bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Source Conflict Cost Criterion: A Pragmatic Approach to Floating Conclusions
Authors:   , Morales Delgado Jorge
Published: December 2021

Our research examines the problem of multiple lines of reasoning reaching the same conclusion, but only through different and unrelated arguments. In the context of non-monotonic logic, these types of conclusions are referred to as floating conclusions. The field of defeasible reasoning is divided between those who claim that floating conclusions ought not to be accepted through a prudent or skeptical point of view, whereas others argue that they are good enough conclusions to be admitted even from a conservative or skeptical standard. We approach the problem of floating conclusions through the formal framework of Inheritance Networks. These networks provide the simplest and most straightforward gateway into the technical aspects surrounding floating conclusions in the context of non-monotonic logic and defeasible reasoning.  To address the problem of floating conclusions, we construct a unifying framework of analysis, namely, the Source Conflict Cost Criterion (SCCC), that contains two basic elements: source conflict and cost. Both elements are simplified through a binary model, through which we provide a comprehensive understanding of the floating conclusions as well as the problematic nature of the debate surrounding this type of inferences. The SCCC addresses three key objectives: (a) the assessment of floating conclusions and the debate surrounding its epistemological dimension, (b) the construction of a general and unified framework of analysis for floating conclusions, and (c) the specification of the normative conditions for the admission of floating conclusions as skeptically acceptable information.
Record linkage on Māori land data to find and connect the missing
Authors:   , Chan Valerie
Published: December 2021

We consider probabilistic modelling for accomplishing record linkage across two large scale publicly available data sources: New Zealand Births Deaths and Marriages (BDM), and Māori Land Online (MLO). We undertake this project in the context of te ao Māori, integrating mātauranga Māori principles into the work. We present several methods for record linkage and several novel ways to reject false linkages.
Unexpected events and brand loyalty. The case of Crusaders Rugby Club
Authors:   , Ash Paula
Published: December 2021

Prompted by the Christchurch mosque massacres of March 2019, considerable concern was expressed by society around the world, and New Zealand in particular, about anything that might provoke further attacks on Muslims. Consequently, the branding of the Crusaders rugby club in Christchurch came under scrutiny - and became the topic of this research. The research questions were: which brand elements of a sports team would have the greatest impact on attitude to that brand and consequently the brand loyalty; and how will time and an unexpected event change attitudes to a brand, especially the influence of brand elements? Although indications are that sports related brand elements should influence brand attitude and in turn positively influence brand loyalty, this has never been researched against the backdrop of an unexpected event.   Adopting a post-positivist approach, a quantitative study was undertaken to answer the research questions. An anonymous online survey yielded 361 usable responses, of which 103 were from Crusaders fans. The analysis was conducted as two studies: (1) the whole participant group and (2) only the Crusaders fans. Study one provided demographic data and consumer views on sports brand elements influencing brand attitudes, either side of an unexpected event. For study two, factor analysis and structural equation modelling provided an indication of the hypothesized relationships between certain brand elements (name, logo, characters, pageantry) and past success on attitude to the brand and thence to brand loyalty.  Findings indicate that before such an event, only name and characters exerted a positive influence on attitude towards the brand, whereas after the event, name, characters, logo and past success all exerted an influence on attitude. In neither situation did pageantry exert a significant influence on brand attitude. In both situations, attitude influenced brand loyalty positively.  This study seeks to contribute empirical evidence for academics and practitioners alike, that supports the identification of relevant brand elements influencing brand attitudes and brand loyalty, in a sports setting. Since loyalty is longitudinal in nature, further unique temporally orientated insights into potential societal attitude shifts, are also contributed.
A High Fidelity Mixed Reality System for Remote Collaboration
Authors:   , Thompson Stephen
Published: December 2021

This thesis presents a novel system for enabling remote collaboration within a mixed reality environment. Since the increase of virtual and augmented reality headsets, there has been increased interest in improving remote collaboration. Systems have been proposed to use 3D geometry or 360° video for providing remotely collaborating users with a view of the local, real-world environment. However, many systems provide limited interactions in the local environment and target using coupled views of all users, rather than simulating face-to-face interactions, or use virtual environments for the remote user, losing visual realism.  The presented system enables a user situated in a remote location to join a local user to collaborate on a task. An omni-directional camera is streamed to the remote user in real-time to provide a live view of the local space. The 360° video is also used to provide believable lighting when compositing virtual objects into the real-world. Remote users are displayed to local users as an abstracted avatar to provide basic body gestures and social presence. Voice chat is also provided for verbal communication.  The system has been evaluated for technical performance and user experience. The evaluation found the performance of the system was suitable for real-time collaboration. Remote and local users were also found to have similar satisfaction with the system, experiencing high levels of presence, social presence and tele-presence. Shared cinematic and remote presentations are suggested as possible applications to guide further development of the system.
The link between depressive symptoms and guilt induction, and the subsequent effects on partner accommodation and tolerance of intimate partner violence
Authors:   , Harrison Bryony
Published: December 2021

