Masters Degree Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/2224

University of Waikato digital theses deposited since 2006. Prior to 2006, digitisation for open access was not mandatory. To identify older hard-copy theses please check Library Search.

Depositing your thesis: University of Waikato Higher Degree and Masters Degree students are required to deposit a digital copy of their completed thesis.

You can use the button below to start your deposit. When prompted to log in, please choose the Waikato log-in option. You may be asked to log in via the University of Waikato Single Sign-in using your University of Waikato student username and password.

Deposit now

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 2918

A thematic analysis of Māori mana wāhine knowledges in academic articles: A Pākehā researcher’s journey between worlds
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Wolfe, Victoria; Campbell, Donna
This literature review presents a thematic analysis of mana wāhine knowledges drawn from 93 peer-reviewed articles authored by Māori scholars, explored through the lens of a Pākehā researcher committed to respectful, critically reflective allyship. Prompted by the 2024 NCEA English refresh and its principle of Mana Ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori (equal status for Māori knowledges), this study asks: How are mana wāhine knowledges represented in academic literature, and what insights does this offer English literature teachers seeking to authentically engage with wāhine Māori perspectives in their teaching practice? Employing a qualitative, systematic review grounded in Kaupapa Māori, Mana Wāhine, and decolonising frameworks, the research compiles a vibrant body of knowledges, organising key quotations into 14 themes and accompanying subthemes that reflect the complex and nuanced realities of wāhine Māori experiences. Alongside producing practical resources, including appendices with article summaries and thematic quotations, this review reflects on the researcher’s reflexive journey and invites Pākehā to transform their perception of themselves and their worldview. The findings highlight mana wāhine scholarship as a rich resource for deepening understanding, supporting Mana Ōrite in English classrooms, and guiding educators in creating respectful, culturally sustaining programmes that honour Māori women’s wisdom and promote equity in Aotearoa New Zealand education.
Identifying strategies that trans and non-binary people use in response to the barriers of mental health care in Aotearoa/ New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) McKay, Georgia; Veale, Jaimie
Trans and non-binary (TNB) people have significant mental health disparities in comparison to their cisgender peers. These disparities highlight an important need for research in Aotearoa in order to understand them and work towards their mitigation. General healthcare has received some attention within research, as has gender affirming mental health care, with a gap being identified in research on TNB people’s access to general mental health care. The Counting Ourselves Aotearoa New Zealand Trans and Non-binary Health Survey is the only of its kind and the first survey in Aotearoa to have collated data on TNB health and wellbeing. This thesis questioned the strategies TNB people use to navigate the well- documented barriers to mental healthcare (MHC) in Aotearoa. To do so, data were sampled from the Counting Ourselves 2022 dataset, focusing on open-text box responses in relation to sections of the survey that asked about access to MHC services and providers. A qualitative, thematic analysis was completed, chosen due to its positioning of the researcher as a “subjective storyteller” sharing the rich meaning amongst the perspectives and experiences of participants. Guided also by the transformative framework chosen because of its focus on creating equitable outcomes for marginalised communities, transforming oppressive systems and recognising the resilience of the research participants. Control of Disclosure, Provider Selectivity, and For the Future were identified as themes of this study, explaining the overarching patterns of meaning found in the shared experiences of the survey’s participants. In response to barriers, to the lack of competent providers, the long waitlists with the public health systems and the worries of gatekeeping or of being discriminated against, TNB people are creating pockets of reactive self-determination, autonomy and resilience for themselves. This involves TNB people; controlling disclosure and choosing not to tell MHC providers (MHCPs) everything about their gender unless they are confident that the provider is competent and safe, being selective with providers and choosing to only access providers who are trans friendly, affirming, and knowledgeable, and in some situations, choosing to put up with the negative interaction, and challenge them ‘for the future’ aiming to leave the space better for the next TNB person to come. The identified strategies enable further understanding of what aspects of MHC access and MHCP interactions are creating negative experiences for TNB people. Control of disclosure identifies that the worry of, and actual experiences of uncomfortable, unknowledgeable or discriminatory provider reactions to the disclosure of gender identity is a negative experience leading to the development of strategically not disclosing gender to prevent and/or control the exposure to these negative experiences. Provider selectivity shows that experiencing long waitlists to MHC, as well as providers who are not competent in the provision of MHC for TNB people, is a negative experience and has created the need for strategic selectivity with provider access. By conceptualising negative experiences, we can then formulate that a positive experience would be a safe, appropriate, knowledgeable facilitation of and response to the disclosure of gender and increased provider accessibility and competency. This research builds on current understandings of MHC whilst offering a new angle of inquiry, focusing on the voices of TNB people and their shared experiences, and straying from the often-found discourse positioning providers as the experts on all topics. By doing so, it offers a tool for students and MHCPs to use to direct efforts when working towards equitable MHC access and provision for TNB individuals and the community.
