bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impacts of an introduced mammalian predator (Mus musculus) on tree weta (Hemideina trewicki) and skinks (Oligosoma polychroma, Oligosoma infrapunctatum and Oligosoma lineoocellatum) in Cape Sanctuary, Hawkes Bay
Authors:   , Dent Emma
Published: November 2021

The introduction of exotic species, particularly predators, into new ecosystems is one of the biggest causes of loss of biodiversity across the globe. Understanding the impacts that introduced species have on native species is crucial in conservation management, particularly for those species that are conservation-reliant. I examined the impact that an introduced mammalian predator (Mus muscularus) had on native prey populations of common (Oligosoma polychroma), speckled (Oligosoma infrapunctatum) and spotted (Oligosoma lineoocellatum) skinks and Hawkes Bay tree weta (Hemideina trewicki). I conducted a mark-recapture study using pitfall traps to examine the impact of mice on skink populations. I conducted a mark-recapture study through manual counts to examine the impact of mice on tree weta. I also examined occupancy of weta refuges while in the presence of mice. There were no captures of spotted skinks, and very low captures of common skinks. There was no significant change in capture numbers for speckled skink, however observed numbers did decline from November 2013 to November 2014. There was a significant decline in capture rates for tree weta over the course of my study. It was difficult to establish mice as the sole cause of any observed changes, however it is likely that they are a limiting factor for skink and weta populations, and have the potential to be a major factor in the observed decline in the tree weta population. My results highlight the importance of monitoring native populations, particularly those that are small and are in the presence of introduced predators. By monitoring native populations conservation management can make better informed decisions to work towards populations not being ‘conservation-reliant’.
Topics in Algorithmic Randomness and Computability Theory
Authors:   , McInerney Michael
Published: November 2021

This thesis establishes results in several different areas of computability theory.  The first chapter is concerned with algorithmic randomness. A well-known approach to the definition of a random infinite binary sequence is via effective betting strategies. A betting strategy is called integer-valued if it can bet only in integer amounts. We consider integer-valued random sets, which are infinite binary sequences such that no effective integer-valued betting strategy wins arbitrarily much money betting on the bits of the sequence. This is a notion that is much weaker than those normally considered in algorithmic randomness. It is sufficiently weak to allow interesting interactions with topics from classical computability theory, such as genericity and the computably enumerable degrees. We investigate the computational power of the integer-valued random sets in terms of standard notions from computability theory.  In the second chapter we extend the technique of forcing with bushy trees. We use this to construct an increasing ѡ-sequence 〈an〉 of Turing degrees which forms an initial segment of the Turing degrees, and such that each an₊₁ is diagonally noncomputable relative to an. This shows that the DNR₀ principle of reverse mathematics does not imply the existence of Turing incomparable degrees.   In the final chapter, we introduce a new notion of genericity which we call ѡ-change genericity. This lies in between the well-studied notions of 1- and 2-genericity. We give several results about the computational power required to compute these generics, as well as other results which compare and contrast their behaviour with that of 1-generics.
Geology and Geothermal Setting of Tompaso Geothermal System, Indonesia, with Comparisons of Andesite Alteration Patterns with Wairakei, New Zealand
Authors:   , Savitri Kartika Palupi
Published: November 2021

Tompaso geothermal system is a typical volcanic arc geothermal system in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Although situated close to the Tondano caldera, subsurface lithologies and structures do not show any evidence for caldera-related features and the system is inferred to be related to the andesitic Soputan volcano. The subsurface geology of Tompaso consists of Tuff B unit, Rhyolite unit, Andesite B unit, Pitchstone unit, Pyroclastic Breccia unit,Andesite A unit, Pumice unit, and Tuff A unit, respectively, from the oldest penetrated unit. The silicic Pitchstone and Rhyolite units are presumed to be sourced from the same magma chamber. Petrological and mineralogical observations using binocular and petrographic microscopy, short-wave infrared (SWIR) analysis, and back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) have been applied to cuttings and limited core material from three boreholes: LHD-26, LHD-27, and LHD-32. Age dating has not been undertaken and, thus, conclusions on correlations between subsurface geology inferred here with surface formation groupings from previous works cannot be drawn.  Tompaso geothermal system is characterised primarily by variations in the fracturing within the reservoir. Secondary mineralogy and the structure of present-day temperature of the system suggest that the movement of hydrothermal fluids at Tompaso is controlled by faults: the Soputan, Tempang, and A-A’ faults, the last defined for the first time in this thesis. Soputan Fault controls the outflow of the system. On the other hand, the influence of Tempang and A-A’ faults is dominant only in the upper portion of the system. The A-A’ fault likely acts as a channel for cooler meteoric surface water, while the Tempang Fault is inferred to have experienced self-sealing and appears to be an impermeable structure in the system. The self-sealing process of the Tempang Fault and/or the introduction of meteoric water through the A-A’ fault may be related to the cooling of the northern and western part of the system.  The challenges in identifying protoliths in active geothermal areas is addressed here through studies of the influence of andesite textures on the preferences of hydrothermal alteration processes. Wairakei andesites were chosen for comparison to Tompaso andesites, especially because of its different geological setting and geothermal reservoir structure. The results suggest that mineral composition and arrangement affect the preference of hydrothermal alteration on andesites.
Thermal Performance Implications of a Housing Warrant of Fitness
Authors:   , Wareing Sara
Published: November 2021

