bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic investigations of the lithosphere in an amagmatic back-arc region: North Island, New Zealand
Authors:   , Dimech Jesse-Lee
Published: November 2021

New seismic constraints on crustal and upper mantle structures, kinematics, and lithospheric rheology are reported from an amagmatic back-arc region: the southwest North Island of New Zealand. Robust earthquake locations reveal a hypocentre 'downwarp' beneath the east-west trending Taranaki–Ruapehu Line. These earthquakes occur in the uppermost mantle, at depths of 30–50 km, and are distinct from shallower 8–25 km-deep earthquakes near Mt. Ruapehu in terms of focal mechanisms and principal stress directions.  A receiver function CCP stack shows that the mantle earthquakes occur beneath a large change in crustal thickness, where the Moho 'steps' from 28 to 35 km-deep and the steepest part of that step has a 20–50° dip. The mantle earthquakes are dominated by strike-slip fault movement and have a maximum compressive stress direction of NE–SW. The existence of mantle earthquakes beneath a steeply-dipping Moho step implies some sort of dynamic modication is occurring in the mantle lithosphere. One possibility to explain these features is the convective removal of the mantle lithosphere due to a Rayleigh–Taylor-type instability.  South of the Taranaki–Ruapehu Line, the Moho conversion weakens on both the receiver function CCP stack, and marine seismic reflection data under most of the Wanganui Basin (SAHKE02 and GD100 seismic lines). However, localised bright reflections at Moho depths can be seen in both near-vertical and wide-angle seismic data. Attribute analysis of near-vertical seismic reflections suggests that the rocks beneath the reflectivity are strongly-attenuating (Q ~20) with a negative velocity contrast relative to the lower crust. These observations are interpreted to be related to the presence of serpentinite (antigorite) and/or high pore fluid pressures in the mantle wedge.  The links between hydration of amagmatic back-arcs, serpentinisation and/or high pore fluid pressures, rock viscosity, and mantle instabilities are documented here for the southwest North Island of New Zealand. These associations may be applicable to other amagmatic back-arcs around the world.
REDD+ Governmentality: Governing Forest, Land, and Forest Peoples in Indonesia
Authors:   , Astuti Rini Yuni
Published: November 2021

Aimed at lowering forest carbon emissions through financing improved forest governance and socially inclusive land and natural resources use, the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus) program is attracting widespread interest and investment in Indonesia. REDD+ introduces new governmental rationalities, in which forest carbon is used as a standard to measure a country’s performance in keeping its tropical forests intact and defines the financial rewards the country will receive. REDD+ is one factor in an emergent new political conjuncture in Indonesia that is opening up to the possibilities for reworking forest governance. This thesis employs Foucault’s concept of governmentality to examine how governmental technologies are formed, contested and implemented through REDD+ and some of the early impacts the program is having (Foucault, 1991a).  Drawing on grounded empirical data and inspired by a ‘not-quite neoliberal nature’ framework (de Freitas, Marston and Bakker, 2015) I show how place-based discourses, politics, actors, and interests are shaping the way REDD+ unfolds in Indonesia. This is achieved through three case studies focused on the REDD+ Taskforce; the One Map Initiative; and an Indigenous land claim in a community in Central Kalimantan. Findings from the three case studies show how current deficiencies in forestland governance have been problematized where there is no clarity over who has rights to forestland, who owns the concessions and where they are. Thus, addressing current complexities is becoming the Taskforce’s priority through series of governmental technologies including the One Map Initiative. Meanwhile, activists are making use of this opportunity to render visible Indigenous land rights in an attempt to subvert focused technical fixes to more open social justice ends. By discussing the messy actualities of developing, implementing and responding to governmental technologies the thesis problematizes pro- and anti-REDD+ debates.  Rather than view REDD+ governmental technologies through “a programmer’s view” (Death, 2013) as a finished or rigid project implemented on others, I see it as an ongoing attempt to govern human – forest relationships that are shaped by contestations and resistances. Thus, the thesis makes an important contribution to neoliberal nature literature by showing that neoliberal governmental programs, such as REDD+, should be seen as sites of struggle, with different actors experiencing and engaging the program in different ways. As such, this thesis highlights how neoliberal mechanisms can be co-opted by particular actors in order to achieve diverse economic, social and environmental goals. Through engagement with governmental technologies the landscapes of forest politics change in both enabling and constraining ways.
Teaching Advanced Manding Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Systematic Instruction, Speech-Generating Devices, and Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behaviour
Authors:   , Carnett Amarie
Published: November 2021

