bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Novel Pyran Fragments to Incorporate into Peloruside Analogues
Authors:   , Bayley Oliver
Published: December 2021

Cancer is currently the second largest cause of death globally, leading to a high demand for new and effective chemotherapeutics. For years, natural products have been used as a source of new bioactive compounds; of particular interest in this context, as a source of new chemotherapeutics. One chemotherapeutic candidate which has attracted significant attention in synthetic and medicinal chemistry communities, is peloruside A. Peloruside A is a bioactive secondary metabolite isolated from the New Zealand marine sponge Mycale hentscheli. Since its discovery, peloruside A has shown great promise in cancer studies both in vivo and in vitro with effects observed even at nanomolar concentrations. These chemotherapeutic effects have been shown to occur by halting cell division at the G2/M checkpoint via microtubule stabilisation. Of particular interest is that this stabilisation occurs in a manner distinct from that of the already established taxane class of microtubule stabilising drugs. This means that peloruside A is able to offer both inhibition of cell division in Taxol® resistant cells and synergistic inhibition alongside the current taxane drugs. Since peloruside A is not abundantly available from its natural source, there is a strong incentive for the development of new synthetic strategies for peloruside A production. Unfortunately attempts at aquaculture and attempts at developing an industrial scale synthesis have both proven unsuccessful thus far. In an attempt to overcome some of the difficulties with the scale up of peloruside, analogues have been developed that are intended to have similar bioactivity to peloruside A but simpler, more concise, synthetic routes. These analogues will also enable further elucidation of the binding properties of peloruside A. This project focuses on the generation of a functionalised pyran fragment, starting from a simple carbohydrate, that may be incorporated into the proposed analogues.
An Examination of Rural Homestay Operations through the Lens of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework: A Case Study of Phou Khao Khouay National Park Community-Based Tourism (PKK NP CBT), Lao PDR
Authors:   , Pasanchay Khamsavay
Published: December 2021

In many developing countries, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is regarded as a sustainable tourism development tool as well as a catalyst for rural community development through the involvement of local people and the improvement of the standard of living. To extend the involvement of the local community in CBT, homestay tourism is a form of operation unit and its concept aims to facilitate individual household social-cultural and economic benefit from CBT directly. Although homestays are widely regarded as providing better livelihoods directly to the homestay operators, it is not clear to what extent homestay operations actually contribute to the sustainable livelihood of homestay operators when considering the wider livelihood implications. This research seeks to explore this gap by analysing homestay operators through the lens of Sustainable Livelihood theory (Scoones, 1998). This research adopts a post-positivist paradigm with qualitative methodology. Taking a case study approach, semi-structured interviews and observations were employed to collect primary data from community leaders, heads and deputy heads of the tourist guides, and homestay operators themselves.  Results of the study found that although homestay tourism was initially established by the government. The study also found the main characteristics of the homestay operation are in a small size with a limitation of bedrooms, and a few family members involved in hosting tourists, which are husband, wife, and an adult child. All of these people are unpaid labour but receive benefits from the sharing of food and shelter. The study also uncovered that cash-based income, gender empowerment enhancement, and environmental enhancement were the positive impacts of homestay tourism on the livelihoods of the homestay operators, and these positive livelihood outcomes were in line with the original sustainable livelihood framework. In addition, cultural revitalisation was found as an emerged indicator of the sustainable livelihood outcomes, which was used to extend the revised framework. However, the study discovered that opportunity costs, culture shock, and conflict with villagers were negative implications affecting sustainable livelihood outcomes of the homestay operators. The revised Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) suggests that if these negative implications are mitigated, the overall livelihood outcomes will be even greater. The results of this study are expected to provide a deeper understanding of how the impacts of homestay tourism on the sustainable livelihood of the homestay operators.
Awareness and Integration: Understanding the Challenges of Inferring Multisensory Integration Outside of Awareness
Authors:   , Jenkins Daniel
Published: December 2021

