bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLUSTER VALIDITY INDICES IN TERMS OF CONSISTENCY
Authors:   Institute of Information Technology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Mammadova Leyla
Published: July 2022

Cluster analysis is one of the key issues in Data Mining, the most important stage of the Knowledge Discovery from Data (KDD) process, and is widely used. There are 3 main tasks of cluster analysis: determining the optimal number of clusters, clustering algorithms and evaluating the quality of clustering. One of the most important steps in cluster analysis is to evaluate the quality of clustering. A number of indices have been proposed to assess the outcome of clustering. The analysis shows that these indices, which are used to assess the quality of clustering, often show inconsistent results. Therefore, extensive research has recently been conducted on the study of indices and new indices are proposed. The article examines a number of internal and external evaluation indices. Different size data sets are taken and k-means, k-medoids, agglomerative hierarchical, BIRCH and OPTICS algorithms are applied to them. A number of internal and external evaluation indices are used to assess the results of the experiment, and the results are analyzed comparatively. Experiments show that Ac, Pr, Rc and F-m indices show similar results in in group determining in a given clustering structure.
INVESTIGATION OF CLUSTERING AND CLASSIFICATION METHODS FOR INTELLECTUAL ANALYSIS OF LOG FILES
Authors:   Institute of Information Technology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Nabiyev Babak , Ahmadov Fuad ,   Institute of Information Technology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
Published: July 2022

Today, the application of information technology in all areas of our lives has led to wider spread and popularity of cybercrime. In modern industrial control systems and cyber-physical systems, log files are very important in terms of detecting cyber incidents, identifying and preventing threats and anomalies. However, today, a large volume of log files generated in these systems greatly complicates the process of extracting useful information from them. This, in turn, highlights the need for intellectual analysis of log files. To this end, this article explores a number of clustering and classification methods and algorithms for the intellectual analysis of log files. Thus, K-means, CURE, EM, kNN, Naive Bayes and DT algorithms are selected out of these algorithms and their working principle is studied, explained, and the application of each algorithm on KDD CUP 99 data set is studied and compared.
ALGORITHM DESIGN NANOSATELLITE BASED ON RADIO FREQUENCY AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
Authors:   Azerbaijan Technical University, Hasanov Mehman , Atayev Nadir ,   Azerbaijan Technical University
Published: July 2022

The Nano-Satellite and its component CubeSat platforms, with their technical functionality, are an important part of the scientific, commercial, and military application of the space sector. It is important to conduct research and development processes to improve communication and information exchange subsystems based on existing subsystems in order to meet the main technical aspects of CubeSat platforms. While the radio frequency (RF) communication, which is widely used in existing CubeSat satellite platforms, tries to transmit the daily increasing amount of information through the high-frequency band, challenges such as existing license fragmentation, sources of atmospheric obstruction, and the energy and size requirements of the transmitter and receiver systems hinder this process. As a solution, the application of optical communication (OC) networks, which are widely used in terrestrial systems, in space can be shown. The OC systems used in CubeSat satellite platforms are investigated along the topic developed in this regard, and the operating software algorithms of Nano Satellite subsystems with laser beam control and active transponder system, which include the advantages of this technology, are studied.
Un estudio comparativo sobre el vocabulario pasivo de estudiantes con Trastorno Específico de Lenguaje en escuelas de Curicó
Authors: González Aliaga Margarita , Hernández González Osvaldo , Sepúlveda Opazo Francisca
Published: July 2022

La adquisición del vocabulario es un proceso clave para el desarrollo cognitivo, emocional y volitivo. El objetivo general de este estudio es describir y comparar el vocabulario pasivo de niños y niñas con TEL de tipo expresivo y mixto de dos escuelas de lenguaje de la comuna de Curicó (Chile), de acuerdo con el sexo y las escuelas. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo-comparativo en 52 estudiantes (19 niñas y 33 niños) seleccionados de manera no-probabilística (intencional). Se aplicó el Test de Vocabulario en Imágenes (TEVI–R), el cual está compuesto por 116 láminas que representan sustantivos, verbos y adjetivos, a las cuales se le asignan distintos estímulos verbales (léxico). El estudio reveló que no se observaron diferencias significativas en ninguna de las variables utilizadas como punto de comparación. No obstante, se comprueba lo que describe la literatura, puesto que el promedio del vocabulario pasivo de los estudiantes con TEL expresivo es mayor que el de los estudiantes con TEL mixto. Los resultados sugieren continuar la investigación, considerando otras variables que nos brinden una comprensión más global de la problemática.
Intercomprensión lectora y construcción de conocimiento en el área de humanidades
Authors: Masello Laura
Published: July 2022