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by marked impairments in social and communication skills, as well as restricted and/or repetitive patterns of behaviour or interests. Approximately 25-30% of children with ASD do not develop speech. As a result they may require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. However, most interventions discussed in our present body of research focuses on basic communication skills like requesting. As such, it is important to investigate systematic teaching strategies for more complex requesting (i.e., manding) skills like requesting actions or requesting information. This research aims to extend previous manding literature by investigating effective methods for teaching advanced manding skills to children with ASD who communicate using an SGD.  Three empirical intervention studies that a presented in this thesis evaluated the use of behaviour chain interruption strategy (BCIS) and systematic teaching procedures based on the principals of applied behaviour analysis (ABA), to teach advanced manding skills (i.e., manding for actions, manding for “where” questions, and persistence of “where questions”) for individuals with ASD who use speech-generating devices (SGD).  Single-case research methodology was used via variations of the multiple baseline design (i.e., multiple probe multiple baseline design across participants and multiple probe multiple baseline across participants and behaviour chains) to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. A total of three participants (2 boys and 1 girl, ages 13, 10, and 5) participated in the interventions that were designed to teach the targeted mand. Results of each study yielded positive results, in that each participant acquired the targeted skill. Generalisation (i.e., across stimuli, over time, and across communication partners) results were mixed, however with additional teaching with the use of systematic instruction they were also acquired. Although these results are preliminary, they indicated that advanced manding skills should be taught to children with ASD who communicate using SGDs and can be acquired with the use of systematic instruction.
Socioeconomic Status and Student Achievement in Primary School Mathematics: A Case Study of Two New Zealand Schools
Authors:   , Harrison Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

Existing research consistently identifies large differences in mathematics achievement between students from high and low socioeconomic status backgrounds. The link between socioeconomic status and student achievement has been repeatedly acknowledged throughout the literature, but reasons for this link are not yet fully understood. This study builds on existing international research, which identifies a large number of potential key influences for the disparity in mathematics achievement. The aim of this study was to identify which of the potentially key influences were possibly influencing student mathematics achievement in a high and a low decile New Zealand primary school, thereby suggesting ways to improve student mathematics achievement in the low decile school.  Often, changes within education, including in many intervention programmes, are generic, made without identifying the specific needs of an individual school and its students. The tools developed during this research were designed to be used in schools, allowing evidence-based needs to be identified, and any changes made to be targeted at the specific needs of the school and its students.  This research was conceived within a qualitative paradigm, and followed a collective case study design, focusing on two case schools, a high decile school (Pīwakawaka School), and a low decile school (Whio School). Data were collected through classroom observations, archival records, interviews, questionnaires, and physical artefacts, using tools specifically designed for this study. The data were analysed using grounded theory, allowing theories to emerge from the data.  The data collected from each school were compared and two theories emerged. The first theory is that students in the high decile school appeared to be doing a greater amount of mathematics than students in the low decile school. The second theory is that students in the high decile school appeared to have more opportunities to learn new mathematics than students in the low decile school. Additionally, the findings suggested that, due to the complex nature of teaching, there was more than one key influence on student mathematics achievement contributing to each of these emergent theories.  This research suggests that teachers at Whio School may be able to improve student achievement in mathematics by increasing both the amount of mathematics students interact with and the number of opportunities to learn new mathematics their students receive.
Synthesis of Antimycobacterial Agents that Harness Mycothiol and Cysteine conjugate β-lyase Metabolic Pathways
Authors:   , Riordan Scott W.
Published: November 2021

Mycobacterium tuberculosis kills approximately two million people each year and is second only to HIV/AIDs in terms of death from infectious disease. The most pertinent problem in regards to Mycobacterium tuberculosis today is the increasing prevalence of drug resistant strains. Thus, there is a great need for the development of new drugs with novel targets. This thesis aimed to address this problem by synthesizing a compound that could exploit the mycothiol detoxification pathway, unique to Mycobacterium, in order to cause cell death, through the release of a harmful halothioketene.  The research described herein involved the successful synthesis of the desired mycothiol analogue, along with three other related compounds. The target compounds were synthesised via protection of N-acetyl glucosamine, followed by thioglycosidation with cyclohexane thiol. Subsequent deprotection and coupling to Boc protected Strichlorovinyl cysteine provided access to the synthetic target and its β-anomer, as well as their Boc protected precursors.  The original synthetic target demonstrated weak antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis and an encouraging sub 100 μM MIC against Mycobacterium bovis derived Bacillus Calmette–Guérin. Unexpectedly the beta anomer of the synthetic target also displayed antimycobacterial activity against Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (MIC 125 - 250 μM). All compounds proved to be active against HL60 cells (16-114 μM).  Whilst further work is required to improve efficacy, the work presented here demonstrates the potential of these compounds as leads for the generation of new antimycobacterial agents.
Learning from the Artist: Theory and Practice of Example-Based Character Deformation
Authors:   , Lewis John
Published: November 2021

