bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Butoh: Granting Art Status to an Indefinable Form
Authors:   , Caldwell Shane
Published: November 2021

Butoh is a kind of art, but exactly what kind of art is not so easy to see. While traditionally considered a type of dance, there are a number of butoh works that are not readily identifiable as dance works, if in fact they count as dance at all. Through the use of Noël Carroll’s narrative theory of art, I will show how butoh comes to be thought of as art even if it fails to match up exactly with any one pre-existing art form. I will show how the context in which butoh came into being is sufficient for granting butoh art status due to its relation to existing art forms. I compare butoh to its two most similar analogues, dance and performance art, and examine how it resembles and differs from each of them. I also show how the reason categorising butoh as only one kind of art form is problematic due to its being part of a non- Western aesthetic tradition that does not break the world up into such easily separable pieces.
Orisa-Shakespeare: A study of Shakespeare Adaptations Inspired by the Yoruba Tradition
Authors:   , Balogun Olalekan Is’haq
Published: November 2021

This thesis combines creative practice with critical analysis to intervene in the field of post-colonial Shakespeare where, for over a generation, the process of adaptation has been presented as one of the main strategies by which Shakespeare’s ambiguous legacy in successor cultures can be both confronted and manipulated. Scholars often use the term “writing back” to designate a set of adaptations which challenge the cultural capital that Shakespeare privileges. By linking Yoruba spirituality in its political and cultural terms to the wider field of the relation between Africa, African writers and theatre makers and Shakespeare, the thesis proposes a new sub-field or genre of adaptations, “Orisa-Shakespeare,” rooted in Yoruba traditions. The thesis argues that, written in Nigeria and the Yoruba global diaspora, this set of adaptations are not necessarily challenging the Shakespeare canon but addressing their own societies, thus “writing forward.” The thesis examines the cultural and political significance of this bourgeoning body of adaptations of Shakespeare through the lens of Yoruba epistemology and its aesthetic principles.  The thesis is broadly divided into two parts: an exegesis of selected adaptations of Shakespeare as case studies of post-colonial works that reflect and integrate Yoruba creative and performative idioms and translate them into dramaturgy; and an original play, Emi Caesar! in which core elements of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar are transplanted into the complex, violent world of Yoruba politics of the mid-19th century, as a parable for contemporary Nigeria politics where factionalism (specifically tribal/ethnic bigotry) works against the integrity and security of the society.  In the context that the thesis proposes, the present has constant recourse to the past, especially the ancestors, and engages in rituals which create ongoing, living links between human beings and the realm of the Yoruba Gods (Orisa).The outcomes are the documentation of a uniquely Yoruba theory of literary creativity, a new play based on Julius Caesar, and an original contribution to the broad field of postcolonial (Shakespeare) adaptations scholarship.
Performance-Motivated Analysis: An Approach to Performance Interpretation
Authors:   , Atkins Andrew Quintin George
Published: November 2021

Performance interpretation is one of the most challenging yet most important skill sets for a performer to develop. Performers all use different approaches in developing their interpretations. This exegesis focuses on the idea of Performance-Motivated Analysis as one of these possible approaches to interpreting music. By performing a thorough analysis of the exposition of the first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Waldstein’ Sonata, by drawing upon many analytical sources, and by combining this with an annotative analysis of six performers’ interpretations, this exegesis shows how theory can be used to explain many possible interpretive decisions within the composition. I then use and discuss this knowledge in regards to my own interpretation and subsequent performance of the same composition for my Masters Recital.
An Exploration of Children’s Connection to Nature: Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors:   , Stuart-Currier Sara Abigail
Published: November 2021

“People protect what they love” - Jacques Cousteau  It’s unavoidable that the next generation will be faced with resolving our current and future environmental issues. It is suggested that children must first care about the environment before they are asked to save it, however, a more indoor childhood is forming a disconnect between child and the natural world.  Rooted in the theory that a connection to nature (i.e. our affective and experiential relationship with the natural world) influences a willingness to protect it, this thesis aims to unearth the relationships between connection to nature and environmental attitudes and behaviours of children in Aotearoa New Zealand. To do so this study will: 1) Explore the underlying dimensions of children’s connection to nature, 2) Identify the factors that are related to children’s connection with nature, 3) Investigate the variables that best predict children’s willingness to act for the environment, 4) Investigate the variables that best predict children’s household pro-environmental behaviour.  Findings from a quantitative questionnaire suggest that a child’s (n = 450) connection to nature is related to a plethora of variables; most notably exhibiting a strong relationship with their willingness to act for the environment. Furthermore, children’s experiences in nature best predict their household’s pro-environmental behaviour. These findings contribute to past research which suggest that positive relationships with nature, partially formed from time spent in nature, relate to pro-environmental attitudes.  This study addresses gaps in Aotearoa New Zealand in regards to children’s connection to nature. It will benefit local policy makers and educators who are dedicated to strengthening the child and nature bond and/or conserving Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural environment.
Tiền là Tiên là Phật: Investigating the persistence of corruption in Vietnam
Authors:   , Vu Anh Dao
Published: November 2021

