Doctoral Theses - Authenticated Access

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Publications submitted to the University of Auckland for the award of the degree of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1980) White, Robert E.
Consists of copies of 39 papers and articles.
An application to the University of Auckland for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1968) Waters, Thomas Neil Morris
The application rests on the contribution to structural inorganic chemistry, particularly in the elucidation and understanding of the molecular structures of co-ordination compounds, and in the use of X-ray crystallographic methods in a number of chemical investigations.
Analysis and modelling of probes in waveguides and mobile radio propagation and systems engineering
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2008) Williamson, Allan G.
This volume overviews the author's research in two areas: the analysis and modelling of probes in microwave waveguides and cavities, and related topics; and the modelling of radio wave propagation in mobile radio situations, both outdoor and indoor, and the application of such models in systems engineering. The contributions range from detailed mathematical analysis for some problems, often associated with experimental or simulation confirmations, to for others, extensive experimental investigations or computer simulations usually with significant analysis, data interpretation and modelling. Reference is made to sixty publications in the international literature as author or coauthor.
Thesis submitted to the University of Auckland for the degree of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1981) Thompson, William J.
[no abstract available]
Research publications, 1967-1986
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1986) Clark, George Raymond
Consists of copies of 93 periodical articles.
Contributions to the study of micro analytical chemistry, and some applications to plant and animal nutrition : papers.
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1968) Jones, Gordon B.
[no abstract available]
Contributions to applied meteorology [These publications are submitted to The University of Auckland for the degree of Doctor of Science]
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1984) Stow, Christopher David
[no abstract available]
Electrochemistry in molten salts: a compilation of publications
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1978) Welch, Barry John
Some papers on mathematical statistics : [ application for a Doctor of Science degree from Auckland University]
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2009) Withers, C. S. (Christopher Stroude)
In section 1, an outline of the applicant's research interests in given, with a list of related references. Section 2 gives a list of 76 publications and 14 papers in press. Three hard copies of the 76 publications are provided. Section 3 lists three possible referees. Section 4 gives a brief CV. Section 5 gives the required statutory declaration.
Publications submitted to the University of Auckland for the award of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1973) O'Connor, Charmian J.
Research publications, 1961-1985
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1985) Rutledge, Peter Stewart
Consists of copies of 93 periodical articles.
Contributions of the theory of data dependencies
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2014) Link, Sebastian
The thesis is a collection of my original scholarly works published as articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and books. The articles investigate structural and computational properties for several classes of data dependencies in a variety of data models, including the relational model of data, incomplete data models, complex-value data models, and the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) model. It is also illustrated how the techniques developed in these articles can be applied to reason efficiently about classes of conditional independencies fundamental in artificial intelligence, statistics and probability theory.
Research publications, 1965-1985 : presented to the University of Auckland for the Degree of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1985) Woodgate, Paul Desmond
Consists of reprints of 104 periodical articles.
Human settlement and landscape change on Rarotonga, southern Cook Islands
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1994) Peters, Caradoc; Sutton, Doug G; Green, Roger C.
This thesis seeks to examine certain aspects of those changes which occurred in the land scape of Rarotonga during the period it has been occupied by humans. Because the exact date of human arrival is as yet uncertain, part of the problem has been to try to establish this b y attempting to detect initial human interference with the landscape, in particular the vegetation. A number of different approaches have been used in the investigation of these problems: swamp deposits were analysed by stratigraphic and palynological studies. Modern vegetation surveys and modern pollen rain studies provided a statement of the present landscape and comparisons for the fossil data and ethnographic and historical sources contributed information about the last two hundred years , and generated ideas and models for earlier periods and helped establish control over any changes to the landscape that were of more recent origin. Finally, archaeological evidence and oral tradition, where available , establish as far as possible what changes may have occurred in landscape usage and manipulation from first settlement to European contact. In addition, from late 1992, a series of techniques were brought to bear on the swamp sediments, in order to clarify questions raised by the pollen evidence. These include X-ray analysis , chemical analysis and particle-size analysis. The early Holocene rising sea-level could have caused lake formation at Karekare before 8137 BP. Accruing sediment and local hydrology reduced the depth of the lake, consequently forming a marsh , though other factors may also have been in volved . Falling sea-level could have been a vital factor too . With the formation of a marsh from 4 ,500 BP , there followed what is interpreted as a hydrosere beginning with swamp ferns , then some swamp forest, finally being replaced by drier elements after 3000 BP . Factors such as truncation, shrinkage and compaction due to cultivation and drainage by colonizing people between 2700 and 800 BP brought the sequence to an end. A four phase model based on biogeographic theories is proposed for landscape change on Rarotonga, starting with the island before humans arrived, then with the first Polynesian settlement and later developments therefrom (up to European contact), then the arrival of Europeans and finally the late twentieth century . Wider implications for Pacific Islands emerging from this thesis are discussed under the following headings : extinction, problems with other sites , plant distribution history , sea-level change and climatic change, dating of human arrival and the influence of the environment on settlement history. It could well be that whilst some extinctions are related to initial colonization of islands and later expansion therefrom, others may be associated with the economic, religious and social changes brought about by missionaries, merchants and colonial authorities . It is suggested here that whilst early Polynesian settlers no doubt altered their landscapes, it is not necessary to invoke quite as much alteration by them as is sometimes inferred . It is proposed that early Polynesian colonists adapted their economy to the landscape and did not attempt to impose a totally alien system on the local ecology of newly settled islands. Some plant were discovered to have existed on Rarotonga before humans arrived , others formerly had different distributions than today. Living memory, oral tradition (see Chapter 6) and missionary records show that breadfruit trees and plantains were grown in the lower-lying areas because they are better adapted to the warmer , drier conditions, whilst the taro and mountain plantains were grown further up the valleys, where reliable all-the-year-around supplies of freshwater were available...