Movie and game production is very laborious, frequently involving hundreds of person-years for a single project. At present this work is difficult to fully automate, since it involves subjective and artistic judgments.  Broadly speaking, in this thesis we explore an approach that works with the artist, accelerating their work without attempting to replace them. More specifically, we describe an “example-based” approach, in which artists provide examples of the desired shapes of the character, and the results gradually improve as more examples are given. Since a character’s skin shape deforms as the pose or expression changes, or particular problem will be termed character deformation.  The overall goal of this thesis is to contribute a complete investigation and development of an example-based approach to character deformation. A central observation guiding this research is that character animation can be formulated as a high-dimensional problem, rather than the two- or three-dimensional viewpoint that is commonly adopted in computer graphics. A second observation guiding our inquiry is that statistical learning concepts are relevant. We show that example-based character animation algorithms can be informed, developed, and improved using these observations.  This thesis provides definitive surveys of example-based facial and body skin deformation.  This thesis analyzes the two leading families of example-based character deformation algorithms from the point of view of statistical regression. In doing so we show that a wide variety of existing tools in machine learning are applicable to our problem. We also identify several techniques that are not suitable due to the nature of the training data, and the high-dimensional nature of this regression problem. We evaluate the design decisions underlying these example-based algorithms, thus providing the groundwork for a ”best practice” choice of specific algorithms.  This thesis develops several new algorithms for accelerating example-based facial animation. The first algorithm allows unspecified degrees of freedom to be automatically determined based on the style of previous, completed animations. A second algorithm allows rapid editing and control of the process of transferring motion capture of a human actor to a computer graphics character.  The thesis identifies and develops several unpublished relations between the underlying mathematical techniques.  Lastly, the thesis provides novel tutorial derivations of several mathematical concepts, using only the linear algebra tools that are likely to be familiar to experts in computer graphics.  Portions of the research in this thesis have been published in eight papers, with two appearing in premier forums in the field.
Ideal Architecture Unit: Vacant Offices into Desirable Student Housing
Authors:   , Kurtz Jenneke
Published: November 2021

The architectural quality of student housing in new Zealand is a growing concern. Students often accept living in damp and mouldy flats as “a rite of passage”. Student Housing highlights that the environment students live in directly impacts how they think and feel, and ultimately how they succeed at university. Those students fortunate enough to live in University Halls rather than private accommodation are only provided with basic facilities that cater to the ‘typical student’ rather than their individual field of study and personal differences. This research proposes that we exceed current expectations and practice, firstly through designing accommodation based on students area of study and, secondly, through prefabricated design of a single ‘Ideal Unit’ adapted to suit a specific site. Specific design for architecture students will be explored, due to higher housing demands than most students. establishing what makes architecture students different from other students is essential in order to cater to these needs. These are both physical and intellectual needs, ranging from facilities such as workshop, pin up space and drawing boards to the need for architectural delight. Prefabrication allows faster construction and lower costs, however this design method has resulted in ‘copy and paste’ architecture that is monotonous and without excitement. An ‘Ideal Unit’ with a small number of variations allows no two users to have the exact same experience. The work of Le Corbusier is explored, in particular the Modulor. This thesis argues that the Modulor is applicable to modern design and should be used, to ensure we build for the human body rather than arbitrary measurements. The desired outcomes of this research is a site specific design located in Wellington. A prefabricated unit is modified for the site with the ability to be applied in another location. Overall this research will comment and critique on current institutional student housing practices, both locally and internationally. While advocating for a change not just to architecture student accommodation but to all student accommodation. What we study and how we live are so intertwined that we can no longer ignore the needs associated with what we study, we must design for it.
Improving the Performance of Cloud-based Scientific Services
Authors:   , Chard Ryan
Published: November 2021

