bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do forests ‘fall silent’ following aerial applications of 1080 poison? Development and application of bird monitoring methods using automated sound recording devices
Authors:   , Cook Asher 
Published: November 2021

<p>Electronic bioacoustic techniques are providing new and effective ways of monitoring birds and have a number of advantages over other traditional monitoring methods. Given the increasing popularity of bioacoustic methods, and the difficulties associated with automated analyses (e.g. high Type I error rates), it is important that the most effective ways of scoring audio recordings are investigated. In Chapter Two I describe a novel sub-sampling and scoring technique (the ‘10 in 60 sec’ method) which estimates the vocal conspicuousness of bird species through the use of repeated presence-absence counts and compare its performance with a current manual method. The ‘10 in 60 sec’ approach reduced variability in estimates of vocal conspicuousness, significantly increased the number of species detected per count and reduced temporal autocorrelation. I propose that the ‘10 in 60 sec’ method will have greater overall ability to detect changes in underlying birdsong parameters and hence provide more informative data to scientists and conservation managers. It is often anecdotally suggested that forests ‘fall silent’ and are devoid of birdsong following aerial 1080 operations. However, it is difficult to objectively assess the validity of this claim without quantitative information that addresses the claim specifically. Therefore in Chapter Three I applied the methodological framework outlined in Chapter Two to answer a controversial conservation question: Do New Zealand forests ‘fall silent’ after aerial 1080 operations? At the community level I found no evidence for a reduction in birdsong after the 1080 operation and eight out of the nine bird taxa showed no evidence for a decline in vocal conspicuousness. Only one species, tomtit (Petroica macrocephala), showed evidence for a decline in vocal conspicuousness, though this effect was non-significant after applying a correction for multiple tests. In Chapter Four I used tomtits as a case study species to compare manual and automated approaches to: (1) estimating vocal conspicuousness and (2) determine the feasibility of using an automated detector on a New Zealand passerine. I found that data from the automated method were significantly positively correlated with the manual method although the relationship was not particularly strong (Pearson’s r = 0.62, P < 0.0001). The automated method suffered from a relatively high false negative rate and the data it produced did not reveal a decline in tomtit call rates following the 1080 drop. Given the relatively poor performance of the automated method, I propose that the automatic detector developed in this thesis requires further refinement before it is suitable for answering management-level questions for tomtit populations. However, as pattern recognition technology continues to improve automated methods are likely to become more viable in the future.</p>
Exploring Community Engagement in Climate Change Planning: The Case in Samoa
Authors:   , Toailoa Annie Saofaiga 
Published: November 2021

<p>Coastal communities within Pacific Island Countries (PIC) are vulnerable due to the rising and volatile nature of the sea as a result of climate change. Adaptation strategies and community-based approaches have increasingly been advocated for by environmental organisations, policy makers and researchers. Community-based approaches have, in turn, begun to promote the values of meaningful community engagement and integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into adaptation planning. This research explores the extent to which community engagement and TEK is utilised at both the national and local level adaptation planning in Samoa. An assessment of policies and plans assesses the national level context, whilst the community level context was explored through a study of the coastal village of Tafitoala. A qualitative approach is employed in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect the perspectives of community members, government personnel, and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) staff to provide a range of viewpoints. Using Samoa as my case study, the research findings demonstrated that community ideologies and values, and community governance structures determine the efficacy of adaptation programmes. Findings also emphasised that although there is a vast amount of TEK used within local communities, documentation and verification of TEK is required in order for it be integrated more effectively into adaptation planning. Whilst the need for meaningful community engagement had already been identified by government and NGO agencies as a priority for effective adaptation, with agencies currently implementing strategies to encourage its integration, more is required for strategies to be strongly embedded into the practices of local communities.</p>
Ngā wāhine kaha from Syria: The experience of former refugee women from Syria resettling in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors:   , Fitzgerald Hawa Kusuma Setyawati 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis examines the experience of former refugee women from Syria resettling in Aotearoa New Zealand. It focuses on Syrian women who have resettled in the Wellington region and Dunedin - the two main areas to which Syrian refugees have been allocated. The study documented Syrian refugee women’s perspectives about resettlement satisfaction, their strengths and challenges, and their ideas for community development. The methodology and analysis for the study incorporated the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to resettlement and the Mana Wahine framework. Through forty-five survey participants and three focus groups, the study found that the integration of wairua/spirituality, cultural identity, language and whanaungatanga/relationships in the family was very important for Syrian women’s resettlement in Aotearoa New Zealand. This study found gender roles between men and women strongly exist in the Syrian community. Many refugee women found their roles changed and lost the support they used to have from family members back home. Participants also expressed facing isolation resulting from cultural aspects. These show refugee women have bigger challenges to integration compared to their male counterparts, and that Syrian women have specific cultural rights related to their gender and religion. However, refugee resettlement services and community development were delivered the same way for men and women, and more types of supports are needed for refugee women.</p>
Augmented Reality On Display: How might augmented reality technology be used to create meaningful interactive museum exhibits?
Authors:   , Bishop Jonathon 
Published: November 2021

