Higher Degree Theses

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Struggle and solidarity in transforming urban futures: The fisher fight for Ennore wetlands in Tamil Nadu, India
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Jayaraman, Nityanand; Kurian, Priya A.; Barrett, Patrick
Mainstream academic research on sustainability transformation overwhelmingly sees it as an innovation-centred, top-down, governance-led process playing out within the capitalist system. This research addresses these biases and the neglect of subaltern agency by examining environmental justice struggles as forces of sustainability transformation. It focuses on the ongoing fisher struggle for the tidal wetlands of Ennore in Tamil Nadu, India. Stretching from the northern edge of Chennai, the Ennore wetlands have been a colonial frontier since the 18th century: first targeted by British empire-building, then by post-independence industrialisation, and later by neoliberal reforms that turned them into an industrial sacrifice zone. Fishers from oppressed castes have resisted this transformation and defended their lifeworlds against dispossession and degradation. Drawing on my research fieldwork as well as a decade of ethnographic engagement while working alongside the Ennore fishers in their struggle, I theorise how subaltern environmentalisms disrupt both the urban-industrial logics of development and the dominant sustainability paradigms that seek to manage their externalities, and how such disruptions enact material, epistemic, and ontological transformations. The thesis traces the struggle’s evolution over five decades from its hyper-local reactive form to a trans-scalar campaign involving legal interventions, coalition-building and cultural and gastro-activism as well as opportunistic campaigns involving more-than-human agents such as the Northeast monsoon and focusing events such as the 2015 Chennai floods. The study asks: 1. How do subaltern struggles emerge from the margins to challenge hegemonic processes that deny recognition to them and their ways of knowing? 2. How do subaltern struggles for environmental justice contribute to transformative change for sustainability? Phrased differently, what does isustainability transformation look like when seen from the perspective of subaltern struggles? From my positionality as activist and researcher, I developed a novel methodological approach—solidarity ethnography—that extends activist ethnography by centring subaltern voices and foregrounding reflexivity. The qualitative study draws on analysis of field notes and interviews, archival work, and collaborative outputs of the Save Ennore Creek Campaign, which was set up by Chennai-based activists, including myself, to mobilise solidarity for the fisher struggle. Two analytical frameworks guide the study: Medina’s (2011) Foucaultian Epistemology of Resistance, which approaches domination and resistance using concepts drawn from Ignorance studies, and a Political Ecology framework of Transformative Resistance that I developed for this research. Together, they reframe domination and resistance as a dynamic of ignorance politics, allowing the analysis to trace how specific forms of ignorance are produced, mobilized, and contested, and how resistance under certain conditions becomes a force for sustainability transformations. The research reveals the role of ignorance, rather than knowledge, in policy-making and exposes the often uncivil and illiberal nature of civil society and liberal law to present a tentative theory of ‘civil’ dispossession that targets non-property spaces and their users. By tracing how Ennore’s fishers resist, persist, and transform, the thesis demonstrates that subaltern struggles are not merely reactive but generative; they reimagine both sustainability and transformation from the margins. In doing so, the research challenges dominant paradigms of sustainability and insists on a justice-first, present-centred approach to ecological and social futures.
Investigating impacts of sleep on recovery and performance in elite rugby union
(The University of Waikato, 2026-05-21) Teece, Angus R.; Beaven, Christopher Martyn; Driller, Matthew W.; Argus, Christos K.; Gill, Nicholas D.
Sleep plays a vital role in daily functioning of biological, cognitive, and physical performance for humans. Additionally, sleep has been widely regarded by athletes to play an important role in recovery from training and competition. Despite the increasing amount of sleep research in athlete populations, elite team sport athletes are still underrepresented in the literature, specifically in collision-based sports, despite the unique challenges facing this population. Therefore, this PhD thesis aims to enhance the understanding of sleep habits of professional, male Rugby Union athletes in both training and competition environments. Finally, the thesis evaluates interventions that could improve sleep in the same population. Study One subjectively assessed the sleep habits of 224 Rugby Union athletes across multiple levels of competition in Rugby Union athletes (academy, semi-professional, and professional) who completed the Athlete Sleep Behaviour Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The results highlighted that differences exist between different levels of competition for specific sleep behaviours; however, sleep behaviours could be improved for all levels of competition in Rugby Union athletes. Study Two assessed the differences in sleep quality, quantity, and behaviours between 38 elite male and 27 elite female Rugby Union athletes via the Athlete Sleep Behaviour Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Male athletes reported significantly longer sleep duration and higher sleep efficiency. The study highlighted that differences existed between elite male and female Rugby Union athletes and that elite male and female athletes face specific sleep challenges. Study Three investigated nightly sleep duration during a three-week preseason training period in 29 professional Rugby Union athletes using wrist actigraphy. Aerobic capacity and body composition were assessed at Baseline, at Week 3, and at Week 5. Participants were split into two groups for analysis as less than 7 h 30 min per night or greater than 7 h 30 min per night. The results highlighted that longer sleep duration during a preseason phase may assist in enhancing physical qualities including aerobic capacity and body composition. Study Four assessed the sleep and wake variability of 23 professional Rugby Union athletes during a preseason period of training. Sleep was monitored via wrist actigraphy for three weeks and the athletes completed a daily wellness questionnaire. Athletes were split into two groups based on their calculated sleep regularity index (regular and irregular). The regular group displayed significantly longer sleep duration and greater sleep efficiency and less wake episodes. The results highlighted that minimising variability in sleep onset and offset is beneficial for increasing sleep duration. Study Five investigated the prevalence of naps on match day in 30 professional Rugby Union athletes and its subjective link to match performance across a 17-match season. Athletes were asked about their napping practices and their perceived performance during match play. Additionally, three team coaches evaluated match performance of each participant. The results highlighted that 86% of athletes used pre-match naps with a greater amount taken during away matches compared to home matches. Additionally, the odds of an athlete rating their performance as “good” was increased when they napped and won the match. Study Six investigated the effectiveness of daytime naps on afternoon physical performance in a randomized cross-over design with 15 professional Rugby Union athletes. Athletes performed a nap or no nap condition on two occasions, separated by one week. Baseline testing of reaction time, self-reported wellness, and a 6-second peak power test on a cycle ergometer was completed in the morning followed by 2 x 45-minute training sessions. Athletes completed nap or no nap condition at 1200 h. Baseline measures were retested in the afternoon in addition to a 30-mintue fixed intensity interval cycle and a 4-minute maximal effort cycling test. The study highlighted that utilising daytime naps between training sessions on the same day, improved afternoon peak power and lowered perception of fatigue, soreness and exertion during afternoon training. In summary the series of studies in this thesis provides a foundation for understanding sleep in elite Rugby Union athletes. Sleep challenges and disturbances are prevalent amongst Rugby Union athletes in both training and competition environments. Results show that methods such as consistency in sleep onset and offset, daytime naps, and extending sleep duration can have benefits for Rugby Union athletes. These studies provide valuable information on sleep habits of not only professional Rugby Union athletes but rugby athletes of all levels and codes, which can be used to inform sleep hygiene protocols to target aspects that are most relevant within a given population. Moreover, aspects such as allowance of daytime naps and consistency in schedule to allow for consistent sleep and wake times should be considered when designing recovery within training programs.