Cloud computing provides access to a large scale set of readily available computing resources at the click of a button. The cloud paradigm has commoditised computing capacity and is often touted as a low-cost model for executing and scaling applications. However, there are significant technical challenges associated with selecting, acquiring, configuring, and managing cloud resources which can restrict the efficient utilisation of cloud capabilities.  Scientific computing is increasingly hosted on cloud infrastructure—in which scientific capabilities are delivered to the broad scientific community via Internet-accessible services. This migration from on-premise to on-demand cloud infrastructure is motivated by the sporadic usage patterns of scientific workloads and the associated potential cost savings without the need to purchase, operate, and manage compute infrastructure—a task that few scientific users are trained to perform. However, cloud platforms are not an automatic solution. Their flexibility is derived from an enormous number of services and configuration options, which in turn result in significant complexity for the user. In fact, naïve cloud usage can result in poor performance and excessive costs, which are then directly passed on to researchers.  This thesis presents methods for developing efficient cloud-based scientific services. Three real-world scientific services are analysed and a set of common requirements are derived. To address these requirements, this thesis explores automated and scalable methods for inferring network performance, considers various trade-offs (e.g., cost and performance) when provisioning instances, and profiles application performance, all in heterogeneous and dynamic cloud environments. Specifically, network tomography provides the mechanisms to infer network performance in dynamic and opaque cloud networks; cost-aware automated provisioning approaches enable services to consider, in real-time, various trade-offs such as cost, performance, and reliability; and automated application profiling allows a huge search space of applications, instance types, and configurations to be analysed to determine resource requirements and application performance. Finally, these contributions are integrated into an extensible and modular cloud provisioning and resource management service called SCRIMP. Cloud-based scientific applications and services can subscribe to SCRIMP to outsource their provisioning, usage, and management of cloud infrastructures. Collectively, the approaches presented in this thesis are shown to provide order of magnitude cost savings and significant performance improvement when employed by production scientific services.
The near win effect on observing behaviour in simulated slot-machine gambling: The role of conditioned reinforcement
Authors:   , Colls Lauren
Published: November 2021

Slot machines are a remarkably popular mode of gambling even though they are programmed to make a profit by paying out less money than is put in. One common feature of slot machines, which may increase the likelihood of persistent gambling in the face of this monetary loss, is the near win. This study’s aim was to investigate the conditioned reinforcing properties of near wins using an observing response procedure in the context of a simulated slot machine. In an observing response procedure, participants can use an observing button to produce a stimulus correlated with the availability of reinforcement (S+) or a stimulus correlated with no reinforcement or less reinforcement (S-). The percentage of observing responses made for each stimulus is thought to reflect the reinforcing efficacy of the reinforcer correlated with each stimulus. Experiment 1 successfully tested the procedure with an obvious reinforcer - wins - and found consistently more observing for the S+. In Experiment 2 and 3 the S+ was correlated with near wins, and in Experiment 2 only those with slot-machine experience had consistently more observing for the S+. Experiment 3 increased the probability of wins to enhance the reinforcing efficacy of near wins, but failed to find consistently more observing for the S+, regardless of slot machine or scratchie card experience. These results indicated that near wins are not conditioned reinforcers. However, participants tended to bet more following near wins than losses, which suggested that near wins may instead function as discriminative stimuli.
Tama Samoa Stories: Experiences and Perceptions of Identity, Belonging and Future Aspirations at Secondary School
Authors:   , Rimoni Fuapepe
Published: November 2021

This thesis investigates the experiences of twelve strong, articulate and thoughtful tama Samoa (Samoan boys) through their participation in secondary schools and lives outside the classroom and through the stories of others. The study looked at how the students enacted their identities as Samoans, as learners and as young men who are anticipating the future. The study is premised on the view that Pacific identities are fluid, diverse, multi-dimensional and include a range of different perspectives relating to social class, ethnicity, culture and gender. Such a view of identity as complex is not generally taken into consideration in the literature on educational success and achievement of Pacific students in New Zealand.  The study employed a phenomenological qualitative design, using focus groups and semi-structured interviews by talanoa (conversations). As the study involved a group of indigenous tama Samoa, the Samoan fa’afaletui method was used. Participants were a group of twelve tama Samoa in three Wellington secondary schools and their twelve nominated persons.  The study found that there are key aspects to making the experiences of tama Samoa positive and successful within the secondary school. These include acknowledging tama Samoa and their multiple identities while attending secondary school; supporting the development of a sense of belonging through everyday interactions with peers and teachers, and affirming the belief by tama Samoa that secondary school socialisation serves to help them make future decisions.  This study argues that the experiences of tama Samoa are deeply embedded within wider social, economic and political trends. Indeed, their “voices” are shaped in part by these broader forces that construct and represent them as being historically “disadvantaged” and socio-economically “underserved.” Further, this study advocates for the diverse voices of tama Samoa, along with their experiences, stories, hopes, aspirations and dreams to be brought to light and placed alongside the official accounts of Pacific “disadvantage” to enable more balanced critical discourses taking place.  It is hoped that this study will offer further insights into the experiences of tama Samoa in the New Zealand secondary school context, from which valuable knowledge is derived to inform and support schools in improving the New Zealand secondary school experiences of Samoan adolescent boys.
Sowing the Gospel of Peace: Missionary James Watkin at Karitāne and Wellington, 1840-1855
Authors:   , Woodfield Mary-Anne
Published: November 2021