The valley of peace- وادي السلام
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Al-Bahar, Sara; Slaughter, Tracey
In 2017 I travelled to Iraq for the first time. I became mesmerised by the culture surrounding death and grief: the Iraqi tradition of grieving for forty days, the roads leading from my hometown of Najaf to Karbala lined with martyrs’ photographs. Najaf is home to Wadi Al Salam: the world’s biggest cemetery, in translation, the Valley of Peace. I became obsessed with the cemetery’s history and couldn’t stop talking about its name, suffused as it was with poetry. It is a name to transfix and enthral, one that proved indelible. The cemetery is impossible to avoid, and looking out either window you’re met with endless stretches of land covered in headstones, some almost completely shattered and all covered in a film of fine sand. There is some comfort in death here and the contrast between the tidy, sterile suburbs of Aotearoa where I now live with the grit and pain-soaked landscape of Najaf is incredible. On my return to Aotearoa, I felt for the first time, a sense of longing for ‘home,’ and the disquiet that neither Iraq nor Aotearoa felt sufficient or fitting for the term, like the knowledge of the existence of another place—a place that I should fight and die for had shattered my perception of home. Home was suddenly ephemeral and impermanent. This collection of poetry, وادي السلام, the Valley of Peace, is an exploration of growing up in Aotearoa as an Iraqi Muslim, wanting to encapsulate the isolation of migrants, and refugees, in diaspora. These two very separate parts of an inseparable whole, dual parts of who I am. The final piece in this collection is written in Arabic, not only as an expression of myself, for myself, but as a gift to my people.
Disability and ableism in the falsos positivos in Colombia. A biopolitics circuitry approach.
(The University of Waikato, 2026-03) Munera R, Etilvia; Del Monte , Pablo; Jarallah, Yara; Jimenez , Alberto
In this paper I argue that the erasure of disabled people from official discourse during and after the Colombian Army’s Falsos positivos scandal results from intersecting ableist and biopolitical powers. In the early 2000s, the Colombian Army presented thousands of civilian victims as positive results in staged military operations. This scandal stands as a horrific chapter in Colombia’s contemporary history. While the scale of these crimes has been documented, disability and the intersecting identities of the victims have often been overlooked as a secondary characteristic, concealing how the Colombian state’s power targeted particular bodies. Employing a qualitative methodology that integrates elements of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA and Narrative analysis (NA). I apply this approach to the testimonial stories of two victims, Camilo and Roger, whose cases exemplify the intersections between the Falsos Positivos and disabilities in Colombia. I also triangulate these testimonies with press and official discourses from the conflict period and the subsequent Transitional Justice process. The analysis reveals a systematic erasure of disabled people from official discourses, both during the time the scandal emerged and throughout the post-conflict (post 2016) period and its transitional justice mechanisms. I argue that this erasure is produced by the interlocking operation of the three theoretical concepts that comprise the biopolitics circuitry. The stories of Camilo and Roger demonstrate that their legibility as targets of Falsos Positivos by the military was based on a hierarchy of worth, founded in ableist values of productivity, capacity, and conformity to an idealised normative body (Goodley, 2014; Mitchell & Snyder, 2018). This thesis thus contributes to the growing field of Disability Studies in the Global South while simultaneously offering a critical approach to understanding state violence against disabled bodies and Transitional Justice systems.
Mātauranga informed enhancement of natural reef recovery and resilience for mahinga kai restoration: Replenishment of mana and mauri
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Taufa, Natalie; Battershill, Christopher
Coastal environments in Aotearoa/New Zealand are highly dynamic and diverse ecosystems that hold great cultural, social, economic and spiritual significance to Māori communities (the indigenous people of Aotearoa), yet face major threats from climate change, alongside other anthropogenically induced pressures. New Zealand's temperate reefs are experiencing increasing habitat degradation, biodiversity loss, and altered ecosystem functioning, which is evident in the depletion of culturally significant species and the declining state of health and mauri. The continual degradation of natural resources has had significant cultural impacts, compromising traditional customs such as mahinga kai (food gathering), kaitiakitanga (stewardship) and manaakitanga (hospitality), which is of great concern to mana whenua in Whangaruru, Northland. This thesis set out to address mana whenua concerns regarding the ongoing degradation of their moana rohe (ocean tribal area) by co-developing a monitoring framework for indigenous marine management, with a particular focus on rāhui as a traditional restriction on natural resources. Semi-structured interviews with kaumātua and kuia of Whangaruru were conducted, utilising a culturally responsive approach to collect oral histories and capture their perspectives on spatial and temporal environmental changes. The results revealed their key objectives for managing a rāhui within their moana rohe. Additionally, this study reviewed existing techniques of traditional and contemporary monitoring approaches used in comparable reef restoration contexts. Methods that aligned with the objectives identified through the interviews were incorporated into the framework. The outcome of this research was a monitoring framework that addresses the concerns of mana whenua (local indigenous people) by being responsive to their needs, filling a significant gap in existing marine management approaches. It also advocates for a decolonised research methodology that prioritises co-design, co-development, and collaboration with mana whenua, as a collective approach benefits the environment (te taiao), local communities, and researchers. The research draws on participants' intimate connection to their environment, leading to an innovative framework to revive guardianship (kaitiakitanga), provide hospitality (manaakitanga), and safeguard treasured species (taonga) and people, thereby maintaining cultural and ecological integrity. It stresses the importance of observing and listening to the environment, drawing from mātauranga and acting according to tikanga (customs). Ultimately, this study proposes a culturally grounded framework that promotes indigenous autonomy, protects food sovereignty, and reinforces the connection between people and te taiao for future generations.
