Doctoral Theses

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Ori Paraparau | Body Conversations: A Choreographic Exploration of Moana Identity and Belonging
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2023) Taumihau, Syrai-Tiare; Harvey, Mark; Reihana, Tia
This research navigates the complexity of Moana identity within the tertiary education context in Aotearoa. It considers: what can be uncovered by negotiating a Moana cultural identity through choreographic exploration and performance within a tertiary education context? The choreographic performance Ori Paraparau | Body Conversations utilizes a recently developed methodology with the same name with performers of Moana cultural identity, proposing a blend of vā (Wendt, 1999), talanoa (Vaioleti, 2006; Lātū, 2009), structured improvisation (Minton, 2007; Schupp, 2011), and is informed by Mātauranga Māori (Royal, 2005, 2009). The embodiment of vā and talanoa within the moving body is proposed to provide a safe and nurturing space for Moana dancers to explore various themes and experiences surrounding identity, belonging, and home. This research is framed within a tertiary education context.
Sexcapades, Drug Hazes and Terrorist Attacks: Exploring Expatriate Work and Well-being in Fortified Compounds in a Hostile Environment
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Mackay, Samuel David; Boxall, Peter; Smith, Peter
Background: Fortified compounds are used by organisations as a key strategy to reduce security risks to their expatriate employees in hostile environments. Despite growth in this practice, there has been little research to understand how these environments affect the individuals who work and live within them. Purpose/aim: This qualitative study explored the experiences of expatriates who worked and lived in fortified compounds in Kabul, Afghanistan. It aims to contribute to our understanding of how individuals’ work and well-being experiences are shaped within such environments. Design/methodology/approach: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 expatriates (F=18, M=18) who lived and worked in compounds in Kabul between 2014 and 2021. Data was coded and thematic analysis applied to reveal new insights, including in relation to the notion of Total Institution and the Jobs Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory. Findings: Expatriates experienced extreme job demands despite—and due to—being placed in fortified compounds in a hostile environment. This included terrorist attacks, deaths of others, sexual harassment, overwork, and conflict with colleagues and managers. Many job resources were compromised in their implementation and did not necessarily address the demands expatriates encountered and some job resources—particularly those relating to security—generated additional job demands for employees. Expatriates adopted binge behaviours—whether proactive (e.g. exercise and social support) or self-undermining (e.g. sexcapades and use of drugs and alcohol)—to cope with the extreme demands and limited resources they encountered. Conclusions: Findings indicate a new category of Total Institution is warranted and help to enhance the applicability of the JD-R model to extreme employment contexts. Originality/value: This research adds to the extremely limited research on working and living in fortified compounds, highlighting the human resource management implications for the individuals and organisations involved. Implications: This research has implications regarding coping for the individuals who work and live in fortified compounds, and regarding support for the organisations that place employees there. For decision makers, it raises broader questions regarding the appropriateness and sustainability of placing employees in such environments. Keywords: Expatriation, Hostile environments, Fortified compounds, Job Demands-Resources Theory, Total Institution
Neural circuitry in motion: Computational modelling of motor cortical dynamics to understand human movement
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2023) Haggie, Lysea Chan; Besier, Thor; McMorland, Angus
Movement of the human body arises from a complex interaction between the activity of the nervous system and the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. How neurons of the brain and spinal cord produce purposeful, coordinated movements is a fundamental question in neuroscience and motor control research. Computational models offer a valuable tool to test theories and mechanisms underlying the challenge of motor control. The primary motor cortex is the area of the brain with the most direct influence and connections to producing voluntary activity in limbs. However, a consensus on the link between motor cortex activity and the production of muscle activity remains elusive. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) represent the biological mechanisms of communication between neurons via action potentials. A SNN model containing over 38,000 neurons and 160 million synapses was developed to represent a 1 mm2 surface area of the motor cortex. The neural network model used realistic, physiological parameters and connectivity to replicate the spontaneous firing behaviour of populations of neurons in the motor cortex. A model of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was also applied to the motor cortex model, resulting in the generation of highfrequency (I-waves) at the spinal cord level, matching experimental observations. In addition, the model was coupled with a musculoskeletal model of the upper limb to simulate muscle contraction and multi-body dynamics, via a simple spinal cord circuit controlling extensor and flexor muscles, showing the feasibility of coupled brain-body models. The motor cortex model is presented within a larger framework of modelling the connection from brain to muscle that incorporates feedback pathways including muscle spindles and Golgi-tendon organs, in addition to detailed muscle models. The framework of this computational modelling approach uses multi-scale, multi-modal modelling fitted where possible to experimental data to enable the observation of emergent patterns of behaviour within the motor system. Using interdisciplinary computational models to understand the neuromusculoskeletal system is widely applicable and can be developed in conjunction with experimental work and hypotheses of motor control.