This research aims to examine the persistence of corruption in the public sector in Vietnam and explain why anti-corruption measures have been unsuccessful. It seeks to capture people’s lived experience of corruption in Vietnamese society and their perception of the failure of anti-corruption measures. It demonstrates what government officials and ordinary citizens think about corrupt practices and how they explain corrupt behaviour. The research also draws a clearer picture of Vietnam’s anti-corruption system, the weaknesses of the Anti-Corruption Law (ACL) and its implementation, from insiders’ perspectives. The research illuminates some factors identified in the literature that need to be better understood when dealing with corruption: historical, cultural, economic, administrative and political factors.  This project situated Vietnam’s anti-corruption strategy within Jon Quah’s analytical framework, which identifies elements he argues are needed for an effective anti-corruption strategy in any country. Those elements include a set of formal, legal, and institutional instruments, and the need for political will, especially from governmental leaders.  A qualitative approach is applied to examine corruption in the public sector in Vietnam. The main data was gathered by in-depth, semi-structured interviews and from official documents. Different groups of participants - specialists in the anti-corruption field including politicians, high-ranking government officials, journalists, academics, international organisations, and NGOs - were interviewed. Vietnamese citizens also were interviewed; all had experienced corruption in their daily life.  The findings suggest an institutional anti-corruption framework, while necessary, cannot adequately deal with the multi-factor causes of corruption in Vietnam. Moreover, “political will” is not only about providing Anti-Corruption Agencies with enough resources, nor about their institutional arrangements, but also about politicians being willing to support the institutions they have created and to reinforce their effectiveness by making hard political decisions. The essential elements of political will in fighting corruption involve not only the institutional framework (the top-down approach) but also society as a whole (the bottom-up approach).  The thesis concludes that corruption in the public sector in Vietnam is the product of a complex mix of state institutions, elite political behaviour, social, cultural, economic and management factors. These are at the root of the corruption problem in the country, but they have not been seriously addressed. The current anti-corruption system needs to be reformed if it is to become more effective. Policy attention also needs to shift to the design of effective incentives for the populace to resist succumbing to bribe demands. This “citizen resistance” will, in fact, make governments more accountable for taking effective action against both grand and petty corruption.
Assessment of combined vaccination and immune modulation as an anti-tumour therapy
Authors:   , Petley Emma Victoria
Published: November 2021