Guilt induction is a behaviour involving exaggeration of hurt feelings to elicit guilt in an intimate partner, and thus elicit a reassuring and loving response. This thesis investigates whether greater depressive symptoms are linked with use of low level, everyday guilt induction. We also examine the possibility that guilt induction elicits commitment-driven maintenance behaviour from partners, including accommodation (e.g., smiling, providing encouragement) but also increased tolerance for intimate partner violence. We tested a mediation model in which higher depressive symptoms predicted greater of guilt induction, which in turn predicted greater partner accommodation (Study 1) and tolerance of intimate partner violence (Study 2). We assessed observer-coded guilt induction behaviours in a dyadic study (Study 1; 152 couples) and experiences of partner guilt induction in self-report questionnaires (Study 2; 217 individuals). Depressive symptoms predicted greater use of guilt induction (Study 1), and perceptions of partner’s depressive symptoms predicted more experiences of partner guilt induction (Study 2), suggesting that individuals higher in depressive symptoms experience insecurities consistent with motivations to guilt induce. Guilt induction predicted greater use of immediate partner accommodation (Study 1), and experiences of guilt induction predicted greater tolerance for one of four forms of intimate partner violence (Study 2). This suggests that guilt induction elicits accommodation of negative behaviours, including tolerance of certain types of intimate partner violence. An additional analysis highlighted a change in partner behaviour from increased accommodation when guilt induction initially occurred, to relatively decreased accommodation at the following time point, 30 seconds later (Study 1). This research supports and expands on prior theory suggesting people higher in depressive symptomology tend to use strategies to gain reassurance and care that can ultimately backfire.
Repeated patterns in the evolution of size in island plants
Authors:   , Biddick Matthew
Published: December 2021

For reasons not fully understood, animals often evolve predictably on islands. For example, radiations of large, flightless birds are a common element of many island biotas. However, our understanding of how plants evolve on islands is comparatively poor. Further, an investigation into the evolution of island plants could help resolve unanswered questions about island animals. This thesis investigates insular size changes in a range of plant functional traits.   First (Chapter 2), I explored size changes in 9 species of vines that have colonized islands from the New Zealand and Australian mainland. I asked whether leaf–stem allometry prohibits leaves and stems from evolving independently from one another. Island populations consistently produced larger leaves than did mainland populations. Moreover, changes in leaf size were not associated with concomitant changes in stem size, suggesting that trait allometry does not govern trait evolution on islands.   Next (Chapter 3), I asked whether plants obey the infamous island rule, a putative trend in island evolution wherein small animals become large on islands and large animals become small. I demonstrate that plant stature and leaf area obey the island rule, and seed size does not. My findings illustrate that the island rule is more pervasive than previously considered, but that support for its predictions vary among plant functional traits.   Third (Chapter 4), I demonstrate that the island rule results from evolutionary drift along bounded trait domains. The island rule has long been hypothesized to result from a suite of selective pressures. Applying my model to island plants, I show that evolutionary drift is the most parsimonious explanation for the island rule pattern.   Finally (Chapter 5), to explore insular patterns in leaf size evolution, I conducted a large-scale, macroevolutionary analysis of leaf size on 98 of New Zealand’s offshore islands. Leaf gigantism was emblematic of island populations, and was most prominent in taxa with variable leaf morphologies on the mainland. Further, leaf gigantism was greatest in populations inhabiting old, distant islands, suggesting that time since divergence is a direct predictor of morphological differentiation between mainland and island populations.  Overall, this thesis reveals novel patterns, and helps disentangle the distinct roles of natural selection and drift, in the evolution of plant form and function on islands. Finally, this thesis illustrates how investigating the changes in plant traits can help identify the evolutionary mechanisms operating on islands.
Modelling Surtseyan Ejecta
Authors:   , Greenbank Emma
Published: December 2021