El programa LALIC (Lecturas sobre América Latina en Intercomprensión) de la Universidad de la República (Uruguay) promueve la intercomprensión lectora en varias lenguas a partir de la revisión, basada en conceptos de autores latinoamericanos de distintas áreas lingüístico-culturales tales como el lugar de enunciación, la traza y la opacidad, de constructos culturales tradicionalmente asociados a América Latina. Desde ese abordaje teórico y los avances en el área de los Enfoques plurales, en este trabajo analizamos el proceso de apropiación de los referidos contenidos culturales en cuatro cursos de intercomprensión para universitarios entre 2018 y 2020. Mediante una metodología cualitativa, sustentada en la observación participante y el análisis de contenido, hemos apreciado en una muestra de 67 estudiantes el análisis crítico y cuestionamiento de ideologemas relacionados con la construcción del relato sobre los habitantes de nuestro continente y la incidencia positiva del enfoque plural en esa valoración.
When Wireless Technologies Faces COVID-19: via Apps using to Combat the Pandemic and Save the Economy
Authors: Shakor Ali M.
Published: July 2022

As the number of smartphone users grows, the smartphone's function in healthcare has evolved from a device that is used to arrange doctor appointments via the internet rather than the traditional approach. Mobile apps are a convenient way to track and collect data in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. To ensure that the right to privacy and civil liberties are maintained, we report on our investigation of 50 COVID -19- related apps, including their access to and use of personally identifiable information. Reservations are made at the doctor over the Internet, and an appointment is arranged for the visit and medical examination at a certain time, resulting in a reduction in the spread of the virus, especially in pandemic conditions such as Covid-19. Additionally, this provides a service for saving data and health files in the cloud on the Internet to retrieve information when needed, and not wasting these files and health papers while providing protection for them in terms of patient privacy. Designing an application (App) functioning on IOS and Android systems which works in mobile devices easily to provide the ability to book a doctor appointment from App.  The App is a link between the patient and the doctor to reduce the patient’s presence in health centers and medical facilities which are good centers for transmission of infection, especially in COVID-19. During the design of app, we have considered the low speed of data throughput especially for IRAQ.
Peter the Great’s “heirs”: power and administration in post-Petrine Russia
Authors: Omelchenko N. A.
Published: July 2022

The article examines the evolution of the power and governance system in the first decade after the death of Peter the Great, one of the most dramatic periods of Russian history, commonly referred to in the historical literature as the “ epoch of palace coups”. The article gives the author’s interpretation of the activities of the Supreme Privy Council to improve public administration during the reign of Catherine I and Peter II. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of events connected with the invitation to the Russian throne by the members of Supreme Privy Council of the niece of Peter the Great, the Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, during whose reign the first attempt in the political history of Russia was made to limit the autocratic power of the monarch. The author examines the reasons for the defeat of the plan of the “supreme leaders”, who proposed to Anna Ioannovna “restrictive points” (“conditions”), formulated by Prince D.M. Golitsyn, to change the form of government in Russia, and draws some important conclusions for understanding the events. According to the author, Anna Ioannovna managed to snatch victory, relying on the support of the middle and lower nobility, primary because in Russia the middle class was always afraid of the weakening of the central government, which, as a rule, led either to anarchy or to the power of the oligarchy.
Digital business transformation in current conditions. Part I
Authors: Kafiyatullina Yu. N. , Kurochkin D. A. , Serdechnyy D. V.
Published: July 2022

Research on the business processes digital transformation is of great interest among Russian and foreign scientists. The domestic economy’s development pace at the present stage is largely associated with widespread digital transformations. Over the past decade, Russia’s innovation performance, and the pace of digitalisation, has remained at a satisfactory level, which is not in line with the global trend. Branches of the economy, corporations, and small economic entities face the problem of adapting to the digital world. In the context of the upcoming economic crisis, the growing number of threats to economic sustainability, the task of increasing the pace of digitalisation is most acute. The study considers the main technologies in the concept of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, analyses the digitalisation tools and key sectors of the domestic economy. Based on the information provided, recommendations for the business digital transformation have been formulated. Due to the relevance of the topic, the results of the study have formed the basis of subsequent researches.
Efficient machine learning configuration interaction for bond breaking problems
Authors: Rano Madhumita , Ghosh Debashree
Published: July 2022

Machine learning-assisted configuration interaction (MLCI) has been shown earlier as a promising method in determining the electronic structure of the model and molecular Hamiltonians. In the MLCI approach to molecular Hamiltonians, it has been noticed that prediction is strongly dependent on the connectedness of the training and validation spaces. In this work, we have tested three different models with different output parameters (abs-MLCI, transformed-MLCI, and log-MLCI) to verify the robustness of training these models. We define robustness as the extent of error in prediction even when the spaces (training and validation) are nected. We notice that the log-MLCI model is best suited to this approach and is, therefore, a powerful model for accurate one-shot variational energies. This is tested not confor chemical bond breaking in water, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and dicarbon molecules.
Structural investigation of Fe(III)-salen complexes as "turn-on" fluorogenic probes for selective detection of pyrophosphate ions
Authors: HUI Eunice Y.-L. , TAY Dillon W. P. , RICHARD Jean-Alexandre , POHANCENIKOVA Zuzana , RENAULT Kévin , ROMIEU Anthony , LIM Yee Hwee
Published: July 2022