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a common and lethal type of brain cancer, with a very poor prognosis. Current therapy consisting of surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy produces a median survival of only 12-15 months. Therefore, there is a need to develop new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of GBM.  This thesis investigates a new series of synthetic cancer vaccines, conjugating tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) to an isomer of ɑ-Galactosylceramide (ɑ-GalCer), a potent invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell agonist with documented adjuvant activity. Upon antigen encounter, activated iNKT cells are capable of licensing dendritic cells (DCs) through CD40:CD40L interactions and cytokine production. The licensed DCs subsequently stimulate potent CD8⁺ T cell responses, capable of killing cancerous tissue. Conjugation of ɑ-GalCer to the TAA-derived peptide was achieved via an enzymatically cleavable linker sensitive to cathepsin B activity. This strategy allows co-delivery of the active components, with the rationale that the same DC will be able to co-present both ɑ-GalCer for iNKT cell activation, and peptide to induce an enhanced CD8⁺ T cell responses.  The conjugate vaccines assessed in this thesis were able to induce iNKT cell activation and produce CD8⁺ T cell cytoxicity. However, this did not correlate with in vivo antitumour activity, as the vaccine that incorporated the TAA survivin, produced minimal cytotoxicity but potent anti-tumour responses against an implantable model of glioma.  Enhancing T cell-mediated immune responses has been validated by immune checkpoint inhibition for the treatment of cancer. However, many patients do not respond to the therapy. It is thought that this subset of patients may lack pre-existing T cell responses, which are required for the efficacy of checkpoint inhibition. Therefore, there is considerable interest in whether the use of vaccines that stimulate T cell activation can improve responses to checkpoint blockade and other immune modulating drugs. The survivin vaccine was combined with the immune checkpoint blockade inhibitors ɑ-PD-1, ɑ-CTLA-4 and ɑ-LAG-3, the co-stimulatory agent a-4-1BB, or administered with T regulatory cell (TREG) depletion, to reveal the immunogenicity of the vaccine.  This research revealed that combining the survivin vaccine with the immune checkpoint inhibitor ɑ-CTLA-4 improved overall survival of mice, compared to the vaccine alone. This finding suggests that this combined therapy may be a useful immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBM.
Television Sharknados and Twitter Storms: Cult Film Fan Practices in the Age of Social Media Branding
Authors:   , Hay Stephen
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines the Syfy channel’s broadcast of the television movie Sharknado and the large number of tweets that were sent about it. Sharknado’s audience engaged in cult film viewing practices that can be understood using paracinema theory. Paracinema engagement with cult films has traditionally taken place in midnight screenings in independent movie theatres and private homes. Syfy’s audience was able to engage in paracinematic activity that included making jokes about Sharknado’s low quality of production and interacting with others who were doing the same through the affordances of Twitter. In an age where branding has become increasingly important, Syfy clearly benefited from all the fan activity around its programming. Critical branding theory argues that the value generated by a business’s brand comes from the labour of consumers. Brand management is mostly about encouraging and managing consumer labour. The online shift of fan practices has created new opportunities for brand managers to subsume the activities of consumers. Cult film audience practices often have an emphasis on creatively and collectively engaging in rituals and activities around a text. These are the precise qualities that brands require from their consumers. Sharknado was produced and marketed by Syfy to invoke the cult film subculture as part of Syfy’s branding strategy. This strategy can be understood using the theory of biopolitical marketing. Biopolitical marketing creates brands by encouraging and managing consumer activity on social media. Instead of simply promoting itself, a brand becomes an online platform through which consumers can engage. An active consumer base raises a brand’s profile and puts forward the image of happy, loyal customers. An equally important advantage of biopolitical marketing is that it can mask the marketing aspect of branding. Consumers who are cynical towards marketers may be less defensive towards a group of fellow consumers enjoying a product online. Developing a consumer community around a business where every consumer interaction enhances the brand and there is no semblance of marketer involvement is the end goal of biopolitical marketing. The subculture around cult films not only has brand-friendly practices, but is also positioned as being rebellious, a quality that can be particularly valuable in trying to mask the presence of marketing.
A Communitys Urban Rejuvenation - The Cabarets Trouper
Authors:   , Smith Connie
Published: November 2021

The 1990s brought innovation to retail shopping, enabling consumers to begin to shop from the comfort of their own home. Today, Online shopping continues to revolutionise the industry, creating a highly competitive market space while advancing “convenience shopping”. As customers can now purchase anything at their fingertips, those that choose to shop in-store find their desires are also competitively meet. Evolution within the retail industry has meant that many stores have become a part of “big box” developments. These facilities provide customers with readily stocked merchandise and the in-store experience of “convenience shopping”.  Online shopping and Big Box stores will continue to lure people away from what once were vibrant urban retail environments posing various adverse effects on our streets, city centres and local businesses. Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North is one of many streets that have fallen victim to these developments creating unpleasant retail experiences for the community. This thesis argues how interior architecture can assist rejuvenating desolate urban environments. It proposes that by applying selected interior principles to an urban street it can create a space that begins to challenge the current programme encouraging the street to adapt for the community.  This design based research proposes to create a community space ‘living room’ by treating the street as though it is a residential space within a retail environment. It aims to preserve and maintain a sense of history and diversity within the cityscape. The existing site attributes will be used to create a set of design rules and regulations within the shopping environment to encourage internal and external spaces to feed off one another adapting frequently to cope with the competitive nature of the retail sector.
DUPLICATE DO NOT PUBLISH - Là où dialoguent les musées: The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa at the Musée du Quai Branly
Authors:   , Phillips Lily
Published: November 2021