Eruptions through crater lakes or shallow sea water, known as Subaqueous or Surtseyan eruptions, are some of the most dangerous eruptions in the world. These eruptions can cause tsunamis, lahars and base surges, but the phenomenon of interest to this research is that of the Surtseyan ejecta. Surtseyan ejecta are balls of highly viscous magma containing entrained material. They occur when a slurry of previously erupted material and water washes back into the volcanic vent. This slurry is incorporated into the magma and ejected from the volcano inside a ball of lava. The large variation in temperature between the slurry and the lava causes the water in the slurry to vaporise. This results in a pressure build-up which is released by vapour either escaping through the pores of the lava or the ejectum exploding. The volcanological question of interest is under what conditions these ejecta rupture. During this thesis the aim is to improve on the existing highly simplified model of partial differential equations that describe the transient changes in temperature and pressure in Surtseyan ejecta. This is achieved by returning to the basics and developing a model that is more soundly based on the physics and mathematics of Surtseyan ejecta behaviour. This model is developed through the systemic reduction of the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations that arise from the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations to form a fully coupled model for the behaviour of Surtseyan ejecta. The fully coupled model has been solved numerically as well as reduced further to produce analytical solutions for temperature and pressure. The numerical solutions show a boundary layer of rapidly varying temperatures and pressures around the steam generation boundary. This allows for a boundary layer analysis to be used in both the magma and the inclusion to estimate the temperature profile at early times. The numerical solution also showed a rapid increase in pressure at the flash front that allowed for a quasi steady state approximation in pressure to be used to form a reduced model that could be analytically solved. This produced an updated criterion for rupture and a criterion for the lower limit of permeability. The analytical and numerical results were then compared to the data from existing intact ejecta for verification.
From Line to Loop, A Circular 3D Printing Initiative for Upcycling Commercial Fishing Plastics
Authors:   , O'Hagan Matthew
Published: December 2021

The current linear use of plastic products follows a take, make and waste process. Commonly used by large scale industries, including the commercial fishing industry, this process results in approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean every year. While the fishing industry supplies livelihoods, a valuable food source and financial capital to millions of people worldwide, it’s also a significant contributor to the ocean plastics crisis. Without effective recycling schemes, an estimated 640,000 tonnes of plastic fishing gear is abandoned, lost or discarded within the ocean every year. New Zealand is no exception to this problem, as China’s waste import ban, as well as a lack of local recycling infrastructures, has resulted in the country’s commercial fishing gear polluting local coastlines as well as islands in the pacific. With the only other option for the plastic fishing gear being landfill, there is a critical need for circular initiatives that upcycle used plastic fishing gear locally into eco-innovative designs.  This research examines the issue by investigating how used buoys, aquaculture ropes and fishing nets from New Zealand’s fishing company ‘Sanford’ may be upcycled into eco-innovative designs through distributed manufacturing technologies. It introduces the idea of the circular economy, where plastic fishing gear can be reused within a technical cycle and explores how 3D printing could be part of the solution as it provides local initiatives, low material and energy usage and customisation. Overall, the research follows the research through design based on design criteria approach. Where materials, designs and systems are created under the refined research criteria, to ensure the plastic fishing gear samples are upcycled effectively into eco-innovative designs through 3D printing.  The tangible outputs of this research demonstrate how a circular upcycling system that uses distributed manufacturing technologies can create eco-innovative designs and provide a responsible disposal scheme for plastic fishing gear. It provides a new and more sustainable waste management scheme that could be applied to a range of plastic waste streams and diverts materials from entering the environment by continuously reusing them within the economy.
Air-crafted Artefacts: Additive upcycling plastics within the Aviation Tourism Industry
Authors:   , Naismith Courtney
Published: December 2021

Within the New Zealand Aviation Tourism Industry (NZATI), an extensive amount of single-use plastic is consumed due to its light-weight properties and stringent hygiene requirements. After use, most end up in landfills causing immense environmental and health issues. Plastic waste can no longer be sent overseas, and New Zealand (NZ) still lacks sustainable waste management infrastructure. Moreover, there are limited recycling solutions for certain types of plastics, such as soft plastic. This poses a challenge for the industry, which generates tonnes of plastic waste and carbon emissions annually despite the implementation of sustainable practices.  This research presents an opportunity for industry leaders such as Air New Zealand (AirNZ) to shift their current waste management model into a closed-loop system. The system focuses on how to upcycle inflight plastic through 3D printing (3DP) technologies into high-value products that reflect the identity of NZ. The research introduces how to implement 3D printed upcycling systems to benefit NZ culturally, economically and environmentally through several scenarios. A materials-led investigation with soft plastic bags, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene meal trays and polystyrene coffee stirrers revealed a variety of design possibilities. This resulted in a range of 3DP artefacts with novel visual, tactile and structural qualities. These include baskets printed from soft plastic and flax filament, a large chandelier printed from coffee stirrers, and topographic tiles printed from in-flight meal trays combined with organic waste from the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.   The design outputs of this research act as a tangible reference for implementation by industry partners. Additionally, it demonstrates how 3DP and sustainable design approaches can be used to reduce environmental impacts and enhance product value. With a system of 3D printed upcycling in place, it provides the opportunity to promote sustainable tourism, allowing visitors to be responsible for their waste and encourage eco-conscious behaviours.
The Efficient Synthesis of Azasugars from Pentoses
Authors:   , Meijlink Michael
Published: December 2021