In this work, we revisited the disassembly approach (also known as the Zelder's approach) recently proposed for sensing pyrophosphate (PPi) in water and based on the decomposition of metal-salen complexes. A systematic study devoted to the structural optimization of this novel class of PPi-responsive fluorogenic probes was conducted. Screening of eight different vicinal diamines (i.e., bridge of the salen ligand) combined with the use of 8-formyl-7-hydroxycoumarin (i.e., salicylaldehyde derivative) as the fluorescent reporter, has led to a set of novel and fully characterized coumarin-salen Fe(III) complexes. A series of analytical validations helped us to identify that coumarin-salen Fe(III) complexes derived from ethylenediamine and racemic 1,2-propylenediamine backbones exhibit the best and selective PPi-sensing performances (the limits of detection were estimated as 3.15 × 10-6 M and 2.81 × 10-6 M respectively). The implementation of both fluorescence time-course measurements and RP-HPLC-fluorescence analyses has enabled us to gain further insights into the disassembly-based probes' activation mechanism. This study therefore contributes to demonstrate that the disassembly approach is a valuable strategy to achieve fluorogenic activity-based sensing of anions.
Performance Improvement of Decision Tree Model using Fuzzy Membership Function for Classification of Corn Plant Diseases and Pests
Authors: Resti Yulia , Irsan Chandra , Amini Muflika , Yani Irsyadi , Passarella Rossi , Zayantii Des Alwine
Published: July 2022

Corn is an essential agricultural commodity since it is used in animal feed, biofuel, industrial processing, and the manufacture of non-food industrial commodities such as starch, acid, and alcohol. Early detection of diseases and pests of corn aims to reduce the possibility of crop failure and maintain the quality and quantity of crop yields. A decision tree is a nonparametric classification model in statistical machine learning that predicts target variables using tree-structured decisions. The performance of this model can increase significantly if the continuous predictor variables are discretized into valid categories. However, in some cases, the result does not provide satisfactory performance. The possible cause is the ambiguity in discretizing predictor variables. The incorporation of fuzzy membership functions into the model to resolve discretization ambiguity issues. This work aims to classify diseases and pests of corn plants using the decision tree model and improve the model’s performance by implementing fuzzy membership functions. The main contribution of this work is that we have shown a significant improvement in the decision tree model performance by implementing fuzzy membership functions; S-growth, triangle, and S-shrinkage curves. The proposed fuzzy model is better than the decision tree model, with an average performance increase from the largest to the smallest; kappa (12.16%), recall (11.8%), F-score (9.71%), precision (5.08%), accuracy (3.23%), specificity (1.94%), and AUC (0.49%). The combination of bias and variance generated by the proposed model is quite small, indicating that the model is able to capture data trends well.
Subclasses of Analytic Functions with Negative Coefficients Involving q-Derivative Operator
Authors: Hern Andy Liew Pik , Janteng Aini , Omar Rashidah
Published: July 2022

Let A denote the class of functions f which are analytic in the open unit disk U. The subclass of A consisting of univalent functions is denoted by M. In this paper, we also consider a subclass of M which is denoted by V, consisting of functions with negative coefficients. In addition, this paper also studies the q-derivative operator. By combining the ideas, this paper introduced three subclasses of A with negative coefficients involving q-derivative. Furthermore, the coefficient estimates, growth results and extreme points were obtained for all of these classes.
Electro-adsorption as a Hybrid Processing to Removed Oil from Synthetic Oily Solution by Using Activated Carbon and Iron Electrodes
Authors: Cundari Lia , Afrah Bazlina Dawami , Dwijayanti Suci , Suryadinata Alvina , Ramadhani Aldi
Published: July 2022

Biosolar contains oil, fatty acids, emulsifiers, bactericides, and other chemicals. If the oil contents are mixed with water, it will become hazardous waste and affect drinking water sources, endanger human health, air pollution, affect agricultural production, and damage the natural landscape, so the oil content must be processed to reduce its hazardous content. One of the methods used in treating oily solutions is adsorption. The adsorption method for oily solution treatment is ineffective because it requires several stages, so the required capital is relatively larger and takes longer. Electro-adsorption is one of the methods that is being developed for treating oily solutions. Electro-adsorption is a hybrid separation technology to break down oil emulsions in wastewater and some other organic content. The purpose of this study is to characterize the activated carbon and determine the effect of voltage and time on synthetic oily solution treatment in terms of COD value and oil-fat content. A synthetic oily solution is made by mixing 1 g of biosolar/B30 into the water from the Musi River to a volume of 1 L. The application of the electro-adsorption method uses commercially activated carbon as an adsorbent and iron as an electrode. Variations given to the process with voltage 0, 5, 10, 15 V and time 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 minutes. The characteristic of activated carbon showed a size change in the pore size from 2.58 µm to 1.98 µm and a reduction of surface area from 740 (±180) m2/g to 730 (±120) m2/g. The electro-adsorption method was effective in treating oily solutions. The decrease of COD reaches the maximum level at a voltage 10 V for 25 minutes, which was 75.92% from 62.33 mg/L to 15 mg/L initially, while the concentration of oil-fat obtains the maximum level at a voltage of 5 V for 5 minutes that is equal to 99.65%, initially 303.19 mg/L to 1.05 mg/L. The optimum condition of the electro-adsorption process in synthetic oily solution was at the voltage of 5 V and a time of 5 minutes. The electro-adsorption process is an effective method to treat synthetic oily solutions.
Crystal Engineering Approach in Physicochemical Properties Modifications of Phytochemical
Authors: Lutfiyah Dhea Sultana , Fitriani Lili , Taher Muhammad , Zaini Erizal
Published: July 2022