<p>The aim of this thesis is to explore augmented reality technology and the methods in which it can be applied to museum displays to enriching the experience of visitors. Artefacts within museums have rich histories which are not always apparent. This is due to the way artefacts are currently displayed and the way information is communicated in exhibitions. is project will set out design guidelines to inform the development of augmenting museum experiences. These guidelines will provide criteria and parameters for the use of augmented reality in museums, and will also be accessible to museum staff to create or enhance existing exhibits for visitors. The guidelines will be produced through a combination of different contextual research methods and will inform a final designed case study. These contextual research methods include: completing a practical exploration of augmented reality exhibits, reviewing museum practice and conducting a series of interviews directed at augmented reality experts. Once these guidelines are produced they will be tested using research through design and human centred design methods in a final case study. The findings of this thesis aim to emphasise how augmented reality is a tool for enhancing the communication of contextual history. It also forms the basis for further research into how augmented reality’s combination of virtual and physical worlds can broaden our experience of the museum space.</p>
When we all clap together: Labour unions as agents of development for informal cremation workers in Tamil Nadu
Authors:   , Naylor Michael Christopher 
Published: November 2021

<p>While labour unions have a history of helping lift working people out of poverty in Western countries, their place in development is unclear. Mainstream development literature typically sees their potential contribution to development to be limited and waning as they are replaced by new, more dynamic actors. This dismissal of labour unions from the development sphere appears to stem largely from their inability to effectively support workers in the informal economy of developing countries, whom are the most likely to face injustice and poverty. In order to address the question of whether labour unions can be agents for development of informal workers this thesis examines a case study of the Mayana Vettiyangal Sangam, a labour union of informal cremation workers in Tamil Nadu, India. Through semi-structured interviews with 39 members and supporters of the labour union, this thesis explores both the mechanics of the Mayana Vettiyangal Sangam and what it has achieved for its cremation worker members. It sets out to understand what strategies can be employed for informal workers to undertake collective bargaining and how effective these have been at delivering livelihood improvements for the cremation workers in Tamil Nadu. It also assesses both the functions of the Sangam and what it has achieved, against three principles of ‘good development’ – participation, sustainability and equity. The findings show that through a mixture of innovative strategies the cremation workers in Tamil Nadu have been able to achieve some livelihood improvements and do so in a manner which is both participatory and equitable. It suggests that despite challenges, labour unions can be agents of development for informal workers and their potential contribution to development should not be overlooked.</p>
The effect of novel kappa opioid peptide receptor agonists on learning and memory in rats
Authors:   , Welsh Susan Adele 
Published: November 2021