Multisensory integration describes the cognitive processes by which information from various perceptual domains is combined to create coherent percepts. For consciously aware perception, multisensory integration can be inferred when information in one perceptual domain influences subjective experience in another. Yet the relationship between integration and awareness is not well understood. One current question is whether multisensory integration can occur in the absence of perceptual awareness. Because there is subjective experience for unconscious perception, researchers have had to develop novel tasks to infer integration indirectly. For instance, Palmer and Ramsey (2012) presented auditory recordings of spoken syllables alongside videos of faces speaking either the same or different syllables, while masking the videos to prevent visual awareness. The conjunction of matching voices and faces predicted the location of a subsequent Gabor grating (target) on each trial. Participants indicated the location/orientation of the target more accurately when it appeared in the cued location (80% chance), thus the authors inferred that auditory and visual speech events were integrated in the absence of visual awareness. In this thesis, I investigated whether these findings generalise to the integration of auditory and visual expressions of emotion. In Experiment 1, I presented spatially informative cues in which congruent facial and vocal emotional expressions predicted the target location, with and without visual masking. I found no evidence of spatial cueing in either awareness condition. To investigate the lack of spatial cueing, in Experiment 2, I repeated the task with aware participants only, and had half of those participants explicitly report the emotional prosody. A significant spatial-cueing effect was found only when participants reported emotional prosody, suggesting that audiovisual congruence can cue spatial attention during aware perception. It remains unclear whether audiovisual congruence can cue spatial attention without awareness, and whether such effects genuinely imply multisensory integration.
Exploring the sustaining factors that motivate nurses to work in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea
Authors:   , Poga Priscilla
Published: December 2021

Papua New Guinea is among other developing countries that are faced with a critical shortage in human resources in health, specifically nurses, and rural areas are the most affected. Initially, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there were only two relevant studies that directly related to Papua New Guinea in this area based on the literature search. The first of these two studies was focused on nurses and the social aspect of rural motivation compared to the other which was focused on rural health professionals in general. Nevertheless, other research studies were eventually found from other developing countries such as certain Pacific, African and Latin American countries that served to assist in focusing the research on the chosen topic.  This descriptive-exploratory study set out to explore the sustaining factors that influenced existing nurses to remain (or otherwise) in their work in Papua New Guinea’s rural areas. As such, the study involves 10 rural nurses with over two years of rural work experience in two different organisations; government and church. The interviews were semi-structured and were designed to explore the motivating factors for rural nurses and how any challenges, or demotivating factors, were overcome. The interviews were conducted in the common spoken language Tok Pisin which was translated into English, transcribed and analysed thematically.  Overall the study found that rural nurses are disadvantaged because they struggle with limited resources to deliver effective health care, and they also face several personal challenges which are often overlooked. The main findings are categorised under two major themes, 1) safety and 2) socioeconomic, and each are explored by further exploration of the themes and sub-themes that are evident in both. The implications of this study are examined, including recommendations, to develop policies that are designed to address the ongoing needs of rural nurses in Papua New Guinea.
Social Interactions In Non-Monetary Accommodation Sharing: Host’s Motivation and Value Co-Creation
Authors:   , Sevisari Undhan
Published: December 2021

Accommodation sharing, as collaborative consumption platforms, fosters memorable tourism experiences by allowing individuals to have direct interactions with hosts and local communities. Airbnb and CouchSurfing exemplify two of the most popular accommodation-sharing platforms, representing the distinction between monetary and non-monetary platforms. While Airbnb as a monetary accommodation sharing platform has gained much attention in the academic literature, little is known regarding CouchSurfing and its non-monetary model. Current research postulates that by the absence of financial involvement, CouchSurfing offers more intimacy and experience in the host-guest relationship. Meanwhile, shifts in tourist behaviour have determined the direction of value co-creation in the tourism industry. Together with tourism providers and other social actors, tourists are engaged in active participation and interaction to create value jointly and for all participants.  Motivated by the extant literature on accommodation sharing and value co-creation, this research contributes to the conceptualisation of value co-creation in non-monetary accommodation sharing through the perspective of the host. Taking CouchSurfing as the context, this research answers several questions: 1) what is the motivation of Indonesian CouchSurfing members to host? 2) Through what practices is value co-created between host and guest in CouchSurfing? 3) What resources are needed to co-create value in the context? 4) What value emerges from hosting in CouchSurfing?  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Bali. In addition to the individual interviews, a focus group discussion with 6 participants was held in Yogyakarta. Findings from this research highlight the intrinsic, personal and emotion-based nature of hosts’ motivations to participate in Couchsurfing, including the establishment of personal connections and friendships, an opportunity to behave in altruistic ways, and the increase of knowledge through other people’s lives and experiences. To fulfil these motivations to the best possible extent, guest selection strategies were put into place by hosts, based on prior experience. The co-creational social practices then closely aligned to those motivations and are regulated by hosts’ management strategies. This ensured a positive experience, resulting in a variety of value outcomes including new knowledge, positive self-identity as well as professional opportunities.  Findings of this research also highlight the unique nature of co-creational experiences in non-monetary accommodation sharing and the unusually strong impact of motivations on all components of the value co-creation process. This research concludes with suggestions for future research and both theoretical and practical implications for harnessing intimacy and authenticity in the tourism industry.
Modelling the probability of capture for New Zealand's longfin eels ('Anguilla dieffenbachii') and shortfin eels ('Anguilla australis')
Authors:   , Charsley Anthony
Published: December 2021