The impact of childhood homelessness in Aotearoa’s education spaces: Educators’ ever-expanding roles with children and whānau
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Gordon, Tanith; Cowie, Bronwen; Atatoa Carr, Polly
The Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa) education system is the only agency, governmental or otherwise, that children aged 6–16 years and their whānau (families) must engage with. The 2023 Aotearoa census found that 319 of every 10,000 children under the age of 15 years were living with severe housing deprivation (homelessness). Therefore, it is likely that educators in primary and intermediate schools are working with children and their whānau who are experiencing homelessness. However, little is known about the broader impact on educators of working with children and their whānau who are experiencing homelessness, or about educator observations on the effects of homelessness on children in educational spaces in Aotearoa. Furthermore, there are no currently agreed policies or practice guidelines for educational sites and educators to refer to when supporting children and whānau experiencing homelessness. This thesis reports on research conducted with educators in Aotearoa regarding their experiences of and perspectives on working with children and whānau experiencing homelessness. Fifteen educators from schools across Aotearoa, who worked with children aged 5 to 13 years, were recruited and interviewed. The educator participants were all currently employed in schools, and most were registered teachers. The majority held leadership roles (principal or deputy principal) or were learning support coordinators (LSCs); others occupied classroom teaching and non-teaching support positions within their school. Interviews were conducted via zoom and transcribed. Data was analysed using thematic analysis and narrative analysis, and organised using ecological systems theory (EST), (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). An adapted model of EST, Educator Ecological Systems, was developed through the analysis phase, and used to structure the discussion. This research contributes new knowledge about the expansive roles that educators in Aotearoa play in supporting children and whānau experiencing homelessness. It provides insight into the approaches that different educational sites use to promote positive relationships and engagement in the school community and learning programmes, as well as what they have found effective. When educators shared common experiences with children and whānau, this appeared to play a role in the establishment of positive, trusted relationships. However, even in the absence of these shared experiences, educators’ efforts to understand what was happening in the lives of children and whānau could also contribute to building relationships. Educators asserted that holistic support was necessary, which stretched their typical educational role. They described the need to understand, consider, and address physical, social, and mental-emotional well-being when working with children experiencing homelessness. Specifically, the educators shared that, unless there was a focus on “Hauora” (an Indigenous Māori language term for holistic well-being) when working with children impacted by homelessness, it was difficult for children to focus on or make progress in their academic learning. A key finding in this research was that strong relationships were particularly critical for children and whānau experiencing homelessness. Trust was described as a fundamental foundation for developing positive relationships and fostering engagement. Consistency in the educational site itself and in the people working with children and whānau, was described as an essential part of building trusted and productive relationships. A key component of creating consistency was the designation of a primary contact person for whānau to engage with. Identifying the “right” primary contact depended on a myriad of factors, including interactions and availability. Sustained positive relationships were also found to provide stability for impacted children and whānau and were identified as having the power to break down stigma. Creating a culture of care to facilitate a sense of belonging was identified as vital to supporting children and whānau. The educators shared that using trauma-informed approaches in the classroom and the wider school environment could be effective in helping children navigate the stress associated with homelessness. Belongingness was also recognised as a protective factor for children and whānau; this included the presence of a consistent support network and the ability to remain in the same area when experiencing homelessness. However, educators described that children impacted by homelessness often appeared to lose their sense of belonging when they had to move out of the area where they were established. This was identified as a cause of distress among children and whānau as they needed to engage in new educational spaces. Furthermore, entering a tight-knit or smaller community appeared to contribute to children and whānau experiencing a sense of othering due to the community’s knowledge of emergency and transitional housing locations. This research found that clear and focused communication was an integral part of understanding the current needs and previous experiences of children and whānau impacted by homelessness. Communication was identified as essential to ensuring that educators and key staff members were equipped with the necessary information to work effectively and responsively as they taught and supported children and whānau. Furthermore, creating and maintaining open communication channels allowed whānau to share their needs and express their concerns with the schools their children attended. Communication between schools and whānau, between educators within the school, between educators and their learners, and between schools and support organisations was identified by the educators as an essential component of meeting the well-being and academic needs of children and whānau. Progress towards and achievement of learning outcomes has been identified by the participating educators as particularly challenging for children experiencing homelessness. Educators discussed perceived gaps and barriers within the education system that impact their work, interactions with whānau, and children’s achievement outcomes. Many educators described how they or their school had to step in to provide support and resources that they believed should have been provided by other government sectors. They explained that educational sites and educators in Aotearoa were involved in providing housing, social development, and health and disability supports. The participants shared experiences in which they also took on social advocacy roles by providing food and resources, and they worked to build connections with support services on behalf of and with whānau. This research found that educators are undertaking roles that extend beyond the academic and social–emotional aspects of classroom activities and school community. Evidence gathered in this research enabled the development of recommendations for the education sector and other sectors in Aotearoa to better meet the needs of these children and their whānau. These include building knowledge of the scope and impact of homelessness into teacher education and professional development; increasing knowledge of the impact of trauma, trauma-related behaviours, and trauma-informed pedagogy in teacher education and professional development; creating resources to support the purposeful creation of a Culture of Care in schools; developing resources regarding working with whānau and children experiencing homelessness; establishing a robust support network that emphasises the importance of communication pathways within and between schools, agencies, and organisations; and developing agency and organisation systems and government policy focused on prioritising safe, affordable, and long-term housing in school zones.
Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in New Zealand secondary schools: Roles, responsibilities, and agency
(The University of Waikato, 2026-05-14) Dinneen, Anna; Sharma , Sashi; Cook , Sheralyn F.; Earl Rinehart , (Suzanne) Kerry
Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in New Zealand secondary schools are responsible for supporting students with identified additional educational needs, amounting to as many as 700 students (up to 30%) in some larger schools. Despite the scale and importance of the role, there is currently no dedicated funding, no formalised job description, and no mandated qualifications or training for SENCOs. Furthermore, a review of existing New Zealand literature reveals a notable absence of research into the SENCO role at the secondary-school level. Compounding this lack of recognition, the inclusive education sector in New Zealand is under increasing pressure. Literature highlights a rise in the number and diversity of students requiring support, driven in part by New Zealand’s ambitious inclusive education. These changes are placing further strain on an already resource-limited sector. Grounded in constructivist theory, and using relational agency as an analytical lens, this study was motivated by the need to explore how SENCOs in secondary schools understand and navigate their roles within this complex and evolving context. By highlighting the voices of those in SENCO positions, the research seeks to better understand their lived experiences—experiences that have often gone unacknowledged by the Ministry of Education, school leadership, and even SENCOs themselves. The research was conducted in two stages. The first involved an electronic survey distributed to secondary school SENCOs in the North Island of New Zealand, designed to capture a broad understanding of who SENCOs are and what their work entails. The second stage consisted of a longitudinal case study involving three SENCOs, with nine semistructured interviews conducted over an eight-month period, to capture rich data about their experiences. Data was dealt with descriptively and analysed thematically. Findings highlight that the SENCO role is overwhelming, physically and emotionally taxing, and extends well beyond regular school hours. Participants reported being constantly available and shouldering significant emotional and administrative burdens. Participants also identified an increase in the range and numbers of students that SENCOs are required to support. The study raises concerns about whether school leaders and policymakers fully understand the scope and diversity of the needs SENCOs are addressing. This research contributes to a previously underresearched area by documenting the realities of the SENCO role in New Zealand secondary schools. It concludes with three key findings and accompanying recommendations for school leaders and the Ministry of Education. These recommendations include formalisation of the SENCO role, recognising the importance of relational agency, support from leadership, and a reconceptualisation of the SENCO role title and definition of additional learning needs to more accurately reflect the breadth and importance of the work SENCOs perform.