Wesleyan missionary James Watkin established the first mission station in the South Island at Karitāne in May 1840 and in 1844 he shifted to Wellington, where he remained with his family until 1855. During this time Watkin recorded his mission work in his journal, a key primary source for this research. While his efforts as a missionary have been considered particularly in texts covering New Zealand mission and South Island history, this thesis focuses on how James Watkin’s work helped to encourage physical and moral peace where he was located. Key elements of this work involved running church services for Māori and Europeans, and commencing schools at which Māori were taught literacy in their own language. By these avenues, Watkin diffused among his hearers the Christian teachings which encouraged peaceful conduct and moderation over violence and excesses which proved detrimental to the wellbeing of the community. Through more direct interventions, Watkin helped to defend young and lowly members of society from violence intended or practiced against them. This diffusion of Christian teachings and Watkin’s direct interventions encouraged peace within the community. Secondly, missionaries aimed to foster peace amidst times of war by assuming the role of mediators and encouraging chiefs to adopt Christianity, by which means peaceable sentiments could be fostered within their tribe. By visiting each area of his circuit and organising church gatherings, Watkin helped to facilitate peace within and between tribes, as Wesleyan Māori from various areas assembled to participate in church activities where amiable sentiments were fostered. This thesis proposes that by these various avenues, the Reverend James Watkin contributed to the fostering of peace in the community and in times of war.
“But I am still a girl after all”: A Discourse Analysis of Femininities in Popular Japanese Manga Comics
Authors:   , Nishiyama Yurika
Published: November 2021

Where progression towards gender equality is concerned, Japan lags behind most other developed countries with its culture which heavily values tradition. However, its traditional gender roles may be changing as the birth-rate declines and women take up the increasing opportunities opening up for them in the workplace. Within the contexts of these tensions between traditionalism and change, this study investigated the constructions of femininity in popular Japanese manga, one of the most consumed forms of media in Japan which also enjoys global popularity. As such, this study approached manga as a potentially important resource for identifying the available meanings of being a young Japanese woman in contemporary Japanese society. To date, little research has examined manga, and much of the available literature has used content analysis or focused solely on superheroine characters and the romantic interest. As a point of difference, this research implemented discursive analyses and sought to identify a range of femininities made available to readers in manga. It examined four titles within two genres of manga: the shounen genre targeted to male audiences and the shoujo manga, targeted at a female audience. The research employed a feminist, poststructuralist framework to identify the ways in which constructions of femininity in manga drew on dominant Japanese discourses of femininity as well as more globally produced postfeminist discourses associated with popular culture. The study found that manga overall produced femininities within both traditional and contemporary postfeminist discourses. Analyses also highlighted the limited meanings of femininity made available to young female audiences of shoujo manga through dominant postfeminist, empty representations of ‘empowerment’ whilst also underlining the problematic dominance of sexist portrayals of young women in shounen manga. Further, the storylines of shoujo manga were found to be replete with romantic narratives, prioritising romance and marriage as a means to happiness. These findings may identify the implications of such femininities on how young Japanese women view themselves, and are viewed by others globally.
Towards a Better Understanding of High-Growth Technology Firms
Authors:   , Greig Sasha
Published: November 2021

High-growth has long been of interest to management academics, as they seek to understand how uncharacteristically high periods of revenue or employment growth occur, and the effects they have on firms, and the wider economy. However, despite the ongoing interest in the field, there have not been conclusive studies that are able to piece together all of the factors that may play a role in the occurrence of high-growth, and therefore there is still relatively little understanding of how and when high-growth occurs, and what control firms may have over such growth.  This mixed-methodology research uses both quantitative analysis of high-growth patterns, and qualitative interviews with relevant firms to explore the factors commonly associated with high-growth. This allows for a better understanding of how high-growth may occur. The findings indicate that high-growth is typically the product of interactions between a range of factors. The most influential factor on high-growth appears to be the competence, expertise, and experience of those managing the firm, either in a directorial or managerial capacity. The findings also indicate that, while high-growth may not be entirely predictable, there are commonalities between the high-growth patterns that technology firms experience, such as the receiving of patents, or even inclusion in the TIN100 database. Overall, this research found that there appears to be much greater diversity in high-growth than previous literature tends to suggest.  The research concludes with practical implications of these findings for firms and managers of these findings, as well as suggesting directions for future research in the field.
Real-Time Image Based Lighting for 360 Degree Panoramic Video
Authors:   , Iorns Thomas
Published: November 2021

