AUT Research Repository (Auckland Univ. of Technology)
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Silver Halide Crystals and Ionizing Radiation: A Coordinated Performance Towards Materially Witnessing Nuclear Imperialism
No full textIn early 2024 the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that the Doomsday clock was to remain set to ninety seconds before midnight. This announcement, along with Israeli nuclear threats as part of its ongoing genocide in Palestine; Russian nuclear intimidation towards Ukraine; the dangers of impending nuclear war between the USA and China; North Korean missile testing; the release of Oppenheimer (2023); and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyu, a Japanese grassroots organization of survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks, has reignited public consciousness concerning not only nuclear imperialism and the possibility of nuclear warfare, but also what it looks like. This article responds to the urgency of this current context by exploring Polish artist Monika Niwelińska’s attempts to visualize something as pervasively enormous as nuclear imperialism through her photographic artworks. Through close readings of her series γ[gamma trace] (2017), it specifically focuses on how the material properties of photographic film can be used to visualize ionizing radiation. In Niwelińska’s artworks, radiation and the light sensitive silver halide crystals of filmic emulsion enter into a type of performative relationship where one literally imprints itself into the other. I explore how this relationship offers methods for socio-ethical visualizing of not only ionizing radiation itself but also, by proxy, the associated discourses of nuclear imperialism. I am interested in how conceiving of radiation as a coordinated performative interaction may in turn support efforts for nuclear disarmament. Methodologically framed via artist and theorist Susan Schuppli’s conception of material witnessing, I advocate for forms of politicized witnessing that go beyond visibility. Instead, measurable evidence of the nuclear is physically integrated into the filmic emulsion of Niwelińska’s images
Sāmoan Health Worker Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand - A Pacific-based Scoping Review
No full textIntroduction: A strong Sāmoan health workforce is required to improve the health outcomes of a growing Sāmoan population within Aotearoa New Zealand. Initiatives are underway to increase an under-represented Sāmoan health workforce, yet the wellbeing of this workforce and the safety of the spaces they are occupying are unknown.
Methods: A scoping review was undertaken utilising the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews to uncover available research exploring the wellbeing and support of Sāmoan health workers. Broad literature searches including databases, search engines, targeted web-based searches, health professional–responsible authorities and related member organisations, digital media, university repositories, and the snowball method allowed coverage of Pacific and Western knowledge, forming a comprehensive understanding of the literature.
Findings: Thirty-four sources focussing on Pacific health worker wellbeing and support formed the final data synthesis. The findings exposed an under-represented Sāmoan health workforce whose wellbeing is hindered by institutional racism, discrimination, undervaluing of cultural knowledge and discourteous additional work. Sāmoan health workers sought holistic support through furthering their education, cultural education and supervision, and strong Pacific leadership in seeking improved wellbeing.
Conclusions: Sāmoan health workers work within Westernised systems and chronic institutionalised racism that does not align with their cultural values and limits their wellbeing. Although some literature was available, more research that is ethnic-specific, focussing on the wellbeing of the health workers themselves and from a Pacific worldview, is urgently required to aid this vital workforce
Gasegase o le Mafaufau: A Short Film About Pasifika People Living With Dementia
No full textThis practice-led research project explores dementia from an Aotearoa New Zealand Pasifika perspective, advancing empathy and understanding towards the condition. By drawing upon existing knowledge of Pasifika dementia in Aotearoa, I have situated my short film within the context of existing dementia-related short films. Utilising autoethnographic and heuristic methodologies, I have developed a narrative that allowed me, as the researcher, to investigate this condition despite not having dementia myself. Throughout the production process, I have employed techniques such as storyboarding, case studies, and prototyping, systematically organised within the production pipeline from preproduction to postproduction
Crochet Garlands: Exploring Communication Design Through Creative Practice to Foster Meaningful Relationships
No full textThis practice-led research asks:
How can crochet be utilised as a creative practice with communication design tools to capture and foster meaningful connections? Drawing on the researcher’s personal experience and observation from the past and present, this project investigates the values and qualities of the people in her community. These values and qualities are expressed through พวงมาลัย (Phuang malai), Thai flower garlands, accompanied by a publication that conveys the essence of the entire project. The practice is informed by initiatives like the cultural significance of Thai gift-giving and garlands to create a personal connection to the researcher’s background. Gift-giving is also used as a relational gesture to foster and facilitate meaningful connections through the crocheted garlands. This process is also captured through a visual narrative that showcases the researcher’s navigation between two cultural worlds. The study contributes to the understanding of how crochet can be employed to navigate cultural adaptation
Pragmatics of Second Person Address Variation in New Zealand Sign Language
No full textExpansion of contexts and purposes for the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and the affordances of online video communication modes have led to the emergence of new genre features which have not yet been described. Focusing on contemporary online informative videotexts in NZSL, we take a variationist pragmatics lens to examining variation in second person address between index-finger and whole-hand pointing forms. Forms of address are significant in the construction of social relations between speakers and addressees, having the potential to index dimensions of status, social distance and speaker stance. This study used mixed methods to investigate the use and social indexicality of a whole-hand pronominal variant in NZSL, including analysis of its distribution and associated factors in a dataset of online videotexts and data from other genres and time periods. Metapragmatic insight of NZSL signers about contextual and social motivations for the use of whole-hand pointing address enriches our interpretation of observations in the video data. In addition to confirming that the whole-hand form of address is a modern usage, participants identified four other associations with this form: genre, mode, politeness, and Māori context. We conclude that the typical use of whole-hand address in these informative online videos is a feature re-mediated from in-person public speaking contexts, which is now associated with and replicated in the online modality of this public address genre
Enhancement of Microbial Growth in Pseudomonas Species Through Mutagenesis
No full textThe production of cellulase enzymes is crucial for converting lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars, a process essential for various industrial applications. This study investigates the impact of mutagenesis on microbial growth in Pseudomonas species, specifically P. azotoformans, P. fluorescens, and P. lactis, isolated from maize cobs. Mutagenic agents including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, ethidium bromide (EtBr), and nitrous acid (NA) were used to induce mutations, and bacterial growth was assessed over eight days using Congo Red carboxymethyl cellulose medium. While EtBr mutagenesis significantly enhanced bacterial growth, particularly in P. azotoformans and P. fluorescens, with growth increases of up to 73% at 192 hours compared to wild-type strains, cellulase activity was not directly measured in this study. UV and nitrous acid treatments showed only moderate or negative effects on growth. Although EtBr, a known carcinogen, raises safety concerns, its potential for improving microbial growth suggests it could be useful in optimizing strains for industrial applications. Further studies are needed to directly measure cellulase activity and confirm the impact of these mutagenic treatments on enzyme production
Reweaving Practice: The Challenges and Opportunities for Overseas-trained Teachers in Aotearoa
No full textThis opinion piece explores the complex journey of overseas-trained teachers (OTTs) entering New Zealand's early childhood education (ECE) sector. While these educators bring diverse professional experience and cultural capital, they face significant challenges aligning their practices with Te Whāriki and bicultural commitments grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This piece critiques current induction systems, highlighting gaps in cultural mentoring and relational support. It calls for a reimagined induction process that emphasises culturally sustaining pedagogies, iwi partnerships, and reflective practice. The paper advocates for reweaving rather than merely integrating OTTs’ knowledge into Aotearoa’s unique educational fabric, emphasising the transformative potential of well-supported international educators in strengthening culturally inclusive learning environments
Upper Limb Robotic Rehabilitation Following Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Investigating Efficacy and the Influence of Device Features and Program Parameters