Longfin eel and shortfin eel probability of capture models can be used to build probability of capture maps. These maps can help identify eel encounter hotspots in New Zealand and are useful for managing and conserving the species. This research models longfin eel and shortfin eel presence/absence data using regularized random forest (RRF) models, vectorautoregressive spatial-temporal (VAST) models and Bayesian Gaussian random field (GRaF) models. Probability of capture maps built under VAST and GRaF remain approximately consistent with the maps built under RRF models. That is, longfin eels have high probabilities of capture around the coast of New Zealand’s North Island and have low probabilities of capture throughout the centre of New Zealand’s South Island. Shortfin eels have high probabilities of capture in small isolated regions of New Zealand’s North Island and have very low probabilities of capture throughout most of New Zealand’s South Island. Cross validation and spatial cross validation was used to compare the models. Cross validation results show that, compared to RRF models, VAST models improve predictive accuracy for the longfin eel and shortfin eel. Whereas, GRaF only improves predictive performance for the longfin eel. However, spatial cross validation shows no significant difference between VAST and RRF models. Hence, VAST models have higher predictive accuracy than RRF models for the longfin eel and shortfin eel when the training set is spatially correlated to the test set.
Posteriori Reconstruction and Denoising for Path Tracing
Authors:   , Liu Ping
Published: December 2021

Path tracing is a well-established technique for photo-realistic rendering to simulate light path transport. This method has been widely adopted in visual effects industries to generate high quality synthetic images requiring a large number of samples and a long computation time. Due to the high cost to produce the final output, intermediate previsualization of path tracing is in high demand from production artists to detect errors in the early stage of rendering. But visualizing intermediate results of path tracing is also challenging since the synthesized image with limited samples or improper sampling usually suffers from distracting noise. The ideal solution would be to provide a highly plausible intermediate result in the early stages of rendering, using a small fraction of samples, and apply a posteriori manner to approximate the ground truth.  In this thesis, this issue is addressed by providing several efficient posteriori reconstructions and denoising technique for previsualization of pa-th tracing. Firstly, we address the problem for the recovery of the missing values to construct low rank matrices for incomplete images including missing pixel, missing sub-pixel, and multi-frame scenarios. A novel approach utilizing a convolutional neural network which provides fast precompletion for initializing missing values, and subsequent weighted nuclear norm minimization with a parameter adjustment strategy efficiently recovers missing values even in high frequency details. The result shows better visual quality compared to the recent methods including compressed sensing based reconstruction.  Furthermore, to mitigate the computation budgets of our new approac-h, we extend our method by applying a block Toeplitz structure forming a low-rank matrix for pixel recovery, and tensor structure for multi-frame recovery. In this manner, the reconstruction time can be significantly reduced. Besides that, by exploiting temporal coherence of multi-frame with a tensor structure, we demonstrate an improvement in the overall recovery quality compared to our previous approach.  Our recovery methods provide satisfying solution but still require plen-ty of rendering time at prior stage compared with denoising solutions. Finally, we introduce a novel filter for denoising based on convolutional neural network, to address the problem as conventional denoising approach for rendered images. Unlike a plain CNN that applies fixed kernel size in each layer, we propose a multi-scale residual network with various auxiliary scene features to leverage a new efficient denoising filter for path tracing. Our experimental results show on par or better denoising quality compare to state-of-the-art path tracing denoiser.
A Multi-Framing Approach to Analysing the Effectiveness of the PhD Application Process at the Victoria Business School
Authors:   , Cooper Peter
Published: December 2021

