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He kai kei aku ringā (there is food at the end of my hands): Developmental transdisciplinary research to inform co-management of Tuangi in Ōhiwa Harbour
(The University of Waikato, 2026-10-21) Reihana, Kiri; Paul-Burke, Kura; Ellis, Joanne I.; Bulmer, Richard H.; McGowan, Pā (Robert)
Indigenous Knowledges, traditions, practices and ways of being are increasingly present within the global marine conservation discourse. As long-standing intergenerational custodians of a large percentage of the earth’s natural areas, many Indigenous communities seek to play a central role in co-defining the issues, co-participating in the process and co-designing the solutions for their lands and water resources. The value and benefits of Indigenous-led conservation, knowledge creation and participation are exponentially expanding within scholarship. This research is located within Ōhiwa Harbour, an estuarine inlet in the Bay of Plenty, in the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. The thesis explores historical and contemporary information of the identified taonga (sacred, treasured) species tuangi, or cockles, within Ōhiwa Harbour. The research was designed to identify relevant tools and technology to address the declines of the tuangi populations, and to assist iwi (tribes) and authorities in providing information for decision making over the shellfish beds. Finally, findings of the thesis produced species distribution models which assisted in understanding tuangi-preferential habitats within the estuary, and the development of rapid site-assessment techniques based on mātauranga Māori (Cultural knowledge system). This thesis uses a transdisciplinary mixed method approach inclusive of mātauranga Māori, marine sciences, and technology. This research is led by kaupapa Māori (a Māori way of being, seeing, and doing) informing and developing a Tīwaiwaka framework informed by multiple evidence-based approaches as a means of weaving multiple knowledge systems. To achieve this, the guiding framework and methodology emerged from the te ao Māori conservation movement Tīwaiwaka, which prioritises kaitiakitanga (active stewardship), unification and reciprocating co-existence with our natural environment. Results from the legislative review on marine governance highlighted historical colonial exclusionary policies, accelerated extractive practices and tools displacing Māori people and culture on the settlement of Aotearoa. The polarity of views from the two cultures set the backdrop of the ensuing misunderstandings over management and governance of the marine space, and all natural resources, within Aotearoa. Therefore, future aspirations herald a call for a paradigm shift from the existing extractive model to an inclusive sustainable marine model which maintains a “respectful” relationship with our oceans, inclusive of Māori values such as tikanga (customs and traditional values in a Māori context), rangatiratanga (self-determination, autonomy), kaitiakitanga, mana (authority, status, influence) and mauri, (divine spark, force or energy) to name a few. Results from the field studies showed that legal-sized tuangi have not been harvestable within Ōhiwa since the mid-1980s. There is an urgent need for integrated culturally responsive marine management actions. My study highlights the importance of the local traditional knowledge in identifying tohu (here I define tohu as a “observable cue,” an expression of mana, or mauri, communicated through the environment) for rapid broad-scale mapping techniques for habitat monitoring and assessment locations. These techniques can be scaled up and prioritise areas of interest within harbours, depending on species and/or objectives. The use of technology to interpret and analyse population dynamics confirmed Elders’ knowledge of the species and spaces within Ōhiwa Harbour. The Tīwaiwaka framework developed to address the declines of tuangi has provided an exemplar for the weaving together of multiple knowledges for shellfish management within Ōhiwa Harbour. This model of transdisciplinary estuarine and coastal regeneration, inclusive of Indigenous Knowledges such as mātauranga Māori, fulfils global conservation initiatives such as Article 8(j), of the Convention of Biodiversity, and the United Nations Decade of Oceans Science for sustainability, creating “the science we need for the ocean we want” as robust scientific-based solutions. Creating new knowledge through the weaving of mātauranga Māori, marine science and technology provides a pathway for transformative environmental change. The weaving of Indigenous Knowledge, ecological assessment and species distribution modelling generated new insights into tuangi populations and identified priority monitoring and restoration sites. The observational tohu identified are long standing environmental indicators that enabled rapid site assessment and the recognition of areas of significance. While tohu have long informed Māori environmental kaitiakitanga, this research formalised their application within contemporary conservation practice. More broadly, the Tīwaiwaka framework demonstrates a transferable Indigenous-led model for marine conservation, co-management and knowledge co-development that maintains the integrity of multiple knowledge systems while delivering culturally grounded, scientifically robust solutions for environmental governance and biodiversity conservation.