Phytochemicals have been used to reduce the risk of diseases and maintain good health and well-being. However, most phytochemicals have a limitation in their physicochemical properties, which can be modified by reforming the shape of the crystals. Therefore, crystal engineering is a promising approach to optimize physicochemical characteristics of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a phytochemical without altering its pharmacological efficacy. Hence, this paper reviews current strategies for the use of crystal engineering to optimize physicochemical properties of phytochemicals, which is followed by the design of the synthesis and characterization of particular phytochemicals, including piperine (PIP), quercetin (QUE), curcumin (CUR), genistein (GEN), and myricetin (MYR). The literature indicates that crystal engineering of multicomponent crystals (MCCs) enhances phytochemical physicochemical properties, including solubility, dissolution rate, stability, and permeability. The MCCs provide a lower lattice energy and noncovalent bonding, which translate into lower melting points and weak intermolecular interactions that generate greater solubility, higher dissolution rate, and better stability of the APIs. Nevertheless, the absence of reported studies of phytochemical crystal engineering leads to a lack of variation in the selection of coformers, methods of preparation, and improvement of physicochemical properties. Therefore, more extensive evaluation of the design and physicochemical characteristics of phytochemicals using MCCs is necessary and manifests the opportunity to enhance the application of phytochemicals in the pharmaceutical industry.
Musculus flexor digitorum profundus aksesuar başı tendonunun alternatif greft olarak kullanılabilirliğinin araştırılması
Authors: GİLAN İsmail Yağmurhan , UZUN Coşar , GİLAN Vedia Bennu , BOBUS ÖRS Alev , ERDAL Nurten
Published: July 2022

Amaç: Son yıllarda, artan cerrahi rekonstüksiyon teknikleri ile tendon transferleri sık yapılan operasyonlardan biri haline gelmiştir. Trafik kazaları, kesici alet yaralanmaları ya da bazı romatizmal hastalıkların yarattığı dejeneratif hasarlar sonucunda tendon grefti uygulamaları bir gereklilik haline gelmiştir. Literatürde en çok kullanılan tendon greft donörleri musculus palmaris longus, musculus plantaris, musculus extensor digitorum longus, musculus extensor indicis ve musculus gracilis olarak geçmektedir. Birçok tendon greft donörü olmasına rağmen, farklı kullanım alanları ve varyatif durumlar nedeni ile zaman zaman da alternatif tendon greft donörlerine ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Biz de buradan yola çıkarak musculus flexor digitorum profundus aksesuar başının tendon grefti olarak kullanılabilirliğini araştırmayı hedefledik. Yöntem: Çalışmamızda, musculus flexor digitorum profundus aksesuar başı tendonunun, tendon grefti için donör olup olamayacağı iki basamakta incelendi. Birinci aşamada morfometrik olarak uygunluğu, ikinci aşamada ise biyomekanik olarak uygunluğu test edilerek güncel olarak kullanılan musculus palmaris longus ve musculus plantaris tendonlarıyla karşılaştırıldı. Bu amaçla musculus palmaris longus, musculus plantaris ve musculus flexor digitorum profundus aksesuar başının tendonları kullanıldı. Erişkin 11 kadavradan alınan kasların ve tendonlarının uzunlukları, kalınlıkları ve genişlikleri ölçüldü. Elde edilen parametreler birbirleriyle karşılaştırıldı. Alındıkları ekstremitelerin de uzunluk ve genişlikleri ölçülerek, tendonlarla aralarındaki korelâsyonlara bakıldı. Germe test cihazı kullanılarak; maksimum kopma kuvveti, maksimum deformasyon, tendon kopuncaya kadar depolanan enerji, sertlik, maksimum stres, maksimum strain, esneklik katsayısı ve dayanıklılık parametreleri ölçülüp, tendonların biyomekanik özellikleri değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Yapılan analizler sonucunda; hem morfometrik verilerde hem biyomekanik verilerde benzerlikler elde edildi. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak ele alınan aksesuar tendonun morfometrik olarak uygun olduğu, biyomekanik olarak kısmen yeterli olduğu sonucuna varıldı.
Sağlık bilimleri lisans öğrencilerinin organ bağışına yönelik tutumlarını etkileyen faktörler
Authors: ÇAM Hasan Hüseyin , GÜLEÇ Hacı Yusuf , ÖZTÜRK Ebru , KARASU Fatma
Published: July 2022