In the eight years from 2007 to 2015, Victoria Business School has seen over a 500% increase in the number of annual submissions of PhD applications. The increase in the number of applications is straining the scarce resources allocated to the process and raising concerns about time pressures among some of the PhD Directors.  This research looks to uncover whether the PhD application process in its current form serves the university in achieving its strategic goals and how the process might be improved. Interviewing multiple stakeholders within the Victoria Business School in an semi-structured interview, generated information on different aspects of the process as the stakeholders see it.  The interview data was examined using a multi-framing methodology, analysing the data using the three frames of Business Process Modelling & Notation, Theory of Constraints, and Qualitative Systems Thinking, to draw out different insights and aspects of the problems impacting the PhD application process. In conclusion, it was found the current PhD application process was not effectively supporting the achievement of the university’s strategic goals.  The issues brought out by the application of multi-framing show the PhD application process is not effectively helping the university to achieve its strategic goals. Furthermore, the identification of different issues from each different frame analysis demonstrates the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  Recommendations were made as to how the problems can be addressed, negated or mitigated for the benefit of all stakeholders, while at the same time demonstrating the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  In the end recommendations were made to address all the issues brought out by the different frames. The issues fell into two categories, process issues or university issues, and affected different stakeholders.
The role of discourse in establishing an enabling context for organizational knowledge creation: An ethnographic study
Authors:   , Fletcher Jeanette Rae
Published: December 2021

The field of knowledge creation within organizational studies has pointed to the importance of an organization establishing an enabling context for fostering innovation and knowledge production. Factors identified as critical for enabling include the existence of structures and practices that foster solid collegial relations and enact a climate of care. Based on ethnographic research, this thesis adopts a broadly sociolinguistic approach to an exploration of interpersonal relations within a New Zealand IT company, in order to identify the ways in which a knowledge enabling context is instantiated.  Using, in particular, the rapport management framework developed by Helen Spencer-Oatey (2000, 2008) and highlighting the variable of participant relations, the study analyses the discourse of the organization as both language and action, to provide a more extensive account than has so far been achieved in the knowledge enabling literature, as well as extending the sociolinguistic work on language in the workplace into new domains of discourse.  The study shows that facilitation of and support for collegial relations occurs at all levels of the selected organization, from the spatial configuration and connectivity of the organization as a whole, through its component social structures, to the management of relations across levels of hierarchy. At the level of the organization as a whole, one organizational activity - the weekly company meeting - through its frequency, regularity, inclusiveness and management, facilitates and sustains collegial relations in multiple and distinctive ways. Two distinct kinds of organizational community are identified: the widely recognized community of practice (CofP); and a different kind of community, referred to in knowledge creation literature as a micro-community of knowledge. As well as identifying distinctive characteristics of these two communities, the analyses show that rapport is managed differently in each, while shedding new light on the productive interdependence of these two types of community.  An interactional ethos characterized by care is reflected in the communication style at all levels of the organization. Despite substantial differences in power and status, the study finds that associative expressiveness, low distance and generally positive affect dominate interaction throughout.  In closing, this thesis discusses the implications for future research into knowledge creation. It suggests, in particular, that including considerations of spatiality in the analytical framework has potential to contribute further to the field of language in the workplace through its influence as a vector of interaction.
How can music therapy support family relationships for people living in a long-term care facility with neuro-disabilities, when regular visits can be challenging?
Authors:   , Auer Karina
Published: December 2021

This exegesis will present the findings which emerged from secondary analysis of clinical practice data collected during a music therapy placement. The setting for this research is a long-term residential care facility for people aged 18 to 65 with a variety of physical and neurological conditions, including cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis. The aim of the facility is to maximise the quality of life for the residents and support their medical needs. The research aim was developed out of a personal interest regarding how family members might be included in music therapy sessions. The research question evolved into “How can music therapy support family relationships for people living in a long-term care facility with neuro-disabilities, when regular visits can be challenging”. The core themes suggest family relationships can be enhanced through conversations, the gift of music, culture, artefacts, ritual and other activities. The findings include a case vignette to illustrate important points made in the exegesis. Overall, I believe this research will add new insight into the importance of family connections in rehabilitation and overall wellbeing for the residents.
What strategies did I use, as a music therapy student, to promote child-led cooperative play in an inclusive education setting?
Authors:   , Hunt Emily J.
Published: December 2021