Publications, 1973-1988, submitted for the degree of D.Sc.
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1990) Rudman, W. B.
W. B. Rudman's 24 published publications
Intercellular junctions : a collection of papers and reviews
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1994) Green, Colin Richard
Multicellular animals require intercellular junctions in order to maintain tissue integrity (adhering junctions - the various forms of desmosome), to enable cells to communicate (gap junctions), or to allow the formation of physiologically distinct compartments (occluding junctions - the septate and tight junctions). The research publications bound in these two volumes covers my work on intercellular junctions and is presented here for submission in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Science at the University of Auckland. My earlier work on sponges is included for completeness, and because it was during these studies that my interest in the role of junctions in patterning and development was aroused. What processes control sponge patterning and development, and how sponge larvae maintain metachronal rhythm of their surface cilia, each arising from a separate cell, remains to be resolved. The publications on sponges and most of the septate junction papers arise from my Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree studies. These papers are marked with an asterisk in the Contents list. The work presented is divided into sections reflecting the main themes of my research. The first two sections cover sponges and invertebrate junctions. The techniques section presents papers pertaining to vertebrate gap junction studies, although the methods will not be unique to these. The next three sections reflect my major interest in gap junctions; the biochemistry of gap junctions, the role of gap junctions during patterning and development and cardiovascular gap junctions. The final section comprises reviews and book chapters. Papers within each section are placed in chronological order. The work is divided into two volumes simply for convenience.
Barnacle biology : a thesis consisting of 40 papers published or in press over the years 1967 to 1989
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1989) Foster, Brian Arthur
Forty papers dealing largely with aspects of the biology of barnacles (Crustacea, Cirripedia, Thoracica) are presented, and discussed in broad terms as to their contributions to the systematics, phylogeny and general biology of barnacles, and the use of barnacles as part of wider questions in marine biology. Particular attention is drawn to review papers on ecology and palaeontology in the book "Barnacle Biology" published by Balkema, Rotterdam, 1987. In these, the other papers of the author are interwoven into interpretations of the lives diversity and history of extant barnacles of the world's oceans.
Publications submitted to the University of Auckland for the award of Doctor of Science
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1973) O'Connor, Charmian J.
Research publications, 1958-1987
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 1989) Cochrane, G. Ross Thesis
Microbial communities of two New Zealand hydrothermal systems
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2007) Jordan, Sacha; Turner, Susan; Campbell, Kathy
A striking feature of most alkali-chloride hydrothermal systems is the array of coloured microbial mats that typically cover all but the most extreme temperature regions of the system. In silica-depositing systems these mats are gradually entombed in silica, and through the process of diagenesis, become part of the fossil record. The fossilised deposits from ancient hydrothermal systems often contain structures and cell morphologies resembling microbial mats that are seen in present day systems raising the question of whether modern-day systems may serve as analogs for studying conditions that prevailed on early earth (Schopf, 1993; de Ronde & Ebbesen, 1996). To address this question, it is necessary to understand the process of silicification and the degree to which the biogenic signatures observed in the fossils reflect the living microbial communities from which they derive. The aim of this research was to provide the first step in this interpretation, by providing a detailed characterisation of the extant microbial communities of two modern New Zealand hydrothermal systems, Kuirau Park and Orakei Korako. New Zealand’s North Island is rich in geothermal activity and offers an ideal environment to resolve this problem. Sites ranging in age from modern to over 10 million years provide a unique geological timeline of sinter deposits that enable the investigation of bio-signatures through all the key states of mineralogical maturation, from opal to quartz. A number of previous studies, based largely on microscopic observations, have suggested that distinctive relationships exist between water temperature, mat colour, silica sinter texture and the microorganisms present (Copeland, 1936; Walter, 1976b; Cady & Farmer, 1996). However, it is now well established that these methods do not necessarily provide an accurate indication of microbial diversity or community structures. This research used 16S rRNAfull cycle approach to characterise the microbial communities from two New Zealand hydrothermal systems. Microbial mats were sampled over a wide temperature gradient (24-80°C) and included a variety of distinctive biofilm structures and geological features. The predominant bacterial species in each zone were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing methods. Fluorescence in situ Hybridisation (FISH) was used to validate the presence and frequency of those microorganisms identified by 16S rRNA analysis. Analysis of 16S clone libraries indicated that all mats comprised a diverse bacterial community with greater than 10 taxa detected in all samples. This result suggests that these communities are far more complex than previously estimated by microscopic methods. All communities below 65°C and a small number above were found to be dominated by cyanobacteria. Specific genera of cyanobacteria were found to be abundant in each of the temperature zones. Chlorogloeopsis dominated the majority of high-temperature (55-70°C) communities. The communities of mats found in the mid-temperature (40-55°C) ranges at Kuirau Park were dominated by Synechococcus while those of Orakei Korako were dominated by Leptolyngbya. Calothrix dominated low-temperature (< 40°C) brown mats. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was carried out to look at the silicification of microorganisms within these communities and indicated a silicification bias towards filamentous organisms. Though rod-shaped bacteria were found throughout the samples and possibly contribute to the diversity of communities, the biogenic signal of these organisms is likely to be lost. Collectively the results of this study suggest that the dominant filamentous organisms seen in microbial mats of modern systems are likely candidates for preservation in the fossil record. However, the biogenic signals of less morphologically conspicuous organisms, which may represent much of the microbial diversity within these mat communities, are lost. Though further studies are required to determine the functional relevance of these organisms, the findings of this study provide an important starting point for accurate interpretation of the fossil record.

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