Hydraulic performance of leaky barriers for water resource management and climate change adaptation using nature-based solutions
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Murugesan, Karthikeyan; Yoshikai, Masaya
Flooding is one of the most significant natural hazards affecting river systems and urban catchments worldwide, and its impacts are expected to intensify under future climate change conditions. Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), including engineered log jams and leaky barriers, are increasingly being investigated as sustainable alternatives to conventional hard-engineering flood management. These structures have the potential to attenuate flood peaks, increase upstream water storage, and improve ecological resilience while reducing reliance on traditional grey infrastructure. This research investigated the hydraulic performance of channel-spanning leaky barriers through HEC-RAS 1D steady-state modelling, an energy-slope validation method, and laboratory flume experiments across six barrier configurations at the University of Waikato. Calibration against 46 runs drawn from three published datasets (Muhawenimana et al., 2021; Huang et al., 2022; Schalko, 2018/2019) showed that barrier-induced resistance, rather than bed friction, dominates the hydraulic response of channel-spanning leaky barriers, with calibrated Manning's n values of 0.086–1.426. A backwater rise prediction framework, extended with an effective solid volume fraction correction for barriers with a clear bed gap, achieved a combined Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.932 across 308 observations from four datasets; the correction proved essential, recovering NSE for the two gapped datasets from strongly negative values to above 0.87. A piecewise predictive equation for Manning's n was then developed from laboratory observations, expressing n as a power-law function of upstream depth and a cumulative array parameter (CA) for unsubmerged flow, and as a power-law decay from a maximum value with increasing submergence once the barrier is overtopped. The unsubmerged equation achieved an NSE of 0.853 and a mean absolute percentage error of 7.49%, using only geometric and hydraulic parameters known prior to a flood event. The research demonstrates that this relationship may be incorporated directly into HEC-RAS 1D through an iterative coupling with the backwater rise model, and sets out a physically consistent pathway, proposed but not yet directly tested, for incorporating the same relationship into two-dimensional and catchment-scale morphodynamic frameworks such as CAESAR-Lisflood. The outcomes of this research contribute to sustainable flood management practice and strengthen the evidence base for Nature-Based Solutions in climate change adaptation.
The power of peer-mediated reinforcement: Nurturing culture and classroom behaviour with tootling in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Pekepo, Anthony; Garnett, Amarie
This study aimed to extend the literature on tootling interventions within primary school classrooms in Aotearoa New Zealand. Tootling is a peer-mediated behavioural intervention in which students are taught to identify and report instances of their peers’ prosocial behaviour. A single subject multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on student on-task behaviour and teacher occupational stress across three Year 7-8 classrooms in a school with a 100% Māori student population, including two English-medium and one Māori-medium setting. Five teacher nominated students participated in the study. Students recorded instances of peers’ prosocial behaviour, which were later shared with the class and linked to a collective goal through an interdependent group contingency. Results indicated increases in on-task behaviour following the introduction of the intervention across classrooms, while outcomes for teacher occupational stress were mixed. Treatment integrity remained high, and teachers and students reported the intervention to be socially acceptable.
BIM-guided semantic fingerprinting for vision-based construction progress monitoring of cold-formed steel framing
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Ahmad, Muhammad; Lim, James Boon Piang
Construction progress monitoring remains largely dependent on manual inspection, limiting the frequency and reliability of updates on active sites. Existing automated approaches have demonstrated value but commonly rely on fixed camera infrastructure, depth sensing, or metric camera-to-BIM registration, requirements that are difficult to justify on budget-constrained residential projects, and most treat BIM as a passive post-detection reference rather than an active constraint during visual interpretation. To address this gap, this study proposes a BIM-guided semantic fingerprinting framework for element-level progress monitoring of cold-formed steel framing using standard monocular video. A custom YOLOv8m detection model identifies wall panels, doors, and windows across video frames; visual odometry provides temporal reasoning, detecting façade transitions and suppressing duplicate detections as the camera moves along the building. Accepted detections are aggregated into semantic fingerprints and matched against BIM-derived façade representations through a reward-based scoring system, enabling façade identification and element assignment without metric registration; wall-panel coverage is assessed separately as spatial continuity along each face. A gap correction mechanism recovers missed detections using BIM spatial context, and a pyRevit extension supports end-to-end BIM extraction and in-model progress visualisation. Evaluated on a single-storey residential cold-formed steel structure in Hamilton, New Zealand, the framework correctly identified all four building façades, matched element counts to ground truth, and reduced 2,050 raw detections across 983 frames to 20 unique element observations, a 99.02% reduction, without fixed infrastructure, depth sensing, or point-cloud reconstruction. The work is currently validated on a single proof-of-concept site, and further testing on independent projects is needed to establish broader generalisability.