The fostering of inclusion in modern mainstream schools can be challenging. Student needs are becoming increasingly diverse, funding is scarce, and an attitudinal shift is necessary to value the contributions and identities of all learners. This study explores how music therapy can assist the process of inclusion by articulating the strategies I, a music therapy student, used when working to enhance musical play within a play-based learning environment. Findings have been generated using the methodology Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data which involved thematic analysis of session notes and my reflexive diary. They describe the strategies I used to facilitate children’s developing social play skills, which varied from onlooker and solitary play, to parallel (alongside) and associative play (with some unorganised verbal and musical interactions), culminating in cooperative play (with children interacting directly to organise play and assign particular roles). I identified five themes reflecting levels of social participation in musical play; meeting individual needs, facilitating involvement, encouraging participation, encouraging interactions and supporting play stages. ‘Encouraging interactions’ was identified as the key theme relating to cooperative play, and the most significant in fostering pro-inclusive social skills. Musical and non-musical strategies are described and the significance of musical co-playing in facilitating pro-inclusive interactions is explored. The strategies identified are relevant for fostering inclusion in other play-based learning programmes and free play environments in both primary schools and pre-schools in New Zealand and globally.
CJing: Combining Live Coding and VJing for Live Visual Performance
Authors:   , Purvis Jack Voldemars
Published: December 2021

Live coding focuses on improvising content by coding in textual interfaces, but this reliance on low level text editing impairs usability by not allowing for high level manipulation of content. VJing focuses on remixing existing content with graphical user interfaces and hardware controllers, but this focus on high level manipulation does not allow for fine-grained control where content can be improvised from scratch or manipulated at a low level. This thesis proposes the code jockey practice (CJing), a new hybrid practice that combines aspects of live coding and VJing practice. In CJing, a performer known as a code jockey (CJ) interacts with code, graphical user interfaces and hardware controllers to create or manipulate real-time visuals. CJing harnesses the strengths of live coding and VJing to enable flexible performances where content can be controlled at both low and high levels. Live coding provides fine-grained control where content can be improvised from scratch or manipulated at a low level while VJing provides high level manipulation where content can be organised, remixed and interacted with. To illustrate CJing, this thesis contributes Visor, a new environment for live visual performance that embodies the practice. Visor's design is based on key ideas of CJing and a study of live coders and VJs in practice. To evaluate CJing and Visor, this thesis reflects on the usage of Visor in live performances and feedback gathered from creative coders, live coders, and VJs who experimented with the environment.
East Antarctic Ice Sheet and Southern Ocean Response to Orbital Forcing from Late Miocene to Early Pliocene, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica
Authors:   , Turton Nikita Anne
Published: December 2021

Geological and ice sheet models indicate that marine-based sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) were unstable during periods of moderate climatic warmth in the past. While geological records from the Middle to Late Pliocene indicate a dynamic ice sheet, records of ice sheet variability from the comparatively warmer Late Miocene to Early Pliocene are sparse, and there are few direct records of Antarctic ice sheet variability during this time period. Sediment recovered in Integrated Ocean Drilling Program U1361 drill core from the Wilkes Land margin provides a distal but continuous glacially-influenced record of the behaviour of Antarctic Ice Sheets.  This thesis presents marine sedimentological and x-ray fluorescence geochemical datasets in order to assess changes in the dynamic response of the EAIS and Southern Ocean productivity in the Wilkes Land sector during Late Miocene and Early Pliocene to climatic warming and orbital forcing between 6.2 and 4.4 Ma. Two primary lithofacies are identified which can be directly related to glacial–interglacial cycles; enhanced sedimentation during glacials is represented by low-density turbidity flows that occurred in unison with low marine productivity and reduced iceberg rafted debris. Interglacial sediments contain diatomaceous muds with short-lived, large fluxes of iceberg rafted debris preceding a more prolonged phase of enhanced marine productivity. Interglacial sediments coincide with a more mafic source of terrigenous sediment, interfered to be associated with an inland retreat of the ice margin resulting in erosion of lithologies that are currently located beneath the grounded EAIS. Poleward invigoration of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current during glacial–interglacial transitions is proposed to have intensified upwelling, enhancing nutrient availability for marine productivity, and increasing oceanic heat flux at the ice margin acting to erode marine ice sheet grounding lines and triggering retreat.  Spectral analysis of the datasets indicated orbital frequencies are present in the iceberg rafted debris mass accumulation rates at all three Milankovitch frequencies, with a dominant 100 kyr eccentricity driven ice discharge. Prolonged intervals of marine productivity correlate to 100 kyr cyclicity occurring at peaks in obliquity. The response of both ice sheet and biological systems to 100 kyr cyclicity may indicate eccentricity-modulated sea ice extent controls the influx of warm water onto the continental shelf.
Trace metal accumulation in decapods and its use in monitoring the marine environment
Authors:   , Graham Annie
Published: December 2021

