakes at each monitoring site are systematic in terms of polarity and amplitude. This comprehensive dataset enables consistent patterns in the amplitude, time to peak pressure change and recovery time of groundwater level changes, and elevated weir discharge volumes in response to earthquake shaking to be documented. Earthquakes inducing hydrological responses have been categorised into five categories based on shaking characteristics (duration, bandwidth and amplitude). Larger hydrological responses and proportionally shorter time to peak pressure change and recovery time are associated with long duration (25-50 s or longer), high-amplitude, broad bandwidth shaking. The larger amplitudes of hydrological response and proportionally shorter times to peak pressure change and recovery times, are interpreted to represent greater temporary enhancement of the landslides hydraulic properties, particularly permeability. Understanding how earthquakes can enhance or otherwise affect hydraulic properties such as permeability in fractured reservoirs is intrinsically important and may prove of economic utility for both the geothermal and hydrocarbon energy sectors.
Bio-body reactor
Authors:   , Benck Ashley
Published: November 2021

Donna Haraway defines a cyborg as a hybrid creature, composed of part machine and part organism. This thesis asks how the cyborg can be used as a catalyst to reengage the body with architecture. Four key areas are used to explore this proposition; precedent, body, programme and site. Theorist Donna Haraway and Marcos Cruz will be used as precedents to guide this field of inquiry into an architectural form. The design method fluctuates between the analogue and digital, body and machine, and shifting scales. The method is used to design four buildings to test the metaphor of the cyborg through physical models, drawings and digital space. The cross-programming of a biofuel factory with domestic living has been chosen in order to test the translation of the cyborg into architecture. This is explored at different scales; macro, mezzo and micro. At the macro scale, the site of Wellington city, New Zealand, will be explored in terms of rethinking existing parts, as mechanisms, that contribute to the city’s programmatic response to energy generation. The mezzo scale focuses on the translation of the cyborg into usable human scale space. Finally, at the micro scale, the reaction of a surface according to the body will inform the resulting architecture; such as the design of a stair, where the actions of the body are informing the building and vice versa. The conclusion of this thesis is a building that operates as a cyborg which is active to the needs of the human and the city.
Thematic Process and Motivic-Developmental Approaches to Composition in three works for Jazz Orchestra
Authors:   , Atkinson Timothy David
Published: November 2021

This exegesis examines key structural processes found in selected large-scale, extended compositions for jazz orchestra, with a particular focus on composers Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, Jim McNeely. These composers are archetypal jazz orchestral composers and are currently active. I will discuss their approaches to structure and the formal function of musical materials within selected compositions. The aim of this exegesis is to uncover the way in which jazz orchestral composition invokes concepts related to theme and development identified in classical analytical literature. As such, I will argue that the works analysed here suggest a move more toward forms associated with the classical period, such as sonata form.
Interlocking: The Phenomenological Apartment
Authors:   , Shepherd Jared
Published: November 2021

New Zealand faces the need for more housing over the coming decades due to increasing population and a decreasing household size. An existing response is a trend of higher density apartment buildings within our inner cities. However these small standardized apartments have created a negative view toward urban apartments, commonly being described as ‘shoe-boxes’. Can urban inner-city higher density housing be better designed? This becomes the focus of this research in regards to quality of space in small apartments. A critique of existing ‘shoe-box’ apartments is developed, proving they lack spatial quality, have lost a crucial connection with the dweller and are largely irrelevant to their site. The research seeks to remedy the ‘shoe-box’ apartment by applying principles from the theory of phenomenology and an interlocking typology. Phenomenology is introduced as a key theory to help develop a grounding in specificity and re-instill the notion of bodily experience in space. This theoretical position, based on Steven Holl’s architectural interpretation of phenomenology, with a bodily emphasis, is applied through four strategies to integrate a spatial experience. Typologically, interlocking apartments provide a precedent, where by their very nature, the interlocking produces an interesting relationship between spaces. This precedent analysis provides seven techniques which are coupled with the strategies from Holl, and applied to the design. The resulting design is a successful mixed-use urban solution, with a focus on the outcome of interlocking apartments.
Pacific Island families’ perceptions of the parental role in the learning process – in a high school setting
Authors:   , Flavell Margaret
Published: November 2021