History, Myth and Remembrance: How the Battle of Agincourt became a Symbol of British Exceptionalism
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Jost, Ian; Phillips, Kim; Diggelman, Lindsay
This thesis is a study of how the medieval Battle of Agincourt has developed and flourished in English and British memory over the last six hundred years; how it has been mythologised into something much bigger than it actually was, and how that mythologisation enhances and augments notions of British (especially English) nationhood and self-worth. The central argument of the thesis is that the battle has played a major part in instilling into English (and British) consciousness a sense of a unique historical heritage of cultural, political and hegemonic exceptionalism. The thesis will suggest that many different Agincourts have been constructed by historians, novelists and playwrights; its mythologisation and on-going appeal to social memory owes much to the public’s ability to choose which iteration of the event they prefer. At least since Shakespeare’s time, writers of Agincourt have supported a perception of the battle’s uniqueness that combines a sense of continuity between what is perceived as the eternal propriety and decency of the ordinary Englishman, and his willing acceptance of the hierarchical social structure of crown, nobility and commoner. The thesis historicises how this has happened; who and what were the main drivers, why and when. Context is all; without considerable reference to contemporary events, public responses to Agincourt would be almost incomprehensible. Building on those events, social movements, literary trends and innovations, and cultural norms, the thesis describes the relationship between Agincourt and the English/British people, and shows how, since immediately after the battle itself, it has positioned itself in the collective national memory as a moment of mythical – sometimes supernatural – incomparability.
Reactive Transport Modelling of Flow Through Porous and Fractured Media in Geothermal Systems
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025-02) Altar, Dale Emet Sabater; Zarrouk, Sadiq J; Kaya, Eylem
This research uses reactive transport models (RTM) to analyse the hydrological, thermal, and chemical processes in hydrothermal environments, particularly geothermal systems. This research highlights RTM applications in experimental research, geothermal reservoir management and geological carbon dioxide storage. Comprehensive investigations reveal critical processes, challenges, and opportunities. The methodologies and results of representative fluid-rock interaction models under high temperature and pressure conditions extending to the supercritical regime are explained. Accuracy gaps in reaction parameters are addressed by validating models against experimental and operational data and through sensitivity analyses. The primary simulation tool used is TOUGHREACT™, a non-isothermal multi-component reactive fluid flow and geochemical transport simulator. This work begins through an in-depth review of existing research on RTM for geothermal applications, governing equations, and available tools. Specific transport and chemical interaction parameters and associated estimation methods are likewise explored. The first numerical investigations focus on calibrated models for basalt-water interactions under subcritical and supercritical conditions. The utility of calibrated RTMs in assessing individual mineral reaction kinetics and equilibria in whole-rock experiments, ascertaining the geochemical properties of whole rock samples, and offering insights into alteration sequences are demonstrated. Next, a natural state model for a theoretical two-phase liquid-dominated geothermal reservoir was developed. Modelled mineral alterations and fluid chemistry are compared to analogous natural systems. Permeabilities are shown to evolve with mineral alteration. Orogenetic processes for ore metals, e.g., gold, are likewise simulated, revealing how they form in a geothermal reservoir. The application of reservoir RTMs for CO2 sequestration was explored next. Through the use of simplified 1D radial models, it is shown that dissolved CO2 in reinjected brine changes fluid chemistry, promoting mineral dissolution and impeding permeability loss caused by mineral scaling. Finally, a theoretical 3D liquid-dominated geothermal reservoir model provides a more comprehensive analysis of CO2 storage potential and reservoir impacts, exhibiting both primary mineral dissolution and mineralisation trapping of CO2. It also reveals that CO2 injection may increase NCG content in produced steam over time through injection returns.
A Multifaceted Exploration Toward the Impact of Processing Techniques on Hempseed Protein Isolate
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Dong, Xuan; Quek, Siew Young; Wai, Meng Woo
Hempseed protein isolate (HPI), obtained as a by-product following hempseed oil extraction, has garnered increasing interest due to its sustainability and nutritional quality. The production of HPI typically involves defatting hempseed, extracting protein, and finally dehydrating. Despite its rising popularity, the impact of various processing techniques on HPI remains under-explored, presenting a challenge for the food industry in utilising HPI effectively. This research endeavours to bridge these gaps by investigating the effects of various processing methods on HPI and exploring the bioactive properties influenced by enzymatic hydrolysis. The impact of two prevalent industrial drying methods, spray drying and freeze drying, on the physicochemical properties, functionality, and digestibility of HPI was investigated. Both techniques modified the physicochemical and structural properties compared to undried-HPI. Notably, the protein denaturation temperature increased to approximately 90°C in both freeze-dried and spray-dried samples, compared to 82.5°C in undried HPI. Electrophoresis showed the disappearance of 26 and 17 kDa protein bands post-drying. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion indicated that the digestibility of HPI improved after drying, but there was a 50% reduction in the release of free α-amino groups. Notably, freeze-dried HPI exhibited higher emulsifying stability and oil-holding capacity than the spray-dried sample. Further investigation assessed the impact of processing steps at the proteome level. Specifically, the effects of alkaline and micellisation extraction methods, along with freeze drying and spray drying, on the proteome profile of HPI were analysed. Findings revealed that extraction methods impacted the protein profiles of HPI more than the drying methods. Specifically, micellisation-extracted HPI showed higher albumin, oleosin, and sulphur-containing protein levels than alkaline extracted HPI. The alkali-extracted undried sample (AU) showed more potentially allergenic proteins, including Hsp70 and triosephosphate isomerase, than its micellization-extracted counterpart (MU). Unique potential allergens were identified, including malate dehydrogenase and enolase in AU, and RuBisCo in MU samples. Both drying processes impacted the HPI proteome and reduced RuBisCo in the micellisation extracted HPI. Spray drying demonstrated a more pronounced impact on the proteomic profile of HPI than freeze drying. The bioactive peptides release profiles of HPI samples were further explored through a comprehensive workflow combining in silico screening and prediction with in vitro validation. Using an in silico approach, 13 major HPI proteins were hydrolysed by 20 selected enzymes, predicting 20 potential bioactivities. With papain hydrolysis, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP4) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities emerged as having the highest potential. In vitro experiments confirmed these predictions, with DPP4 and ACE inhibitory activities displaying IC50 values of 0.32–0.42 mg/mL and 6.8–9.17 µg/mL, respectively. A strong correlation (r2 = 0.96) was observed between the in vitro and the in silico predicted data when correlating with protein abundancy. The findings of this study reflect the importance of selecting appropriate methods for optimising HPI processing in the food industry. These insights facilitate improved strategies for HPI production and its application in food products. Additionally, the research showcased a practical, integrative approach for predicting bioactive peptides in food proteins, providing valuable guidance on its processing to create value-added products.