Navigating national priorities, regionalism and internationalisation in National Universities of Moana Oceania
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Levy, Benjamin; Ellis, Sonja; Aporosa, S 'Apo'; Fa'avae, David Taufui Mikato
This thesis explores how national universities in Moana Oceania navigate national priorities, regionalism, and internationalisation. Focussing on five institutions - the National University of Samoa, Tonga National University, Solomon Islands National University, National University of Vanuatu and Fiji National University - the study is guided by the primary question: How are national priorities centred in national universities of Moana Oceania? Two secondary questions explore the impacts of regionalism and internationalisation on achieving these priorities. The research is framed through social constructionism alongside the Moana Oceania concepts of motutapu and wansolwara, which centre on relationality, the sacredness of place, and shared oceanic connectivity as foundations for knowledge-making and exchange. Methodologically, the study employs critical (Indigenous) ethnography and multiple descriptive case studies, drawing on talanoa, tok stori, and storian as culturally grounded, responsive, and relational knowledge-sharing, supported by collaborative sensemaking and critical policy analysis. The findings revealed three interrelated insights. First, national universities consistently positioned themselves as sites of nation-building and moral leadership, where higher education is inseparable from cultural identity, linguistic and epistemic continuity, and service to communities and the nation. Second, regionalism is experienced as both an anchor and a source of tension. Regional frameworks and institutions can provide solidarity, standards and voice, but often appear distant from the specificity of national contexts and priorities when driven by external agendas. Third, internationalisation is characterised by uneven power relations, donor dependency and epistemic asymmetry, but has the potential to be re-imagined as knowledge diplomacy when partnerships are relational rather than transactional, grounded in Indigenous leadership, reciprocity and equitable agency. Across the five case studies, centring Indigenous worldviews enabled a shift from peripheral adaptation to epistemic sovereignty and leadership in redefining what relevant higher education looks like in and for Moana Oceania. Conceptually, the thesis explores the idea of a ‘relational university’, elaborating on how national universities are being re-envisioned as institutions whose purposes, partnerships, and governance are anchored in Indigenous ethics of relationality, responsibility, and collective wellbeing, with practical and policy implications for regional cooperation and more equitable international engagement.
Process integration and electrification with digital twins
(The University of Waikato, 2026-05-14) Lincoln, Benjamin James; Walmsley, Timothy Gordon; Atkins, Martin John; Walmsley, Michael R.W.; Young, Brent R.
The decarbonisation of industrial process heat is one of the most pressing challenges in the global energy transition. In New Zealand, fossil fuels remain the dominant source of process heat, despite having over 80% renewable electricity generation. Milk powder production is a major consumer of process heat, with evaporation and drying processes relying on large amounts of coal- and gas-fired steam. Electrification technologies such as industrial heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) have the potential to significantly reduce emissions, yet widespread adoption has been limited because of the complex interactions between heat and power, in addition to uncertainties around practicality. Conventional process integration (PI) techniques were designed for fossil-fuelled utilities and are poorly aligned with the work requirements and integration constraints of electrification. Meanwhile, legacy simulation tools are ill-suited to the complex fluids and system interactions of food and dairy processes. This thesis addresses these gaps by developing a generalisable Process Integration and Electrification (PI&E) methodology that combines exergy-based targeting, retrofit strategies, and techno-economic evaluation coupled with an iterative design-centric digital twin framework. The thesis is structured in two parts. Part A develops the digitalisation foundations, including the preparation of a milk evaporation case study, the creation of advanced thermophysical property packages for complex fluids (milk, refrigerants, humid air), and the construction of a design digital twin using both commercial and open-source platforms. Part B applies the digital twin to PI&E, integrating operational optimisation, Exergy Pinch Analysis, and systematic evaluation of electrification technologies in both greenfield and retrofit contexts. For greenfield design, the research extends Pinch Analysis principles to heat pump integration by utilising heat pockets to create multiple Pinch points, enabling systematic minimisation of temperature lift and improved integration opportunities. Building on this, an iterative PI&E design workflow was developed to guide technology placement and evaluate electrification pathways. This culminated in the design of a novel fully electric milk evaporator system that achieved a specific electricity consumption of 120 kWh per tonne of milk powder, compared with 159 kWh/tp for a simpler single heat pump design, demonstrating higher efficiency. For retrofit applications, the thesis advances PI&E by extending heat pump bridge analysis to explicitly include process unit heat flows, allowing process modifications to be considered alongside heat exchanger reconfiguration. This innovation addresses a key gap identified in previous literature, enabling more retrofit strategies. The method was demonstrated through multiple related case studies of milk evaporator plants, producing a set of common retrofit solutions. These include replacing thermal vapour recompression (TVR) and/or direct steam injection with MVR systems, which were shown to deliver lower levelised costs of heat compared with reference boiler-based designs. The culmination of the research is a unified PI&E methodology that combines digital twins, rigorous thermodynamic analysis, and practical integration strategies. The results show that electrification of milk evaporation systems can be achieved in both new and existing plants with significant efficiency gains and competitive economics. PI&E has been tested across multiple platforms: Aspen HYSYS, DWSIM and the Ahuora Digital Twin Platform, powered by IDAES – proving to be a platform-agnostic, yet digitalisation-centred, methodology. Although developed and applied in the context of New Zealand’s dairy sector, the methods and insights are broadly transferable to other low- to medium-temperature process industries, offering a robust and scalable pathway to accelerate industrial decarbonisation.
Valorisation of waste mussel shells and harakeke fibres for enhanced performance in polypropylene composites
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Xu, Jing; Mucalo, Michael R.; Pickering, Kim L.
This doctoral research develops high-performance, environmentally sustainable polypropylene (PP) composites by valorising low-value biogenic waste. Within a Circular Economy framework, it addresses challenges in plastic sustainability and the need for bio-based alternatives by utilising mussel shells (MS), an aquaculture by-product, and harakeke fibres (HF, Phormium tenax), derived from agricultural waste, as reinforcing materials. Through systematic characterisation, surface modification, filler hybridisation, and multi-scale evaluation, this study demonstrates the successful transformation of these biogenic low-value resources into functional reinforcements for PP. The structural and surface properties of MS-derived fillers were first investigated, focusing on functionalization with a mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coating. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed PDA formation, revealing its indole/indoline units and quinonoid groups. X-ray diffraction (XRD), SS-NMR, and FTIR showed that MS contains calcite and aragonite phases, which remain intact after coating. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed the thermal stability of MS, slightly improved by PDA, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified successful coating deposition on MS fillers via nitrogen-containing groups. Surface energy analysis revealed that PDA coating increased MS filler hydrophilicity, whereas maleic anhydridegrafted polypropylene (MAPP) treatment particularly when combined with PDA enhanced filler hydrophobicity, establishing PDA/MAPP co-modification as an effective strategy to improve filler interaction with the hydrophobic PP matrix. Polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with pristine, maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAPP)-modified, and PDA/MAPP co-modified mussel shell (MS) fillers were systematically compared with neat PP to assess thermal and mechanical performance. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed improved thermal stability across all composites, most notably with PDA/MAPP-MS. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed that MAPP and PDA/MAPP surface treatments enhanced nucleation and crystallinity, promoting -crystal formation in the PP matrix. Mechanical testing showed that unmodified MS reduced tensile and flexural strength, an effect mitigated by MAPP modification. PDA/MAPP co-modification yielded the greatest improvements, with tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus all significantly enhanced at 40 wt.% loading. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), creep recovery, and melt rheology further supported the advantages of PDA/MAPP comodification, consistent with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of improved interfacial bonding. The study further explored hybrid reinforcements combining MS with HF. Crystalline structure analysis showed both fillers acted as nucleating agents, with hybrid systems producing higher crystallinity than neat PP. XRD confirmed the co-existence of - and -crystals. Composites with 10% MAPP-MS/30% HF and 10% PDA/MAPP-MS/30% HF showed the highest -phase content (17.32% and 16.71%, respectively), enhancing toughness and elongation while retaining strength and stiffness. SEM backscattered electron (BSE) analysis confirmed improved fibre matrix adhesion and polymer bridging, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping showed uniform filler distribution. These hybrid systems outperformed single-filler composites, with 10% MAPP-MS/30% HF achieving a 48% increase in tensile strength over neat PP. DMA confirmed a higher storage modulus, improved energy dissipation, and better adhesion. Creep-recovery tests demonstrated greater dimensional stability, particularly for the 10% PDA/MAPP-MS/30% HF system. Melt rheology behaviour suggested the formation of a hybrid filler network that further restricts chain mobility. Finally, composites with 5% PDA/MAPP-MS fillers demonstrated superior UV stability. After 1,000 hours of accelerated weathering, neat PP exhibited cracking, roughening, and discolouration, while PDA/MAPP-MS composites retained smooth, intact surfaces. FTIR confirmed their lowest carbonyl index increase, reflecting suppressed photo-oxidative degradation. XRD and DSC showed a stable crystalline structure, and mechanical testing revealed only a 15.6% tensile strength loss, compared to 62% for neat PP. DMA further confirmed superior viscoelastic stability. These results indicate dual protection: MS act as UV shield, while PDA scavenges free radicals to delay degradation. Overall, this research establishes mussel shell and harakeke fibre as sustainable, high-performance reinforcements for PP. PDA/MAPP co-modification and hybridisation strategies optimise filler matrix interactions, yielding composites with enhanced thermal, mechanical, rheological, and weathering properties. These findings highlight the potential of low-value biogenic fillers for sustainable, durable, and environmentally resilient composites.