Coastal habitats are susceptible to severe contamination due to their exposure to both marine and terrestrial inputs, many of which contain toxic heavy metals. Trace metals in the marine environment can have severe impacts on the health of coastal ecosystems, as even those with essential functions can be toxic at high concentrations, and non-essential elements can cause impairment of biological functions even at low levels.  It is important to understand the chemistry of New Zealand’s marine environment, in order to successfully monitor any changes to the chemical profile of the environment from anthropogenic pollutants. Biological indicators are a useful tool for monitoring ecosystem health, and the impact of human activity on the environment. Crustaceans fulfil all the criteria of being good environmental indicators, as well as having a range of feeding strategies, and being present at multiple trophic levels. The aim of this research was to 1) investigate spatial variation and the effect of urbanisation in trace metal concentration in two native decapod species, Heterozius rotundifrons and Petrolisthes elongatus, which co-occur but feed at different trophic levels; and 2) examine how essential and non-essential trace metals are accumulated into different body tissues of the decapod Jasus edwardsii, a significant cultural and fishery species.  To assess spatial variation and trophic level differences between decapods, baseline data of the concentrations of thirty trace metals was collected and analysed from both species at three sites in the Wellington region. Little variation was found between the sites, despite their differences in proximity to urban development, but significant differences were found between species, with the consumer H. rotundifrons having higher concentrations of most trace metals than the filter feeder P. elongatus.  To assess trace metal accumulation into tissues of J. edwardsii, an experiment was run exposing juveniles to water doped with an elevated copper and neodymium treatment. Copper was preferentially accumulated into the organ tissue, as was expected for an essential element. Neodymium was accumulated differentially into organ and exoskeleton tissue depending on the treatment, with specimens in the elevated treatment taking it up into the shell rather than the organs. A second experiment was also run to investigate whether moulted exoskeletons would passively absorb copper from their environment, which was shown to be the case.  This research aids in understanding the importance of multiple species monitoring, as trace element accumulation was shown to be highly variable depending on species and metals, and contributes valuable geochemical data on native New Zealand species, which have been little studied in this context.
Shifts in social support: A phenomenographic study of Nigerian women who have had a stillborn baby
Authors:   , Popoola Tosin
Published: December 2021

Each year in Nigeria 314,000 mothers lose their babies to stillbirth. This study investigates the implications of these stillbirths for Nigeria’s Yoruba women, especially in relation to their social networks. The study is theoretically framed within the theory of social capital and the research methodology is phenomenography, a qualitative approach that concerns itself with difference in relation to experience. Twenty mothers of stillborn babies were purposefully recruited from Saki, a Yoruba community in South-west Nigeria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participants’ drawings and a focus group discussion. The transcribed data were analysed according to the principles of phenomenography. This yielded four broad categories: (1) relationships change; (2) relationships matter; (3) material support makes a difference; and (4) health professionals neither help nor support. These findings indicated that stillbirth interfered with the social networks of the participants, leading to a decline in their social networks and an emergence of the family as the primary source of support. The participants gained encouragement and empathy through their relationships with others but received minimal material support, even though it was badly needed. The participants expressed distrust in health professionals due to a lack of compassionate care. This study contributes to the understanding of stillbirth bereavement in three different ways. First, culture really matters in how mothers of stillborn babies express their grief, how they are supported and how they would want to be supported. Second, there is still a deficit of kind, compassionate and skilled nursing care for mothers of stillborn babies. Third, support becomes smaller, but more intense for mothers after suffering a stillbirth. This study, therefore, adds to the ongoing global conversations about how better bereavement care can become more realistic for mothers of stillborn babies by extending the theory of social capital and the methodological approach of phenomenography to the issue of stillbirth bereavement. The study concludes with recommendations for nursing, for research and for policy.
Māori Business Perceptions of the Potential Use of Biotechnologies in Pest Wasp Management
Authors:   , Palmer Symon
Published: December 2021