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, sağlık bilimleri lisans öğrencilerinin organ bağışına yönelik tutumlarını incelemek ve bu tutumu etkileyen faktörleri belirlemektir. Yöntem: Kesitsel tipteki bu çalışma, Ocak-Şubat 2021 tarihleri arasında Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde bulunan bir üniversitenin Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesinde 495 öğrenci üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Katılımcılar, sosyo-demografik faktörleri ve Organ Bağışı Tutum Ölçeği ile ilgili soruları içeren bir öz bildirim anketi doldurdu. Anket tamamlanma oranı %70 idi. İstatistiksel analizler için IBM SPSS yazılımı kullanıldı. p değerleri<0.05 istatistiksel olarak anlamlı kabul edildi. Veriler; tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Kolmogorov-Smirnov testi, Bağımsız Örneklem T testi ve Tek Yönlü ANOVA testi kullanılarak analiz edildi. Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 20.63±1.87 yıl idi. Katılanların %45.4’ü ölüm halinde organlarını bağışlamaya istekliyken, geriye kalan %54.6’sı ise organlarını bağışlamaya isteksizdi. Organ bağışına yönelik olumlu tutum ile ilgili değişkenler: kadın cinsiyette olma, çekirdek aile yapısı, kentte yaşama, organ bağışçısı olma isteği, ailenin geçmişte organ nakli ve bağışı deneyimi, aile üyelerinin organ bağışına yönelik olumlu tutumu ve organ bağışı ile ilgili dini inanışlardır. Sonuç: Araştırmaya katılanlar arasında organ bağışına karşı yüksek düzeyde olumlu tutum, ancak düşük düzeyde isteklilik fark edilmiştir. Geleceğin sağlık profesyonellerinin olumlu tutumlarını ve bağış yapma isteğini en üst düzeye çıkarmak için farkındalık oluşturulması teşvik edilmelidir.
Simulation of hybrid electrical vehicle charging station in multimode operation
Authors: Shubham Yadnik , Shruti Tiwari
Published: July 2022

The use of electric vehicles is growing very rapidly, and more and more people are switching to electric vehicles as the problem of air pollution has become a concern in most parts of the world. In addition, the spike in fuel prices around the world has prompted people to opt for an alternative vehicle option other than conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. But as the number of electric vehicles increases, the need to install charging stations on a very large scale also increases. The main problem with conventional grid-based charging stations is that they increase the load on the main grid and affect the power quality of the local distribution network. This paper discusses the modeling and simulation of a hybrid electric vehicle charging station operating in multi-mode (i.e., grid-connected or Grid Power Connected Mode (GPCM) and solar-powered or Solar Power Connected Mode (SPCM). The Electric Vehicle (EV) charge controller automatically switches between GPCM and SPCM. With this hybrid electric vehicle charging station model, renewable energy can be integrated with the main grid to improve the efficiency and reliability of the electric vehicle charging station, so the Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) hybrid model can help to expand the electric vehicle charging network on a large scale. The simulation was performed using MATLAB 2016.
Podcasts as modern strategies for promoting reading literacy and reading culture and their impact on professionals
Authors:   Maribor Library, Popović Sabrina Fras , Vilar Polona ,   University of Ljubljana
Published: July 2022

"The paper draws attention to the modern strategies in promoting reading literacy and reading culture in the professional environment, with emphasis podcasts in the Slovenian public libraries as strategy. We investigated the usefulness of this strategy promoting a particular professional event aiming the potential impact on certain elements such as motivation, belonging and meaning. The analytical research of the results herein shows the attitude of professionals towards podcasts and is the first of it’s kind in Slovenia. Data were obtained using the survey method and is part of a larger study aiming to determine the impact of the professional events on the competencies. General findings establish the connection between knowing or following podcasts and the impact on individual elements of professional competences. The results showed a positive attitude of professionals leading in encouragement of reading literacy and reading culture. Comparative results show a positive trend in connection between listening to podcasts and professional competence. Those professionals who received information about podcasts, i.e. were exposed through promotion to a professional event, also listened to, and this marked their professional self-perception. Limitations are related to the size of the research, which is based on one case study. Regardeless, a sizable sample is included, which can serve as starter for a larger research to determine the impact on competencies. This enquiry in connection with competencies of professionals is not common, nor are surveys that focus on the attitude to modern strategies. Individual's attitude is highlighted when introducing modern strategies ireading literacy and reading culture promotion."
XYZ: Customized Complexity
Authors:   , Stewart Earl
Published: July 2022

The digital revolution described by Neil Gershenfeld is bringing about the age of Personal Fabrication, where manufacturing is becoming personal, enabling new creative freedom to design objects that are specifi c to the user’s needs.

This thesis investigates digital manufacturing & its use within customized product. The aim is to explore digital tools from a value sensitive approach described by Friedman, Kahn & Borning. The value sensitive approach was born by recognizing the lack of human centred values within the design of computational systems, for this reason the value sensitive approach will guide this thesis as its inception shares similarities with what we are facing within the digital manufacturing revolution.