Reviving cultural connections and the need to advocate for cultural reports under section 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002 for reimagining whanaungatanga
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Werahiko, Katrina; Daya-Winterbottom , Trevor; Toki , Valmaine
This thesis critically questions whether the incorporation of whanaungatanga can lead to a more equitable New Zealand criminal justice system for Māori. Associated with this aim, this thesis explores how a better understanding of whanaungatanga could improve the prison system and the current Māori overrepresentation in it. The thesis argues that an enhanced understanding of whanaungatanga and its utilisation under s 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002 can reframe interpretation of and response to Māori prisoner statistics. Furthermore, it is suggested that whanaungatanga can offer a Te Ao Māori framework that can complement a Western legal paradigm to provide a basis for holistic and more equitable reasoning within the criminal justice system. The research addresses the broader historical context in which colonial constructs have impacted traditional Māori legal norms such as tīkanga and whanaungatanga. The historical context offers a perspective for examining the relationships between Māori and colonial settler laws, shedding light on the current social inequalities. The research aims to investigate the reasons for Māori over-representation in the New Zealand prison system and suggests alternative pathways for transformative, equitable outcomes. As a way forward, in contrast to the current approaches that reference tīkanga in different legal disciplines, this research aims to establish common ground for whanaungatanga and its acceptance in society and the courts. In investigating the potential role of whanaungatanga in s 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002, this study reviews literature on whanaungatanga and compares it with traditional knowledge of whanaungatanga as a legal norm, value system and range of practices. Further, the literature examines challenges associated with the application of tīkanga in sentencing and clarifies the meaning of whanaungatanga and its potential employment in sentencing decisions. The study employs three data sets. The first data set consists of population census surveys of the 19th century. I present this data in Te Ūpoko Tuawhā/Chapter Four. The data is compared with Māori prison population statistics in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The comparative analysis of this data provides an empirical foundation for examining differences and similarities between data sets, as well as identifying problematic trends. This data establishes the foundation for investigating some early New Zealand trials and the systemic deprivation experienced by Māori, discussed in Te Ūpoko Tuarima/Chapter Five. The second set of data comprises records of three categories: cases when s 27 cultural reports are applied; cases when cultural reports are considered but not applied; and cases when cultural reports are not considered. The qualitative analysis in Te Ūpoko Tuaono/Chapter Six of the differences in sentencing decisions for similar offences raises concerns about social justice. The third data set is based on interviews with judges which were designed to investigate the factors influencing sentencing decisions (Te Ūpoko Tuawhitu/Chapter Seven). Thematic analysis of this data provided the basis for identifying patterns and recommendations for improvements. The research findings revealed that whanaungatanga plays a significant role in s 27 cultural reports compared with pre-sentence reports that do not provide judges with causative material. Although s 27 cultural reports focussed on having cultural speakers, cultural reports were argued by participants to be more reliable because they are a permanent record. Furthermore, defendants could read their reports and sometimes find out their whakapapa (genealogical ties) for the first time. Research findings suggest that society could understand whanaungatanga easily because the process is already happening in the courts and the communities. The study also found that a breach of the right to a fair trial, if impacted by the court’s reluctance to accept a s 27 cultural report, would lead to a criminal case review pending legal aid assistance. A further finding was that the sentencing discrepancies for similar offences raise concerns about recidivism, remand prisoners, and intergenerational trauma affecting children was more prevalent amongst low socio-economic whānau families. The study found that debate about the relative fiscal costs of accommodating prisoners and money spent on cultural reports bypasses the main issue. Māori over-representation in the prisons will not be reduced unless society acknowledges a consistent application of whanaungatanga as a transformative approach to changing the status quo.
Supercapacitor-assisted Arc Management (SCA2M) technique for DC circuit breakers in low-voltage applications
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Dassanayake Mudiyanselage, Chamara Thilanka; Kularatna, Nihal; Steyn-Ross, D. Alistair; Gurusinghe, Nicoloy
Direct Current (DC) circuits are gaining popularity due to their compatibility with renewable energy. However, their development is hindered by the lack of mature DC protection, such as circuit breakers. Unlike alternating current (AC), DC lacks natural zero-crossing points, making arc extinction harder and causing severe contact degradation. Additionally, DC fault currents rise faster than AC, emphasising the need for effective arc extinguishing in DC circuit breaking. Three types of DC circuit breakers (DCCB) exist: mechanical, solid-state, and hybrid. Mechanical DCCBs use mechanical switches, solid-state DCCBs rely on semiconductor switches, and hybrid DCCBs combine both. Despite extensive research, no technologies have achieved viable commercial-scale production due to high costs and technological immaturity. As a cost-effective alternative, manufacturers modify mechanical AC circuit breakers for DC applications by connecting multiple poles in series. However, this approach increases power loss, contact resistance, and overall switch size. For small-scale DCCBs, permanent neodymium magnets are incorporated within the circuit breaker to aid in arc extinguishment as a simple supplementary technique. This research is the initial step taken by the Waikato Power Electronics Research Group (WaiPER) in New Zealand to address the DCCB arcing issue, with promising experience gathered from two decades of past work based on non-traditional supercapacitor applications known as supercapacitor-assisted (SCA) techniques, achieving multiple patents and industry products. This thesis aims to develop an electric arc-management technique for mechanical contact-pair based DCCBs using the rapid discharge capability of commercial supercapacitors (SC). A transformer-based circuit reduces the DC loop current during circuit breaker opening, thereby decreasing arcing time, arc energy and contact degradation while extending breaker lifespan. A 2-kW, 80-A prototype demonstrates the concept for approximately 50% arcing time reduction with 55% arc energy reduction, with visual and analytical comparisons of arcing with and without the SC-based technique. The technique is further developed for better performance, achieving 64% reduction in arcing time and 67% reduction in arc energy using a two-transformer-based implementation. Tests were further conducted for multiple circuit breakers of the same rating for different voltage and current values. Successful current reduction in the DC loop is based on a low-voltage SC–MOSFET combination which eliminates the need for high-voltage auxiliary circuits and forced cooling, thus keeping costs low. Also, since the SC-MOSFET loop is galvanically isolated from the main DC loop, the prototype is intrinsically protected from natural events such as lightning overvoltage and current surges.
Modelling steroidal hormone transport and evaluating best management practices in New Zealand dairy farming systems
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Majeed, Muhammad Adnan; Lay, Mark C.; Bertram, Danielle Valerie; Glasgow, Graeme D.E.