Azasugars [e.g., 1-deoxy-aza-xylopyranose (1) Figure 1] are structural analogues of sugars [e.g., α-D-xylopyranose (2)] where the ring oxygen is substituted by a nitrogen atom. The resemblance of azasugars to their carbohydrate counterparts gives them various biological properties, such as the inhibition of glycosidase and glycosyltransferase enzymes, and as such, these compounds have been in clinical trials for the treatment of AIDS, diabetes,and cancer. Synthetic routes to azasugars have often involved the use of protecting groups, and therefore have generally reduced efficiency by requiring additional steps to apply or remove protecting groups or requiring adjustment of stereochemistry during the synthesis. This thesis presents the first example of a synthesis of four sterochemically different piperidine triols through a four-step methodology minimising the use of protecting groups starting from pentoses. The synthesis of D-xylose derived (3R,4r,5S)-piperidine triol was previously obtained in 40% yield over five steps, but was afforded in 45% overall yield over four steps using the methodology described within this thesis. Next, D-ribose derived (3R,4s,5S)-piperidine triol was obtained in 40% overall yield over four steps, which afforded a vast improvement on the previous most efficient synthetic route obtaining the azasugar in 24% yield over four steps. This four-step three-pot methodology has thus allowed for the synthesis of these piperidine triols in overall yields ranging from 4-69%, surpassing previous total syntheses in efficiency and improving overall atom economy. To further probe the applicability of the methodology, N-alkyl analogues (such as butyl-, phenylethyl-, and hydroxyethyl-analogues) of all four different piperidine triols were synthesised in comparable or greater overall yields compared to literature reports without any required adaptation to the original procedure. Included in these N-alkyl analogues are seven novel azasugars which were obtained in overall yields ranging from 6-35%.
Towards Blockchain Network Platform for IoT Data Integrity and Scalability
Authors:   , Kim Chung Yup
Published: December 2021

Decentralised technology backed by blockchain has gained popularity in recent years, as it secures autonomous ecosystems without the need for a central authority. The blockchain concept originated in the financial domain using cryptocurrency but has been applied to a variety of industries over the last few years. In the era of Industry 4.0, most enterprises leverage automation by using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Despite the numerous applications of blockchain across industries, significant latency in the consensus algorithm in blockchain hinders its adoption among businesses using IoT technology. A number of studies have addressed the obstacles of transaction processing performance and system scalability, mostly based on a public blockchain. However, the approaches still involve centralised components and thus fail to fully utilise decentralisation. Here, a private blockchain-based IoT data integration platform is proposed to achieve data integrity and system scalability. Along with a lightweight IoT gateway, instead of any other additional middleware, the process and the system configuration are streamlined. By using Hyperledger Fabric, the design is validated, and the proposed architecture outperforms other conventional models in IoT data processing. Thus, decentralisation in IoT environments is achieved.
Heartfelt Love: Singing Maiden Characters in Romantic Vocal Music, 1800-1850
Authors:   , Liu Haiman
Published: December 2021

The images of maidens in Italian opera and German lieder from the period 1800-1850 are vivid. In the plots of the operas and the scenes and stories of the lieder almost invariably these characters focus enthusiastically on heartfelt love. This exegesis explores the relationship between the expression of love by unmarried women in selected lieder and opera of the first half of the nineteenth century and performance of these works by the young soprano in the twenty-first century. In the period when these songs and operas were written, performers of lieder would often have been of a similar age to the maiden characters portrayed in the songs, and in the case of Italian opera at the time, the singers who created such roles were usually in their twenties or early thirties. As a young soprano myself, in my study I consider some questions which are relevant for twenty-first century female singers who choose to perform these nineteenth-century portrayals of virgin characters. The figures in the works I have selected to study display a wide variety of personalities, moods and emotions, from the tenacious wild rose in Schubert’s ‘Heidenröslein’, to his passionate Gretchen and the melancholic Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula. I consider how the soprano may express the different emotions involved and approach performing young maiden characters such as these, whose experiences of life and status in society may be substantially removed from twenty-first century experiences.   In order to address these questions, I examine the selected song and aria texts in terms of the relationship between the content of the stories and the characters, as well as analyzing the vocal skills that can be used and vocal effects that may be applied when shaping these roles according to the music as written. In addition, I combine the background to the story and the plot with the musical markings in selected phrases to explore the emotional variety of the characters so as to interpret the deeper significance in the compositions. Through learning and performing these particular pieces I have explored the vocal techniques which are required in singing them from a practical perspective and this enables me to contribute insights I have gained to the general understanding of the skills required for this particular area of the repertoire. Having chosen repertoire for this study which combines Italian opera arias and lieder, and I also consider how the differences I have found in the vocal works may reflect their respective genres and distinguish the skills required for each. Through writing about my own research into the performance of these works, I provide new insights and ideas about these maiden characters which may be applicable to any young sopranos who sing repertoire from this period, and useful for their own vocal perfo
Barriers to Women's Career Advancement in the New Zealand Hospitality Industry
Authors:   , Macpherson Leah
Published: December 2021