Design, analysis, and validation of a custom planetary gearbox for a Formula SAE Hub motor
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Hies, Mark; McGuinness, Benjamin John; Lay, Mark C.
This thesis presents the analysis, design, manufacture, and validation of a custom in-hub planetary gearbox for use within a Formula Student electric vehicle powertrain. This work establishes a baseline for the transition from an inboard single power unit into a dual motor rear wheel drive architecture. Existing commercial transmission solutions were unsuitable for direct integration into a Formula Student platform due to their packaging limitations, excessive mass, and lack of optimisation for the specific operating case. The limited availability of documented Formula SAE specific solutions justify the development and validation of a custom gearbox solution. The gearbox was developed with consideration for manufacturability, packaging requirements, and future team integration. A stepped planetary configuration is used, achieving a gear ratio of 14:1. The design process focuses on the gear geometry selection, powertrain integration, as well as the stresses experienced through critical components under peak loading conditions. Experimental testing demonstrated that the gearbox was capable of operating under the predicted torque input of 8 Nm. The custom planetary gearbox was able to complete a full endurance length of 22 km fatigue test without structural failure or significant wear. A post-test inspection of the gearbox identified minor surface wear present on the gear faces with no evidence of any other damage to supporting components throughout the system. The developed prototype serves as an early stage foundation for future in-hub powertrain development within the Formula Student platform. With the gearbox validated, opportunities remain for improvement, particularly in the area of mass reduction, optimisation and long term durability validation.
The university experience that never was: First-time university students’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Makuch, Shannon; Jackson, Dr Kimberly
The COVID-19 pandemic had an unfathomable impact on the world, leading to the deaths of millions of people, profound damage to health systems globally, and the disruption of society on a grand scale. Universities were not immune to this disruption, and university students commencing study in 2020 entered an environment characterised by uncertainty, online learning, and a significant lack of social interaction. This study explores how first-year students in New Zealand who commenced their studies in 2020 retrospectively made sense of their COVID-19 pandemic experiences. This thesis addresses a gap in the existing research regarding university students’ own interpretations of their experiences of studying during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising interpretive qualitative methods and exploring retrospective sensemaking through repeat semi-structured interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this current study explores and illuminates the lived experience of five first-year New Zealand university students who commenced university in 2020. The thesis demonstrates how participants utilised memory and reframing in recounting their COVID-19 pandemic experiences. Participants’ stories highlight dynamic processes shaping their stories, such as temporally locating their emotional experiences in the past, simplifying what had happened, and attempts to seek closure. Reframing their stories, participants reposition themselves positively as adaptable and resilient, without naivety or complete closure. This thesis argues that the way participants chose to share their COVID-19 pandemic experiences enabled them to make sense of unprecedented circumstances and filter their experiences to preserve their sense of self. In addition, collective social narratives surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand provided resources for building their own sensemaking. However, the isolation participants experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have some persistent impacts on how they view themselves and their university experiences, including a tendency to blame themselves for issues that they had little control over. The thesis underscores the importance of foregrounding lived experience when considering future university responses to crises. This includes acknowledging the persistence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on some university students and what could be done to mitigate effects and support university students more effectively during and after future crises.