The New Zealand Ministry of Education has acknowledged the need for schools to work collaboratively with Pacific Island families so that parents can support their children to achieve positive academic outcomes. This study explored Pacific Island families’ perceptions of the parental role in the learning process within the context of a New Zealand high school where Pacific Island students were a minority. This study aimed to discover how Pacific Island parents and students perceived the communication process, both within the family and between home and school, so as to make informed recommendations to strengthen the role of Pacific parents in the learning of their children attending secondary school. A phenomenological qualitative design was employed, using focus groups and interviews. Participants were a group of seven Pacific Island parents and a group of 12 senior Pacific Island students. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model was used as a framework to analyse the data. Core values and beliefs which influenced the interaction between parents and their children, and how parents interacted with teachers, were identified. The study found that the parents believed in the importance of education as a means of achieving economic security and urged their children to work hard. They valued relationships with teachers so that they could work with them to support their children. Both parents and students shared values around the collectivist nature of acting interdependently and this may have contributed to the passive approach adopted by students in class and with their parents. A number of findings were drawn. Even though Pacific Island parents demonstrated their understanding of the school system through their selection of a high decile, academic school, they did not necessarily relate to the individualised communication within the school. Furthermore, since students often separated school from home life, many tended to avoid conversations about their learning with parents. Parents, therefore, often felt disconnected from the school and frustrated that they could not be more effective at supporting their children’s academic progress, despite a desire to be more involved. Students did not always respond positively to parental encouragement to work hard. Instead, fearing that they might not meet parental expectations, some tended to adopt a low profile and passive approach to learning in class. Recommendations focus on the need for schools to develop inclusive strategies which encourage dialogue between teachers, parents, and students so that a shared understanding of the students’ learning needs and targets can be achieved.
Self-remembering: Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (1870-1949) & his legacy
Authors:   , Nicholls-Parker Joanna
Published: November 2021

The subject of this thesis is the spiritual practices taught by Gurdjieff (1870-1949) and the legacy of these teachings in the major spiritual groups that have aspired to follow his path. I argue that at the core of these spiritual techniques are the practices that Gurdjieff referred to as “self-remembering” and “transition” and that by an analysis of these it is possible to articulate Gurdjieff’s spiritual system in a novel fashion. This articulation is then utilized to explore the different ways in which his system was developed by his disciples. The more recent studies of spirituality and spiritual techniques allow us to critically reconsider Gurdjieff and his legacy in a systemic and academic fashion. The thesis concludes that while Gurdjieff was a man and teacher of his time many of the themes of his teachings continue to resonate in contemporary spiritual movements and that his influence has been wider than is often acknowledged, and that at the centre of this legacy are his spiritual techniques. Gurdjieff used storytelling to advance an in-depth understanding of his teaching to his principal followers and it is through an evaluation of this investment that the promotion of self-awareness is seen as pivotal and central to any evaluation of the spiritual legacy. The way to distinguish Gurdjieff’s teaching from other of his principal followers, now 100 years on, is evident when contemporary literature can provide a valuable and insightful means to differentiate influence. The key contribution offered in the name of contemplative neuroscience in this thesis reveals that Gurdjieff taught by employing a narrative self-focus, while his principal followers taught by employing a self-reverential devotional focus. This sets the benchmark of the legacy up anew as reflecting at least two different theological approaches: self-focused or self-reverential. My critical analysis of Gurdjieff’s techniques will differ from a number of academic appraisals in that essentially hagiography is offered as a replacement for biography, and in this way with the assistance of phenomenology the legacy can be explained in a more true and reasonable fashion. This is because the lesser weight on biography allows the phenomenological perspectives to assist the teachings arrival at the ethereal state crystallization, revealing Gurdjieff’s personal agenda and indicating his means of delivery.
Cheer-Leading versus Truth-Seeking in Intimate Relationships: Scale Development and Testing
Authors:   , Murray Antoinette
Published: November 2021

This study details the development of a novel scale to measure individual differences in cheer-leading (bias) and truth-seeking (accuracy) in the context of romantic relationships. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out, which revealed the Cheer-Leading and Truth-Seeking Scale was internally reliable, and contains two distinct, albeit inter-related factors. Study 2 examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale. Cheer-leading and truth-seeking were related to relationship quality, attachment working models, responses to dissatisfaction and conflict, self-esteem and attributional complexity in largely predicted ways. Study 3 provided evidence for the predictive ability of the scale. Cheer-leading moderated the link between relationship quality and relationship problems as predicted. That is, high levels of cheer-leading provided a buffer against decreases in relationship satisfaction in the presence of more frequent and severe problems. The implications of this research and applications of this scale are discussed.
Intricate Identities: Cochlear Implant Users Negotiating Lives Between d/Deaf and Hearing Worlds
Authors:   , Bathard Hayley
Published: November 2021