This doctoral research developed and applied two modelling approaches to simulate and assess estrogen (estrone E1, and 17β-estradiol E2) transport from an intensive dairy farm system located in the Waikato region, New Zealand. The first approach was a numerical unsaturated zone model implemented in MATLAB, coupling Richards’ equation with a Green-Ampt infiltration framework and advection, dispersion, and sorption processes to track estrogen movement through soil. The second approach employed a GIS-based ArcSWAT catchment model to simulate surface runoff, sediment yield, and estrogen transport at the farm watershed scale, including the evaluation of best management practices (BMPs). The novelty of this research lies in the dual-scale modelling of estrogen transport through both soil and surface runoff pathways and the spatially explicit, quantitative assessment of existing best management practices specifically for estrogen mitigation rather than nutrient reduction alone. Soil Model results indicate that estrogens are largely retained and attenuated in the upper soil layers, reducing the risk of leaching to groundwater. The model showed that both E1 and E2 undergo strong sorption near the surface and substantial microbial degradation, with >90% of the applied mass removed within the top ~1 m over a 90-day simulation. Estradiol was more mobile than estrone, with its concentration front advancing deeper (~0.5–0.6 m). Concentrations declined steeply with depth, and values below ~1.5 m were negligible under steady infiltration. Infiltration-driven pulses produced by surface boundary input led to episodic colloid mobilization, which enhanced estrogen transport to mid-depths. Free and attached colloid time series showed synchronous peaks, indicating that mobile colloids can act as vectors for hormone movement. These findings suggest that under normal conditions, leaching risk is low, but during rapid infiltration following effluent application, colloid-facilitated transport may temporarily extend hormone movement deeper into the profile. Overall, the results align with experimental column studies, confirming that estrogen is primarily confined to shallow soil and largely degraded in situ, while emphasizing the importance of managing infiltration timing and flow dynamics. For the dairy farm studied, the ArcSWAT model provided a spatially explicit assessment of estrogen transport via runoff and erosion. Critical source areas (hotspots) for estrogen and sediment loss were identified at the subbasin level. Under baseline (pre-BMP) conditions, eight subbasins were predicted to generate the highest estrogen concentrations in runoff (often >15 ng/L) and severe sediment yields. One subbasin emerged as the most critical, with annual runoff volumes exceeding ~1500 mm and sediment losses on the order of ~3.9 t/ha, concomitant with elevated estrogen loads. Several other subbasins showed overlapping high runoff and erosion, indicating that both dissolved and sediment-bound estrogen transport mechanisms are at play in these areas. The model indicated that surface water contamination is a primary concern, as these high-runoff zones efficiently deliver estrogens to streams (e.g. the Maungatea Stream on the farm’s boundary). To mitigate these exports, the effectiveness of BMP scenarios was evaluated in ArcSWAT, including constructed wetlands, riparian buffer strips, grazing management, and effluent application timing management. All BMPs reduced estrogen and sediment delivery to some degree, but their performance varied. Constructed wetlands placed at critical drainage points showed the greatest overall impact, trapping 50-90% of sediment from upstream areas and removing an estimated 30-70% of estrogen loads via sedimentation, sorption, and microbial degradation in wetland ponds. Riparian buffers were similarly effective: vegetated buffer strips along stream channels filtered runoff, resulting in sediment transport reductions of about 16-80% (average ~42%) in high-erosion subbasins and estrogen concentration reductions on the order of 30-85% in runoff, through enhanced infiltration and filtering of hormone-laden sediment. Improved grazing management (e.g. rotational grazing and reduced stocking rates in wet periods) yielded moderate benefits, with an average ~17.5% decrease in sediment loss (due to better soil cover and less compaction) and commensurate declines in runoff (~12%) and estrogen exports. Effluent management (avoiding manure irrigation during wet weather and optimizing application rates) provided 5-25% lower sediment losses and up to 10-30% reductions in runoff, thereby modestly cutting estrogen runoff concentrations (5-50%). Notably, after implementing an effective riparian buffer scenario, peak estrogen levels in runoff from the worst areas fell from ~19.1 ng/L (baseline) to below 7 ng/L, and peak sediment yields dropped from ~3900 kg/ha to under 1000 kg/ha. These quantitative improvements underscore that targeted BMP adoption can substantially reduce estrogen loading to surface waters. The catchment modelling highlighted where and which interventions yield the greatest water-quality benefits: for instance, combining wetlands and buffers in the most critical subbasins would address both high runoff and erosion, greatly reducing the transport of both dissolved and particle-bound estrogens to streams.
An experimental evaluation on the effect of dynamic chairs on students' behaviour, movement, and academic achievement in mathematics
(The University of Waikato, 2026-05-04) Martin, Isaac; Anderson, Angelika; Starkey, Nicola J.
Traditional classroom chairs are often rigid and inflexible, resulting in uncomfortable static sitting. Conversely, dynamic chairs are designed to promote healthy movement and comfort, which is hypothesised to improve student engagement, reduce disruptive behaviour, and, in turn, improve academic achievement. Currently, there is a lack of research into the effects of dynamic chairs on students’ behaviour and outcomes compared to regular classroom chairs. This thesis comprises a series of studies that investigate the effect of BodyfurnFlex chairs, a new type of dynamic chair, on the behaviour, movement, achievement, and perceptions of students compared with traditional classroom chairs. In Study 1, I used a multiple baseline ABAB reversal design to investigate the effect that BodyfurnFlex chairs had on students’ behaviour and movement in comparison to regular classroom chairs. Additionally, a survey was used to assess students' perceptions of the chairs, while classroom environmental conditions were monitored as potential confounding variables. The results showed that BodyfurnFlex chairs significantly increased students’ on-task behaviour and reduced disruptive behaviours, including chair tipping and out-of-seat behaviour. Meanwhile, both in-chair and overall movement in the classroom increased when students were seated in BodyfurnFlex chairs. The majority of participants preferred BodyfurnFlex chairs, finding them more comfortable and believing they made it easier to complete their schoolwork. The environmental conditions in the classroom remained within the recommended levels throughout data collection, indicating they were not confounding variables in this study. In Study 2, I conducted a detailed analysis of the movement and environmental data collected in Study 1. This included analysing different aspects of the in-chair movement data, including displacement, acceleration, and rotation. Additionally, I examined whether BodyfurnFlex chairs could influence noise levels in classrooms and explored possible connections between movement, environmental, noise, and behavioural variables. The results showed that both in-chair displacement and acceleration significantly increased when students sat in BodyfurnFlex chairs. However, while displacement was not associated with students’ behaviour, acceleration was, suggesting that student behaviour is not related to how much students move but rather how consistently they move. Noise levels in the classroom had a significant negative correlation with on-task behaviour and decreased when students sat in BodyfurnFlex chairs. All environmental variables (CO2, temperature, and humidity) showed small, non-significant correlations with all other variables, indicating that they were not confounding factors. In Study 3, I investigated the effect of BodyfurnFlex chairs on students' academic achievement across multiple mathematics assessments using a pre-post intervention between-groups design. Additionally, focus group discussions were conducted to gain greater insight into teachers' and students’ perceptions of the chairs. The results showed no significant difference in test grades between students who used the BodyfurnFlex chairs and those who used regular chairs. However, several limitations around the results, including the testing/grading system and design, are discussed. Students reported far greater satisfaction with BodyfurnFlex chairs compared to the regular chairs, stating that they were more comfortable and functional, aided their ability to do their schoolwork, and felt they had a positive effect on their test results.
Classroom perceptions of physics and the introduction of technological applications
(The University of Waikato, 1987) Jones, Alister; Liley, Bruce; Osborne, Roger
This study explores the classroom perceptions of physics held by both teachers and students. A method of introducing technological applications into the classroom based on the generative learning model is investigated. Students’ views of school physics were examined by interviews with 60 7th form (17-18 years) students and surveys with 426 6th form (16-17 years) and 168 7th form physics students. The interviews and surveys showed that physics students generally had negative perceptions of school physics. The students ascribed these perceptions mainly to the apparent lack of relevance. The study also examined the students’ reasons for studying physics at secondary school and university. The major reasons given were career choice and interest. There were significant gender differences in career choice. The initial career destination of New Zealand physics graduates was also investigated. The ideas of the generative learning model and mini-theories were used as a theoretical base for the introduction of technological applications. One of the important aspects of these models is the learner’s existing knowledge (which includes interests). The students’ interests in technological applications were explored by interviews (40 students) and surveys (500 students). The results indicated that students were interested in applications within their own environment, directly involving people and aspects which corresponded to their intended careers and anticipated needs. There were gender differences in interest. Students were generally not interested in ‘school’ physics or domestic applications. Teachers’ approaches to the teaching and learning of school physics were examined by interviews (12) and their views on the introduction of technological applications were investigated by surveys (204). The findings were consistent with a transmission view of teaching and an overloaded syllabus. In a small study possible ways of introducing technological applications were examined. A new teaching strategy, based on the generative learning model, was developed for the two 7th form physics topics of electrical capacitance and the Doppler effect. These strategies were initially trialled with two classes and then with other classes at two other schools. The classes were observed throughout the trials and teacher and student interviews were undertaken. Compared with the previous teaching programmes the students were generally very positive about the approaches. The reasons students gave for being more positive were; the introduction of technological applications that they were interested in and could relate to, the experiments. individual projects, the class discussions and being able to explore ideas for themselves. They were also more confident to attempt traditional physics problems. The implications of the findings for teaching and learning, the curriculum and further research are discussed in the final chapter.