The opening of the Musée du quai Branly in 2006 signalled a new approach to the display of Māori and Pacific collections in France and the beginning of a new relationship with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.  Between 2006 and 2012, the two museums were brought together by two challenging events: the repatriation of toi moko (Māori tattooed heads) from France to New Zealand and the 2011 exhibition Maori: leurs trésors ont une âme at the quai Branly. Through a close study of the repatriation and exhibition, and interviews with participants, this thesis considers the questions these events raise. How can museums with very different approaches to the treatment of artefacts negotiate issues of repatriation and the exhibition of sacred objects? How should colonial-era anthropological collections be exhibited today? What is the place of contemporary indigenous art in the museum?  By focusing on the exchanges between two institutions, Te Papa and the quai Branly, this thesis suggests how conversations at an individual level can lead to shifts in the perception and exhibition of museum objects, and how dialogues between museums internationally can contribute to an evolution in the treatment and display of indigenous artefacts and art in museums.
Community Participation in Education: A Case Study in the Four Remote Primary Schools in Samlot District, Battambang Province, Cambodia
Authors:   , To Loeurt
Published: November 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the nature of community participation in education in a remote district in Cambodia. A case study approach was used to explore the issue and employed mixed research methods for data collection. Epstein‘s participation and Bray‘s degree of community participation were used as analytical frameworks. The study contributes to a wide body of literature in participation in education, but which is under-researched for rural Cambodia. The study focussed on the forms and processes of participation by parents, community members and education stakeholders in primary schools in remote areas.  The study discovered a range of social practices in community participation in education. The degrees of participation varied depending on the types of participation and the participants. Parents had direct participation in their children‘s learning at home, and indirect participation through resource contribution for school development. In addition, the community participated in education through their main representatives, the School Support Committees (SSCs). SSCs were found to possess power in the decision-making processes in school and education development.  The most common type of participation was collaborative resource contribution for school development. This practice reflected the traditional culture of participation of Cambodian society but there was also a sign of behavioural change to focus more on children‘s learning. Teachers and School Support Committees were the drivers in bringing community and parents to participate in education. They were the facilitators, communicators, network connectors and mobilizers for school and education development.  This case study suggests that a shift in focus (on the part of the government, non-governmental organizations and education stakeholders) to support parental involvement in children‘s learning, rather than the traditional resource mobilisation, may better promote children‘s learning. Further research on parental involvement in children‘s learning could be conducted.
Travelling with the Spirit: Pentecostal Migration Religiosity Between Ghana and Australia
Authors:   , Dennis Dorcas
Published: November 2021

The desire to migrate to foreign lands is widespread within contemporary Ghana. Among the Ghanaians, there is a growing sense that migrating overseas requires spiritual empowerment. Evidence of this development can be seen in the emergence of “passport and visa industries” that depend on the activities of a multitude of religious agents and ritual experts. Correspondingly, Ghanaian religious agents are now constantly generating new strategies designed to meet prospective migrants’ demands. The practice of enlisting the help of religious agents and practices for the purpose of international migration is having a marked effect on the Ghanaian religious landscape in two key ways: first, it has created a demand for religious agents who possess the power to solve migration-related spiritual problems; second, in response to this demand, Ghana's purveyors of spiritual powers have shaped their practices to inspire and enable migration.  Using data from extensive fieldwork among members of the Church of Pentecost (CoP) and Power Chapel (PC) in Ghana and Australia, this thesis offers an account of the role of religious narratives and rituals in the experience of Ghanaians migrating abroad, and among Ghanaian migrants in Australia. The thesis argues that the present preoccupation with overseas migration, and its interconnection with religion, is creating a migration religiosity (MR) that inspires and enhances migrations, and which forms the basis for migrants’ extension of Ghanaian religions from the so-called global-South to the global-North. This MR operates in each phase of the migration experience. In the homeland, prospective migrants use MR to facilitate their international travel. On the journey, MR is the source of spiritual protection and safety. MR continues and takes on new roles as migrants use it in meeting new conditions and experiences in their new land. Migrants’ reliance on MR for place-making as they settle into their new lives in the diaspora motivates them to create worshiping Cells. These Cells become the setting in which Ghanaian migrants reformulate their religious traditions, and from which they launch proselytizing practices or reverse missions to the host community.
Spending Time: An investigation of the relationship between emotions, time and spending
Authors:   , Liebenberg Brett
Published: November 2021