Hot-water immersion enhances vertical-jump performance, lower-limb power, and stretch-shortening cycle
(Human Kinetics, 2025-09-16) Rodrigues, Patrick; Lawley, JS; Zovilé, GCF; Jaén-Carrillo, D
Purpose: This study aimed to (a) examine the effects of hot-water immersion (HWI) on vertical-jump performance, lower-limb power, and stretch-shortening cycle responses and (b) evaluate temperature-dependent responses by comparing 2 HWI conditions (40 °C vs 42 °C). Methods: Twenty healthy, physically active participants (12 male and 8 female; age 25.1 (2.7) y; body mass index 22.6 [1.1] kg/m²) completed countermovement-jump (CMJ) and drop-jump assessments before, after, and 15 minutes after a 45-minute water-immersion session at either 34 °C (control), 40 °C, or 42 °C in a randomized order. CMJ outcomes included jump height, peak force, and peak power, while drop-jump outcomes included jump height, reactive strength index, and vertical stiffness. Results: CMJ height increased following a 45-minute HWI session at both 40 °C and 42 °C (P < .001, d = 1.09; P < .001, d = 1.77), with no differences between the 2 conditions (P = .515). Similar improvements were found for peak power and force. At 15 minutes post–water immersion, all performance measures returned to baseline and did not differ from the control condition. For the drop-jump tests, a main effect of temperature was observed. HWI at 42 °C significantly increased drop-jump height (P = .004; d = 0.71), whereas 40 °C did not (P = .205). Reactive strength index increased following both 40 °C (P = .002; d = 0.74) and 42 °C (P < .001; d = 0.91) conditions. No significant changes were observed in vertical stiffness. Conclusion: Both HWI conditions, 40 °C and 42 °C, improved CMJ performance (height, force, and power) and reactive strength index, while only HWI at 42 °C enhanced drop-jump height. These effects were transient, returning to baseline within 15 minutes postimmersion.
Providing access to socially mediated reinforcement in AOD treatment: Effects on recovery-oriented behaviour in community alcohol and other drug treatment
(The University of Waikato, 2026) MacLean, Morgan; Blackmore, Tania
Reinforcement-based interventions are effective in AOD treatment, but many rely on resource-intensive procedures or abstinence-based contingencies. This study examined whether increasing access to clinician-delivered socially mediated reinforcement (SMR) between counselling sessions was associated with behaviour consistent with recovery within a community AOD service. A non-concurrent multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used with five taiohi ages 18 to 23 years receiving community AOD counselling in Aotearoa NZ. Participants received one personalised, noncontingent supportive message each week during the intervention phase. Recovery goal engagement was the primary outcome, with session attendance and ADOM scores examined as secondary measures. Visual data analysis did not demonstrate a functional relationship between SMR and the outcome measures. However, some participants showed increases in recovery progress, goal engagement, and treatment attendance that were maintained across treatment. Participant disengagement and missing data limited the interpretation of results. Findings support further investigation of SMR within community AOD settings.
Effects of different triggering mechanisms on pulse shaping of a TMS pulse generator based on supercapacitor energy storage
(IEEE, 2025) Raju, Soniya; Kularatna, Nihal; Wilson, Marcus T.; Steyn-Ross, D. Alistair
High-voltage pulse generators are useful in many applications such as transient surge simulators, electric fence energizers, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) systems. Traditionally they are based on a high-voltage DC power supply with or without voltage multipliers for raising the voltage to several thousand volts. In contrast to these complex and costly approaches, we use a pre-charged supercapacitor followed by a step-up transformer and associated output circuitry to develop an inexpensive and flexible high-voltage pulse generator for applications in transcranial magnetic stimulation. Our new approach is to use the high-power delivery capability of commercial supercapacitors. In this work, we explore the advantages of different waveforms applied to the MOSFET associated with the secondary stage of the circuit topology and how they affect the final pulse shape.
Identifying biological fluids using hyperspectral near-infrared imaging and machine learning for forensics analysis
(IEEE, 2025) Faisal, Shah; Ooi, Melanie Po-Leen; Kuang, Ye Chow; Thawdar, Yaminn; Abeysekera, Sanush K.; Reutemann, Peter; Fletcher, Dale; Fleming, Rachel; McClelland, Heather
Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging captures subtle spatial and spectral characteristics of biological fluids on fabrics for forensics analysis. It is a non-destructive approach that could potentially be used for onsite crime scene investigations. However, current data processing methods lack the accuracy and sensitivity required for real-world applications. This paper utilised a 900-1700nm hyperspectral camera to capture blood, semen, and urine fluids that were systematically applied onto a patterned rayon fabric. Multi-Later Perception (MLP) and 1D Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) classifiers were then trained to identify them. A dual evaluation approach, combining machine learning model evaluation metrics (F1-score and accuracy) with uncertainty quantification (Entropy-based and Modal Predictionbased) was then used to assess the performance of the classifiers. The results indicated that the MLP slightly outperformed the 1DCNN for fluid-specific classification tasks, achieving slightly better accuracy and F1-score and lower uncertainty in predictions.