Metropolitan reform and decision making: Dove-Myer Robinson’s challenge to local body morphological fundamentalism
(The University of Waikato, 1987) Edgar, John Timothy; Barber, Laurie; Hart, Philip
The capacity of New Zealand local bodies to perceive their geographical identities and political autonomy as enduringly useful and to jealously protect these against proposals for structural change is studied in this thesis. This self protective guardianship is termed morphological fundamentalism. The latter word is derived from a theological description of the evangelical movement that considered the truth of the Bible to be unchanging and applicable to any age, while “morphological” pertains to the biological study of form and structure. Taken together, the words denote a dogmatic assumption of structural unalterability. The effect of this determined defence of local body geographical and political integrity has been to contain administrative change despite the emergence of urban and metropolitan communities from the country’s colonial settlement. This thesis is concerned first with a challenge to New Zealand local body morphological fundamentalism posed by Dove-Myer Robinson, Mayor of Auckland 1959-1965, 1968-1980 who campaigned for the reform of metropolitan government and the establishment of an Auckland Regional Authority. The thesis is concerned secondly with Robinson’s continued challenge to morphological fundamentalism after the Auckland Regional Authority is established and his failure to become an authoritative metropolitan decision maker. The first part of this study of Dove-Myer Robinson’s political career is intended to identify the strength of morphological fundamentalism in Greater Auckland and the urgency for reform there of the local body structure, which consisted of thirty two different municipalities of counties and twenty special purpose bodies. Robinson’s role in promoting the Auckland Regional Authority concept, his choice of overseas models for the authority, the reactions of local and central government politicians to his proposals and the vexed progress of legislation establishing the Auckland Regional Authority are assessed. Dove-Myer Robinson played a leading role in Auckland City politics, beginning with his entry into the Brown’s Island Drainage controversy in 1944. He became an Auckland City Councillor in 1952, Chairman of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board in 1953 and Mayor of Auckland City in 1959. Then in 1960 he began his struggle for the creation of a Greater Auckland Authority, able to coalesce metropolitan opinion and promulgate major metropolitan and regional development. This thesis outlines the reputation Robinson brought to his reform campaign. Robinson was an independent political figure who developed a personal following amongst Aucklanders as well as a strong populist appeal in the working class areas of the city. As such he was unacceptable to the Greater Auckland local body Establishment and particularly to the ruling Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association on the Auckland City Council. His Jewish and working class origins, his wartime activities, his personal life and his personality were also considered dubious by his opponents. This study demonstrates the effects Robinson’s personal reputation had on those involved in the metropolitan reform process. It also explains how these factors developed into a feud between Robinson and the two political associations on the Auckland City Council - the Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association and the Labour Party. The culmination of the feud - the mayor’s loss of office in the 1965 municipal elections - is linked to his loss of position on the fledgling Auckland Regional Authority and his three year exile from political influence on the body. The second part of this thesis assesses Robinson’s declining ability to influence the metropolitan decision making carried out by the Auckland Regional Authority. This study portrays the changing nature of Robinson’s battle against morphological fundamentalism during which the mayor became frustrated and finally thwarted by the strength of that mentality. After the establishment of the Auckland Regional Authority, it was only a matter of time before morphological fundamentalism was again taken up by the municipal local bodies to protect the political authority and pre-eminence they had enjoyed in the preceding local government structure. In deference to the attitudes associated with the preceding Auckland local government - parochial jealousies and rivalries, consultation between municipalities and inter-municipal agreement on large works, resentment of the central city and timidity in relations with central government - succeeding Auckland Regional Authority chairmen, H.D. Lambie and T.H. Pearce had developed a “benign” regionalism for the Auckland Regional Authority. Its limited objectives were designed to pre-empt any challenge to the body and let the municipal bodies see the body as an extension of their own authority, successfully implementing objectives they had wanted but had not been able to agree on funding. In effect, morphological fundamentalism was being allowed to win by default. Robinson’s rapid rail proposals however, challenged this limited conception of the Auckland Regional Authority and placed strains on the capacity of the Auckland Regional Authority to make decisions that enjoyed widespread support amongst its members and the municipal local bodies. In the face of this challenge, the municipal local bodies became openly defensive of their political authority and Robinson clashed with them, and lost. A brief study of the two overseas examples Robinson most closely modelled his authority upon is made to elucidate the problems Robinson had in challenging the residual morphological fundamentalism after the Auckland Regional Authority was established. The thesis concludes by assessing the impact Robinson had on local body morphological fundamentalism and to what extent his own political methods and reputation had facilitated his challenge.
Stable isotope stratigraphy of deep-sea cores from the Southwest Pacific region: aspects of late Quaternary palaeoceanography
(The University of Waikato, 1988) Cuthbertson, Alison Macauley; Hendy, Chris H.; Nelson, Campbell S.
¹⁸O/¹⁶O and ¹³C/¹²C ratios of calcareous planktonic and benthic foraminifera from the Late Quaternary section of deep-sea sediment cores from the Tasman Sea and Southwest Pacific Ocean have been determined in this study. The core sites cover a latitudinal range from the equator to 49°S, and samples were provided by the Ocean Drilling Program and the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute. In most cases the cores were sampled at 10cm intervals. Generally, attention has been focused on the latest Quaternary (stages 1 to 5) glacial-interglacial oscillations of the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C record, and aspects of their palaeoceanographic significance. Some longer sequences of core were also studied. Of the Southwest Pacific Ocean cores, 594 yielded the most detailed record for the past 130ky. Located just south of the Subtropical Convergence it has proved particularly sensitive to substage climatic fluctuations. In addition the high sedimentation rate (averaging ~13cm/ky) has reduced smoothing by bioturbation. Core 594 has yielded one of the most detailed isotopic records available world-wide for stages 1 to 6. Concurrent carbonate analysis by Cooke (1988) has revealed a similarly detailed carbonate record whose rises and falls are more or less synchronous with the isotopic record. To the west of New Zealand Core 593 was analysed to 44m sub-bottom depth and a clear record of isotopic fluctuations back to the 55/56 stage boundary was obtained. Sites 593 and 594 have thus provided useful isotopic reference curves for the Southwest Pacific region. Consistent changes in the planktonic δ¹³C record of some of the cores may reflect variations in CaCO₃ productivity linked to cyclical glacial-interglacial fluctuations. Glacial benthic δ¹³C results support a decreased volume of NADW production. Resumption of NADW flow is marked in many cases by a transient drop in δ¹³C values before rising to interglacial values as the relatively stagnant, isotopically lighter water is “flushed” from Deep Water flow paths. AABW appears to dominate during glacial periods. A northern shift of the Subtropical Convergence east of New Zealand is suggested (and supported by micropalaeontological data; Cooke, 1988), with a more restricted shift in the Tasman Sea. Interglacial Deep Waters appear to be dominated during interglacial times by AABW, whilst NADW is dominant in the Tasman Sea. Planktonic δ¹³C results suggest a more southerly position of the Subtropical Divergence in the Tasman Sea during interglacial periods. Lead-lag relationships in the δ¹³O signal between surface and bottom-dwelling foraminifera over Termination Iᴀ reveal a pattern of meltwater circulating first to the surface waters at higher latitudes, and to bottom waters at lower latitude sites. A modification of the meltwater “lid” is proposed, with the lid extending only partially across the ocean surface, and not into equatorial regions.