My research through composition led to a collection of work that progressively investigates on the unification of the three aspects of the value sensitive methodology. The collection consists of XYZ Clothing & XYZ Footwear, using my personal identity as the driver the collection culminates in a footwear solution made specifically for the individual.

There are two dominating aims to this work: The improvement of function & performance of artifact through exploration of digital manufacturing. The ability to embody complex personal narratives within artifact celebrating personal identity.

These aims are embodied within the XYZ collection. This collection is able to meet the needs of the body, whilst also improving biomechanical functions through the use of digital manufacturing. The value sensitive approach caters to the values of the individual by using digital tools to enrich the experience with identity.

The XYZ collection may not appeal to everyone as it requires time & personal reflection in order to be fully utilized, there are aspects within this thesis however that can inspire further exploration down multiple paths.
Utility of the MBT/CBT paleotemperature proxy in lake sediments: Spatial variation in bacteria and bacterial lipid distribution in two New Zealand lake catchments
Authors:   , Robyns Melody Angharad
Published: July 2022

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), produced by unidentified bacteria, have been found ubiquitously in terrestrial and marine environments. The methylation and cyclisation of branched GDGTs is known to change in soils due to mean annual air temperature and pH, respectively. The identification of branched GDGTs produced within the water column and sediments of lakes indicates strong potential for the development of a temperature proxy for lake environments. In order to help develop the applicability of using branched bacterial GDGT lipids as a temperature proxy in lacustrine environments, this research set out to determine the distribution and provenance of bacterial communities and their corresponding GDGT lipids present in lake sediments in two small New Zealand lakes, the Karori Upper Dam and Lake Pounui. The Karori Upper Dam is a small lake, directly fed by two tributaries. Lake Pounui, in comparison, is much larger and fed by tributaries which are buffered by swamps.

Water and sediment samples from Lake Pounui and its catchment indicate a predominantly autochthonous production of branched GDGTs. However, the lake calibrated MBT/CBT paleotemperature proxy is not applicable to sites similar to that of the Karori Upper Dam which have a strong terrestrial branched GDGT signature. This research concluded that it can be expected that a terrestrial GDGT signature of some extent will be present in all lacustrine sites; however, only some sites will display a strong authochthonous lacustrine GDGT signal suitable for the application of the MBT/CBT paleotemperature proxy. Through the use of ARISA DNA analysis this research identified bacterial species which statistically explain a significant portion of variance in branched GDGT abundances. Based on the seasonal fluctuations of measured environmental controls it can be assumed that species abundance will also fluctuate. Future work will need to be undertaken in order to further understand this relationship as the sample size for this research was too small to determine the seasonal pattern of these bacteria.
Carbothermal Reduction and Nitridation of Geopolymer-Carbon Composites: A Study of Reaction Mechanisms
Authors:   , O'Leary Bryan Glenn
Published: July 2022

The mechanism of carbothermal reduction and nitridation of potassium-graphite and potassium-, sodium- and ammonium-carbon black geopolymer composite systems was studied by varying the reaction conditions of temperature, time and reaction atmosphere. The effects of different carbon and alkali types were examined and it was determined that the formation of β-sialon occurs by a series of complex reaction pathways with conventional and new pathways observed.

Potassium-graphite and ammonium-carbon black composites reacted mostly through the conventional mechanism understood for clay based systems while significant kinetic hindrance to the crystallisation or melting of potassium- and sodium-carbon black composites resulted in the observation of non-conventional pathways. These new reaction pathways were determined to be a consequence of eutectic formation in the samples resulting in silica-rich and alumina-rich phases. The silica-rich phases formed silicon oxynitride type materials, suggested to be K-O1-sialon and Na-O-sialon, which subsequently formed a low z-value β-sialon phase with further carbothermal reduction and nitridation. The alumina-rich phase reacted via X-phase sialon and through direct conversion to produce a high z-value phase resulting in overall diphasic β-sialon materials.

To explain these results, the reaction pathways were discussed in context of previously determined mechanisms and a schematic representation for the formation of β-sialon presented, having some implications for the design of reactive systems.
Fostering new spaces: Celebrating and growing a diverse economy in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors:   , Hosking Emma Noëlle
Published: July 2022

This thesis explores and celebrates diverse understandings and experiences of the economy through the narratives of four people working in Cape Town, South Africa. The diversity and multiplicity of the economy has been made invisible by a capitalocentric economic discourse which casts alternative ways of being as uncredible and weak. Thus, from a post-development/community economy perspective, I seek to foster a space in which non-conventional economic and political practices are seen as relevant and valid sites for action, where hope for a better future can be enabled.

Living in the segregated city of Cape Town, I began to question the polemic framing of the country‟s “two economies”, a framing which disregards the actions of ordinary people who are improving the well-being of their communities directly, in favour of neoliberal pro-growth strategies. Therefore, I interrogate the binaries used to describe the economy and scale of action so as reimagine other possible trajectories for transformation. In so doing, I trace some of the relational connections that the participants articulated and employed on a daily basis so as to foster a sense of place beyond dualistic notions of scale and politics. I also contend that if we are to appreciate the community economy as a significant and persistent site of struggle, there is a need to understand politics as happening beyond the horizon of direct mobilisation. Through these reframings I work to reinsert the experiences and perspectives of spatially and economically marginalised people and places into implications in broader issues.