The application of the newly popular content medium of 360 degree panoramic video to the widely used offline lighting technique of image based lighting is explored, and a system solution for real-time image based lighting of virtual objects using only the provided 360 degree video for lighting is developed. The system solution is suitable for use on live streaming video input, and is shown to run on consumer grade graphics hardware at the high resolutions and framerates necessary for comfortable viewing on head mounted displays, rendering at over 60 frames per second for stereo output at 1182x1464 per eye on a mid-range graphics card. Its use in several real-world applications is also studied, and extension to consider real-time shadowing and reflection is explored.
Tensions and Possibilities. The Interplay of 'Traditional' Cultural Elements and the Creation of 'Contemporary' Rapa Nui, Māori and Samoan Diasporic Theatre
Authors:   , Fortin Cornejo Moira
Published: November 2021

This thesis focuses on notions of ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ theatre in two Pacific Island contexts, Aotearoa and Rapa Nui. It explores how notions of ‘tradition’ are imagined, recreated, and performed through the ‘contemporary’ creative arts, with a particular focus on theatre. It offers insight about culturally-situated understandings of ‘tradition’, and seeks to acknowledge diverse meanings and perceptions of theatre that exist across diverse Pacific Island cultures, languages, and epistemologies.   Ideas about what constitutes ‘tradition’ have been significantly impacted by colonial histories, and that these culturally and historically situated ideas have wide-ranging implications for creative possibilities in the ‘contemporary’ performing arts. ‘Traditional’ performances are often seen as acceptable and relevant to Indigenous communities in Aotearoa and Rapa Nui, contributing to processes of cultural reclaiming and revitalisation. Although cultural continuity is a significant theme in Indigenous theatre in Aotearoa and Rapa Nui, the different emphasis placed upon notions of ‘tradition’ across these comparative contexts has led to very different artistic possibilities being available. In Rapa Nui there is a general reluctance in the performing arts to deviate from ‘tradition’ or to declare work as ‘contemporary.’ The reproduction of ‘traditional’ styles and stories is one response to ongoing colonialism in Rapa Nui, and to the ever present demands of the tourist industry.  Māori and Samoan theatre practitioners in Aotearoa have developed theatre forms and processes that are based in cultural values and epistemologies while also being integrated with European theatre techniques, creating innovative approaches to ‘contemporary’ themes and understandings. These developments in the creative arts are supported by the availability of a wide range of theatre education opportunities. Culturally reflective and situated approaches to theatre education have enabled Indigenous theatre practitioners in Aotearoa to use theatre as a forum to express ideas and issues to the community weaving in a variety of different cultural influences, and techniques.  This thesis utilised a case-study methodology and open-ended interviews, framed under the research methodology of talanoa, to interact with Māori, Samoan diasporic and Rapanui theatre practitioners, in order to explore their perceptions towards ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ practices. This research focuses on the positives of cultural dialogue, and it emerges from a desire to support intercultural theatre practices in Aotearoa and Rapa Nui.
Seismic Anisotropy at the Hikurangi Subduction Margin
Authors:   , Wilson Thomas
Published: November 2021