Relationships between Task Complexity, Digital Literacy, and Hospital Information Systems Quality A Study of Hospital Managers in New Zealand and Indonesia
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2023) Yustiawan, Tito; Day, Karen; Sundaram, David
Hospitals are one of the most complex and unique organisations. A hospital is a secondary healthcare organisation that employs clinicians and other health professionals and utilises advanced technology to support the process of providing care to patients with diverse types of diseases and needs. Subsequently, hospital information systems (HIS) are made available for the staff and the managers to collect, process, and store data. Hospital managers use the data to obtain information to support their decision-making processes and manage their organisation. Hospital managers most likely deal with complex situations that require more helpful information for making decisions. As a result, they should have a sufficient level of digital skills to better use their HIS. With valuable information in hand, they will know what is required to provide equitable health and medical services for patients, whānau, and communities. Studies suggest that more data is delivered from HIS, yet not all managers are able to utilise it for obtaining information. In addition, the literature has recognised task as a factor in information-seeking behaviour. This leads to doing research to find the relationships between hospital managers’ tasks, digital skills, and the use of HIS. Fewer studies related to hospital managers’ task complexity and digital skills were discussed. Relevant theories were reviewed, and task-technology fit (TTF) theory was found to be helpful. My research model proposed four variables: task complexity, HIS, digital literacy, and tasktechnology- digital literacy fit (TTDLF). Task complexity involved managerial and informational aspects. Digital literacy includes computer skill, online information searching skill, hyperlink navigation skill, content evaluation skill, information collection skills, and online media skill. Whereas HIS attributes concern technology quality, service quality (i.e., to support task), and information quality. Survey research was selected to collect data from participants. A questionnaire development guideline consisting of seven stages was followed. A systematic literature review helped to identify task complexity and digital literacy dimensions. Four hospital managers helped to select relevant dimensions through focus group meetings. The development of questionnaire items and responses involved consultations with academia. Another group of managers pre-evaluated the questionnaire and provided some constructive feedback. A pilot test of the questionnaire involved four hospital managers prior to the finalisation stage. Ethics approvals and local permissions were obtained prior to deploying a research invitation. Survey data were collected from hospital managers in New Zealand (in English) and Indonesia (in Bahasa). The survey data were screened for any missing values. Descriptive analysis was conducted to obtain the proportion of survey respondents based on their characteristics, including organisational (i.e., hospital location and bed capacity), functional (i.e., seniority level, number of subordinates, years of experience, time spent with HIS), and individual (i.e., gender groups, age groups, background as a clinician, and digital training history). Crosstabulation analysis was done to show the levels of task complexity, digital literacy, HIS quality, and TTDLF. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to inform which components of measured variables need to be dropped or retained. The scores of each measured variable were calculated based on the retained components. Correlation analyses was conducted to test my research hypotheses concerning task complexity, digital literacy, HIS quality, and TTDLF. In the NZ context, the results indicated that HIS quality and digital literacy are significantly correlated to TTDLF. In the Indonesian context, the results indicated significant correlations between all measured variables. Subsequently, SEM analyses was performed to determine the relationships between measured variables. The results indicated that task complexity has a weak effect on TTDLF for both NZ and Indonesian contexts. Conversely, higher HIS quality and digital literacy levels linked to higher TTDLF level. The SEM model indicated that only HIS quality and digital literacy are correlated and indicated two ways relationships. The goodness of fit values for SEM models for NZ and Indonesian contexts were checked and the results showed that the models are good, fit, and close.
Impact of companion and surrounding environment on stars and black holes
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024-05-31) Ghodla, Sohan; Eldridge, Jan; Rattenbury, Nicholas
Stars and their compact remnants rarely exist in isolation. Instead, most stars are part of binary or higher multiplicity systems, engaging in interactions throughout their lifetimes. This interaction may continue to the stage when the initially more massive star transforms into a compact remnant, subsequently interacting with its companion star. When both stars eventually die, they might leave behind a compact binary (e.g., a binary black hole system), which then continues to interact with its surrounding environment, a process that may persist for billions of years. This thesis explores the impact and implications of such interactions on stellar and compact binary evolution. We first consider the impact of interaction between binary stars on their evolution. Such an interaction - either in the form of tides or mass accretion - may spin up the star thus altering its subsequent evolution. We study the efficiency of such interactions in spinning up the stars and show that such stars may be important progenitors of energetic transients like superluminous supernovae, hypernovae, and $\gamma$-ray bursts. We then study the impact of this angular momentum reservoir on the star's eventual collapse dynamics with a focus on the ensuing black hole properties. Next, we explore the impact of mass accretion on neutron stars and black holes, quantifying the possibility of sustained and unimpeded super-Eddington accretion on such compact objects. Then we consider the impact of interstellar medium interaction on binary black hole dynamics. We quantify the properties of the interstellar medium properties under which it can lead to efficient hardening of binary black hole orbit, thus acting as an important pathway for driving LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA black hole mergers. Finally, as an extension of this formalism, we also consider the impact of the recent cosmological coupling hypothesis on binary black hole dynamics. We find that cosmologically coupled black holes that can account for the accelerated expansion of the present-day Universe would lead to severe inconsistency with pre-existing observations.