A housing Warrant of Fitness (WoF) has been independently proposed by three organisations as a way of improving the quality of rental housing in New Zealand and reducing housing related injuries and health problems.   The New Zealand Green Building Council and the Housing and Health Research Programme (University of Otago, Wellington) have jointly developed a WoF based on Homestar and the Healthy Housing Index (labelled the GH WoF in this document).   Housing New Zealand is in the process of developing a WoF for their properties (HNZ WoF) , it has been tested on a number of state houses but the results have not yet been fully released.   Both the GH WoF and the HNZ WoF target thermal and moisture performance amongst other minimum requirements for rental housing. The WoFs specify slightly different housing features as minimum acceptable standards. Both of the WoFs are structured as a checklist, with all items considered mandatory to pass the assessment.  This research investigated the impact of meeting the WoF criteria which impact thermal performance. A thermal model of a villa style house suitable for a family of 4 was modelled in the thermal simulation programme EnergyPlus with a minimum practicable level of thermal performance. A range of New Zealand input values were sought and a number of sensitivity analyses were carried out to validate the model’s performance. Combinations of features each meeting the different criteria of the WoFs (such as insulation, ventilation and curtains) were then added to this house.  The results of these models demonstrated that while adding these features will improve thermal performance, a simple pass/fail may be misleading because a house which fails may have equivalent thermal performance to a house which passes.  The pass/fail result does not acknowledge trade-offs between temperature, energy consumption and running cost. Neither WoF accounts for the impact of climate on the ability to achieve comfortable indoor conditions, which has a greater impact than passing or failing a WoF.  The criteria targeted at moisture performance were unable to be analysed as the moisture loads put into EnergyPlus could not be adequately verified.  The research showed that while both WoF could lead to improved thermal comfort in rental housing, meeting the GH WoF requirements would bring about greater thermal performance benefits, the HNZ WoF enables the affordability of heat to be considered when insulating is not feasible.
"Gokum showed me how": Four Cree children's perspectives on language and culture maintenance
Authors:   , King Lucy Rose
Published: November 2021

Eighty percent of Indigenous children in Canada attend provincial schools off-reserve where there is no legal requirement for inclusion of Indigenous language or content in the curriculum. This has implications for the twin challenges currently faced by Indigenous communities in Canada of maintaining traditional cultures and languages while also overcoming a large gap in educational achievement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. While the challenges are well understood, there has been little research into these issues from the perspective of the primary stakeholders in education: children. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of four Cree children, their family members, and some teachers through a critical, social constructivist lens in the context of a James Bay Cree community in northern Quebec, Canada. This study asks, “How do Cree children who live on a reserve and attend non-Indigenous schools, and their families, make space for the expression and maintenance of their language and culture in daily life?” The data analysed include a ‘photovoice’ project conducted with the four students, and focus group discussions held with the children, their families, and teachers. The findings demonstrate that families maintain Cree traditions through land-based activities like hunting, supported by intergenerational teaching within the family. Although participants expressed cautious optimism for language maintenance, students and parents perceived that Cree knowledge has no place outside of Cree communities. Teachers felt constrained by their lack of confidence, resources or government mandate for including Cree content. Overall, between Indigenous communities’ twin challenges of culture maintenance and school achievement, achievement appears to be valued more highly by some parents and teachers. These findings have implications for how we understand the ongoing effects of colonization, globalization, and the hegemony of dominant languages and cultures in Indigenous education.
Transformations of drum rudiments in jazz performances
Authors:   , Philip Lance
Published: November 2021