I approach this research from a post-structural, feminist stance, not only to deconstruct the supposed dominance of the capitalist economy, but also to contribute to a project of growing a diverse economic discourse and enabling people to occupy this terrain and reclaim their agency. Hence, using ethnographic and visual collaborative methodologies I aim to promote and value the agency and autonomy of ordinary people who are performing, dreaming, enacting, connecting and enabling a broad horizon of opportunities in hybrid, multi-scalar ways. Therefore, alongside its conceptual contribution of enabling other economic possibilities, I hope that this thesis adds to a conversation about the need for methodologies to be realised as part of a broader movement towards transformation and change.
The Flipping Sequence Of A Very Tall Structure
Authors:   , Aznam Moehammad Zaed
Published: July 2022

The impact of rising sea levels and perennial flooding in cities and low-lying urban areas is becoming more severe with the increasing threat of global warming. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, these low-lying areas are among the poorest and most densely populated areas. They are often inhabited by the urban poor, with limited means and resources to survive devastating floods. Imagine, in the event of extreme catastrophic flooding in the future, how will these communities survive and continue to thrive?

This thesis looks at one such site, Kampong Muara Baru, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Due to its low-lying coastal location, Kampong Muara Baru is slowly losing the battle to the increasing threat posed by flooding. The aging infrastructure currently in place, such as the water gate, flood pump, and embankments, are no longer able to cope with the increasing pressure. It is predicted that Kampong Muara Baru will eventually become submerged, as sea levels continue to rise.

The design proposes a thought-provoking, autonomous Neo-Futurist intervention for a future kampong, based on the concepts of Ecotopia (Ernest Callenbach) and Micro-Utopia (John Wood). It is presented as a sci-fi graphic novel to convey the dystopian narrative of the proposal.

This thesis proposes that a kampong community under threat from catastrophic flooding can survive and thrive with an adaptable architectural intervention that can protect, shelter and support the community during and after such a disastrous event.

By exaggerating the current situation, it is envisioned – hypothetically – that after several disastrous floods, a catastrophic flooding event will eventually wipe Kampong Muara Baru off the map. The repeated floods leading up to this event have already served as a warning to the people to prepare themselves for the ultimate inundation. A blueprint design of a ‘floating house’ was devised and constructed by the community from the recycled components of urban infrastructure. The process of developing and perfecting the floating house will take several decades where each generation will add onto the design, in order to perfect it according to the blueprint. Eventually, when the final catastrophic flood hits, threatening to wipe out the Kampong forever, the community will already be well prepared to face the disaster. These floating houses will allow the community to regroup and re-create their village in the new dystopian environment.
Social capital and Facebook use of Tacloban City after Super Typhoon Haiyan
Authors:   , Fontamillas Arla E.
Published: July 2022

This case study examined the extent to which social media can help build and strengthen the social capital of communities in the face of natural disasters. It investigated Tacloban City, an area hit hardest by Super Typhoon Haiyan on 08 November 2013. Haiyan is considered as the most powerful tropical cyclone in recorded human history. With the vast international attention it received, it also highlighted the growing role of Facebook in facilitating and influencing disaster aid and response, particularly in a developing country such as the Philippines.

Social capital describes how networks and resources within the community are made available to people through their connections with others. This concept is gaining popularity because of the increasing role of social media during disasters. While its effects on the behaviour of people in disasters are generally perceived to be useful, few studies have actually examined how social media changes the way people mobilise themselves in a disaster-stricken and politically tensed society.

Separate interviews and focus group discussions among selected residents of two coastal communities (Barangays 89 and 48-B), selected members of two local NGOs (Community & Family Services International and Operation Blessing - Visayas), and three members of the city government (vice-mayor, urban and environmental consultant, and city councillor) revealed that Facebook extended the geography of the social capital of Tacloban City after Super Typhoon Haiyan. It allowed the survivors to inform their families and relatives, who are residing in different countries, of their condition and consequently receive physical help, like money and goods, from them.