Colonisation, science, and conservation: the development of colonial attitudes toward the native life of New Zealand with particular reference to the career of the colonial scientist Walter Lawry Buller (1838-1906)
(The University of Waikato, 1989) Galbreath, Ross Alan; Graham, Jeanine; Jensen, John; Gibbons, Peter
New Zealand, by the end of the nineteenth century, was well described as a “Britain of the south”: not only were people of British descent dominant but in much of the country the native life had been replaced by European sheep and grass, weeds and sparrows. In this study the attitudes of the British colonists toward the native life of New Zealand are examined through the life and works of the colonial scientist Walter L. Buller (1838-1906). It is argued that British colonisation of New Zealand proceeded under a set of assumptions and attitudes which together led to the expectation among the colonists that the native flora and fauna, as well as the native people, must inevitably be displaced by the European introductions and immigrants. Ideas concerning the native people on the one hand and native plants and animals on the other were closely connected; in scientific discourse the displacement of the native Māori race was expressed in biological metaphors and “explained” by analogy with the displacement of the native vegetation and the native birds -and conversely the displacement of the native plants and birds was “explained” by analogy with that of the Māori race. In the colonists’ ideology this displacement was seen as not merely assured, but pre-ordained -part of the working out of the law of nature. Analysis of the writings of colonial scientists reveals several forms of the “law” displacement; most of which, despite the use of such catch-phrases as “the struggle for survival”, owe little to Darwinian ideas. By the end of the nineteenth century, while displacement of the natives had largely been achieved, at the same time the contrasting and in many ways contradictory view became accepted that native species should be retained and preserved. It is argued that although many of the ideas of preservation or conservation were drawn or modified from American or British precedents, they gained particular acceptance in New Zealand by association with a developing national sentiment. As British colonists became New Zealanders they invested the native New Zealand scenery, flora and fauna with newly patriotic significance, as part of the “heritage” of the New Zealander. Images of native birds, drawn largely from the illustrations of Buller’s scientific treatises, became used for trademarks and other symbols, and some species -especially the Kiwi Apteryx australis -were elevated as emblems of New Zealand identity. As well as analysing colonial attitudes toward native things in New Zealand, especially as articulated by Walter Buller, the study aims to broaden the contextual framework in which these attitudes are understood, by exploring them within the contexts of colonisation, of colonial science, and of the development of a New Zealand identity among the colonists.
A study of the aggregating cationic antibacterial proteins and peptides in bovine seminal plasma
(The University of Waikato, 1987) Hameed, Imran; Molan, Peter C.
Several non-specific defence mechanisms are known to be involved in the protection of the mammalian host against invading microorganisms. Among them are well researched proteins like lysozyme and lactoferrin, systems like the myeloperoxidase- and lactoperoxidase-mediated system, and two complement systems. Also, a number of mammalian cationic proteins and peptides have been found to have antibacterial properties. The antibacterial activity in bovine seminal plasma has been reported to be due to proteins which appeared to be present in aggregated forms (Eschenbruch, 1980; Shannon et al., 1987). This investigation was designed to account for the aggregation and disaggregation of the antibacterial activity in bovine seminal plasma. The overall study demonstrated that most or all of the high molecular weight antibacterial proteins of bovine seminal plasma are aggregates. Three major antibacterial aggregates with molecular weights of around 500 kDa, 250 kDa and 20 kDa were identified and isolated using gel filtration chromatography at neutral pH. Acidic gel filtration chromatography, cation exchange chromatography using citrate buffer and anion exchange chromatography at pH 12.0 and pH 13.0 were found to be successful techniques for disaggregation of the antibacterial aggregates. FPLC of diluted samples using acetonitrile and trifluoroacetic acid was found to give complete disaggregation. The aggregates were found to be made up of two peptides, a basic antibacterial peptide with a molecular weight of about 1.2 kDa and an inactive acidic peptide with a molecular weight of about 1 kDa. However, the molecular weights estimated of the components and the aggregates could be larger than estimated in this study because of possible retardation on gel filtration chromatography. Both the peptides were shown to be necessary for the formation of the antibacterial aggregate. These peptides were found to form a stable antibacterial aggregate of about 20 kDa mainly through hydrophobic interactions. The aggregation beyond the 20 kDa aggregate, resulting in the formation of the 500 kDa and 250 kDa aggregates, was found to occur through ionic interactions. Furthermore, lysozyme was found to occur both in a free form and bound with the antibacterial aggregates. The possible significance of the aggregation on the antibacterial activity is discussed.
River oxygen uptake by benthic microorganisms
(The University of Waikato, 1985) Hickey, Christopher W.; Harfoot, C.G.
The factors influencing benthic microbial uptake of river dissolved oxygen (DO) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) were investigated in 4 New Zealand rivers receiving organic waste discharges from dairy factories and a pulp and paper company. A chamber system for in situ use was developed and tested against segment oxygen mass balances in 3 rivers. Benthic oxygen uptake rate (BUR) was found to be strongly affected by circulation velocity, electron acceptor (oxygen) concentration and in some instances electron donor (glucose) concentration. Satisfactory agreement between calculated BUR values and those obtained using the chamber was obtained with matching boundary velocities (0.05 m above bed) in the 2 shallow (<0.5 m) rivers, with low chamber values in the deep (>1.5 m) river. Thus chamber devices must adequately simulate the natural flow and turbulence conditions in order to obtain realistic BUR measurements. Maximum BUR was measured for filamentous ‘sewage fungus’ colonisation at 70.2 g O₂ m⁻² day at 7.0 g O₂ m⁻³. Benthic oxygen penetration depths were estimated from chamber and sediment intrinsic activity measurements and ranged from 0.32 to 32 cm, with minimum values for ‘sewage fungus’ biofilms. Actual measurements of interstitial DO for 2 pumice bed rivers, showed DO present down to at least 10 cm in the Waiotapu River and down to 15 cm in the Tarawera River. The estimated oxygen penetration depths were used to calculate benthic dispersion coefficients. These values ranged from 0.38-16.30 x 10⁻³ cm⁻² s⁻¹ which are several orders of magnitude higher than previously reported maxima. Such high values imply that a high rate of sediment-water exchange was sustained by turbulent mass transfer processes rather than molecular diffusion. Benthic biomass values by ATP extraction ranged from 0.67-4.95 μg ATP cm⁻³, with higher maximum values for the rivers studied than have been reported for sediments in other aquatic systems, and suggesting greater levels of metabolic activity. Benthic biomass involved with sediment-water exchange was shown to be up to 50 times the planktonic biomass present, and generally 5 to 10 times for sites below organic discharges. Longitudinal and depth profile studies of enzyme activities showed that the predominant benthic metabolic activity changed in relation to distance from the organic discharge and with depth beneath the sediment surface, presumably reflecting changes in organic constituents and concentrations in the overlying flow. Removal of organic wastes from the river water in shallow systems was shown to be largely the net effect of 2 processes: (i) active benthic microbial removal of DOM and (ii) passive settling particulate organic material. It is concluded that lotic river environments may sustain higher levels of benthic biomass and nutrient transformation than do lentic environments as a result of turbulent sediment-water exchange processes. Substantial differences in the level of activity will occur between rivers with an erosional environment, which promote epilithic metabolic processes, and those with a depositional environment where detrital processes predominate.
The taxonomy and ecology of the genus Thermus
(The University of Waikato, 1986) Hudson, J. Andrew; Morgan, Hugh W.