A significant part of the training of many performers on the drum set during the last 100 years has involved mastery of drum rudiments and military-style cadences. Consequently, many jazz drummers have built upon such training to develop an individual style that makes use of some of the techniques and rhythms found in these rudiments and drum cadences but which have often been changed or modified in ways that made these rudimental military - style drumming excerpts suitable for their own stylized musical expression.  Research Question: Is there evidence in the improvised drum solos of jazz drummers Philly Joe Jones and Steve Gadd to suggest that the rhythmic vocabulary, stickings and techniques they used had their origins in rudimental snare drum cadences, method books and published snare drum solos? If so, how has this content been adapted by each drummer in their musical context(s) to the purpose of communicating their individual approach on the drum set?  Method: To propose answers to this question, I have examined representative solos by each of the drummers in my sample and examined those solos for evidence of rudimental content derived from renowned method books, etudes and published solos. Having identified these rudiments (or rudiment-derived ideas) I have sought to identify the possible origins of the rudiments and their transformation to each drummer’s soloing vocabulary.  Representative Solos: To select representative solos, I auditioned many recordings by Jones and Gadd. I finally settled on Asiatic Raes, Jazz Me Blues and Joe’s Debut as performed by Philly Jo Jones; Crazy Army and The 11th Commandment as performed by Steve Gadd. These solos, (as I explain in my analysis), are usefully representative of the approaches adopted by the respective drummers and offer a useful window onto the issues this exegesis examines.
Beyond the Wards: Exploring the personal accounts of three New Zealand nurses during the Great War in Egypt
Authors:   , Clark Hannah
Published: November 2021

Drawing upon the primary accounts of three Great War nurses – Mildred Salt, Louisa Higginson and Daphne Rowena Commons – who all served in the Mediterranean and Middle East, this thesis explores the theme of identity – gender identity, colonial identity and ‘tourist identity’. I argue that the nurses’ writing challenges the popular perception of nursing as a traumatic loss of innocence, which has been largely drawn from published works of volunteer nurses rather than professionals. The three nurses in this thesis spent very little time, if any, documenting what they witnessed in the wards. Their entries dispute the romantic notions presented in popular literature or propaganda posters used throughout the empire, which presented the nurses as young, innocent and beautiful and standing at the bedside of a wounded soldier.  The first chapter examines the nurses’ identity as tourists. Overseas travel was a new experience for these nurses, and their experiences of the ‘Home’ culture of London and the exoticism of Egypt feature frequently in their diary entries and letters. Their responses were diverse, but common themes emerge. Many of the tensions the nurses experienced stemmed from their unusual position in the empire as women voters with a pioneering heritage. The second chapter will examine the two perceptions of ‘colonial’ – the positive and negative perception. The former was used by the British as a means of putting New Zealand nurses in their place. The latter formed when the nurses were treating New Zealand patients in hospital, acting as a physical and mental connection to home. The third chapter asks how the greater autonomy women possessed, due to their colonial lifestyle, influenced the nurses’ campaign for their right to serve overseas. The fourth, and final, chapter will explore how the nurses negotiated the traditional notions of womanhood whilst in the masculine environment of war. Not only did they face opposition from some military officials who believed war was no place for women, they observed and critiqued the behaviour of other women.  Through exploring the diaries and letters of three New Zealand nurses, this thesis provides a more complex view of the experiences of almost 600 New Zealand professional nurses who were stationed overseas during the war.
Overcoming Challenges: Pacific students’ experiences of being resilient through tertiary education
Authors:   , David-Perrot Arden
Published: November 2021