However, as a mediated form of communication, Facebook was limited in addressing the socio-political realities of Tacloban City, which was marked by widespread mistrust and uncertainty. Paradoxically, Facebook has amplified the structural inequalities already present in Tacloban City before it was hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan. While it enhanced strong ties, it has failed to forge weaker ties. As a result, it has instead widened the gap between those who have more power over the access to resources and those who have less.
An Assessment of Whether a Carbon Neutral Initiative Can Successfully Be implemented at Victoria University of Wellington
Authors:   , Kodikara Tushara
Published: July 2022

The scientific evidence is now in no doubt - anthropogenic climate change has created a severe global problem and demands an urgent global response. The origin of anthropogenic climate change lies in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Avoiding serious climate change willrequire reductions in GHG emissions from all sources. Universities can demonstrate leadership in this area by not only conducting research and teaching about climate change, but also by goingfurther and starting to manage and mitigate their own impact on the climate. This thesis assesses whether Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) can become carbon neutral and therefore have no net impact on climate change. Applying a corporate social responsibility model, the interface between the universities as teaching and research institutes and agents of change is investigated. This way, the opportunities, benefits and barriers in place for the university to become carbon neutral are identified and a framework to implement this initiative isdeveloped. The research found several potential short-term and enlightened self-interest benefits available to VUW in becoming carbon neutral. Despite this, many barriers will need to be overcome to achieve neutrality. The main obstacle is gaining a firm commitment from the University Council and senior management. If this commitment is achieved, then VUW is in a strong position to demonstrate leadership both at the level of the local Wellington community and nationally.
Architecture as a Catalyst for Activity
Authors:   , Tungatt Rory
Published: July 2022

Many of New Zealand’s smaller town centres struggle to remain viable. A common issue for these declining public realms is the hollowing out of their city centres. Numerous factors may contribute to this problem. Issues such as a lack of access, connectivity and identity within the urban fabric, or instances of privatisation, where forums that were once public have now shifted to a digital interface. One of the challenges facing cities is the diminishing number of “civic” buildings and activity located in the town centre. The Indoor Community Sports Centre (ICSC) offers a partial remedy for this problem. Even with the merging and downsizing of Council’s and their funding, Territorial Authorities continue to invest in ICSCs. This thesis investigates whether these buildings can make a positive contribution to the public domain of town centres.

New Zealand ICSC’s, more often than not, are simple shed-like buildings on the periphery of cities or town centres, predominantly occupying or adjacent to large park areas, sports fields or schools. This thesis examines whether the building type can be adapted to become an “urban” building, where it will have the opportunity contribute to a revitalised town centre.

A design case study based on Upper Hutt identifies three key design criteria established from initial research of Sports Centres and best-practice Urban Design. These three criteria – breaking up mass, active edges from the outside and creating a dynamic connection – allow the ICSC to become part of the civic realm. The research concludes that an ICSC can be successfully integrated into an “urban” context.

In the Upper Hutt case study, success depends on two broader design strategies. First, the ICSC should be located in an area where walkability, functionality and visual and physical connectivity will benefit the public domain. Second, the ICSC should be part of a mixed-use development, which exploits the building type’s inherent flexibility. This is achieved through combining a transport hub, another essential civic amenity, as well as other commercial programmes that provide occupancy during periods of disuse.

The thesis shows how a carefully adapted ICSC can turn a somewhat disconnected, hollowed out town into a functional, integrated and walkable one. The redesigned facility does so by linking existing amenities, feeding city-fringe activity back into the city centre and projecting a consciousness of place.
Age, Origin and Vertical Deformation of a Previously Interpreted Regional Erosion Surface: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis of the Wellington K Surface
Authors:   , Watson Campbell
Published: July 2022

Measuring and describing horizontal motion in plate boundary zones is relatively straightforward. Vertical movements are, on the other hand, more difficult to measure but they are important as they provide key insights to crustal and upper mantle dynamics.

This thesis is directed towards learning about the vertical movements of a previously interpreted regional erosion surface, termed the K Surface. Sir Charles Cotton (1912) was the first to draw attention to this physiographic feature that dominates the landscape of the western Wellington region from Makara in the south to Paraparaumu in the north. Little information is known about the age, origin and uplift history of this feature, due to a lack of overlying Neogene sediments in the region. A multidisciplinary approach is applied here, using a combination of geological, geophysical and topographic methods to document the age, origin and uplift history of the K Surface in a local and regional context.

A depth profile of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be exposure ages from a 300 m high K Surface remnant suggest that the K Surface was last exposed 238.1− +141 149..3 7 ka (2σ), which correlates with marine isotope stage (MIS) 7. Erosion rates are 1.79 − +0 0..83 59 cm ka ⁻¹, indicative of ˜4 m of total erosion since exposure.

On a regional scale, timing, magnitude, and wavelength of K Surface uplift is consistent with a similar regional uplift in the Wairarapa, while at the same time subsidence is seen offshore, southwest and northwest of Wellington. This coeval uplift and subsidence on a ˜ 70 – 80 km spatial scale is explicable within the context of a simple plate flexure model with a free edge. The flexure is proposed to have been enhanced in the last ˜ 0.3 my when the freely subducting Pacific plate interacts with a barrier that produces a consequent bending moment, on the end of the plate. This barrier is proposed to be mantle lithosphere of the overriding Australian plate that rapidly thickened during the Pliocene. Combining the Isotopic and geologic evidence with geophysical modelling, suggests that the “K Surface” is not a singular regional erosion surface, as previously suggested (e.g. Cotton, 1953; Ota et al., 1981). Rather it is composed of time transgressive marine platforms differentially formed and uplifted by both flexure of the underlying Pacific Plate and smaller scale crustal fault movements.