The significance of exchange within our daily lives encompasses not only the economic exchange of physical commodities but more abstract entities such as knowledge, skills and beliefs. This research investigation developed from a desire to understand my personal engagement with money and the design of money, through the exploration of shopping and spending habits. The activity of spending and everyday provisioning is one which has come to form a large component of our everyday lives and is partly informed by the non-economic aspects of exchange described above. This has led researchers, such as Daniel Miller (1998), to investigate the cultural phenomenon of consumerism. As our ability to consume has expanded to an almost unlimited wealth of products to choose from, a consumer has been able to form an imagined relationship with their purchases and may even regard it as a physical manifestation of various emotions. This level of constant spending and provisioning demands further examination, as the systems designed to enable us to consume are the same which have capitalised on our emotions. By making use of ethnographic methods of investigation (specifically interviews and qualitative survey tools), this research explores how an increased level of monetary literacy could be developed towards a consumers everyday spending. Through the design of a research tool, The Spending Map, a process of critical reflection is encouraged where it is possible to exhibit a dialogue that can capture, catalogue and critique the emotional engagement a consumer has towards their spending.
Customer-led versus market-oriented: An investigation of the lean startup methodology framework
Authors:   , Jimale Ismail Mohamed
Published: November 2021

Market-oriented approach to customer development has been strongly associated innovativeness and new product success. There is also evidence to suggest customer-led approach, or responding to explicit customer needs, impedes innovation. This thesis investigates whether the increasingly popular Lean Startup Methodology (LSM) favours customer-led or market-oriented approach to discovering and learning about customer needs.  The study was conducted using a participatory action research methodology. The LSM was used as a framework for investigating the commercial value of two researched projects originating from within Victoria University. The LSM was also applied to a third project founded by the Master of Advanced Technology Enterprise (MATE) team.  The LSM process is shown to assist in the discovery of both explicit and latent customer needs. However, which one the framework favours depends on whether the product or the market is the primary driver of the validation process. In one instance the entrepreneur is deliberately looking to discover a present market need in order to align it with a pre-defined solution, while the alternative is to study the market in order to identify an opportunity followed by the development of a specific solution. The latter is shown to support becoming market oriented.  The findings also suggest Domain Knowledge plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining market-oriented approach to customer development. Domain knowledge aids in understanding market data in order to extract novel and meaningful insights. Establishing close relationships with emerging customers and „lead users‟ in a particular market is shown to be an effective method of compensating for a lack of domain knowledge. What‟s more, the presence of preconceived prototypes is shown to negatively impact on the entrepreneur‟s ability to approach customer development in a market-oriented manner.  By drawing on the MATE team‟s experiences, this thesis aims to provide practical lessons for individuals and teams that are looking to take a market-oriented approach to customer development.
Whanganui River and Te Urewera Treaty Settlements: Innovative developments for the practice of rangatiratanga in resource management
Authors:   , Warren Stephanie
Published: November 2021

This thesis concerns the recent innovative developments in the Whanganui River and Te Urewera Treaty settlements of 2014. The Whanganui River has become the first specific environmental resource to receive the rights and status of a legal person. Te Urewera has been removed from the 1980 National Parks Act to also become its own legal person. Both legal personalities will be co-managed by boards of equal Crown and iwi members. The Te Urewera Board will, however, be rearranged in 2018 to have a Tūhoe majority, another first for Treaty of Waitangi settlements. These new features are considered particularly innovative in this thesis because of the context of Crown indivisible sovereignty and its unequal share of power in negotiating settlements. This thesis considers the ability of these settlements to provide space for iwi to practice rangatiratanga in relation to the resource that is central to their history and identity. If rangatiratanga is considered in this context to be the ability of iwi to practice self-determination and autonomy, then these settlements go further than previously seen because the application of the legal personality and the way it is co-managed is based for the most part on the worldview of the iwi. However, this worldview will continue to be practiced within the wider context of the English political and legal system. Because the improvement of the health and wellbeing of the Whanganui River and Te Urewera will be based on tikanga and mātauranga, Whanganui iwi and Tūhoe have been provided with more space than the Crown has previously conceded to practice rangatiratanga over these resources.
How did I as a student music therapist, use songwriting techniques to facilitate self-expression with adolescents in a mental health school setting?
Authors:   , Johnson Emma
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this research was to understand how a student music therapist was able to facilitate self-expression using specific songwriting techniques, during long term and short term, group and individual music therapy sessions. Long term is considered a four-month period of weekly sessions, and short term is considered a single session. This research took place at an educational facility where I was working with adolescents with various mental health issues. In this exegesis, I discuss the various definitions of self-expressions as defined in literature, and consider the ways this relates to songwriting methods chosen and applied during therapy. A qualitative method of research was used, using secondary analysis of data collected from five months of Music Therapy practice. Thematic analysis was applied to clinical notes from sessions, student review statements and personal reflective practitioner journal. I was guided by music therapy literature discussing songwriting that I had been drawing on for the benefit of my practice. My analysis revealed that I developed specifically tailored methods and techniques for individuals and groups, which would begin with how they would like to approach their songwriting. I also found, that alongside more well documented techniques such as lyric writing and composition, improvisation and song planning were of high value to my practice and therefore were included as therapeutic songwriting techniques in my findings.
Can a gut helminth parasite influence Th2 inflammatory responses in the skin?
Authors:   , Meijlink Kimberley Jayne
Published: November 2021