The issue of raising Pasifika achievement levels in New Zealand has been at the forefront of Pasifika research as early as 1996 in the AIMHI report from the Ministry of Education. Nearly, 20 years on and the goal remains the same as Pasifika still underperform in education. In the last 19 years, there has been countless research in understanding the issue, with numerous identified areas of concern. However, so many areas need addressing that is can serve the purpose of perpetuating the problem by making it too large to solve. The structural, systemic issues still remain, the lack of Pasifika teachers and teachers that understand Pasifika still remain, the gap between home and school life still exist, as well as the lack of real leaders and governance in schools that want to make a difference to the education realties of Pasifika (Chu et al., 2013).  This frustration has led to the rise of “strength based” approached to Pasifika education research in pursuit of solutions. With a focus on appreciating what works for Pasifika and trying to foster that success and replicate it. However, a gap remains, there has been little to no platform for the empowered Pasifika voice on the issue. The Pasifika person that “bucks” the trend and despite the countless education issues were resilient and fought for their educational success.  This thesis provides a platform for this voice. This thesis reveals the stories of eight Pasifika postgraduate students (PPGS) that were deemed academic failures at secondary school. It focuses on their internal and external factors that facilitated their academic progress and resilience. This qualitative study was underpinned by appreciative inquiry as the theoretical framework and a Pacific methodology and method Talanoa. The participants were selected via snowball sampling technique and one on one Talanoa discussions were used to explore their stories. The main finding from the research identified that as the participant’s self-concepts changed so did their academic performance. The identified historical and recent education barriers were still present in both their education failure and success. However, through transferable success experiences, deep reflection, visualisation, and goal setting, enabled the participants to see a positive academic result before it eventuated. This helped the participants develop positive self-concepts and attitudes that facilitated their progress and resilience to overcome existing barriers and become successful postgraduate students.
‘The Kāpiti Distressway’: A Sociological Case Study of Public Involvement in a Socio-Technical Controversy
Authors:   , Hamlin Morgan Jasper
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines public involvement in socio-technical controversies from a sociological perspective. Public engagement in science and technology is becoming increasingly important in societies where citizens are asked, and expected, to be involved with issues that have been dominated by experts. In New Zealand, a contemporary example of public participation in science and technology is the large-scale road building programme called the Roads of National Significance. The central aim of this thesis is to understand how the public engage with and create meaningful evaluations of complex issues that are associated with expert-driven politics and top-down decision-making processes. I examine the public’s involvement in the Kāpiti expressway project by discussing how locally-based groups evaluated and publicised it as an object of concern. Specifically, I investigate the demonstration and visual imagery technologies that were utilised to publicise the expressway as a public matter. I then explore how opponents translated their concerns with the environmental, political, and social aspects of the project as legal and technical issues. The second aim of this thesis is to contribute to the material turn in the human sciences by engaging with object-oriented (Barry, 2013; Latour, 2005a; Marres & Lezaun, 2011) and socio-cultural (Boltanski & Thévenot, 2006) approaches to public involvement in socio-technical controversies. The role that technologies play in materialising public participation and re-presenting the Kāpiti expressway project as an object of concern are examined. However, to create a dialogue between object-oriented and socio-cultural approaches to public dispute, I investigate the technologies of justification and criticism, and the cultural modes of evaluation that qualify people and things within moral vocabularies. I argue that the public were obliged to re-present the Kāpiti expressway as an object of concern by demonstrating how their personal objections were relevant to the legal and technical aspects of the project. A range of technological devices enabled local groups to evaluate the project during the early planning stages of the project, but convincing decision-makers to reject the expressway involved the difficult task of critiquing the planning process, and enrolling allies. This thesis uses a qualitative, case study approach to socio-technical controversies. I use interviews, qualitative observations, and documentary methods to examine the actions of locally-based groups and the modes of evaluation used to challenge the Kāpiti expressway project.
Tourism distribution in a transitional economy: Hotel ownership and distribution channels in Vietnam
Authors:   , Le Tuan Ngoc
Published: November 2021

This thesis investigates how the different up-market hotel ownership modes establish distribution channels to reach domestic and international tourism markets in the context of Vietnam’s transitional economy, which has been transforming from a centrally planned to a socialist market oriented economy since 1986. It seeks to understand the current distribution channel structures of various hotel ownership modes; to explore the ways in which a number of factors influence distribution structures; and to examine the implications of these structures and factors for hotel and tourism development in Vietnam and in other economies with similar socio-political characteristics. A conceptual framework for hotel distribution channels is developed from a combination of the predominantly Western literature and the fragmented literature on hotel distribution in transition economies. The conceptual framework enables the researcher to investigate the linkages and relationships among the components that constitute the current Vietnamese hotel distribution systems.  A qualitative approach is applied to address the supply-side issues of hotel distribution with data collected in the three largest urban cities located in the Northern, Central and Southern parts of Vietnam. The data collection methods were in-depth semi-structured interviews and document compilation. Different groups of participants from the Vietnam tourism industry including senior staff of sales and marketing of the four- and five-star hotels, international tour operators, high-ranking government officials of central and provincial authorities of tourism, key officers of trade organisations and academics from these cities were interviewed.  The research presents the current distribution channel structures employed by four hotel ownership modes to reach domestic and international travellers. The findings also reveal that international joint venture and wholly foreign-owned hotels have effectively established their distribution channels to reach the international market. The entry of these international ownership modes as a result of Vietnam’s economic reform has forced state- and domestic privately-owned hotels to also build market-driven distribution structures. Economic restructuring in the context of Vietnam’s international integration has been the key element in creating the legal system, economic development, international tourist demand, technological advances, patterns of demand, hotel ownership and management modes that have driven the development of distribution. The research concludes that different hotel ownership and management modes and the distribution channel structures of up-market hotels are the products of Vietnam’s economic restructuring. The research suggests further economic renovation to meet the country’s commitments to international organisations, and to generate an equal tourism and hotel business environment in Vietnam.
Aspects of Computable Analysis
Authors:   , Porter Michelle
Published: November 2021