Identity, Agency And “Undervalued” Labour: Indian Immigrant Women in Aotearoa New Zealand
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025) Gejji, Shreya Gayatri; Kothari, Shchi; Showden, Carisa
When Indian women immigrate to New Zealand as skilled migrants, they are often unable to find jobs commensurate with their qualifications and are forced into low-wage and undervalued work. The toll that this pressure of gaining employment and the frustration of being put in such a position has not been studied adequately in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. My thesis and creative project analyses and explores the complex interplay between work, identity construction, and agency for this demographic. It highlights the diversity of the women’s experiences and in doing so disrupts the notion of a homogenised or linear immigrant experience. Using narrative interview methods, I interview eight skilled Indian women who immigrated to New Zealand through the points-based system, to understand their experiences of working in undervalued labour and to interrogate how it impacts their identities and ability to navigate power structures in their everyday lives. Focusing on their personal narratives, I explore how their gendered and racialised identities are shaped by their labour market experiences. This PhD with Creative Practice presents an academic argument followed by a feature film screenplay. I argue that the relationship between work and agency is not linear; while in some situations it might offer women a greater ability to negotiate power, in other situations it can reaffirm their subordinate positions within a patriarchal domestic sphere. My feature screenplay Jyoti builds on this argument by reimagining research findings in a fictionalised context. Through Jyoti, the titular character, I examine and complicate the relationship between qualitative research and fiction; paying special attention to what is gained and lost in the process of dramatising real life.
Mechanics and Energetics of Diabetic Human Cardiac Tissues
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024-12-05) Musgrave, Julia Hamilton; Tran, Kenneth; Taberner, Andrew; Han, June-Chiew; Ward, Marie-Louise
Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a multifactorial disease associated with both mechanical and energetic dysfunction. At the cellular level, the interplay between myofilament force production and changes in metabolic state arising from diabetes is not well understood. Thus, the primary aim of this research was to explore the effects of diabetes on cross-bridge kinetics and metabolite sensitivity through the development of a human cardiac cross-bridge model that is responsive to cellular metabolic state. In achieving this aim, I established an experimental-modelling pipeline centred around the measurement of cardiac active complex modulus: cross-bridge stiffness as a function of frequency. I used a purpose-built experimental apparatus to measure this in permeabilised isolated muscles across a range of metabolite conditions, first from rat hearts and then from human atria. Using linearisation techniques to uncover underlying physiological mechanisms, I constructed a mean-field cross-bridge model that was sensitive to ATP and Pi concentration, based on rat experimental data. Using the same framework, I then parameterised a human cross-bridge model to the data that I had collected from cardiac tissues of non-diabetic and diabetic patients. The human cross-bridge model was incorporated into a muscle model to explore the mechanical and energetic performance of diabetic muscle under isometric and work-loop contractions. My development of this experimental-modelling pipeline produced insights into the complex modulus measurement and cross-bridge model properties, including those associated with metabolite sensitivity. From the experimental measurements and model simulations, I found several key differences in the cellular and tissue function of diabetic human atrial trabeculae. Diabetic muscles produced lower active stress and stiffness, with structural imaging linking this to lower myocyte density. They also exhibited a leftward shift in the complex modulus, identified in model fitting to be driven by slower cross-bridge cycling rates. Reflecting these parameter differences, muscle model simulations of isometric contractions revealed a prolonged relaxation phase in diabetes, which was exacerbated under reduced ATP concentration. Work-loop simulations showed that diabetes reduced work and shortening power but increased cross-bridge efficiency. A lower sensitivity to Pi in diabetic muscles diminished the extent to which muscle power was decreased under conditions of raised Pi. This reduced sensitivity and the increase in efficiency suggest the presence of compensatory mechanisms that mitigate the effects of metabolic dysfunction in the diabetic heart. As well as identifying several mechanisms that underlie myofilament dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy, in this project I have developed a suite of robust experimental and modelling methods that are suitable and will be broadly applicable for future studies of cross-bridge dysfunction in cardiac and metabolic disorders.