The glass ceiling effect is a widely researched phenomenon that highlights the multi-layered barriers to women’s exclusion in senior management positions internationally. Traditionally, research has focused on evidence for the deficit in women’s promotion in predominately corporate spheres with minimal inclusion of service sectors. The following research will address a key literature gap in the context of New Zealand, with an analysis of the glass ceiling barriers for career women in the hospitality industry. The qualitative study utilised a postmodern feminist lens and included 13 semi-structured interviews with current female duty managers in the localised Wellington, NZ region. The study found that the glass ceiling effect was maintained for female managers through the production of misogynistic cultures, gender-stereotyping, and old boys’ networks that functioned on intersectional levels. Obstacles were produced through customers, industry norms, and organisational practices that minimised participants ability to perform general operations, garner promotions, or access support in detrimental circumstances. The research concludes that women’s professional development is hindered due to the interplay of workplace structures, broader socio-cultural beliefs, and resistance to female leadership. Based on the findings, recommendations for further emphasis on equitable and ethical industry practices are outlined to address the glass ceiling effect, thereby increasing employee investment and retention.
Designing a digital application to promote physical activity amongst the Samoan population in New Zealand
Authors:   , Pio Tanielu
Published: December 2021

This research addresses the problem that many Samoan people face in New Zealand. Obesity is described as an excessively high amount of body fat to the extent that health is adversely affected (Ministry of Health, 2019). Obesity is related to significant health problems, considerable health costs, and increased risk of early death in the New Zealand population (Wilson, Wilson & Russell, 2001). In New Zealand, the Samoan community has been impacted the most from the vast variety of the Pacific population. There is an ongoing study that the reason for Samoans having a high percentage of people suffering from obesity could possibly be linked to a genetic disorder (Sundborn et al., 2010). Scientists discovered that there is a possible reason for Samoans to be obese which explained why 80 percent of Samoan men and 91 of Samoan women were overweight or obese, although it was not the dominant factor (Sundborn et al., 2010). This design research aims to create an interactive activity tracking app that will help engage and raise awareness of obesity, creating a solution to a healthy lifestyle tailored to the Samoan community. Being able to create such an app to enable physical activity must have the essential tools in order for the app to be functional and effective. The design model for this app is based on four themes: the five elements of interaction design, self determination theory, design narrative, and the Pacific methodology of Tafatolu. Based on these four themes, a digital application for the promotion of physical exercise will be designed and tested with users. Final results will help to expand the knowledge on digital design and user experience for the Samoan population in New Zealand.
Rubbish Justice: A political ecology of Tibar's dumpsite-to-landfill upgrade in Timor-Leste
Authors:   , Woodham Joanna
Published: December 2021

In pursuing significant infrastructural upgrades to solid waste management systems, how do decision-makers balance social safeguarding with wider system improvements? What are the implications for justice, if the people most affected by the development have been providing unrecognised labour within the waste management system? Adopting an intentionally political lens, this thesis presents an analysis of power and justice within the case study of Tibar’s dumpsite-to-landfill upgrade, in Timor-Leste.   This research was conducted at a critical time while the upgrade was developing. Through a political ecology framework, supported by environmental justice, it emerges that there is a disconnect between stakeholders’ and decision-makers’ intentions versus their ability to act on these intentions. Several systemic barriers exist in waste-pickers’ justice being met. In some instances, these barriers constitute such injustices. This thesis further evidences the claim that the impacts of the growing global waste problem are not evenly distributed throughout society.  Tibar dumpsite is established as a political space where the intersection of waste and labour is dynamic and changing, brought to light by the proposed dumpsite-to-landfill upgrade.
‘I wouldn’t want to be a cow’: An ethnographic exploration of more-than-human relational praxis on a New Zealand dairy farm
Authors:   , Goulding Audrey
Published: December 2021