Helminth parasites are one of the most common infectious agents of humans and cause significant health and economic burdens in the countries they are endemic in, making elimination an important goal. However, epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse correlation between the incidences of infections by helminth parasites in humans and autoimmune and allergic disease prevalence worldwide; it is thought the eradication of parasites in more affluent countries through improved hygiene is an important factor for the increasing incidence of autoimmune and allergic diseases encountered in the Western world.  A Th2 immune response is central in providing immunity against helminth parasites, while suppressing T helper (Th) 1/Th17-mediated inflammation and inducing wound repair mechanisms. Helminths have developed strategies to directly regulate the immune response against them to ensure their own survival. Experimental evidence has demonstrated helminths are also able to dampen inflammatory bystander immune responses in their host, via induction of regulatory mechanisms such as regulatory T cells. These studies have focused primarily on the suppression of food and airway allergies in mouse models and there is limited data on the effect of helminth parasites on skin allergy e.g. atopic dermatitis.  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic/chronically relapsing Th2 inflammatory skin condition, characterized by skin lesions, dry itchy skin and impaired skin barrier function. This is believed to allow the entrance of other allergens into the body more easily, leading to sensitization and initiation of other allergies later in life, a process termed the ‘Allergic March’. With the increased incidence of allergy in the Western world, it is desirable to find new therapies to suppress AD and the onset of the allergic march.  During my Masters, I have investigated whether the gut-dwelling mouse parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus was able to suppress Th2 responses induced in skin tissue using two different allergy models: 1) intradermal injection (ID) of whole mashed-up house dust mite (HDM), which induces Th2 inflammatory responses, and 2) topical application of the chemical hapten dibutyl phthalate-fluorescein isothiocyanate (DBP-FITC), mimicking allergic responses seen in AD. The results show that H. polygyrus induces interleukin (IL)-4 production in tissues distal to the gut, including the ear skin tissue, mainly from cluster of differentiation (CD) 4⁺ T cells. Furthermore, helminth infection was able to suppress Th2-mediated inflammation in the skin in both house dust mite and DBP-FITC models, coinciding with an increase in the proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in skin-associated lymph nodes (LNs). This research further demonstrates the potential use of helminth parasites, or their products, as a therapy for allergic diseases, including those of the skin.
Connected coverage with rapid forwarding in energy harvesting wireless sensor networks for critical rare events
Authors:   , Harrison David C.
Published: November 2021

To ensure event detection and subsequent rapid forwarding of notification messages, wireless sensor networks deployed to detect critically important rarely occurring events must maintain both sensing coverage and low latency network connectivity at all times.  Maintaining coverage for extended periods is relatively straight forward as passive sensing components tend to consume little energy. Maintenance of network connectivity, however, requires sensing devices constantly supply power to their transceivers, significantly reducing the longevity of the sensor network.  Energy harvesting can extend the operational life of sensing devices with always on transceivers, potentially to the point where they can operate year round. In addition, over populating the sensing area with more devices than are required to provide complete sensing cover introduces the possibility of self-organisation where sensing devices agree amongst themselves which will remain active and which will be allowed to sleep.  Few algorithms have been proposed to address both coverage and forwarding; those that do are either unconcerned with rapid propagation or have not been optimised to handle the constant changes in topology observed in duty cycling networks.  This thesis first analyses the energy consumption profiles of commercially available wireless sensing devices then presents mechanisms by which these devices can both maintain sensing coverage and rapidly forward event detection messages delayed only by the inherent latencies found in wireless multi-hop networks. These individual contributions form the basis of a combined algorithm for Coverage Preservation with Rapid Forwarding (CPRF).  Through evaluations including live deployment, CPRF is shown to deliver perfect coverage maintenance and low latency message propagation whilst allowing stored-charge conservation via collaborative duty cycling in energy harvesting networks.
Resilient infrastructure: Redefined
Authors:   , Cole Kurt
Published: November 2021