<p>Kappa opioid peptide receptors (KOPrs) are a class of opioid receptors which shown analgesic and anti-addictive properties. Nonaddictive analgesics would be beneficial as morphine, one of the most commonly prescribed opioids for chronic pain, activates the brain reward system and can lead to addiction. Although medical research is progressing rapidly, there is still no treatment for psychostimulant abuse. KOPr agonists show promise in this regard but display undesirable side effects and could negatively affect memory. Salvinorin A (Sal A), a structurally unusual KOPr agonist, has a reduced side effect profile compared to the more traditional KOPr agonists such as U50,488. The effect of Sal A and U50,488 on memory is controversial as they have both been shown to induce a memory impairment and also to improve memory impairments. Sal A also has a poor pharmacokinetic profile with a short duration of action. Structural analogues of Sal A have improved pharmacokinetic and side effect profiles compared to Sal A yet retain the analgesic and anti-addiction properties. This thesis will investigate whether Sal A analogues, namely Ethynyl Sal A (Ethy Sal A), Mesyl Salvinorin B (Mesyl Sal B), and Bromo Salvinorin A (Bromo Sal A), produce a memory impairment. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated in the novel object recognition (NOR) task to determine whether novel Sal A analogues impair long term recognition memory. The degree of novelty was also investigated on a cellular basis through quantifying c-Fos immunoreactive neurons within the perirhinal cortex, an area of the brain shown to respond to novelty. Acute administration of Sal A (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) and novel analogues Ethy Sal A (0.3 and 1 mg/kg), Mesyl Sal B (0.3 and 1 mg/kg), and Bromo Sal A (1 mg/kg) showed no significant differences compared to vehicle when tested in the NOR task. The prototypical KOPr agonist, U50,488 (10 mg/kg), produced a significant decrease in recognition index compared to vehicle when tested in the same task as the novel analogues. Correlating the recognition indices calculated from U50,488 in the NOR to c-Fos counts in the perirhinal cortex showed a strong positive correlation with an increase in RI relating to an increase in c-Fos activation. U50,488 (10 mg/kg) showed a non-significant trend compared to vehicle in the number of c-Fos immunoreactive cells within the perirhinal cortex. Neither Sal A nor novel analogues affected NOR, suggesting no impairment of long term recognition memory. The lack of this side-effect, among others, demonstrates that the development of potent KOPr agonists with reduced side-effect profiles is feasible. These novel analogues show improvement over the traditional KOPr agonists.</p>
Second-hand poetics: Dynamic shifts from home to monument
Authors:   , Williams Tina 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis began with an Antarctic story. There is something sublime about the adventures of Scott and Shackleton; their ability to entertain the emotive sensation of place, despite a physical detachment. Tales of exploration arrest moments of suspense, drama and inspiration and yet they are surrounded by the fact that Antarctica is a barren, isolated expanse. The opportunity of these particular constructs, which operate between intimacy and departure, to serve the creation of a special experience, it exists beyond the replication of these narratives; they might suggest how New Zealand national identity might be framed. The natural architecture of the frozen continent is grand. Its timelessness rivals the foundations that the rest of the developed world is built on. Yet simultaneously its stories create a rapport which personalises identity and allows memory to be mobilised. New Zealand built history has only recently emerged but representationally the identity of the nation is monumental, especially in relation to Antarctic. This thesis asks how the relationship between NZ and Antarctica might be physically manifested through architecture, in order to deepen the stability of NZ historical identity. The project is situated on the Lyttelton harbour where New Zealand and Antarctica have historically converged. At this location the vicarious nature of the Antarctic story is exploited so that the sense of place might exist even though, physically and temporally, it is not attached to the Antarctic. This is realised through a set of imagined dwellings on Dampier Bay, which are contained within the definition of ‘Home’. The programme of this research acts to acknowledge this duality and formalises it as the ‘monument’ and the ‘home’. The primary understanding of programme will however be domestic, as it is the point at which our most intimate memories are created. The realisation of the monument will be introduced through the act of designing itself. Architecture is used as a tool to negotiate the exchange of personality between the two places and ideas, with the poetics of representation providing a framework for investigation. Because the method is derived from such poetics, my own subjective will is asserted onto these interpretations. The process has therefore become non-quantifiable, it relies instead on a level of intuition. The Antarctic story resonates with the moments we find identity in, they have the potential to complement New Zealand’s Architectural history where it is wanting of poetic agency.</p>
Sisyphus and Entropy; Adaptive Architecture in Flood Prone Nanjing
Authors:   , Leurquin Arnaud 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis attempts to rationalize two diverging practices in Architectural discourse, that of Western pedagogy and that of the ‘Other’. A disparity in approach to understanding architecture as a permanent object, can be noted in the dialogue between resilient architecture and temporary structure, this manifests itself in transient spaces and adaptive urban fabrics. The increased danger of flooding within China; with a particular emphasis on river infrastructure, posits an interesting position for new urban typologies and innovative floating solutions. Positioned on the expansive Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing encompasses a complex narrative of historical reverence and progressive tendencies, that encourage experimental approaches. The process and methodology within, seeks to provide an adaptable and affordable response to the recurring floodings, through in depth concise historical, cultural and philosophical analysis of the social, spiritual and architectural landscape within China as a whole as well as in specificity. These insights, juxtaposed with traditional western technique intends to produce an intricate and considered response to flood situations, with a particular focus on community generation and maintenance. Although Nanjing remains the central focus of the research, the concepts and practical results are intended to be abstracted and drawn into all cultures within Asia, primarily those with Buddhist and Taoist social structures. The proliferation of Feng Shui and the Metaphysical throughout the region provide a framework from which to expand. This network of social and cultural similarity allows for cross disciplinary and pan Asian approaches, noting the Japanese Metabolist Movement as a practical indication of socio-cultural influence on architectural theory.</p>
Turning a Blind Eye: An Exploration of Non-Visual Game Design
Authors:   , Mulder Hunter 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis presents a non-visual game for visually impaired people which uses technology designed for interacting with Virtual Reality (VR) environments to provide a tailored experience that focuses on touch and sound. According to the world health organisation, 0.03% of the world's population is blind. However, according to the world’s largest computer game market, Steam, only 0.0003% of games published in its catalog are designed for visually impaired people. This discrepancy shows that there is a clear issue in regards to the representation of visually impaired people in the design of computer games. By examining existing computer games designed for visually impaired people, a set of design criteria was established in order to improve the experience delivered to a visually impaired player in a computer game. This was accomplished by adopting existing VR input methods such as tracked motion controllers and head tracking technology in order to track a player’s motion and position in space. The experience reacts to the position and placement of the player’s head and hands by using outputs such as spatialized audio combined with haptic feedback. A game was then designed using these inputs and outputs that would allow a visually impaired player to use their sound and proprioceptive senses to navigate and interact with the environment. Visually impaired people were interviewed in regards to their experience and thoughts upon computer games. The game experience was then be tested by the same group of visually impaired players and user feedback was then integrated into an iterative design process. The final outcome of this thesis is a game experience that takes into account the needs and requirements of the underrepresented audience of visually impaired people who wish to enjoy computer games as a medium.</p>
The relevance of vocational education to the livelihoods of rural youth, Luang Prabang Province, Laos
Authors:   , Soukkaseum Phonexay 
Published: November 2021