No full textBackground: Following stroke, upper limb impairment is common and frequently limits ability to perform everyday activities. Due to limited resources, current therapy levels are insufficient to optimise functional improvement. Robotic devices have potential to augment upper limb stroke rehabilitation, but knowledge regarding the optimal device features and intervention parameters is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of upper limb robotic rehabilitation compared with conventional rehabilitation, and to critically explore the device features and programme parameters that influence rehabilitation outcomes. Methods: Six electronic databases were searched for RCTs that compared dose-matched robotic versus conventional rehabilitation following stroke, and measured activity level changes in upper limb outcomes. The efficacy of robotic compared with conventional rehabilitation was evaluated using random-effects (I2 ≥ 50%) or fixed-effect (I2 < 50%) models. A systematic categorization of robotic device features and intervention parameters was conducted to facilitate subgroup analyses and meta-regression, enabling exploration of how these factors influence rehabilitation outcomes. Results: The review included 54 studies, involving 2744 participants. Meta-analysis demonstrated that robotic rehabilitation had a small, statistically significant positive effect on upper limb capacity compared with conventional rehabilitation (SMD 0.14, 95% CI [0.02, 0.26]), however these gains were not maintained at follow-up (SMD 0.05, 95% CI [− 0.13, 0.24]). No significant differences were found between robotic and conventional rehabilitation for ADL outcomes either post-treatment (SMD 0.04, 95% CI [– 0.05, 0.13]) or at follow-up (SMD 0.05, 95% CI [− 0.13, 0.24]). Subgroup analyses provided crucial insights into the factors influencing robotic rehabilitation efficacy, revealing significant effects of device assistance (p = 0.0046), joints mobilized (p = 0.0133), degrees of freedom (p = 0.012), device laterality (p = 0.0048), and the number of devices used (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The results suggest that robotic rehabilitation does not result in clinically meaningful improvement in either upper limb capacity or ADL performance. However, this study’s novel subgroup analyses highlight specific device features and intervention parameters that significantly influence efficacy. These findings provide critical guidance for the design, implementation, and future research of robotic rehabilitation
The Dragons are Coming: Stories to Live and Learn By
No full textThe classroom hums with history. Every lesson, every bell, every row of desks carries the weight of narratives passed down through generations, shaping what schooling is—and what school refuses to become. This PhD thesis is presented in the practice-orientated format with two interwoven components: the artefact, which comprises an anthology of 18 original short stories, and this exegesis. Supplementing these texts are original images: photographs, drawings and icons. This doctoral project arises from frustrations I have experienced in my practice as a teacher and teacher educator in and for the schools of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a compulsory schooling system that undergoes continual reforms but persistently produces inequitable outcomes for children. With this thesis, I have sought to use creative writing to explore what lies beyond, beneath, behind, and between enduring narratives about schooling in this country, rather than following more traditional approaches to educational research.
The anthology presents a series of stories of diverse genres and narrative structures. Developed through the study of narrative theory and short story writing, these stories serve as provocations, unsettling the taken-for-granted, and inviting readers to critically engage with underlying assumptions about education. Various layouts, photographs, and drawings have been used to enhance the text of the short stories and the presentation of the website. The anthology is informed by posthuman philosophies that offer conceptual tools to challenge human exceptionalism and individualist notions of agency. The stories invite new ways to engage with old and enduring problems in education through leaving invitational lacunae for readers to participate in the construction and deconstruction of the text, to align with the story collection which they hold as part of themselves.
The exegesis forms the second component of this doctoral project. It elucidates the design of the project and provides a theoretical foundation to consider enduring narratives of education in Aotearoa New Zealand today. In addition to the text, photographs are used in Chapter 2 to represent material figurations, in Chapter 5 to illustrate thoughts about time, and in Chapter 6 to represent the time between starting and completing the doctoral project. Other text types included in the exegesis are the timeline of events in the appendix, and Māori textual forms: the pepeha of introduction in Chapter 1 and the proverbial whakataukī in Chapter 6. The exegesis operates as a dynamic engagement with the ideas, methods, and emergent possibilities of the research, rather than being a traditional linear explanation. After establishing the historical, political, and social context of compulsory schooling in Aotearoa New Zealand, it investigates two key concepts in schooling: concepts of time; and the persistent allure of silver bullet solutions.
Together, the anthology and the exegesis offer a contribution to educational research that is both theoretical and creative, inviting readers to engage with education not as a fixed system to be reformed, but as an evolving assemblage where new possibilities might be imagined and enacted