Computable analysis has been well studied ever since Turing famously formalised the computable reals and computable real-valued function in 1936. However, analysis is a broad subject, and there still exist areas that have yet to be explored. For instance, Sierpinski proved that every real-valued function ƒ : ℝ → ℝ is the limit of a sequence of Darboux functions. This is an intriguing result, and the complexity of these sequences has been largely unstudied. Similarly, the Blaschke Selection Theorem, closely related to the Bolzano-Weierstrass Theorem, has great practical importance, but has not been considered from a computability theoretic perspective. The two main contributions of this thesis are: to provide some new, simple proofs of fundamental classical results (highlighting the role of ∏0/1 classes), and to use tools from effective topology to analyse the Darboux property, particularly a result by Sierpinski, and the Blaschke Selection Theorem. This thesis focuses on classical computable analysis. It does not make use of effective measure theory.
The Two Faces of Ascorbate: Prooxidant Activity and Radio-Sensitisation
Authors:   , Carson Georgia
Published: November 2021

Although not recommended by mainstream oncologists, intravenous injections of pharmacological ascorbate are currently an alternative therapy option for cancer patients. Research has not yet determined whether high-dose ascorbate interacts favourably with radiation therapy to increase DNA damage, and therefore cell death in cancer. Some studies suggest that ascorbate can act as a prooxidant and increase the cytotoxic effect of irradiation in vitro. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary brain astrocytoma that is highly therapy resistant, so patients would be advantaged if ascorbate radiosensitised their cancer.  In this investigation, flow cytometry and single cell gel electrophoresis (comet tail assay) were used to measure three indicators of DNA damage in GBM cells in response to ascorbate and irradiation, and were contrasted with immunofluorescence-revealed DNA damage from an intracranial mouse model of GBM.   The pro-oxidant, radiosensitisation role of ascorbate was confirmed, as measured by H2AX, 8OHdG, and DSBs in vitro. With all three of these markers of DNA damage, combinations of irradiation and ascorbate had increased damage compared with individual treatments. However preliminary in vivo evidence indicates that increased DNA damage did not occur in an animal model of GBM, and in fact ascorbate may protect from DNA damage in an in vivo context.  These findings complement previous results from our lab, and serve to fill in gaps in knowledge specifically around the DNA damaging effects of ascorbate. The unique nature of the brain environment, as enclosed by the blood brain barrier, prevents translation of data from other non-brain cancer studies, as such, this investigation also contributes to the exploration of a much needed avenue of research. Considering the context of ascorbate treatment as a potentially harmful currently used adjuvant, it is imperative to confirm or disprove its efficacy in a clinically relevant environment.
Application of the precautionary principle during consenting processes in New Zealand: Addressing past errors, obtaining a normative fix and developing a structured and operationalised approach
Authors:   , Scott Dale
Published: November 2021

The precautionary principle is increasingly being adopted as a legal risk management tool in international environmental law and regulation, especially in the marine context. In fact, over the last 35 years it has been included, often as a central feature, in the vast majority of international law instruments relating to protection and management of the environment. This rise to prominence is largely driven by widespread recognition that the ability of environmental law to successfully avert long term and significant harm is very much contingent on the successful implementation and application of the precautionary principle (specifically, the decision-making and planning measures it advocates).  Owing to the above, it is unsurprising that like many other countries New Zealand has incorporated the precautionary principle expressly and implicitly into domestic law and policy over the last 25 years. The most recent and arguably most notable instance of the incorporation of the precautionary principle in New Zealand law is in the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (“EEZ Act”). Indeed, for reasons explained in this paper, the success of the EEZ Act will in large part depend on the successful application of the precautionary principle contained in the Act.  Unfortunately, New Zealand’s incorporation and application of the precautionary principle to date has been problematic, with confusion and a variety of approaches taken to its core concepts, and arguably outright misapplication of it. For this reason, this paper seeks to take comprehensive stock of the precautionary principle, first to identify what is the likely cause of such confusion and misapplication, and second, to provide a foundational understanding to assist policy makers and the courts with the task of operationalising and applying it during legislative consenting processes. In doing so, this paper focuses on its operation in the marine setting, with a view to assisting with its interpretation and application under the EEZ Act. It argues that in order to secure consistent and proper application of the precautionary principle, significant work needs to be done to clarify definitional ambiguities embedded within the principle. It then argues that further work needs to be done to properly operationalise the New Zealand formulations of the precautionary principle (i.e. unpack the substantive content of the principle and pin down what such content requires of decision-makers in practice) so they can be consistently and correctly applied under New Zealand’s environmental risk management regimes.
Characterization of Groundwater with Complementary Age Tracers
Authors:   , Beyer Monique
Published: November 2021