In-situ assessment of structural steel: Correlating mechanical properties using multi-modal hardness and Leeb rebound testing
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Htet, Wai Myo; Fang, Zhiyuan (Arthur)
The in-situ diagnostic assessment of existing carbon steel infrastructure often relies on non-destructive testing (NDT) to estimate structural capacity without compromising member integrity. This study investigates the reliability of multi-modal surface hardness testing as a proxy for macroscopic tensile properties in structural carbon steels. Specifically, Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers, and Leeb hardness measurements are correlated with the 0.2% offset yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of Grade 300 Universal Beams and Grade 350 Square Hollow Sections. To account for manufacturing-induced heterogeneities, 36 localized coupons were systematically extracted from varying spatial zones, including the web and flanges of hot-rolled profiles. Destructive uniaxial tensile benchmarking confirmed significant spatial variation driven by differential cooling rates during manufacturing, with the thinner, faster-cooling web elements demonstrating an average yield strength nearly 100 MPa higher than the corresponding thicker flange elements. This variation is consistent with the expected differences in thermo-mechanical processing and section geometry. Bivariate linear regression analyses revealed that predictive performance depends on the testing scale and measurement modality. For yield strength prediction, the macro-scale Leeb rebound method showed strong correlation (R² = 0.947, MAE = 10.49 MPa, MPE = −0.09%). In contrast, the Vickers micro-indentation method demonstrated greater predictive accuracy for UTS (R² = 0.847), indicating greater sensitivity to localized plastic deformation behaviour at higher strain levels. A key observation of this study shows that the reliability of dynamic rebound measurements is strongly influenced by testing boundary conditions. It was observed that uncoupled testing on thin structural elements (< 5 mm nominal thickness) induces kinetic energy dissipation via localized flexure, resulting in significant predictive variance. Consequently, operational guidelines are proposed for field assessments, indicating that rigid coupling for thin-walled elements, or the isolation of uncoupled testing to high-rigidity zones (such as flat flange elements), is necessary to maintain measurement accuracy. Ultimately, this research provides a preliminary framework suggesting that the portable Leeb hardness method can serve as a supplementary diagnostic tool for the yield assessment of these specific steel grades, provided appropriate testing boundary conditions are maintained.
Using the theory of planned behaviour to understand vaping behaviour on campus
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Liu, Jia Qi; Piercy-Cameron, Gemma; Starkey, Nicola J.
As part of the New Zealand National Smokefree policy, vaping is banned in public areas for example, public transport, schools and University campuses. Despite the policy and signage on campuses, like the University of Waikato, vaping behaviour still occurs. To understand the occurrence of vaping on campus, this study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour to examine how e-cigarette users’ attitude, their social groups' attitude and self-control influence their intention to vape on campus; and where on campus e-cigarette users choose to vape. The study included 152 participants who completed an online questionnaire, yielding 92 usable responses. The results showed that e-cigarette users with a more positive attitude towards vaping behaviour and lower perceived behavioural control (PBC) were more likely to plan to vape on campus. Results indicated that e-cigarette users who vape on campus and those who do not significantly differ in attitude, subjective norms, PBC. Results also suggested that people with longer vaping duration and more frequent daily vaping were more likely to vape on campus. The vaping spots where e-cigarette users were more likely to choose were the edge of the campus (76%), the field/lake (48%), walking on the campus (45%), public bathroom (38%), and student accommodation - bedroom (28%). Overall, this study indicates the importance of attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC in influencing vaping behaviour. This study extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour to address a gap in the analysis of on-campus vaping behaviour and offers new insights into the psychological drivers of vaping to inform efforts to mitigate its occurrence. These findings could be used to identify target groups and locations for promoting campus smokefree policy and designing educational campaigns to reduce vaping on campus and prevent vaping.
Visual illusion susceptibility following mild traumatic brain injury in adolescents
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Cliff, Emily; Starkey, Nicola J.
Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), clinical symptoms often resolve before full physiological recovery is complete, highlighting the need for objective indicators of ongoing neural disruption. Visual illusions, which rely on contextual visual processing, may provide a sensitive behavioural marker of subtle perceptual changes following concussion. While reduced susceptibility to visual illusions has been demonstrated in adults following mTBI, little is known about whether similar effects are observed in adolescents. The present study examined susceptibility to visual illusions in adolescents with a history of mTBI and in a TBI-free comparison group. A secondary aim was to explore associations between illusion performance, age, and post-concussive symptom burden within the mTBI group. Adolescents with a history of mTBI and age-matched TBI-free comparison participants completed two visual illusion tasks (Ebbinghaus and Müller–Lyer), each comprising context (illusion) and no-context trials. Post-concussion symptoms were assessed using developmentally appropriate versions of the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI). No significant group differences were observed on context trials of either illusion task. Adolescents with mTBI showed significantly lower accuracy on no-context trials of the Ebbinghaus task than comparison participants. Age was not significantly associated with illusion susceptibility in either group. Within the mTBI group, post-concussion symptom severity was not significantly related to performance on Müller–Lyer or Ebbinghaus context trials for either parent-reported or adolescent self-reported symptoms. These findings suggest that visual integration accuracy appears comparable to typical performance in adolescents assessed at a relatively long interval following mTBI, which may reflect recovery or resolution of any earlier disruption. However, whether visual integration was affected during the acute or subacute stages of injury remains unclear. Future research is needed to determine whether visual-illusion paradigms provide a useful, objective complement to symptom-based assessment for detecting subtle perceptual differences following paediatric mTBI.