To determine the stress state in the southern North Island of New Zealand, we use shear wave splitting analysis to measure seismic anisotropy and infer the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress directions (Shmax) in the crust. We use data recorded by 44 temporary seismometers deployed as part of the Seismic Array Hikurangi Experiment, and from six permanent stations from the national GeoNet network. Using 425 local earthquake events recorded across the 50 stations we made 13,807 measurements of the two splitting parameters, φ (fast direction) and δt (delay time). These measurements are compared to SHmax directions obtained from previous focal mechanism studies (SfocalHmax), and stresses due to the weight of topography (SgravHmax). Generally there is good agreement between the alignment of SfocalHmax, SgravHmax, and the mean φ measured at each station. We also ﬁnd a∼ 90◦ change in the trend of φ in the Wairarapa region for stations across the Wairarapa Fault trace. Based on the variation of φ, we divide the study region into three regions (West, Basin, and East), whose bounds approximately coincide with the Wairarapa and Dry Creek faults. We ﬁnd the average φ of the West region average agrees with previous anisotropy studies, which were undertaken within the bounds of the West region on the Tararua array. Also, we use our delay time measurements to estimate a 3.7±1.2% strength of anisotropy in the overriding Australian Plate, which agrees with the 4% crustal anisotropy measured previously. There is close alignment of the region average φ of the West and East regions, which also agrees with the deep splitting measurements previously obtained. There is no signiﬁcant diﬀerence between the mean φ and Sgravhmax for the West and Basin regions; however, we ﬁnd a diﬀerence of 31± 19.5◦ for the East region. We argue that this diﬀerence is due to tectonic loading stresses being suﬃciently large in the East region to cause the total stress ﬁeld to deviate from the gravitational stress ﬁeld.
Retrofitting Memory: Retrofitting a Non-Physical Architecture
Authors:   , Low Soon Yie
Published: November 2021

This project looks at how destroyed architecture, although physically lost, fundamentally continues to exist within human memories as a non-physical entity. The site chosen is Avonside Girls’ High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, a school heavily damaged during the February 22nd earthquake in 2011. The project focuses on the Main Block, a 1930s masonry building which had always been a symbol for the school and its alumni.  The key theories relevant to this are studies on non-material architecture and memory as these subjects investigate the relationship between conceptual idea and the triggering of it. This research aims to study how to fortify a thought-based architecture against neglect, similar to the retrofitting of physical structures.  In doing so, the importance of the emotive realm of architecture and the idea behind a building (as opposed to the built component itself) is further validated, promoting more broadminded stances regarding the significance of the idea over the object. A new method for disaster recovery and addressing trauma from lost architecture is also acquired. Factors regarding advanced structural systems and programmes are not covered within the scope of this research because the project instead explores issues regarding the boundaries between the immaterial and material.  The project methodology involves communicating a narrative derived from the memories alumni and staff members have of the old school block. The approach for portraying the narrative is based on a list of strategies obtained from case studies.  The final product of the research is a new design for the high school, conveyed through a set of atmospheric drawings that cross-examines the boundaries between the physical and non-physical realms by representing the version of the school that exists solely within memories.
Evolution of a Normal Fault System, northern Graben, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand
Authors:   , Cameron Hamish
Published: November 2021

This study investigates the evolution (from initiation to inactivity) of a normal fault system in proximity to active petroleum systems within the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. The aim of this research is to understand the evolution, interaction, and in some cases, death of normal faults in a region undergoing progressive regional extension. This research provides insight into the geometry, development, and displacement history of new and reactivated normal fault evolution through interpretation of industry standard seismic reflection data at high spatial and temporal resolution. Insight into normal fault evolution provides information on subsidence rates and potential hydrocarbon migration pathways.  Twelve time horizons between 1.2 and 35 Ma have been mapped throughout 1670 square kilometres of the Parihaka and Toro 3D seismic reflection surveys. Fault displacement analysis and backstripping have been used to determine the main phases of fault activity, fault growth patterns, and maximum Displacement/Length ratios. The timing, geometry, and displacement patterns for 110 normal faults with displacements >20 m have been interpreted and analysed using Paradigm SeisEarth and TrapTester 6 seismic interpretation and fault analysis software platforms.  Normal faults within the Parihaka and Toro 3D seismic surveys began developing at ˜11 Ma, with the largest faults accruing up to 1500 m of displacement in <10 Myr (mean throw displacement rate of 0.15mm/yr). Approximately 50% of the 110 mapped faults are associated with pre-existing normal faults and have typical cumulative displacements of ˜20 – 1000 m, with strike parallel lengths of <1 – 23 km. In contrast, new faults have typically greater displacements of 20 – 1400 m, and are generally longer with, with strike parallel lengths of ˜1 – 33 km.   New faults were the first faults within the system to become inactive when strain rates decreased from 0.06 – 0.03 between 3.6 and 3.0 Ma. Eight of the largest faults with > 1000 m cumulative displacement reach the seafloor and are potentially active at present day. An earthquake on one of these faults could be expected to produce MW 2.2 based on the maximum strike-parallel length of the fault plane.
Novel Magnetic Resonance Acquisition and Processing Strategies for Biological Tissue Characterisation
Authors:   , Zong Fangrong
Published: November 2021