Examining effector requirements, redundancies, and repertoire refinement in the emergent kiwifruit pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Hemara, Lauren May; Templeton, Matthew; Jayaraman, Jay
Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a bacterial pathogen which causes canker disease on susceptible kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) hosts. A global pandemic of Psa biovar 3 (Psa3) devastated susceptible kiwifruit orchards. The kiwifruit industry has since recovered following the deployment of more tolerant cultivars. However, little is known about the extent to which the Psa3 population is evolving in orchards and further adapting to its kiwifruit hosts. Effector proteins help pathogens invade their host, extract nutrients, and suppress immunity. Psa3 is an emergent kiwifruit pathogen with over thirty functional effectors, providing a unique opportunity to understand how host selection shapes pathogen evolution. In particular, this thesis sought to understand whether Psa3 requires all of its effectors to cause disease. Recent research suggests that only a few Psa effectors are required for virulence on susceptible kiwifruit hosts. Further still, resistant kiwifruit hosts such as Actinidia arguta can recognise several Psa effectors. Why, then, does Psa retain so many effectors in its repertoire? Using complementary approaches of orchard-based genome biosurveillance and effector knockout strain competition, this work examined effector requirements, redundancies, and repertoire refinement across different kiwifruit hosts. The selective pressure exerted by serially passaging a competitive pool of effector knockout strains in planta has allowed the detection of the subtle contributions many effectors make to virulence. While the majority of Psa’s effectors previously appeared to be non-essential, competition results suggest they may be collectively required for successful virulence, with host-specific effector requirements. The methodologies developed in this work present a far more nuanced way to assess subtle effector requirements, informing our understanding of why pathogens may retain expansive effector repertoires. Examination of effector repertoire dynamics, combined with divergence dating, suggests that Psa emerged before the commercial cultivation of kiwifruit, with the contemporary pandemic lineage of Psa3 representing a highly adapted pathogen at the peak of its fitness landscape. Ultimately, this research has provided important insights into the evolution of emergent pathogens and advances our understanding of effector requirements and repertoire refinement across natural and experimental settings.
Research Wastage: From Trial Registration to Translation
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Showell, Marian Gwyneth; Jordan, Vanessa; Farquhar, Cindy
Background: Each year globally, there are millions of academic research papers being produced; this represents billions of dollars of research investment. It is accepted that many of these studies are either not published, not published in a timely manner or if they are published, they are not included into research syntheses. Researchers conducting clinical studies have an obligation to patients, health care providers and funders to publish their results. The failure to do so potentially could introduce bias and produce misleading results affecting the accuracy of research synthesis, and this constitutes research wastage. The effect and extent of this research waste is the focus of this thesis. Aim: This thesis aims to investigate research waste in terms of publication bias of clinical studies and then to assess the rates of published trial dissemination into systematic reviews. Methods: This thesis investigated five projects to examine research waste in each of the following areas: • A large international Cochrane methodology review (CMR) which assessed the extent of non-publication and publication bias in interventional clinical trials; • A New Zealand focused cross-sectional study that examined the publication rate and publication bias of randomised controlled trials of registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR); • A cross-sectional study that assessed the publication rate and publication bias of studies funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC); • A cross-sectional project that examined the dissemination of published gynaecology trials into systematic reviews; • and another cross-sectional project that assessed the dissemination of published fertility trials into systematic reviews. The detailed methods for each of these studies can be found in chapters two through to six. Results: Cochrane methodology review: This review included 204 studies with a total of 165,135 trials Only just over half of these trials (53%) were published. The CMR reported the existence of publication bias where trials with positive results (OR 2.69 95% CI 2.02- 3.60), large sample sizes (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.77), were multi-centre (adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.40) or had non-industry funding (adjusted OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.82 to 2.49) were more likely to be published than trials with negative/null results, small sample sizes, single centre or industry funded. Trials with favourable results (adjusted HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.45), were large (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.68), or funded by non-industry (adjusted HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.86) were also published in shorter time. Cross-sectional study of the ANZCTR: This study included 1,970 trial registrations from the years 2007, 2009 and 2011. Five hundred and forty-one (27%) of these trials remained unpublished 10 to 14 years later. The average time to publish was 4.36 years and the prospective trial registration rate was 48% (952 trials). Trials funded by non-industry organisations were more likely to be published (74%, 1204/1625 trials) than the industry-funded trials (61%, 224/345 trials). Larger trials were published at a rate of 88% (85/97 trials) and on average took 5.4 years to be published. Smaller trials with fewer than 100 participants were published at a lower rate with 67% (687/1024 trials) published and these trials took 4.31 years on average to publish. Cross-sectional study of HRC grants: The HRC project included 374 studies with grants from the years 2006 to 2014 and in total this represented NZD 471,663,336, with no evidence of publication or reporting of results for 48 of these grants (13%) (representing NZD 47,095,727). Of the published or reported results there was a mean dissemination time of 4.73 years (SD 2.37). Study of inclusion of gynaecology trials in systematic reviews: Two hundred and thirty (32%) of the 740 gynaecology randomised controlled trials published in 2010 and 2011 were not included in any Cochrane systematic review and from these 21 new review titles were developed. Study of inclusion of fertility trials in systematic reviews: Seventy-two (14%) of the 564 fertility trials published in 2010 and 2011 were not matched to any existing Cochrane systematic review and from these eight new systematic review topics were developed. Conclusions: This thesis has provided conclusive and comprehensive evidence of ongoing research waste, particularly in the area of clinical trials. Three of the projects (the CMR, the ANZCTR and the HRC) confirmed that non-publication and publication bias of studies continue to exist in the global research environment. The thesis also reported that significant numbers of published gynaecology and fertility trials have never been included in Cochrane systematic reviews and were, therefore, not contributing to the body of evidence in their respective clinical topics. Research funding is generally difficult as resources are scarce, and the processes are competitive. The opportunity costs of this waste are considerable but only in the HRC project were actual costs able to be quantified; this money could have been spent on other research. It is hoped that funders of research will reflect on these findings and as a result initiate better processes that potentially could include the introduction of regulations to ensure that research efforts are not wasted.