Fine-tuning Oxford Nanopore basecalling models to improve single-read variant calling in antibody libraries
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Zhou, Kang; Kelton, William; Holmes, Geoffrey
Accurate nucleic acid sequencing is essential for analysing protein variant libraries composed of closely related sequences. Oxford Nanopore sequencing offers long reads, high depth, and comparatively lower cost, but its single-read error rate limits its routine use for variant calling, where sequencing errors can be mistaken for true mutations. This thesis investigates whether domain-specific fine-tuning of a nanopore basecalling model can improve single-read variant- calling performance in an antibody library context, using a dual-site IgA Fc deep mutational scanning library as an example. A series of nanopore basecalling models was fine-tuned using in-house wild-type IgA Fc nanopore data collected under different experimental sample-prep procedures. These models were evaluated on a held-out, variant-rich nanopore dataset against an orthogonal MGI-derived short-read reference dataset. The benchmarking framework assessed both read-level quality and population-level recovery, focusing on library-constrained variant detection and variant-abundance concordance. Fine-tuned models consistently outperformed the pretrained baseline, demonstrating that nanopore signals contain learnable domain-specific structure that can improve single-read variant calling. The best model, Alpha, achieved the best observed balance of low primary error rate, high read retention, low framework noise, and strong abundance-aware concordance with the ground truth. The results showed that the experimental procedure used to collect training data had a greater influence on the fine-tuning outcome than either training data volume or the stringency of quality control. Lower validation loss observed during training did not reliably predict better downstream performance, highlighting the need to evaluate basecalling models using biologically meaningful metrics rather than training diagnostics alone. Model-weight analysis further showed that successful fine-tuning involved small, structured recalibration of the signal-interface and decoding components rather than broad model-level drift. Overall, this thesis establishes a practical framework for fine-tuning and evaluating domain-specific nanopore basecallers for variant libraries. It shows that domain-specific fine-tuning can materially improve the recovery of variant populations from nanopore signals and supports future work on computational augmentation of WT IgA Fc nanopore signals, architecture-aware fine-tuning, UMI-linked molecule-level benchmarking, experimental validation, predictive modelling, and extension to longer antibody constructs.
Functional communication training and visual activity schedules: Support for neurodiverse students in an inclusive classroom
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Pandya, Mahi; Blackmore, Tania Louise
One boy with ASD and one girl with ASD and ADHD participated in a study to examine the effectiveness of Functional Communication Training (FCT) and a Visual Activity Schedule (VAS) to reduce challenging behaviours in an inclusive classroom. A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) was conducted to determine the function of behaviours presented by each student. The Open Ended Functional Assessment Interview (O-FAI), ABC narrative observations and structured observations using a Functional Assessment Observation (FAO) form were conducted within the classroom. For student M, ‘non-participation’ emerged as a behaviour of concern, while student H engaged in ‘non-instructed activity’. It was hypothesised that both behaviours were maintained by escape from tasks. FCT was implemented for student M to reduce ‘non-participation’ and a VAS was implemented for student H to reduce ‘non-instructed activity’ and increase independence in following a schedule. Student M showed a moderate reduction in ‘non-participation’ compared to baseline while student H did not show any difference in occurrences of ‘non-instructed activity’ compared to baseline, however, she did achieve independent use of the VAS. Despite the lack of change in the target behaviours for both participants, FCT and VAS interventions were approved as socially valid interventions by the class teachers. The interventions also contributed to the overall learning experiences of both students in an inclusive classroom setting.
Investigation into the benthic vegetation of the upper Waikato River, New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 1990) Miller, Suzanne Thelma; Silvester, Warwick B.; Clayton, John
The discharge of treated sewage from the Taupo Borough-Pollution Control Plant was associated with a dramatic change in downstream phytobenthos associations found in the Upper Waikato River. Displacement of epilthic moss assemblages by Cladophora, and domination of epiphyte habitats by Enteromorpha were observed downstream of this discharge. In essence, this situation is a species replacement series in response to a changing water quality gradient attributable to the inflow of treated sewage. Aerial photographs, transect surveys and drift diving showed that the extent of phytobenthos development through the entire length of the Upper Waikato River was primarily limited by substrate availability. Areas of gravel/pebble/sand were not immobile long enough in current flow to allow for the development of macroscopic vegetation either up- or downstream of the sewage discharge. However, there were similar stable habitats for phytobenthos development both up- and downstream of the sewage discharge. The greatest change in water quality attributable to the TBPCP discharge was increase in both NH₄-N (relative significance to all loads 61.5%) and DRP (relative significance to all loads 55.6%). However, even below the TB-PCP discharge average concentrations of NH₄-N (ca.10 mg m-³) and DRP (ca. 4 mg m-³) were still low and water may still be classified as oligotrophic. The ratio of TN-DON: TP-DOP is low in water leaving Lake Taupo (10.4), the inflow from the TBB-PCP sewage discharge further decreases this ratio to 6.2, measured at Reid’s Farm. A prediction of nitrogen limitation of algal growth was made from these low ratios. Nutritional studies of Oedogonium upstream of the TB-PCP sewage discharge supported the hypothesis of N limitation derived from N:P ratios. Oedogonium consistently exhibited tissue nitrogen