The cochlear implant (CI), a device that “provides hearing sensations for severely and profoundly deaf individuals” (NZ Audiological Society), initially emerged for public use in the 1980s, but was met with strong opposition from Deaf communities in many countries (Lane et al 1996, Edwards 2005). However, since the beginning of the 21st century, hostility towards implants has lessened and they are increasingly accepted as an option in a range of possibilities for deaf children and adults. Despite increasing numbers of the Deaf community considering implants themselves, however, the continuing task of the Deaf community is to counter the conception of implants as ‘miracle cures’ for deafness (Lane et al 1996, Edwards 2005). Furthermore, the Deaf community needs to communicate to parents of deaf children that those with implants may still be perceived as d/Deaf, by both the community and themselves (Christiansen and Leigh 2002). This thesis explores the identities of a small group of cochlear implant users in New Zealand, and examines their involvement in both d/Deaf and hearing worlds. The narratives of my participants demonstrate some of the everyday difficulties that d/Deaf individuals, and their families, encounter in medical and health‐care settings, along with educational and workplace settings. I draw on participants’ narratives that explain their relationship with both medicalised and cultural models of deafness, and with Deaf culture, decisions about implants, and perceptions of the effects and limits of cochlear implants. I argue that the identities of CI users in modern New Zealand society are influenced by a multiplicity of factors, including medicalised understandings of deafness, familial pressures, the embodied experiences of CI technology, and personal identity trajectories. Given that these individuals are navigating these multiple threads in the formation of their identities, I argue that, at this stage in their lives, the CI users in this study occupy a liminal position in regards to d/Deaf and hearing worlds. Furthermore, I posit that the medical model of deafness needs to be tempered with social and cultural views of both deafness and CIs, and that the voices of CI users themselves should be prominent in such debates.
Resolving photoisomerization dynamics via ultrafast UV-visible transient absorption spectroscopy
Authors:   , Prasad Shyamal
Published: November 2021

Transient absorption spectroscopy has been employed to investigate three photo–active compounds; azobenzene, foldamer controlled by azobenzene, and oxazine. These compounds all have absorption in the ultra–violet regions responsible for their photo–active behavior. Due to this, the current transient absorption setup has been modified to extend the probing wavelength range to 320–650 nm, with the possibility of exciting the photo–active molecule in the ultra–violet.  Azobenzene is valuable in benchmarking and optimizing the transient absorption setup, it shows that the detection window has been extended out to 320 nm. By resolving the ground state bleach we have added support for the assignment of the final decay to thermalization in the ground state. Comparison of relaxation lifetime in acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran shows no noticeable change in the photophysics of isomerization between the two solvents.  The foldamer family excited state relaxation is similar to azobenzene. There is an extension in the S₁ branching lifetime from 1.1 ps in azobenzene to 1.7 ps for foldamer 1 and 4.2 ps for foldamer 2. The separation of branching on the S₁ surface and relaxation through the S₁ to electronic ground state intersection was possible by comparison of azobenzene and foldamer family. The solvent effects show little difference for all members of the foldamer family expect for foldamer 2, suggesting that the dynamics of the azobenzene moiety are not affected by the larger macro–structure of the foldamer.  For oxazine it has been established, by varying solvent polarity, that isomerization happens through three states; bond breakage, transfer to a dark state, and the final photo–isomer. This is confirmed by further studies completed after the introduction of electron withdrawing fluorine atoms. Carbon–oxygen bond cleavage occurs on the picosecond timescale, with solvent dependent rotation occurring in hundreds of picoseconds. Fluorinated oxazine shows a strong solvent dependence with rotation suppressed for all but the most polar of solvents.
Bridging the communication gap: What do primary healthcare practitioners in New Zealand know about health literacy? What are their attitudes towards it, and how do they implement any internationally developed health literacy tools?
Authors:   , Thomsen Jane
Published: November 2021