Groundwater age or residence time is the time water has resided in the subsurface since recharge. Depending on the application, this definition may or may not include travel through the unsaturated zone. The determination of groundwater age can aid understanding and characterization of groundwater resources, because it can provide information on e.g. groundwater mixing and flow, and volumes of groundwater and recharge. Groundwater age can be inferred from environmental tracers, such as SF₆ and tritium, that have a known input to groundwater and/or undergo known alteration processes in groundwater. The currently used age tracers face limitations regarding their application range and reliability. For example, some age tracers have local sources that can lead to contamination of groundwater. This contamination can result in misleading estimates of age. Other tracers have ambiguous inputs to groundwater, which can result in ambiguous age estimations. To reduce these limitations, it is now recognized that multiple tracers should be applied complementarily. There is also a need for new groundwater age tracers and/or new groundwater dating techniques to supplement the existing ones. Cost-effective and easily applicable tracers/techniques are preferred, since most established groundwater dating techniques are very costly and/or complex. Commonly measured hydrochemistry parameters , such as the concentrations of major ions and pH, have been suggested as cost-effective and easily determinable potential age tracers. To date, the use of commonly measured hydrochemistry parameters as independent age tracer has only been demonstrated for water recharged weeks to months ago relying on seasonal changes. Other studies applied commonly measured hydrochemistry complementarily to established age tracers to better constrain groundwater age and/or better understand and predict anthropogenic effects on groundwater quality. Further study is needed to assess the extent to which commonly measured hydrochemistry can be used to reduce uncertainty in tracer-inferred age as well as the extent to which commonly measured hydrochemistry can be used to extrapolate tracer-inferred age.  In addition to tracer specific limitations, quantification of uncertainty and ambiguity is not standard in age modelling. Although a few studies have attempted to quantify uncertainty in age modelling with the aid of probabilistic approaches, their methods are often relatively complex and not transferrable to the many cases with little available data. Uncertainties in the tracer’s recharge estimate and identification of appropriate model components, such as the objective function, have not been considered. Studies in other areas of hydrological modelling, where probabilistic approaches are more commonly used, have highlighted the need for careful identification of model components.
Who knows what and who has the rights to know it?: Knowledge and reality construction in interaction
Authors:   , Edmonds David
Published: November 2021

Knowledge has been at the centre of philosophical and scientific enquiry for centuries. It remains a topic of central importance in psychology. The current thesis examined how knowledge was managed and treated as relevant by speakers in social interaction in situ. Complaint calls to a dispute resolution telephone helpline service were studied using discursive psychology and conversation analysis as theoretical and methodological frameworks. The thesis focused on how knowledge was implicated in the accomplishment of the institutional task of jointly establishing the facts of the complaint. In particular, the research examined how the issues of ‘who knows what’ and ‘who has the rights to know it’ were demonstrably relevant for speakers in these interactions. The empirical work focused on two types of question-answer sequences. In cases where some requested information was not forthcoming or not immediately provided, callers’ conduct displayed their orientations to a normative expectation that they knew what was asked for and that they had an obligation to provide it. A second set of cases was a collection of declarative requests for confirmation. The different types of responses to such questions were described. It was proposed that the responses could be placed along a continuum, by the extent to which they asserted a caller’s epistemic rights to knowledge about the relevant information. The thesis contributed to existing research by drawing together recent conversation analytic work on epistemics as a domain of organization in social interaction, and more established discursive psychological work on reality construction. The thesis highlighted the practical nature of knowledge, as it was relevant for accomplishing a key institutional task, and other actions, in telephone-mediated dispute resolution.
Matroids, Cyclic Flats, and Polyhedra
Authors:   , Prideaux Kadin
Published: November 2021