levels below critical values. The same nutritional studies applied to Enteromorpha and Cladophora growths downstream of the TB-PCP sewage discharge showed that neither species was consistently limited by available N or P nutrients, and both species showed a greater susceptibility to N limitation. This was not expected from the predictions based on N:P ratios. Enteromorpha and Cladophora may be able to sustain adequate tissue N levels by maintaining high uptake rates. Both A A R and PUR rates were high for these species in the NATS monitoring programme. However, due to the high pulse concentration and the static nature of these techniques, results are not likely to be indicative of in-situ conditions. These results merely indicate that the algae have the capacity for high uptake rates. A greater relative importance of N compared to P inputs from the TB-PCP discharge for Enteromorpha and Cladophora growth was concluded from the pilot algae transplant experiment. Phosphorus tissue NATS did not show P limitation of upstream transplants after one and two weeks, compared to decreases in N tissue tests below critical levels. Results from this transplant experiment support the hypothesis that N concentrations in the Upper Waikato River above the TB-PCP discharge may be too low to support significant Enteromorpha and Cladophora growths. The increase in ammoniacal nitrogen from the TB-PCP discharge may represent a critical change for periphytic algal growth, given the physical environs of this river. Three new techniques have been trialled in this study: # use of a chain transect to survey phytobenthos of a deep, swift flowing river, # use of s15N signatures of plants growing up- and downstream of a point-source discharge in order to ascertain the extent of effluent N nutrient utilisation by plants growing downstream of the sewage discharge, # algae transplant experiment as a method for examining the relative importance of increased nutrient loads to changes in phytobenthos correlated to the inflow form point-source discharges. Preliminary application of these techniques has been useful in the Upper Waikato River to describe the biological impact of the TB-PCP discharge on benthic vegetation. In the Upper Waikato River phytobenthos associations found below the TB-PCP sewage discharge during 1989-1990 are not consistent with the ‘oligotrophic plant assemblage’ described by Coffey (1979). A major habitat degradation in the Upper Waikato River has occurred and is associated with the inflow from the Taupo Borough-Pollution Control Plant. No change in Coffey’s (1979) classification of ‘oligotrophic plant assemblage’ of the Waikato River from the Lake Taupo Control Gates to the upstream end of the point of inflow of the TB-PCP sewage discharge was concluded from this study.
Investigation of lipopolysaccharide binding protein in the bovine mammary gland
(The University of Waikato, 2004) Miles, Michelle Cara; Musgrave, David; Davis, Stephen R.; Stelwagen, Kerst
This study investigated the presence of LBP in the bovine mammary gland during varying stages of development and infection. The project was initiated by the discovery of an EST in a mastitic mammary cDNA library which bore homology to lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP). The results add to the understanding of the innate immune defences of the gland and the biological regulation of LBP. The expression profile of LBP in bovine mammary tissue was characterised by northern blot analysis which showed that LBP levels were increased in infected and involuted tissues. This is supported by the results from in situ hybridisation which detected local expression of LBP in epithelia surrounding ducts and alveoli in infected tissue. LBP was also shown to be increased in mammary secretions of whey and skim milk from infected and involuted glands by western blotting with an antibody that was raised against a peptide of LBP. These results were quantified by ELISA. The LPS-binding activity of the native protein was confirmed by ligand blotting, immunoprecipitation and ELISA. Attempts were made to investigate the immuno-stimulatory activity of LBP using a recombinant protein in a cytokine induction assay. Due to problems encountered with the expression system the results from this can not be accurately analysed and further optimisation is required. This is the first report of local expression of LBP in the mammary gland and taken together, these results suggest an important role for LBP in the local innate defence of the gland.
Supportive school environments as protective factors for psychological wellbeing in transgender secondary school students in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Hounsell, Jamie; Veale, Jaimie; Fenaughty, John
Young people in Aotearoa New Zealand face a mental health crisis, and this is especially dire for transgender and gender diverse youth, who are at significant risk of suicide. It is well established that trans youth experience high levels of bullying and discrimination, especially in schools, however comprehensive understandings of how social supports within school environments can buffer the effects of victimisation are less understood. This study aimed to investigate how social elements within secondary schools, such as safety, belonging, and teacher and classmate support, predict mental health difficulties in transgender students. Quantitative data drawn from 294 secondary school student participants from the 2022 wave of the Counting Ourselves survey was analysed using univariate analysis and logistic regressions. This study found that 90.1% of participants reported high or very high levels of psychological distress, 72.4% had engaged in NSSI, and 61.6% seriously considered committing suicide in the last 12 months. However, social supports within schools appeared to have a protective effect on student’s mental wellbeing. School safety was a significant protective factor all three mental health outcomes, and belonging and supportive classmates and adults were protective across analyses. These findings align with previous research that recommends that trans-inclusive policies in schools help trans students feel safe and accepted by their peers, which in turn can foster wellbeing. This study goes further by finding significant associations between school support and psychological outcomes. Overall, this emphasises the demand for inclusive school environments for transgender students and highlights the importance of social safety for marginalised groups.