Terrorism and Trauma: A Comparative Analysis of French-Language Literary Responses to the 2015 Terror Attacks in France
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025-02-13) Lees, Graham Robert; Agar, Trudy
This thesis develops a critical framework that draws on trauma theory, postcolonial theory, critical terrorism studies, and perpetrator studies to engage in a comparative literary analysis of five French-language works of fiction written in response to the terror attacks in France in 2015. The five novels analysed are Fouad Laroui’s Ce vain combat que tu livres au monde (2016), Laurence Tardieu’s À la fin le silence (2016), Pascal Manoukian’s Ce que tient ta main droite t’appartient (2017), Frederika Amalia Finkelstein’s Survivre (2017), and Yasmina Khadra’s Khalil (2018). I argue that, through their articulation of trauma in the texts and treatment of the issue of terrorism and radicalisation in France, these five authors successfully challenge traditional understandings of terrorism-related trauma. Furthermore, by writing about individuals or groups who are often excluded from the official narrative, including the perpetrators, vicarious victims who experience terrorism indirectly via the media, and victims of cultural trauma, these five authors not only broaden the understanding of who might experience trauma related to terrorism to varying degrees but also highlight some of the pertinent socio-historical and cultural issues that must be included in conversations about the Paris attacks and terrorism in general. My analysis of these five texts, informed by my theoretical framework, permits me to evaluate the extent to which literary trauma theory, as it stands, accounts adequately for trauma in these novels. Furthermore, by identifying instances where the theory does not adequately account for trauma in these novels, I suggest ways that literary trauma theory might develop beyond its current limitations.
The Tā-Vā of Home and Uni: Pacific Dance Students’ Experiences of Rhythms During Covid-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024-12-05) 'Ofamo'oni, Jasmin Eleta; Rowe, Nicholas; Taumoefolau, Melenaite; Reihana-Morunga, Tia
This thesis explores how tā-vā (tempo-spatial dimensions) orient Pacific students’ lives by shaping meaningful social experiences and constructing conceptualisations of rhythm in relationships. While tā-vā is not commonly spoken about, the embodied and qualitative experience of tā-vā enriches their learning and homelife, connecting them to people, places, and spiritual realms through relational rhythms. Of note, maintaining this rhythmic synchrony enables participation in socially animated learning environments, particularly within tangible face-to-face taskwork that requires knowledge co-construction. This thesis identifies how tā-vā and rhythm can be challenged within formal education systems, and lead to relational disruptions that were further exacerbated by online learning during Covid-19 lockdowns. With a focus on tertiary dance education in Aotearoa New Zealand, this thesis examines how Pacific students continued to navigate the challenges of Eurocentric conceptualisations of time and space and attempt to rhythmically sustain tā-vā in their learning. Focusing on learners’ perspectives, this thesis explores the research question: How does the experience of tā-vā for Pacific tertiary dance students enrich learning, and how is this experience disrupted by formal education, specifically during Covid-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand? Through qualitative, post-positivist research, I engaged in talanoa with 12 Pacific students of tertiary dance programmes, to understand how they experienced tā-vā at home and in higher dance education prior to and during Covid-19. As a dimension of talanoa that emphasises the significance of tā-vā within dialogue and data collection, I propose ‘talanoa-tā-vā’ as an innovative research approach that appreciates the rhythms manifesting in specific time-scapes and space-scapes. Talanoa-tā-vā was later applied during analysis, along with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and thematic approach, to observe how conversational rhythms informed the storytelling and our research relationship. Initial discussions of vā with kāinga/research participants revealed the complex ways that they value tā-vā, and how these manifested in multi-faceted rhythmic connections: with themselves, dance content, peers, educators, families, and spirituality. The disruptions to formal-learning during Covid-19 further emphasised the significance of these rhythms in their lives. Their reflections illustrate the pervasiveness of tā-vā in dance education, and how unique cultural perspectives of time-space-rhythm can influence student engagement and inclusion.
Knowledge-Driven Text Generation
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025) Qi, Qianqian; Witbrock, Michael
Natural Language Generation (NLG) is an automated process that produces human-like text. It can create this text either from scratch or using inputs like natural language or structured data such as database records, computer-generated reports or keywords. The main objective of NLG is to generate coherent, fluent and relevant natural language text, usually based on input data. NLG has various practical applications, such as creating content, summarizing text and generating dialogues. For instance, NLG can automatically produce news articles, product descriptions, or weather reports. Advancements in machine learning and NLP have led to the development of Large Language Models (LLMs) that are trained on massive amounts of data and can generate human-like text. Pretrained Language Models (PLMs), such as T5, BART, and ChatGPT, are examples of modern state-of-the-art models which have evolved beyond traditional grammar and statisticalbased methods. These models can be improved by providing more data and increasing the number of neural network layers. In modern NLP methods, such models are often first pretrained on large datasets and then fine-tuned for specific tasks. This thesis studies the data-to-text generation task that aims to generate textual descriptions of structured data with the help of Pretrained Language Models (PLMs). First, we investigate the capability of PLMs to generate grammatically correct and consistent text with different types of structured data, such as keywords, tables, and abstract meaning representation. Second, we explore how PLMs can retrieve useful information from incomplete datasets and generate text with the provided multiple data sources. The study also investigates the possibility of fine-tuning only the first few layers of PLMs to save time and resources. Third, we examine the hybrid PLMs that work on natural language generation and natural language understanding and compare them with pretrained seq2seq models. Finally, we investigate effective control mechanisms for the language model in epic-level text generation. The study is divided into four parts, each with a specific scope of investigation. The first part is limited to implementing a method for keyword-to-text generation and evaluating the generated text from a syntactic and semantic perspective. The data sources used in this study are RACE and Wikimedia, and the English frequency word list is used to identify keywords. The second part focuses on developing a system for table-to-text and RDF-to-text generation using PLMs. The sources of data for this study are E2E, WebNLG, and DART. The proposed method involves fine-tuning different PLMs for data-to-text generation tasks and developing the dynamic prompt tuning method for data augmentation. The third part studies on text generation from tables and knowledge graphs. The data sources for this study are WikiBio and Wikidata. The study proposes a hybrid model combining PLMs and assesses its performance in comparison to a pre-trained seq2seq model. A new dataset called TaKG is also created to address the incomplete problem of the WikiBio dataset. In the fourth part, a framework is proposed to address the limitations of large-scale language models in generating epic-scale text. Our contribution include designing effective control mechanisms for the language model, optimizing GPT-3.5 for open-domain text, and evaluating the generated text against long text generation requirements. In summary, this thesis makes a contribution to the investigation of structured data’s impact on PLMs and offers valuable insights into the factors that influence the effectiveness of controlling PLMs. This includes the advancement of effective control mechanisms for the PLMs.