This thesis aims to understand how industrial farmers perceive and relate to the nonhuman world. A small-scale ethnographic focus of a 250-cow dairy farm in New Zealand’s Rangitikei district is presented as a proxy for approaching the underexamined field of farming ontologies. A common narrative exists that western ontology is characterised by human exceptionalism, a belief in humanity as singularly subjective beings amid a mute and objective world. Contrary to this discourse, this thesis finds that farmer relations to the nonhuman world are multiple, complex and contingent. This thesis employs Annemarie Mol’s (2002) understanding of ontology as established through practice, and thereby multiple, in conjunction with a material analysis of the farm as a composite ecology of human and nonhuman agents. I argue that industrial agricultural practice is informed both by transcendent, objectivist logics, and by co-constituted, informal knowledge formed through co-habitation of multispecies lifeworlds. The unruly agency of lively materials, and the affective and intersubjective qualities of interspecies interactions, are shown to figure conditionally in farming practice. These components are managed within the bounds of industrial agriculture’s outwardly utilitarian and anthropocentric systems through responsive practices of care and attentiveness, revealing that an attribution of nonhuman agency and subjectivity is essential to industrial farming practice.
Storying place: A tok stori about relationalities in Oceanic education and development
Authors:   , de la Torre Parra Maria
Published: December 2021

Education and development are intimately connected and highly contested in Oceania, in theory and in practice. Indigenous Oceanic notions and practices of both education and development are fundamentally relational, and are expressions of culture, identity, kinship, and embeddedness in place. Oceanic peoples are engaged in ongoing resistance and negotiation with externally imposed models of education and development, at a variety of scales. This study is an inquiry into relationalities at the intersection of education and development in Oceania. It is a body of work that has emerged from the author’s extensive relationships in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The research has an explicit decolonising agenda, reflected in the use of the relational practice of tok stori as the primary methodological framework, in order to centre the knowledge, practices and interests of Oceanic peoples. The relational space created by storying with Gunantuna/Tolai elders, educators, development practitioners, and other community members in East New Britain, brought forth uniquely place centred insights about the ways development and education are articulated, contested, negotiated and reclaimed by Indigenous peoples at the local level.
Do human values predict perceptions, attitudes & behaviours towards the New Zealand marine environment?
Authors:   , Howard Hamish
Published: December 2021

Human values predict perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards the NZ marine environment. A confidential online survey (The New Zealand Marine Values Survey) was completed by 1,567 NZ citizens and residents in September and October of 2019. Respondents answered a variety of questions relating to demographic variables, PABs (perceptions, attitudes and behaviours) towards the NZ marine environment, and psychographic variables. Human values (values), as conceptualised and operationalised in the Theory of Basic Human Values by social psychologist and cross-cultural researcher Shalom H. Schwartz, have been demonstrated to be universal in nature and capable of predicting a range of PABs. Respondents’ prioritisation of values were measured using the latest Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-RR). Statistical analysis identified many significant (p < .01) relationships between values and variables of interest, including the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) and a variety of PAB scales created in undertaking this research. Values explained between 24.6% and 57.2% of the variance seen in 14 scales, with each of the 19 value domains proving to be of some significance (p < .01) in the regression analyses performed. Universalism values were prominent in many of the analyses and often exhibited negative relationships with Conservation values. Findings provided mixed support for the Value Belief Norm (VBN) theory, which postulates a causal chain between values, worldviews, norms, and behaviour. Benevolence values, despite being prioritised strongly by the sample population as a whole, explained little of the variance seen in PABs towards the NZ marine environment and were an unexpected negative predictor of the NEP. This research provides an overview of how individuals, from a large sample of New Zealanders with an interest in the marine environment, prioritise human values and how these values are likely to inform PABs towards the NZ marine environment. This research should provide valuable insights to any individual or organisation hoping to engage with stakeholders in the NZ marine environment in a more meaningful and effective manner —especially those confronted with social barriers to change.
Plastic in Practice: An empirical approach to 3D printed upcycling in New Zealand schools
Authors:   , Jessop-Benseman Maddison
Published: December 2021