The abundance of natural environments within New Zealand is under threat, and unhindered profit-driven development is ever increasing, putting our landscapes at risk. A weak relationship with our land is currently resulting in detrimental development. In particular, designed infrastructure is often imposed on the landscape with little consideration for the effects it has on wider ecological systems. The degradation of our natural environment is spiralling out of control, landscape architecture has the potential to protect and enhance our natural environment through integrated design that benefits our natural systems and the people who exist within them.  This research aims to mitigate the adverse effects development has on the landscape through the use of naturally integrated water treatment infrastructure design. The cleansing abilities of natural wetlands are currently overlooked as precedents for design. An opportunity lies within the integration of natural wetlands and infrastructure, the outcome being new multipurpose landscapes. The fusion of water infrastructure and natural systems has the potential to not only mitigate adverse effects of current development, but also provide the public with diverse open spaces that support recreation and natural amenity.  Wairarapa Moana in the South Wairarapa is the site for this design research to take place. The abundance of public open spaces surrounding Lake Waiararapa, paired with the severe degradation of the water quality provide an opportunity for design research to explore possible solutions. The intention of this work is to diminish the harmful effects of development and poor land use in the area, resulting in the creation of natural spaces that have an underlying function of water treatment and fitting seamlessly into the wider ecological systems of the site. The space will also cater for various recreational activities, providing the South Wairarapa with a new typology of landscape that is resilient and responsive to the natural flux of this unique lake system.
Stroke Rehabilitation
Authors:   , Kauraka Patrick
Published: November 2021

Upper limb rehabilitation after a stroke is vital when bringing a range of motion and strength back to a patient. Treatment for upper limb rehabilitation has come in many diverse methods over the years including the use of modern technology through the use of mirror visual feedback (MVF) and action observation therapy; this thesis digital applications for stroke rehabilitation and how varying visual styles can impact the patients experience in the upper limb rehabilitation process.  Within the gaming medium the visual style in a game is an aspect of immersion and appeal that is often neglected by the user. The visual style of a game often reflects the tone a game designer has intended to convey while also catering to the target audiences expectations, with realism potentially appealing to a more mature audience while brighter abstract visuals may appeal to a younger demographic. By utilising two different styles of imagery, both realistic and cartoon based visuals, the level of immersion was observed and the user’s reaction to each form of visuals was analysed. The aim of this thesis is to investigate both realistic and stylized visual styles of computer generated imagery, distinguish the advantages and disadvantages for both realism in comparison to cartoon and finally analyse its effectiveness to assist the rehabilitation of upper limb deficiencies. The application being used for this study was made in collaboration with Victoria University Masters student Nicholas Wellwood, providing me the opportunity to focus solely on producing diverse and engaging visual styles to work in unison with a fully developed framework.
Religion and law in contemporary Ghana
Authors:   , Tweneboah Seth
Published: November 2021

Employing a legal pluralist framework, this thesis examines the complex interrelationships between religion and law in contemporary Ghana, a professedly secular state characterised by high levels of religiousity. It aims to explore legal, cultural and moral tensions created by overlapping loci of authority (state actors, traditional leaders and religious functionaries). It contends that religion can function as an impediment to Ghana’s secularity and also serve as an integral tool for realising the state’s legal ideals and meeting international human rights standards. Using three case studies – legal tensions, child witchcraft accusations and same-sex partnerships – the thesis illustrates the ways that the entangled and complicated relationships between religion and law compound Ghana’s secular orientation. It suggests that legal pluralism is not a mere analytical framework for describing tensions, but ought to be seen as part of the solution. The thesis contributes to advancing knowledge in the area of the interrelationships between religion and law in contemporary Ghanaian public domain.
How healthcare professionals in acute care environments describe patient safety: A case study
Authors:   , Wailling Joanna
Published: November 2021