Matroids have a wide variety of distinct, cryptomorphic axiom systems that are capable of defining them. A common feature of these is that they are able to be efficiently tested, certifying whether a given input complies with such an axiom system in polynomial time. Joseph Bonin and Anna de Mier, rediscovering a theorem first proved by Julie Sims, developed an axiom system for matroids in terms of their cyclic flats and the ranks of those cyclic flats. As with other matroid axiom systems, this is able to be tested in polynomial time. Distinct, non-isomorphic matroids may each have the same lattice of cyclic flats, and so matroids cannot be defined solely in terms of their cyclic flats. We do not have a clean characterisation of families of sets that are cyclic flats of matroids. However, it may be possible to tell in polynomial time whether there is any matroid that has a given lattice of subsets as its cyclic flats. We use Bonin and de Mier’s cyclic flat axioms to reduce the problem to a linear program, and show that determining whether a given lattice is the lattice of cyclic flats of any matroid corresponds to finding integral points in the solution space of this program, these points representing the possible ranks that may be assigned to the cyclic flats. We distinguish several classes of lattice for which solutions may be efficiently found, based upon the nature of the matrix of coefficients of the linear program, and of the polyhedron it defines, and then identify families of lattice that belong to those classes. We define operations and transformations on lattices of sets by examining matroid operations, and examine how these operations affect membership in the aforementioned classes. We conjecture that it is always possible to determine, in polynomial time, whether a given collection of subsets makes up the lattice of cyclic flats of any matroid.
Push, Pull, Shrink, Grow: The co-share workplace interior that reflects changing spatial needs
Authors:   , Wyborn Rebecca
Published: November 2021

This thesis explores how co-working offices emerged as a solution to the shift in the social expectations of the workplace. It studies how the rise in the number of freelancers and entrepreneurs has resulted in the materialisation of co-working offices. It examines how co-working offices offer flexibility in terms of membership plans, but how their interior environments do not yet reflect this. In short it aims to investigate how these workplace interiors can adapt to meet residents needs.  This research embraces the multi-functionality of the co-working office and the demands of residents who occupy these spaces. Three local case studies and international precedents are explored which give insight and offer opportunities on materiality, site context and multi-functional spaces. It explores how to engage residents by challenging how best to design co-working offices. This project considers the requirements of the co-working office and how co-working interiors are occupied throughout the day. The design proposes a kit of parts ‘space making’ solution, which enables co-working offices to meet resident’s needs.   This research contributes to the limited published discussion of understanding interior space in the context of co-working offices. This research explores through interior architecture, how co-working offices can be designed to reflect its resident’s individual ways of working and co-workings varying spatial needs. Although based around co-working spaces, the researcher recognises the implications for findings based around corporate office environments.
Investigating the optimal integration of airborne, ship-borne, satellite and terrestrial gravity data for use in geoid determination
Authors:   , Winefield Rachelle
Published: November 2021

Each gravity observation technique has different parameters and contributes to different pieces of the gravity spectrum. This means that no one gravity dataset is able to model the Earth’s gravity field completely and the best gravity map is one derived from many sources. Therefore, one of the challenges in gravity field modelling is combining multiple types of heterogeneous gravity datasets.  The aim of this study is to determine the optimal method to produce a single gravity map of the Canterbury case study area, for the purposes of use in geoid modelling.  This objective is realised through the identification and application of a four-step integration process: purpose, data, combination and assessment. This includes the evaluation of three integration methods: natural neighbour, ordinary kriging and least squares collocation.  As geoid modelling requires the combination of gravity datasets collected at various altitudes, it is beneficial to be able to combine the dataset using an integration method which operates in a three-dimensional space. Of the three integration methods assessed, least squares collocation is the only integration method which is able to perform this type of reduction.  The resulting product is a Bouguer anomaly map of the Canterbury case study area, which combines satellite altimetry, terrestrial, ship-borne, airborne, and satellite gravimetry using least squares collocation.
‘It depends on us’: The experiences of fifteen young Burmese migrants living in the border town of Mae Sot, Thailand
Authors:   , Ross Rebecca Helene
Published: November 2021

The Burmese diaspora in Thailand attracts significant academic attention. However, the voices of migrant Burmese children are largely unexplored and often ignored altogether. On arriving in Thailand young migrants find themselves located within a new cultural, social, and linguistically different geographic space. Underpinned by the recognition that migrant youth actively engage with the world around them, this study challenges the idea that young migrants are passive bearers of circumstance. Rather, as they seek education in Thailand they exercise their agency in unique ways by performing their cultural traditions, creating their ‘own place’, navigating opportunities, voicing critical political opinions, displaying resilience and setting future goals.  Using the participatory method of ‘photo-voice’ this research explores the everyday experiences and stories of fifteen Burmese migrant children living in Thailand as they present them through photography. The participants, most of whom crossed the border unaccompanied, have assessed the relative opportunities available to them in Burma and Thailand. They have chosen to endure the hardships associated with living in a marginalised space away from their parents, culture and country in order to gain an education in Thailand. Technically considered ‘illegal’, these young migrants are facing their present challenges, setting life goals and bending the rules in order to receive an education and establish successful futures.
Absolutely Positively Ageing: Positive ageing and volunteering in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors:   , Clowes Alice
Published: November 2021