Proton magnetic resonance techniques have become indispensable for characterising tissues non-invasively. These methods provide abundant information regarding metabolism, morphology and histology of the sample under study. While these techniques were more expensive in the past compared to radioactive methods, modern advances in hardware and methodology provide the potential to use magnetic resonance systems more efficiently and widely. In this context, this thesis explored innovative magnetic resonance technologies from three independent perspectives which are suitable for tissue characterisation, utilising techniques from a wide range of disciplines including physics, engineering, biology and medical sciences.  One strategy relates to compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging, seeking to recover detailed features at high undersampling rates. A data-adaptive sparse transform facilitated by principal component analysis was introduced as an alternative to the conventional pre-defined sparse transform. Moreover, the principal component analysis was used in a recognition algorithm for the reconstruction of undersampled data. The performances of these approaches were studied in cases of localised changes in the acquired images. The results demonstrated that the recognition reconstruction algorithm performed better than wavelet compressed sensing. This progress can be utilised to accelerate current state of the art imaging protocols at high magnetic field strengths. Furthermore, the prior knowledge contained in high resolution databases may enhance imaging capabilities of technologies at low magnetic field strengths.  A second approach exploits nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion contrast instead of contrast agents for tissue characterisation. Microstructural information and global fractional anisotropy can be obtained from diffusion-diffusion correlation spectroscopy via a novel multi-dimensional gradient scheme. The concept was validated by random walk simulations and experiments of biological samples. Both correlation maps and global fractional anisotropy of in vitro healthy and tumour-bearing mouse brains were found to be different, thus providing a potential application of the proposed scheme in diffusion oncology.  In addition, a threshold algorithm on the selection of a region of interest was implemented to minimise inter-observer variations. This technique was applied to a pilot study of diffusion weighted imaging data which were acquired from patients after x-ray mammography indicated lesions. The statistical analysis revealed an optimal threshold similar to values commonly used in positron emission tomography. Apart from selecting regions automatically, various data processing methods were implemented and compared with each other regarding their diagnostic accuracies. This field study provides opportunities for standardising procedures in diffusion weighted mammography, which may be integrated into clinical analysis in the future.
Corals and Carbon: The physiological response of a protected deep-sea coral (Solenosmilia variabilis) to ocean acidification
Authors:   , Gammon Malindi
Published: November 2021

Calcifying corals provide important habitat complexity in the deep-sea and are consistently associated with a biodiversity of fish and other invertebrates. Little is understood about how deep-sea corals may respond to predicted scenarios of ocean acidification (OA), but any predicted changes will have wider impacts on the ecosystem.   Colonies of Solenosmilia variabilis, a species of deep-sea coral found in the waters surrounding New Zealand, were collected during a cruise in March 2014 from the Louisville Seamount chain. Over 12-months, coral samples were maintained in temperature controlled (~3.5°C) continuous flow-through tanks. A control group of coral colonies was held in seawater with pH 7.88 and a treatment group in pH 7.65. These two pH levels were designed to reflect current pH conditions and end-of-century conditions, respectively. In addition to investigating changes in growth and morphology, measurements of respiration and intracellular pH (pHi) were taken after a mid-term (6 months for respiration; 9 months for pHi) and long-term (12 months for both respiration and pHi) exposure period. An established method used in measuring the pHi of shallow water corals was adapted for use with deep-sea corals for the first time. pHi was independent from the seawater treatment and ranged from 7.67 – 8.30. Respiration rate was not influenced by the reduced seawater pH tested here. Respiration rates were highly variable, ranging from 0.065 to 1.756 μg O2 g-1 protein h-1 and pHi ranged from 7.67 – 8.30. Yearly growth rates were also variable, ranging from 0.53 to 3.068 mm year-1, and again showed no detectable difference between the treatment and control colonies. However, a loss in the colouration of coral skeletons was observed in the treatment group and was attributed to a loss of tissue. This could indicate a reallocation of energy, allowing for the maintenance of those other physiological parameters measured here (e.g. growth and respiration rates). If this is indeed occurring, it would be consistent with the idea of phenotypic plasticity, where corals can alternate between soft-bodied and fossilizing forms, allowing them to survive past periods of environmental stress.   This research is an important first step towards understanding the sensitivity of deep-sea corals to OA and the potential for acclimation, and suggests that in many respects, S. variabilis might not be susceptible to end-of-century projections of OA. Nevertheless, the observed tissue loss is interesting and warrants further investigation to assess its long-term implications. Furthermore, the impacts of greater levels of OA, and the interactive effects of other ecological parameters such as food availability, need to be tested.