Bayesian models for population genetics and macroevolution
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024-03) Jimenez-Silva, Cinthy Lorena; Drummond, Alexei
Large-scale genome sequencing has prompted the development and integration of novel phylogenetic methods, as well as, the improvement of their computational performance, exemplified by their pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these, Bayesian phylogenetics has emerged as a versatile tool, accommodating a wide range of temporal scales and data types, from weeks to billions of years and DNA sequences to morphological traits. In particular, Bayesian coalescent models have found diverse applications, including the inference of population dynamics of infectious diseases and the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among species. These models leverage Bayesian statistics to estimate parameters from sequence data, providing insights into epidemiological dynamics and demographic histories. In this thesis, we explore the application of Bayesian phylogenetic methods in various biological contexts. Chapter II investigates the impact of down-sampling sequence data and tree priors on phylodynamic inferences of the initial SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in South America. In Chapter III, we delve into the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 variants within Colombia, identifying distinct lineages and assessing their transmissibility and population dynamics. Chapter IV validates the performance of the multi-species coalescent model, implemented in Star- Beast3, for inferring species trees using simulated and real datasets. This chapter highlights the model’s efficacy in managing gene tree heterogeneity and enhancing convergence, particularly in extensive analyses involving hundreds of genomic loci. In Chapter V, a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis employing StarBeast3 sheds light on marsupial phylogeny, resolving conflicting resolutions and dating challenges. The study identifies misleading calibrations and unveils significant diversification events, offering insights into ancient lineage conservation. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the versatility and power of Bayesian phylogenetic methods in addressing contemporary biological questions and advancing our understanding of evolutionary processes.
Decolonial Museum Practice Through Performance Art and Activation: A Collective Autoethnography
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2023) Jezdic, Dina; Mullen, Molly; Vercoe, Caroline
Museums in general, but especially in Europe and white settler societies, are grappling with relevance as their colonial histories are contested. Within this context, performance art has emerged as a powerful tool for challenging dominant narratives and analysing oppressive systems within cultural institutions. Guided by concepts of decoloniality and decolonial methodology, this thesis critically analyses the potential of performance art to disrupt and subvert hegemonic structures of power and authority within museums. The focus is particularly on the decolonial efforts of institutions historically intertwined with imperial agendas. The research centres on the performance art practice of Rosanna Raymond, Pati Solomona Tyrell, and the FAFASWAG collective and their participation in events that I was involved with as a public programmer at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum—one of the few museums globally engaging in performance art activations. Utilising a collective autoethnographic approach and a qualitative multiple case study methodology, this research investigates four pivotal performances to examine, document, and comprehend the experiences of those involved in performance art, including artists, audiences, and myself as museum programmer. The analysis reveals that the performances' principles and methodological approaches, grounded in Indigenous concepts like teu-le-va, Va, Va-body, and Activation, offer alternative ways of knowing. These approaches not only diverge from the museum's inherent epistemological methods but also actively challenge and contest the presumption of institutional objectivity. Initiating crucial dialogues about museum practices, history-making, and the politics of indigenous material heritage dispossession, this analysis opens the way for a transformative discussion. By incorporating diverse voices, perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches, the research challenges the dominant narratives within museum spaces – as the performance art does itself – and prompts a re-evaluation of how history is constructed and presented, as well as illuminating some challenging pathways for change.