Plastic has become an integral material in our society due to the broad range of applications it can be used for, however, it is having a detrimental effect on our environment. In addition to more efficient waste management systems, a cultural shift through education is fundamental for more effective management of plastic waste. Although the New Zealand National Curriculum currently teaches students about sustainability, the method of teaching remains conventional and does not explore the empirical, tactile learning opportunities that 3D printing provides. This research portfolio proposes the importance of an education programme which focuses on plastic waste, upcycling and 3D printing in New Zealand schools. It explores how tangible learning can engage students more effectively with topics such as sustainability. Through collaborating with students and teachers, participatory research methods have been employed in order to form a foundation for an education programme focused on 3D printed upcycling within New Zealand. The final output of this research consists of an education programme proposal, as well as a series of projects which could be integrated into the programme.
Toward Engineering the Substrate Specificity of a PHA Synthase (PhaC)
Authors:   , Kane Alex
Published: December 2021

Manufacturing of high-grade plastics from petroleum-based feedstocks is a high-cost, unsustainable process resulting in expensive products. My overall goal was to engineer the pathway of bacterial bio-polyester formation, in order to produce high-grade bioplastics. More specifically, the aim was to introduce aromatic rings into the main-chain of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer currently produced by specialist bacteria. This research aimed to create these bio-plastics from renewable resources, rather than relying on petroleum-based sources.  A key enzyme for this process is the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, PhaC. This enzyme is capable of polymerizing activated hydroxybutyrate-CoA monomers. I began with the establishment of a system that allowed the use of directed evolution. I constructed a minimal plasmid for the expression of PhaC and a second plasmid with the CoA ligase genes required for substrate activation. I generated error-prone PCR libraries of the Cupriavidus necator phaCa, Chromobacterium sp. USM2 phaCb and an ancestrally reconstructed phaCb-LCA that contained differing spectra of mutations. A life-or-death selection was employed to select for PhaC variants able to polymerise aromatic substrates based upon the toxicity of the un-polymerized aromatic hydroxyacid monomers. I determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for six of these monomers in Escherichia coli for downstream selection. Lastly, I adapted a Nile red screening method to test wild-type PHA accumulation of PhaC enzymes.  Selections for mutants capable of polymerizing aromatic monomers were implemented on the libraries generated from phaCa and phaCb. Whereas, the library generated from phaCb-LCA was screened for variants with increased wild-type activity. Selections yielded no candidates for further testing. However, the screen isolated several variants with increased wild-type activity. These variants may serve as a new scaffold for further mutagenesis experiments to achieve the overall goal; to produce a high-grade bioplastic.
Trehalose amide glycolipids as Mincle ligands: Towards new vaccine adjuvants
Authors:   , Lynch Amy
Published: December 2021

The development of new vaccines to respond to infectious diseases requires new vaccine adjuvants, which improve vaccine efficacy and shape the immune response. Trehalose glycolipids, consisting of α,α'-trehalose esterified at the 6- and 6'- positions with lipids, exhibit adjuvant activity by binding and activating Macrophage inducible C-type lectin (Mincle). However, the adjuvant activity of trehalose glycolipids could potentially be improved by substituting the ester linkages for more physiologically stable amide bonds. This thesis presents a short protecting group free route to trehalose amide glycolipids, thus allowing for the synthesis of the straight chain glycolipid amides 1a-e in four steps and in excellent (53-61%) overall yields (Figure 1). Amide glycolipids 1a-e were demonstrated to be Mincle agonists with comparable activity to their ester counterparts, as determined using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter cell line assay. A second generation of trehalose amide glycolipids, the lipidated brartemicin amide analogues 2a-c, were subsequently synthesised (Figure 1). This report is the first example of trehalose amide glycolipids acting as Mincle agonists, and further studies into the potential of the amides as vaccine adjuvants will be undertaken in due course.
Chinese Immigrant Academic Librarians' Experiences and Perceptions of Career Advancement in New Zealand
Authors:   , Sang Hu
Published: December 2021

For many professionals, career advancement is an important goal and part of their professional life. Nevertheless, due to the ever-competitive nature of the workplaces, the prosperity of advancement is limited as the availability of resources and positions are always scarce in any given organization including the library field. Many international studies suggest that job advancement prosperity is generally even more limited for Chinese immigrants as a minority group that work and live in Western countries such as New Zealand, where the host country’s culture, value, and language are very different from those of their own country. This study has been set out to explore Chinese immigrant academic librarians’ experiences and perceptions of career advancement in New Zealand, which is an area that has yet to be studied in this country.
"Evidence of me" becoming "evidence of us": A case study of the policy, processes and responses of selected GLAM institutions to personal donations of collections and artifacts
Authors:   , Day Alison
Published: December 2021