The government has set a target of Aotearoa becoming predator-free by 2050. Scientists see biotechnologies as a potential solution for pest management at large scale, with wasps identified as an opportune prototype for consideration as a trial. Wasps are identified to be costing $133 million annually to the New Zealand economy. Primary industries are most affected, spaces that Māori occupy as part of the burgeoning Māori economy. Given the complex relationship Māori have historically had with genetic modification and biotechnologies, and their involvement with industries said to benefit from wasp eradication, the views from Māori businesses are important. In this thesis, a kaupapa Māori, mixed-methodology study is conducted with people from eight businesses who intersect on these issues. Interviews helped gauge the ‘pulse’ of where Māori businesses stand on these issues. Five novel biotechnologies being actively researched for potential use, including gene drive and pheromone lures, are presented to participants. Which, if any, biotechnology might be acceptable for pest control? Views ranged from accepting to disapproving. A diverse economy framework is used to deepen understanding of participant priorities and implications for business values. Economic factors take a backseat and Māori values surface in non-market activity, transactions that deviate from capitalism, which are found to play an important role in decision-making on biotechnologies. A diverse economy framework thus sheds far more light on an issue than simple impact calculations. Communication of biotechnologies to lay audiences needs attention. Furthermore, impartial and credible evidence from multiple sources, not just scientists, is needed to best inform people on these issues.
An exploratory design science study on theory testing using crowdsourcing
Authors:   , Ushaka Ijay
Published: December 2021

Theory in Information Systems (IS) is very important to the development of the field. Theory building, and theory testing seeks to accumulate knowledge about the relationships between people and technology. Testing theory can be difficult to accomplish, especially when it involves humans, a diversity of methods and sources, multiple experiments, large data sets, and careful tuning of conditions and instruments. Crowdsourcing is a strategy supporting the distribution of activities to crowd workers, which suggests that it may be used to support theory testing.  This exploratory study seeks to analyse the adoption of crowdsourcing in theory testing, and to develop guidance for researchers to instantiate the strategy in their research projects.  The study adopts the design science research paradigm to explore incorporating the crowdsourcing strategy in theory testing, and to evaluate its viability and utility. According to the principles of design science research, the study is structured around the construction of several interconnected IS artefacts: 1) a conceptual framework articulating the main principles of theory testing; 2) a pattern model of theory testing, which codifies existing research approaches to theory testing; and 3) a decision tool, which codifies guidelines for researchers making decisions on which research activities to crowdsource.  In order to build the conceptual framework and pattern model, the study conducts a systematic review of theory testing in the IS domain. Both the conceptual framework and pattern model are then operationalized in the decision tool. The utility of the various artefacts is then assessed with the participation of research practitioners.  This study is relevant because it synthesizes knowledge about theory testing, builds innovative artefacts supporting the adoption of crowdsourcing in theory testing, helps academic researchers understanding the theory testing process, and enables them to adopt crowdsourcing for theory testing.
‘Strengthening community from the inside out’: Transformative possibility for climate change resilience and adaptation in Te Awa Kairangi-Hutt City
Authors:   , Simon Kaitlyn
Published: December 2021

How do we organise society and adjust our human relationships with the natural environment to adapt to a changing climate? How do we decide to make these adjustments? These questions shape Aotearoa-New Zealand climate change discourse across adaptation research and central and local government policy. A resilience approach to adaptation is one conceptual response that has gained popularity over the past decade. However, some critical geographers argue that the dominant typologies of resilience have been normalised as neoliberal capitalist strategies and positioned as ‘neutral processes’, and that these strategies can perpetuate inequity and unsustainability. Critical geographers therefore suggest focusing on addressing the root causes of inequity and unsustainability through transformative resilience and adaptation.  This research builds on critical geography work by exploring how Common Unity Project Aotearoa (CUPA), a charitable trust located in Te Awa Kairangi-Hutt City, is fostering a community that understands and performs transformative possibilities for resilience and adaptation. For community members of CUPA, ethical actions of a community economy, a process of collective learning and an ability to make sustainability accessible contribute to transformative adaptation and resilience. Exploration of these themes provides a grounded example of how communities can adapt to climate change in ways that also seek to transform inequitable and unsustainable capitalist relations with one another and with the natural environment. CUPA’s transformative work poses implications for councils and decision-makers seeking to build resilience and the capacity to adapt in community, offering alternate possibility for discourse, decision-making, participation and engagement.  I approach this project as a scholar-activist in recognition that research is a performative, political act. Through a scholar-activist methodology I use participant observation and interviews to gather insight and information. I ground my critical geography lens in care in order to contribute to a knowledge-making around climate change based in possibility and multiplicity, rather than of authority and judgement.
The Role of Attentional Bias in Excessive Food Consumption
Authors:   , Mercer Dayna
Published: December 2021