Patient safety has become an international healthcare priority over the past two decades. The prevailing approach to prevent harm in healthcare environments is the implementation of systems and structures that have made significant safety gains in high reliability organisations, such as aviation and nuclear power. However, similar safety improvements have not been realised in the healthcare environment. Studies suggest occupational culture is of importance, though our understanding of the relevance of safety subcultures is limited. This study explores how patient safety is described from the perspective of clinicians and organisational managers in an acute care hospital, using embedded case study design.  The case for this study was a New Zealand tertiary hospital. The emergency department and intensive care unit provided the settings for the embedded units. Three interviews with health care managers and six focus groups with nineteen doctors and nineteen nurses were undertaken. An interview guide, informed by the literature was used in data collection. Thematic data analysis was conducted within and across the case and embedded units. The theoretical concept of safety capability was developed from the data. Safety capability was defined as the ability to provide safe patient care and underpinned by the themes of resilient culture, and anticipation and vigilance.  A key finding of this research was that acute care environments have unique patient safety challenges, and these are influenced by complex factors. Patient safety was not assessed as being safe or unsafe, but rather perceived to exist across different levels of safety. Given this, healthcare professionals accept that some harm is inevitable in the healthcare setting. Doctors, nurses and managers understand and manage patient safety differently, and this affects how patient safety is addressed. This study identified anticipatory and vigilant systems are used to proactively manage risk by doctors and nurses, whereas incident reporting systems are used more by managers.    Given the need to keep patients safe and avoid harm, more proactive patient safety systems are needed to manage patient safety in hospitals; this will require a paradigm shift away from current reactive safety systems. Proactive systems must be underpinned by a resilient patient safety culture that focuses on the right building blocks to produce balance of resources and targets and develop collaboration in organisations. This will bring about flexibility and stability to meet the complex conditions presented by acute care environments.
The land shaping the people: A cultural look into a new land management scheme for South Wairarapa
Authors:   , Smart Megan
Published: November 2021

With this thesis bringing attention to the region of Wairarapa, it will show awareness to the significant cultural and biodiversity that this district holds that makes it such a rich place within Aotearoa, New Zealand. With two natural features sitting at their doorsteps, Lake Wairarapa and the Remutaka hillside, this region holds much to preserve and want to save. Maori culture holds countless values of the landscape that can be used to heal the land surrounding the lake, which in turn will heal the people living amongst it. These values are held with great appreciation in the culture, many believe all should live with these values for the land.  This thesis will help in bringing the Te Aranga Maori design principles to the surface so more can live with the land naturally and not just on it. This research will explore how these design principles can be used in bringing the landscape back to its prior state, and working with natural interventions to bring wahi tapu into the land and its people. In dealing with the current challenges and goals that present generation live with to make Wairarapa one to grow in and with.  These ideas can generate discussion to how people might live more sustainably with the use of natural systems in the landscape, to the production of natural products. It will also allow for more research topics to be produced from the older ways people used to live with the land. To show the diverse cultures present today, in how others could benefit from the ways and means they used to be. With dealing with present challenges and needs from today’s generation as we cannot ‘restore’ what once was, we have to ‘regenerate’ a new way of living, that is beneficial for all.
Online Dating in New Zealand: Why and how do people use Tinder?
Authors:   , Mickleson Kate
Published: November 2021

Online dating is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. However there is a dearth of research investigating online dating in New Zealand. The research presented here explores the prevalence of online dating in New Zealand, examining motivations, attitudes and outcomes associated with online dating (Study 1). It also investigates mate selection in an online dating context using a simulation of the popular mobile dating app, Tinder (Study 2). In Study 1, students from Victoria University of Wellington completed a survey developed by the author along with scales measuring individual differences on ideal standards and sociosexual orientation. As predicted, Study 1 found that online dating is prevalent in this sample (especially using Tinder), attitudes towards it were generally positive, and those using it more were more likely to be single, more sociosexually unrestricted, and rate physical attractiveness as more important in potential partners. Study 2 investigated the use of Tinder more specifically through an experimental simulation of this mobile dating app. Participants were presented with series of attractive and unattractive faces and asked to indicate whether they would hypothetically seek further contact (click heart icon to the right of the face) or uninterested (click cross icon to the left of the face). Response times and selections were recorded. As expected, men selected more faces than women, and responded equally rapidly regardless of the attractiveness of the face. In contrast, women responded significantly faster to the unattractive faces than the attractive faces. Results were predicted and interpreted in light of parental investment theory and in the context of prior research on both online dating and speed dating.