Health Literacy has been identified internationally as an important component of health equity. As a health consumer, being health literate includes having the ability to make an informed choice about health. As a healthcare provider or health educator, being health literate is having the ability to enable the consumer to become fully informed, even if there are barriers that complicate or hamper this ability. Many health literacy tools have been developed to support clinicians, including those in primary care, in communicating effectively with their patients. When properly utilised, these tools have the potential to improve the health outcomes of their patients and also to reduce health system costs. The literature produced about health literacy has seen exponential growth, especially over the last eight years, due to increased recognition of its contribution to better healthcare outcomes. This research examined whether General Practitioners (GPs) in New Zealand were aware of health literacy concepts and the specific tools that have been developed, and whether they were utilising them. Although some health literacy tools and strategies are being implemented by GPs, they are not necessarily realising this, as their concept of health literacy seems to be focused on the general literacy level of their patients. Health literacy tools identified tended to be in the form of print and online health education materials.
Regulating lobbyists in New Zealand
Authors:   , Williams Liam Alexander
Published: November 2021

Lobbying is a vital aspect of democratic governance and is for the most part beneficial to society. However, recent high-profile instances of lobbying activity in New Zealand have damaged governmental integrity and appear to have diminished public confidence in government decision-making processes. The Lobbying Disclosure Bill was introduced to the New Zealand Parliament in 2012 in the hope that transparency mechanisms could dissuade harmful lobbying without impeding ordinary activity. The Bill was rejected at the select committee stage due to a number of drafting deficiencies. These shortcomings made the Bill difficult to implement, and imposed a disproportionate limit on a number of human rights. Despite these failings, it is both possible and desirable to regulate lobbying activity in New Zealand. Drawing from overseas experiences, this paper suggests modifications to the Lobbying Disclosure Bill which would discourage harmful lobbying while also mitigating the concerns raised by critics of the Bill.
Institutional staff perceptions on the impact of accreditation: A study in two Vietnamese vocational training colleges
Authors:   , Pham Hien Thi Minh
Published: November 2021

Governments in many countries worldwide have increasingly focused on accreditation as an important strategy to improve the quality of vocational education and training (VET). In Vietnam, accreditation in vocational training is still in its initial stage of development. The first cycle of accreditation at institutional level was conducted in 2008, and accreditation at programme level was piloted for the first time in 2012. The purpose of this mixed method study was to investigate the actual effects of institutional and programme accreditation from the perspectives of staff members in two Vietnamese vocational training colleges. Sixty staff members in these two institutions participated in the study. A questionnaire combining closed-ended and open-ended questions was administered to all participants. To obtain more in-depth responses about the impact of accreditation, individual interviews were conducted with eight participants. The findings suggest that the staff members overall had a positive perception towards the impact of accreditation regardless of the type of accreditation. The three main perceived benefits of accreditation included the increased awareness amongst staff of QA, its role as a catalyst for institutions’ change and enhancement, and the improvements in managerial practices. However, the study found support for the view that accreditation seemed to have been geared towards accountability rather than improvement. Many staff members observed that accreditation did not lead to a significant increase in teaching and learning quality or the institutions’ reputation. The effects of accreditation were also seen to be temporary rather than long-lasting. In conclusion, the study argues that though accreditation in vocational training in Vietnam has gained some preliminary success, there is still a mismatch between policy and reality. A number of important implications at both national and institutional levels for more effective accreditation are identified.
Vietnam and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC): Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities
Authors:   , Vu Hoa Thi Hai
Published: November 2021

Although there is a large literature on ASEAN regionalism, comparatively little attention has been devoted to Southeast Asia’s efforts to build a shared social and cultural community. This thesis examines how the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) is understood in ASEAN and explores challenges that stand in the way of the Community being realized by its 2015 deadline. The study reviews the origins and response to the ASCC at both the regional level, and at the national level through a case-study of Vietnam’s participation. It argues that although the ASCC is an important component of the ASEAN Community building process and member states have proclaimed their determination to realize the ASCC by 2015, the reality in ASEAN with its “unity in diversity” and “ASEAN Way” norms, means there are many obstacles in the way. Divergent national interests and priorities have led to different priorities in designing and implementing the ASCC Blueprint in the period 2009-2015. The thesis concludes by speculating about the likely scenario for ASCC implementation. It argues that in 2015, the most likely scenario for the ASCC is one in which a nascent ASCC will be formed but with only some of its components in place. ASEAN needs a longer journey to realize its aspiration of a shared socio-culture community.
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) as a Non-traditional Security Issue in ASEAN: Vietnam’s Interests and Policies
Authors:   , Nguyen Ha Thi Thuy
Published: November 2021