Changes in gastric electrical activity following upper gastrointestinal surgery: The electrophysiological and histological changes that occur following upper gastrointestinal surgery
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025) Wang, Tim Hsu-Han; O'Grady, Greg
Introduction Upper gastrointestinal surgery and hepaticopancreatobiliary surgery comprise a major subset of general surgery. While most patients recover well post-operatively, some patients unfortunately experience persistent post-surgical symptoms including nausea, vomiting, delayed gastric emptying, and reflux. Recent research has focused on the role of aberrant gastrointestinal electrophysiology in contributing to post-surgical gastric function, enabled by advances in high-resolution (HR) gastric mapping technologies. This thesis therefore aimed to better understand changes in gastrointestinal electrophysiology, relevant histology, along with relationships to symptoms and quality of life following upper gastrointestinal surgery. Methods HR gastric serosal (invasive) mapping was performed on porcine models, including healthy weaner pigs and those who underwent a formation of gastrointestinal anastomosis two weeks prior. Data on gastric slow wave frequency, velocity, amplitude, and propagation direction were analysed. Histology was used to assess Interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC). HR body surface gastric mapping was also performed to assess the changes in gastric electrophysiology and motility following surgeries of different cohorts including oesophagectomies, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and pancreaticoduodenectomies in human subjects. Data on gastric slow wave frequency, amplitude and meal response, were obtained and analysed. Results Normal physiological relationships between gastric slow wave parameters were defined, together with changes related to ICC loss and senescence. In the porcine model, changes in gastric frequency, velocity and amplitude were identified at 2 weeks following the formation of gastrointestinal anastomosis, with intestinal slow waves showing capability to cross through the anastomotic scar and into the stomach. There was also consistent regrowth of ICC into the anastomosis. The translational significance of these findings was demonstrated in a patient with chronic gastric dysmotility, with these abnormalities termed “Gastric Aberrant Pathway (GAP) Syndrome". In humans, abnormal gastric slow wave frequency, rhythm and other parameters were variably identified, dependent on cohort of post-surgical patients, and these changes show correlations with patient symptoms and quality of life in post-bariatric cohorts. Conclusion The results of this thesis advance the understanding of normal gastric electrophysiology, and demonstrate several novel abnormalities in gastrointestinal electrophysiology following upper gastrointestinal surgery. These insights will inform future diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic strategies for post-surgical gastric dysfunction.
Media Representations of the African Diaspora in Aotearoa/New Zealand, 2004-2021: An Africana Studies Approach
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2024) Weekes, Anna; Zuberi, Nabeel; Mayeda, David
This thesis is an enquiry into the media representations of the African diasporic community in Aotearoa/New Zealand using the theoretical and methodological approaches of Africana Studies, a framework for the investigation of anti-Black racism globally. For this study, ‘African’ is deemed to be Black African and excludes non-Black former residents of Africa who have migrated to Aotearoa/New Zealand, such as white South Africans and white Zimbabweans. Africana Studies understand that the Black experience of racism and oppression is a shared, rather than individual, experience (Bassey, 2007). This thesis foregrounds the views of African media makers, public figures, creative producers, artists, and ordinary African people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand on how media representations affect the African diasporic community, what responses they have devised to misrepresentation, and what solutions they believe might be available. This thesis also analyses about 210 mainstream media articles about the African diasporic community in the New Zealand media which were published over a 17 year period. This analysis uses Critical Race Discourse Analysis (CRDA) which exposes the discursive reproduction of racism in text and talk. This thesis is the first piece of research in Aotearoa/New Zealand to analyse mainstream media representations of the African diasporic community over a long period of time. It concludes that the discursive media emphasis has, between 2024 and 2021, depicted the African diasporic community in Aotearoa/New Zealand as refugees, migrants, criminals, victims, and conduits of HIV/AIDS. The mainstream media also terminates meaningful discussion of racism in society, continues to depict Africans in New Zealand as refugees (not migrants or people from a refugee background) and supports benign settler colonialism or “racial paternalism” (Shilliam, 2011, p. 89), also known as “racial revisionism” (Winant, 1992, p. 175). The thesis investigates how white normativity in the mainstream media in Aotearoa/New Zealand continues to suppress and put obstacles in the way of open discussions about racism and authentic biculturalism and true partnership with Māori. This in turn relegates the African diasporic community to a marginal position. Finally, this research urges the establishment of a process to decolonise the public and commercial media in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Teaching Presence in Online Postgraduate Courses: A Critical Realist Social Network Analysis of University Teacher-Educators’ Course Design and Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(ResearchSpace@Auckland, 2025) Yeung, Siu Kit Dennis; Lee, Kerry; Sturm, Sean
The rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt transition to online learning at universities worldwide. In response to this sudden shift, most university educators were compelled to adapt swiftly from conventional face-to-face teaching methods to fully online instruction. Recognising the pivotal role of teaching presence in fostering meaningful online learning experiences, this study explores the influence of teaching presence on online teacher-student interactions in discussion forums among twelve postgraduate teacher-training courses, consisting of 27 teachers and 209 students, at a New Zealand university affected by the pandemic in 2020. Guided by a critical realist-informed convergent mixed-method approach, the study employs an iterative retroductive process to synthesise three sources of data. Firstly, teacher-student interactions in the online discussion forums of the twelve courses were represented and characterised through social network analysis and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Secondly, eleven teacher interviews were conducted, in which teachers discussed their experiences and the reasoning behind their decisions in online course design and delivery during the pandemic. Thirdly, a content analysis of all 504 posts from the 27 teachers in the 12 courses was conducted, providing a breakdown of the specific types of teachers’ online posts found. This study substantiates its significance through empirical, methodological and theoretical dimensions. Empirically, it consolidates findings into a 3x3 matrix, highlighting assessment design and teachers’ catalysis of interactions as the two primary factors explaining the varying levels of online interaction across the twelve online/blended postgraduate courses studied. Thus, to boost student participation in online courses, teachers should design feed-forward assessments to grade online participants and provide clear expectations and guidance in the threaded discussions. Methodologically, the study critically dissects prevalent misconceptions in the existing literature regarding the application of social network metrics in formal educational settings. It thus introduces a distinctive approach for better characterising online interactions in university learning. Theoretically, this study challenges the conventional perspective of teaching presence in the COI model and proposes that a pre-course design phase should be emphasised. This study underscores the inherent power and influence of online teachers in online learning environments.

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