The phenotype distribution of Thermus isolates was examined by numerical classification using isolates from New Zealand, Iceland, New Mexico and Yellowstone Park. Analysis of the New Zealand isolates showed that there was a relationship between the hot pool temperatures and pHs, and the phenotypes which could be isolated from them. Evidence also emerged which suggested that geographical factors, between distant thermal areas, may also influence the phenotypes isolated from those areas. Analysis of the Icelandic isolates supported these assertions by showing a lack of similarity to the New Zealand isolates. A classification was constructed using all of the available isolates and this showed the same patterns. All of the isolates could be divided into 8 major clusters and it is suggested that these could represent species. In this classification T. ruber and T. aquaticus would be type strains of two of the species as would the invalidly named “T. thermophilus”. Continuous culture experiments and analysis of isolates taken from hot pools over a period of time, did not support the proposal of genetic instability in Thermus. Varying the pH and temperature of continuous culture did not significantly change the phenotype. Analysis of isolates from the same pools over a time course showed there to be resident and transient strains, as well as showing a limitation of the phenotypes which could be recovered from any one pool. A new isolate is described, which formed trichomes that further coiled to form braiding. Trichomes also exhibited swellings and necridia. Thin-section electronmicroscopy showed a similar cell wall to Thermus with the addition of 2 extra layers which appeared to hold the cells together in the form of trichomes. The isolate showed many features in common with Thermus and the only significant difference lay in the morphology. It is suggested that this organism be adopted as a new species of Thermus and named Thermus filiformis, to reflect its filamentous nature. The aminopeptidase test was negative for T. ruber, T. aquaticus and “T. thermophilus” which is characteristic of Gram type positive organisms, while the KOH lysis test was positive, for these organisms, which is characteristic of Gram type negative organisms. This evidence adds to the contradictory literature derived data on the genus, which although staining Gram-negatively shows many Gram-positive characteristics. It is suggested that these anomalies may represent adaptations to life at high temperatures or may reflect the divergent evolutionary line of descent of the genus.
Towards a model of the Cenozoic tectonic development of New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 1985) Kamp, Peter J.J.; Selby, Michael J.; Nelson, Campbell S.
New Zealand has a regionally complex and diverse Cenozoic geological record. However, few attempts have been made so far to formulate a model of the Cenozoic tectonic development of New Zealand, which reconciles this regional complexity and diversity. The objective of this thesis is to work towards such a model. This has involved the identification and resolution of five critical and interrelated problems: (1) The age of inception of the New Zealand sector of the Australia-Pacific plate boundary. (2) The tectonic setting during the Paleogene. (3) The nature and location, north of the Alpine Fault proper, of the relative plate motion which is evident as dextral fault displacement on the Alpine Fault. (4) The total amount of Cenozoic horizontal displacement through New Zealand. (5) The Neogene and Quaternary extent and geometry of the subducted Pacific Plate beneath northern New Zealand. The proposed solutions to these problems are as follows: (1) The Australia-Pacific plate boundary formed during the early Miocene, about 23 My B.P. (2) A continental rift system developed through western New Zealand during the Paleogene. (3) Northeast of the Alpine Fault the relative plate motion was expressed as a combination of brittle and ductile shearing that formed a recurved arc. (4) There has been a total of 500 km of horizontal displacement through New Zealand. (5) The subducting slab of Pacific Ocean lithosphere progressively increased its extent to the southwest beneath northern New Zealand and concomitantly increased its dip. Based on these solutions, it is proposed that the Cenozoic geological development of New Zealand may be modelled as a tectonic succession, involving the oblique dislocation and tectonic overprinting of a Paleogene north-south trending continental rift system through western New Zealand, by a Neogene-Quaternary transform to obliquely convergent plate boundary. In this context most of the regional complexity and diversity arises for the following reasons: (1) The rift system developed as two independent segments, a North Island segment and a South Island segment, and each in different ways. (2) Rifting continued along some parts of the rift system after the transform plate boundary had started to dislocate the South Island rift segment in the early Miocene. Adjacent to the Alpine Fault in central Westland, rifting ceased immediately following inception of the plate boundary. However, the effects of the change in tectonic regime were recorded later and to a lesser degree in the rift system at localities further away from the Alpine Fault. (3) While the relative plate motion was accommodated on a continent-continent transform fault in the South Island, ocean-continent convergence progressively emplaced a slab of Pacific Ocean lithosphere beneath the North Island. The shallow dip of this slab beneath eastern North Island is responsible for a portion of the compression which dominates the Neogene and Quaternary record there. In northern and western North Island, the emplacement of the slab and changes in its geometry are responsible for the tectonic overprinting of the western rift system; the southwestward direction of slab emplacement accounts for the north to south overprinting of the North Island segment of the former rift system. (4) A major contributor to the regional complexity of the Cenozoic geological record is the nature of the basement. Differences in the competence of the Tuhua Orogen (late Precambrian-early Paleozoic) versus the Rangitata Orogen (late Paleozoic-Mesozoic) caused the relative plate motion to be expressed as Alpine Fault movement in the South Island but as the formation of a mega brittle-ductile shear zone in Marlborough and eastern North Island.
The study and learning strategies of students in a New Zealand tertiary institution
(The University of Waikato, 1989) Calder, Ian; Freyberg, Peter; Katterns, Robert; Haigh, Neil
This research examined the study and learning strategies of students in the natural setting of a New Zealand teachers college. It was prompted by the researchers’ professional interest as a teachers college lecturer, the need expressed in the research literature for in-depth longitudinal research into learning at the tertiary level, and the contradictory findings in that literature about students’ attitudes towards learning and their ability to acquire a reflective, analytical and critical approach to study. The researcher was interested in the strategies adopted by students when faced with their normal learning tasks in a teachers college setting. What determined the strategies that students used? How effective were these strategies? Did these strategies change with time and experience? Could these strategies be improved? These questions were researched by means of a two-phase research design. Phase 1 was a longitudinal study of a single cohort (n=86) of Hamilton Teachers College students over the three year period of their preservice programme. The methodology here was a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Psychometric instruments used were the Approaches to Studying Inventory - ASI (Entwistle and Ramsden, 1983), The State Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI (Spielberger et al. 1968), The Expressed Vocational Commitment Scale - EVCS (Ramsay, 1978). Factor analysis of the ASI generated some alternative sub-scales which were also applied. Qualitative data to do with learning strategies and motivation stemmed from a series of five interviews over the three year period with two groups of students: 12 students selected for their high degree of a surface-confused approach to study and learning as revealed by their performance on the ASI, and 20 students who were randomly selected. Phase 2 of the research involved a cross-sectional study of Year 1, 2, and 3 students (n = 136, 130, and 102 respectively), and a comparison of the perceptions of students and teachers college staff regarding students’ development as learners. The cross-sectional application of the ASI was an attempt to offset special problems with factor analysis activity as a result of a smaller than desirable sample size in the Phase 1 longitudinal design. A sample of staff (n=13) was interviewed about their views on students as learners and also responded to a Staff Perceptions of Student Development Questionnaire (SPSDQ) which derived from factor analysis of the ASI. The items of the SPSDQ were embedded in the ASI as administered to the cross-sectional sample making it possible to directly compare student and staff perceptions of students as learners. Students in the original (longitudinal) sample appeared not to develop as better learners, and their pattern of development strongly resembled that of students in an Australian study (Watkins and Hattie, 1983). Students in the cross-sectional sample did appear to develop in positive directions with an increase in deep learning and the development of positive attitudes towards learning. Whether the difference in the two populations was due to the relative maturity of the cross-sectional population or to a change in the college programme which was instituted between the two phases could not be determined. It is probable that both these actors were involved. Interviews with students revealed insights into the motivational factors underlying student approaches to studying. In particular it was found that stress was an important factor related to students being surface-confused. Some surface-confused students also appeared to be basically deep learners who could not apply that mode of learning appropriately. The majority of students who were interviewed came to college with a surface approach to learning well in place. The advice with respect to studying that these students received at secondary school reinforced that approach. Students appeared also to have ambiguous attitudes towards academic achievement. In general they did not wish to appear achievement orientated when responding to the ASI or to direct questions about achievement in the interviews. For some students it was apparent that this image they wanted to project did not match their learning behaviours. Staff and student perceptions of student development appeared to be in accord with respect to motivational and attitudinal factors but were opposed with respect to approaches to studying and general development. There was some support for the hypothesis that students with a versatile learning style at entry to college would have an academic advantage. The findings have implications for teaching at the tertiary level, and have particular relevance therefore for staff development programmes in tertiary institutions. They also have relevance for the development of study skills programmes for students. Due to the increasing numbers of students staying at school longer, the study also has relevance for teaching at the secondary school level.

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