<p>Poverty reduction is a top global development priority. Among Least Developed Countries (a United Nations measurement which includes Laos), poverty reduction has been set as the highest development priority for governments, especially since the early 2000s. Scholars and researchers argue that raising national human capital through the provision of equitable access and quality of education could not only reduce poverty, but also increase economic growth, promote democracy, and ensure the sustainability of development. This research examines specifically the role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in supporting the livelihoods of rural people, especially the Indigenous youth in Luang Prabang province, situated in northern Laos. A sustainable livelihood approach, with an emphasis on human capital and human capabilities, was employed to examine this relationship. Qualitative and ethnographic research methodologies were employed, with interviews, a focus group and transect walks used as methods for data collection and analysis. Results show that the current TVET policy and interventions have concentrated primarily on achieving (income) poverty reduction and economic development objectives, neglecting the importance of other multiple dimensions of human development. This research also reveals that the livelihood aspirations of rural youth are diverse and extend beyond economic prospects. They aspire for general wellbeing, democracy (self-agency and freedom) and social justice. If these dimensions of human development are to be promoted, the government may need to reshape its policy direction by incorporating a human capabilities approach in TVET, or more broadly in the national education system, while still fulfilling the desire for economic development objectives.</p>
Medium Density - Adaptable Amenity: A flexible housing system to facilitate change and maximise production efficiencies
Authors:   , Robertson Tom 
Published: November 2021

<p>Medium-density Group Housing (“MDH”) has been defined as “a number of horizontally attached (or directly related) dwellings which are normally of one or two stories and rarely exceed three stories above the ground” (Judd 8). In the context of the New Zealand built environment, this housing typology is widely perceived as being a ‘cheaper’ form of construction, providing a lower standard housing environment. This perception has arisen for a number of reasons. Specifically, MDH is often regarded as lacking appropriate ‘fit’ with the existing urban character and is seen as giving rise to a number of problems associated with close visual and acoustic living proximities, inadequate privacy and daylight, insufficient outdoor private and public spaces and lack of design flexibility. These issues have resulted in MDH being viewed as an urban housing typology that, while accepted as being necessary to meet space and budget constraints, is very much ‘second best’, problematic and not as being particularly desirable. With shortages of suitable land and existing housing, intensification is a growing issue for policy planners and developers, and a growing focus of residential development. This research investigation looks at how design and construction of MDH could be enhanced through use of prefabrication in order to provide an inspirational and affordable housing alternative that promotes efficient land use, positive health outcomes and social wellbeing and which can generally enhance the lifestyles of occupants. In this context MDH may offer a possible part solution to what is viewed by many as a current crisis in New Zealand housing. Modular and panelised technologies offer possible solutions to the challenge of providing housing that is efficiently produced, provides flexibility and adaptability in terms of spatial configurations and functionality, offering high levels of customisation and personalisation. These solutions are explored in this thesis through research of theory, literature and precedent studies which inform a design framework. This framework is developed under the following subject areas, namely; • density and amenity; • environmental fit; • flexibility and adaptability and • production efficiencies and are used as a basis for design and project evaluation.</p>