Population ageing is a key development issue worldwide, and governments around the world are working to address the changing needs that accompany this demographic shift (Vos, Ocampo & Cortez, 2008). In New Zealand, the Government and the Wellington City Council have developed the Positive Ageing Strategy (2001) and the Positive Ageing Policy (2012) respectively in response to population ageing. Both the Strategy and the Policy pay particular attention to the importance of the continued social inclusion of older people in their communities. One of the ways that this inclusion is encouraged is through older people’s participation in voluntary activities.  This research explores the lived experiences of older people who volunteer in the Wellington region to understand the nature of the relationship between volunteering and positive ageing. The exploratory nature of the research necessitated a qualitative research design. Through semi-structured interviews with 12 members of the volunteer community I explored the underlying themes of this research project including motivations for participation in voluntary work, skills and knowledge brought to and developed through volunteering, challenges and barriers to participation in voluntary work, and the participants’ awareness of representations and stereotypes around ageing.  The research findings illustrate the complexities inherent in the relationship between volunteering and positive ageing and show how volunteering was used by the participants as a means to resist and challenge negative stereotypes and representations of ageing. There was a fine balance between the promotion of volunteering as one of a multitude of ways in which older people can participate in their communities and overstating the benefits of volunteering to individuals and their communities without revealing the potential challenges.
Risky Business: Evaluating the Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-entry for Use with New Zealand Youth
Authors:   , Muirhead Jonathan
Published: November 2021

An important assumption that decisions based on criminal risk assessments rely on is that our assessments of someone’s likelihood of reoffending are accurate. It is well known that young people share many risk factors for criminal conduct with adults, but there is also research to suggest that some factors may be more important at different ages. This research examined how well an adult dynamic risk assessment tool, The Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-entry (DRAOR), was able to predict any new criminal conviction as well as any new violent conviction in a sample of New Zealand youth (17-19 years) serving community supervision sentences. It was found that DRAOR scores were moderately strong predictors of future criminal conduct for youth, with better results being found for any reconvictions compared to violent reconvictions. The more recent an assessment was, the more accurate it was too. It was also found that those who did not go on to be reconvicted showed greater improvements on the risk scale throughout the course of their sentence than those who were reconvicted. These findings support the continued use of the DRAOR for youth in New Zealand who are serving community supervision sentences.
The Influence of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on Primary Education Policy in Laos
Authors:   , Saeng Outhay Oulath
Published: November 2021

Laos is a poor and aid-dependent country in South-East Asia. Its primary education development has depended heavily on external assistance, which has caused some scholars to argue that education policy is shaped by this influence. While major donors have played a significant role in driving Lao primary education development, NGOs are increasingly engaging in the process since Laos has adopted global commitments, particularly the Education for All goals of the Millennium Development Goals. While the Government of Laos values NGOs’ contributions as equally to those of major donors, it commonly views NGOs as ‘service providers’ and major donors as ‘policy counterparts’. The government is wary of NGOs’ mission and this has also shaped NGOs’ space in the policy arena.  This thesis has examined the extent to which NGOs have influenced Lao primary education policy since the adoption of the Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in 2006. This research draws on a social constructivist epistemology, and data collection employed qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, analysis of relevant policy documents, and participant observation. The interviews involved 24 participants representing government agencies, NGOs, donor organisations and education specialists. The main focus of interviews was to explore the degree of NGOs’ influence on primary education policy, the mechanisms and strategies that NGOs use to exercise their influence, and how such mechanisms and strategies have impacted on their role at policy level.  The findings indicate that NGOs have limited influence on Lao primary education policy. Although they have some influence through participating in policy dialogues, they have minimal influence on the outcomes of policy development. The fact that NGOs have limited influence on policy outcomes is attributed partly to their limited financial capacity and partly the limits of their specialised expertise to support and convince the government for policy change. The deciding factor, nevertheless, is the government’s reluctance to integrate NGOs’ advice and recommendations into Lao primary education policy due to its wariness of NGOs’ influence, particularly on politically sensitive issues.