New Zealand obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. Excessive eating not only harms individual health, but also the NZ economy; health-related costs soar with rising obesity rates. The need to understand possible mechanisms driving excessive eating behaviour is now crucial. One cognitive mechanism thought to contribute to excessive eating is an attentional bias towards food stimuli. We propose this bias would be similar to the attentional bias that is consistently shown with emotional stimuli (e.g. erotic and mutilation images). In this thesis I examined attentional biases towards food stimuli and how they relate to both state (hunger) and trait (waist circumference) factors. In Experiment 1, I investigated the existence of a food-related attentional bias and whether this bias is stronger towards high calorie food images, compared to low-calorie and non-food images (household objects). Participants were asked to fast for 2 hours (to promote self-reported hunger) before completing a distraction task. This task has repeatedly shown an attentional bias to high arousal emotional images (erotic and mutilation scenes). On each trial, participants had to determine whether a target letter was a ‘K’ or an ‘N’, while ignoring centrally-presented distractors (high calorie, low calorie and household object images). Compared to scrambled images, all image types were similarly distracting. We found no support for the existence of an attentional bias towards food stimuli; nor did we find a significant association between the bias and either state or trait factors. Experiment 2 sought to conceptually replicate Cunningham & Egeth (2018) who found significant support for the existence of a food-related attentional bias. Participants completed a similar task. However, distractor relevance was manipulated by incorporating both central and peripheral distractors, to increase ecological validity. Additionally, participants were asked to fast for longer (4 hours) to increase self-reported hunger. Despite a significant distraction effect (participants were more distracted on distractor present vs. distractor absent trials) and distractor-location effect (participants were more distracted by central vs. peripheral distractors), participants did not exhibit an attentional bias towards food stimuli. Furthermore, no significant associations between the bias and either state or trait factors were found. Thus, food stimuli do not appear to rapidly capture attention the way that emotional stimuli do, at least not in this task. Future research is needed to clarify the role of cognitive mechanisms in excessive eating behaviour.
Reducing Stigma Toward Schizophrenia: An Investigation into what Information is Most Effective at Decreasing Negative Attitudes to Schizophrenia
Authors:   , Hayward Danielle
Published: December 2021

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness that manifests psychotic symptoms and largely affects an individual’s day to day functioning (Silva et al., 2017). In addition to the incapacitating symptoms of this disorder, patients with schizophrenia face another central concern: stigma (Stuart, 2016). In light of this, an abundance of previous research has been dedicated to discerning the most effective and feasible methods to reduce stigma towards mental illness (Corrigan, 2001). In particular, a large body of research has suggested that education - or more specifically, educating people about the causes of schizophrenia - may be an effective way to achieve this goal (e.g. Boysen & Vogel, 2008). So far, two causal explanations have dominated the literature; psychosocial causal explanations and biogenetic causal explanations. However, only a small number of experimental studies have directly compared the teaching of these opposing two models on levels of stigma (Lincoln, Arens, Berger, & Rief, 2008; Schlier, Schmick, & Lincoln, 2014; Walker & Read, 2002). The findings from these studies show that the effects of causal explanations on stigma are contradictory, thus highlighting the need for another experiment to discern the actual successfulness of these methods at reducing negative attitudes towards schizophrenia. Additionally, due to the mixed findings in the literature regarding the effectiveness of etiological information at lowering stigma, it seems warranted that further exploration into novel, educational teachings is conducted to establish whether causal information really is the most appropriate educational explanation to enlist if stigma reduction is the end goal. In the current research, two experiments were conducted where participants were provided different explanations for schizophrenia (both causal and non-causal in nature) or no explanation at all. Participants received either a biogenetic causal explanation of schizophrenia, a psychosocial causal explanation of schizophrenia, or a creative explanation for schizophrenia, (Experiment One). Comparatively, in Experiment Two participants were provided either a causal explanation for schizophrenia (biogenetic, psychosocial, epigenetic) or, no information at all. Findings from both experiments suggested there were no significant differences between the levels of prejudice and discrimination of participants who saw information which was causal in nature, and those who did not. Further, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that different causal explanations have varying effects on stigma. Moreover, the previously untested explanations for schizophrenia did not produce stigma reducing effects. Strengths, limitations, implications and future directions are discussed.