Research problem: Donors are important contributors to collection development in GLAM institutions, yet interactions with potential donors and communication of procedures and policies is under researched. To address the gap this research project investigates the policies and processes of selected institutions to manage personal donations and examine the challenges and responses this has raised. Methodology: A case study research design used two methods of data collection for each institution . Nine participants form five GLAM institutions were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, three each at the two larger institutions and all were conducted face-to-face. A donation webpage content analysis was performed for each of the five participating institutions. Results: Collection policies and principles were found to be critical components of all institutional appraisal processes, although there was evidence of some flexibility in implementation. Relationships with donors were based on collaboration and trust. Participants valued these relationships and invested time building them, facilitating respectful discussions over more challenging aspects of donation including restrictions and ownership. Institutional donation webpages were more diverse, demonstrating that institutions held different views over the value of this platform as a donor communication and information resource. Implications: While the selected institutions have, from their perspective, developed positive donor relationships this research provides some recommendations regarding website presence to make webpages a more valuable resource for donors. Future research could focus on the donor perspective of gifting to the selected institutions, or investigating website use by donors and whether it is perceived as an important source of information.
Causas, síntomas y tratamiento de una hemorragia vascular
Authors: Cedeño Palacios María José , Zambrano Palacios Fabián Marcelo , Zambrano Palacios Gustavo Hernán , Guarnizo Pineda Soraya Alejandra
Published: December 2021

El sistema vascular está compuesto por una red de vasos sanguíneos conocidos como: arterias, venas y vasos capilares. En medicina, la hemorragia está referida al escape de sangre de vasos sanguíneos afectados, pudiendo originarse tanto interna como externamente, y es común que implique abundante sangrado en un corto lapso. Las hemorragias, fundamentalmente se originan por lesiones o algunas enfermedades, y consisten en la pérdida de sangre de los vasos sanguíneos del sistema vascular. El objetivo del presente estudio se centra en la revisión de contenidos actualmente disponibles en torno a las causas, síntomas y tratamiento de una hemorragia vascular. En los resultados se evidencia mediante las referencias algunos criterios y opiniones de expertos que se encontraron para exponer sobre las causas, síntomas y tratamiento hemorragia vascular, además de otros aspectos vinculados. Se concluyo que, en cualquier tipo de hemorragia, interviene el sistema vascular o aparato circulatorio, que está constituido de una red de vasos sanguíneos conocidos como: arterias, venas y vasos capilares. Por consiguiente, la hemorragia vascular se asocia con el sangrado a cualquier nivel de dicho sistema, pudiendo ésta originarse luego de un traumatismo o derivada de alguna enfermedad; de allí sus causas. Los síntomas y tratamiento de esta condición generalmente estarán relacionados con la naturaleza, el origen y gravedad del desangramiento.
Estudio de las TIC como herramienta para el desarrollo curricular del aprendizaje inclusivo
Authors: Albán Holguín Wilmer Romero , Tóala Mosquera José Fernando , Pardo Quiroz Kelly Pamela , Lozano Reinoso Nubia María
Published: December 2021

Adentrándonos en el campo educativo, los esfuerzos mundiales en abarcar cada vez a más personas son más claros y certeros, al menos en teoría. Un ejemplo de ello ha de ser reconocer las diferencias, y a través de ella desarrollar programas, impulsar esfuerzos en el cumplimiento de garantizar los mínimos derechos humanos en la adquisición de educación. En una sociedad que se define como digital, dado el entorno en el que nos vamos desenvolviendo, pareciera que el desarrollo tecnológico nos arropa. Cada vez son más constantes los nuevos equipos, herramientas, aplicaciones y actualizaciones de sistemas operativos a los que nos vamos sometiendo. Abriendo la posibilidad para el debate, esta presente investigación pretende exponer los temas que apliquen el camino para conocer como el estudio de las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) contribuye al desarrollo curricular para la educación inclusiva en sus distintos niveles. Cuando se habla de institución refiere a que los esfuerzos de políticas que impulsen la inclusión, en este caso de las competencias en TIC del sistema educativo. Es por ellos que se resalta el hecho de que para llevar a cabo el desarrollo curricular del aprendizaje inclusivo no se necesita estudiar las TIC, se necesita de la voluntad del que la imparte, del que la recibe y de quien la necesita. Estamos en una era que nos invita cada vez más a adaptarnos, a simplificar para maximizar. Aún cuando en los últimos 2 años la pandemia por el descubrimiento del virus SARS-Cov-2 y su enfermedad asociada COVID-19 el mundo solo desaceleró, pero no se detuvo, principalmente porque la sociedad ha hecho uso de las TIC para dar respuesta a necesidades mínimas de la humanidad y fue en ese acceso y la disminución del contacto social lo que ha brindado al mundo una oportunidad de supervivencia. Entonces mas allá de resistirse al cambio, los sistemas formales educativos han sido obligados a transformarse para garantizar los objetivos, al menos en materia educativa.