Microclimate conditions of bat boxes occupied by New Zealand's native long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) in Hamilton City
(The University of Waikato, 2026) O'Sullivan, Aimee; Tempero, Grant Wayne
Globally, land clearance has resulted in the destruction of bat habitat features such as tree roost cavities. Installation of artificial roosts, also known as bat boxes, is intended to mitigate such losses. However, bat boxes are often installed with limited understanding of conditions such as temperature stability and relative humidity required by the target bat species. In New Zealand, long-tailed bat/pekapeka-tou-roa (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) populations largely favour tree cavities for roosting, and populations have been documented across a range of habitats including native forest, agricultural land, and within urban areas such as Hamilton City. Temperature and relative humidity have been identified as important roost selection factors for C. tuberculatus, but these properties have never been assessed in New Zealand bat boxes. To understand microclimate conditions within bat boxes occupied by C. tuberculatus in relation to natural roosts, environmental loggers were installed in Kent and Schwegler type roost boxes in Hamilton City, and natural roost cavities near Hamilton and Pukekohe. For further comparison, loggers were also installed near the top and bottom of Grand Canyon Cave, a known roost for C. tuberculatus. Fortnightly surveys of Hamilton City bat boxes were conducted using an endoscopic camera mounted on a 15 m telescopic carbon fibre pole or evening watches of tree roosts. This provided box occupancy rates and allowed comparisons to be made between temperature and relative humidity within bat boxes and natural roosts in relation to occupancy. Twenty-nine (63 %) of the 46 monitored bat boxes had confirmed occupation, with generalised linear mixed modelling (GLMM) indicating that sheltered Kent boxes were more likely than exposed Kent boxes to be occupied. Modelling also indicated that there was no significant effect of box chamber on occupation. However, microclimate conditions of Kent boxes were less stable than natural roosts, particularly exposed boxes, although the differences may not have been substantive enough to be physiologically relevant to C. tuberculatus. On average, bat boxes were generally warmer or similar to ambient conditions on a diel cycle, while natural roosts were warmer than ambient at night and cooler during the day. Although heat tolerance of C. tuberculatus is unknown, criteria used for similar species indicated that two exposed Kent boxes experienced a limited number of potential overheating events (>40 °C). The microclimate conditions in Grand Canyon Cave indicated differences between the top and bottom of the cave, with the top of the cave having similar thermal properties to tree cavity roosts. Generalised linear mixed modelling indicated that there was no significant effect of box thermal conditions on occupation rates. Although microclimate differences between the inner and outer chambers of Kent type boxes were potentially too small to be physiologically relevant to C. tuberculatus, microclimate stability and box exposure should be considered during installation. Providing a range of internal microclimates is likely to support the range of thermoregulatory requirements of the population. Future research should consider the development of boxes with improved microclimate stability, and designs which facilitate the thermoregulatory requirements of C. tuberculatus during different reproductive phases.
At what cost?: Qualitative accounts of parents of young Autistic people navigating the transition to adulthood in Aotearoa
(The University of Waikato, 2026-01-12) Dib, Alex; Fox, Ririwai
Neurodevelopmental disorders are paradoxically over diagnosed and underdiagnosed, with autism being one of the most underdiagnosed disorders under the neurodivergence umbrella. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting functioning in social, cognitive, and physical domains. Research suggests that Autistic people experience poorer health and quality of life outcomes, lower academic attainment, higher unemployment, and particularly struggle during the transition from secondary education to adulthood (Shochet et al., 2022). Although an established knowledge base exists in this area, research seldom observes this transition in Autistic people in Aotearoa. Two focus groups were conducted with five mothers of Autistic children (ages 17 to 30). Participants identified key changes to support successful transitions, including greater involvement of people with lived experience in autism services, improved societal education about autism, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and increased access to ongoing, targeted support. Thematic analysis identified five themes (At what cost, the shortcomings of systemic education, the bio-psycho-social-systemic view of Autistic youth, the transition to adulthood, and the mental health system). The analysis examined predisposing and precipitating factors contributing to adult transition-related obstacles across social, systemic, economic, and family domains. Results from the current study illuminate how Aotearoa-specific factors are impacting Autistic people today. Examining these factors may support the navigation of diagnosis, contribute to ongoing support, and the wellbeing of Autistic young people transitioning into adulthood.

Browse

Recent Submissions