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) has never received as much attention from the world’s leaders as it does today. This is because in addition to causing economic losses, disasters -both natural and man-made - have increasingly impacted on the quality of human life and human dignity. Disasters have become ‘securitized’ and have become increasingly understood as part of a ‘non-traditional’ security (NTS) agenda. The goal of disaster reduction and mitigation has become a greater priority for governments. In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, ASEAN countries have paid greater attention to HADR as a non-traditional security issue. HADR is one item under the ASEAN Socio Cultural Community, whose aim is to contribute to building a people-oriented and socially responsible ASEAN Community. HADR has also become the subject of various cooperation activities and mechanisms among regional and extra-regional countries, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM). As a disaster-prone country, Vietnam has an interest in cooperating with regional states in dealing with, combating, preventing and reducing disasters. Active participation in regional HADR activities provides Vietnam with the chance to deal with its own natural disasters, and creates opportunities for Vietnam to pursue its wider objective of a open, diversified and multilateralized foreign policy.
Computational Methods for Light Scattering by Metallic Nanoparticles
Authors:   , Somerville Walter Ross Campbell
Published: November 2021

The unifying theme of this thesis is that of light scattering by particles, using computational approaches. This contributions here are separated into two main areas. The first consists of examining the behaviour of the extended boundary-condition method and T-matrix method, and providing a modified set of equations to use to calculate the relevant integrals. From this, some linear relations between integrals were found, which hint at the possibility of a more efficient means of performing these calculations. As well as this, the severe numerical problems associated with this method were investigated, and the primary source of these problems was identified in the case of two commonly-used shapes, spheroids and offset spheres. The cause of these numerical problems is that dominant, leading terms in the power series expansion of the integrands integrate identically to zero, but in practice, numerical calculations have insufficient precision to compute this exactly, and the overwhelming errors from this lead to drastically incorrect results. Following this identification, a new formulation of the integrals for spheroids is presented, which allows the much easier treatment of spheroids, approaching the level of ease of calculations for spheres in Mie theory. This formulation replaces some terms in the integrands with modified terms, that do not contain the parts of the power series that cause problems. As these should integrate to zero, we are able to remove them from the integrand without affecting the correct result. The second area of this thesis is concerned with calculations of the near-field for systems of interest in plasmonics, and specifically in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Here, the enhancement of the electric field in the vicinity of a metallic surface has a large effect on measured signals. The contribution of this thesis is to study the geometric parameters that influence the distribution of the field enhancement at the particle's resonance, specifically focusing on different effects caused by the overall shape of the particle, as opposed to those effects due to the local shape of the particle in regions of high enhancement. It is shown that the overall shape determines the location of the resonance, while the local shape determines how strongly the enhancement is localised. Understanding the factors that influence the enhancement localisation will help in guiding the design of suitable plasmonic substrates.
China’s Bilateral Aid to the South Pacific Region: A Constructivist Analysis
Authors:   , Wang Zhen
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the role of China’s national identities and the impact on its foreign aid policies and practices. The multiple identities shape China’s role as a development partner in pursuit of economic cooperation with aid recipients and that seek to engage with traditional aid donors in terms of aid delivery. To explore the influence of national identities-the victimhood identity, the developing country identity and the rising responsible power identity behind China’s foreign aid policies and behaviors, this thesis uses a solid theoretical foundation-Constructivism. It analyses two empirical cases, the Fiji and the Cook Islands from 2006 to 2013, drawing from a large chunk of literature from English and Chinese publications, government documents, and relevant websites. The thesis finds that China’s aid policies and behaviors are mainly consistent with its victimhood and developing country identities. The country regards itself as a development partner rather than an aid donor and places great emphasis on mutual benefit and non-interference principles with a large proportion of its aid focused on infrastructure, construction-based projects. However, it also uncovers that China has started to address aid recipients’ demands. The country has also learned how to handle aid programs from other donor countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, which is incorporated into China’s new rising responsible power identity. The research aims to challenge the dominated rationality-based analysis and hopes to trigger further discussion about China’s aid and development.