AUT Research Repository (Auckland Univ. of Technology)
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Reframing Gender and Development in Law Reform: The Case of Fa’atama Advocates in Samoa
No full textSamoa is an independent state located in Oceania, with a bijural legal system comprised of customary law and state law. The overwhelming majority of the population identify as heterosexual, with significantly fewer identifying as fa’afafine and even fewer as fa’atama. This limited representation of fa’atama highlights their ongoing demographic and political invisibility, which continues to hinder their recognition within both customary law and state law frameworks. The Samoa Fa’afafine Association (SFA) and gender advocates on the ground have been pushing for the recognition of the third gender in all platforms. In this chapter, I draw on fa’atama advocates’ experience in Samoa law reform, to emphasise the effects of the dominant and longstanding gender and development narratives, as a way to reframe and address some of the critical ways that those perceptions have been embedded in contemporary donor discourses. I focus on the advancement of fa’atama advocacy in Samoa law reform, to highlight local efforts to reframe the gender and development narratives and practices in law reform; and to examine the role of Samoan customs and arts to challenge the prevailing gender and development ideology, while proposing alternative narratives to reframing law and gender discourse
LED Airfield Lighting: Exploring the Synergy of Sustainable Solutions, Safety, and Smart Technology
No full textPurpose
This study investigates the effects of LED airfield lighting on sustainability and safety, aiming to provide actionable insights for airport operations, health and safety, and sustainability managers. It evaluates both global and New Zealand-specific contexts to understand how LED lighting contributes to energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety in airport environments.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology was adopted, combining primary data from five expert interviews with secondary data from a systematic literature review of 47 articles. Thematic coding was employed to identify key influencing factors, followed by a Pareto analysis, degree of centrality, and causal loop diagramming to assess their systemic importance.
Findings
The study identifies Energy Efficiency (EE-01) and Reduction of Energy Consumption (EE-02) as the most influential factors closely linked to operational savings and sustainability goals. Durability (IR-02) and High-Performance Light Output (IR-01) also emerged as critical for ensuring long-term reliability and visual safety. While factors such as Reduced Maintenance Costs (CE-01) and Smart Control and Adaptability (TI-01) are less frequently cited in the literature, consultation input suggests they are becoming increasingly relevant in modern airfield systems. The analysis reveals a balanced emphasis on economic efficiency, safety, and environmental performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to English-language sources from 2019 onward and includes a focused sample of industry consultations, which may affect generalisability. Nonetheless, the integrated analysis offers a robust foundation for future research and policy development in sustainable airport infrastructure.
Practical implications
From a practical standpoint, the study provides actionable insights for airport authorities, infrastructure designers, and health and safety managers. Stakeholders are encouraged to prioritise LED lighting as part of broader sustainability strategies—not only for the environmental and financial advantages but also for enhanced visual performance, reduced maintenance-related hazards, and emerging opportunities for smart lighting control. For policymakers, the results underscore the need to support LED adoption through targeted incentives, technical standards, and regulatory frameworks, especially in contexts like New Zealand, where national sustainability goals are aligned with infrastructure modernisation.
Originality/value
This research presents the first comprehensive evaluation of LED airfield lighting through a systems-thinking and network-analysis lens, integrating perspectives on sustainability, safety, and cost. It provides airport stakeholders with evidence-based insights to support safer, more energy-efficient, and environmentally aligned airfield operations
Combine Meta-Learning with Feature Alignment for Cross-Domain Heterogeneous Hyperspectral Image Classification
No full textThe scarcity of labeled samples results in the challenge of small-sample-size in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. Transfer learning offers hope for solving this problem. In cross-domain transfer learning, the source domain boasts abundant labeled training samples, whereas the target domain comprises only limited labeled training samples. Leveraging the information from the source domain can benefit the classification of the target domain. However, inconsistencies in land-cover classes between source and target domains may hinder knowledge transfer between domains. Fortunately, few-shot learning (FSL) provides an effective solution to this challenge. In recent years, meta-learning has gained widespread attention as a mainstream approach within FSL. This paper proposes a novel method for cross-domain heterogeneous HSI classification, called cross-domain meta-learning with feature alignment (CD-MFA). CD-MFA enhances the generalization performance of the inner-loop optimization by incorporating task-adaptive loss function. The adaptive weighting strategy is used in the outer-loop optimization to balance the classification losses of the source and target domains to learn more discriminative features. Additionally, by aligning the features of the source and target domains under the guidance of the Gaussian prior, the impact of domain shift can be mitigated. It is worth noting that CD-MFA is trained concurrently on both the source and target domains so that the two domains are will bound, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Experimental results on four publicly available HSI datasets validate the effectiveness of CD-MFA
Does Specialisation Impact Sprint and Change of Direction Performance in Youth Football Players?
No full textPurpose: Specialisation in youth football is common, often with the goal of heightened sporting success later in life. The purpose of this study was to investigate if sprint and change of direction (COD) performance differs between specialised and diversified youth football players.
Methods: Twenty male football players (age: 15.9 ±1.1 years), grouped as specialised (n=11) or diversified (n=9), were compared in 30m sprint and 5-0-5 COD tasks. In the sprint, 10m and 30m completion time and force-velocity profiles were examined. COD performance was assessed using total time, COD deficit, and 2-dimensional video to determine if participants used backward trunk inclination and heel strike during their penultimate foot contact. Linear mixed models and Chi-square analyses were used to compare groups with significance set at p ≤0.05.
Results: Sprint and COD performance did not differ between groups (p >0.05). Significantly greater COD asymmetries were seen in the specialised group (9%) compared to the diversified group (4%). While not significantly different, effect sizes suggest potential differences in task completion strategy were observed based on force-velocity profiles during sprints.
Conclusions: These results suggest a specialised pathway does not lead to improved performance in sprint or COD in youth football players, but it may lead to differences in the strategy used to perform these tasks.</jats:p
Developing Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Resilient Capabilities: The Role of Industry 4.0 Technologies
No full textPurpose: Building resilience in pharmaceutical supply chains (PSCs) has become imperative in the wake of COVID-19 and other global disruptions. This study advances understanding of how PSCs can be re-imagined, re-designed, and strengthened by leveraging Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. Design/methodology/approach: We adopted a qualitative approach using thematic analysis and the Gioia method on a corpus of data from 114 articles published in 84 peer-reviewed academic journals. We conducted a problematising review to critically analyse the contributions of I4.0 technologies to PSCs and demonstrate the distinctiveness of PSC resilience. Findings: The thematic analysis revealed the advantages and barriers to I4.0 implementation in PSCs, emphasising on how these technologies support sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capabilities. Drawing on Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), we propose the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Resilient Capabilities (PSCRC) model, which conceptualises the capability building required to withstand and adapt to disruption. Originality/Value: We argue that the PSCRC model provides i) a theoretical contribution by clarifying the micro foundations of resilience, and ii) a practical roadmap for supply chain leaders seeking to deploy I4.0 technologies to coordinate processes, secure materials, and build sustainable and adaptive PSCs. The paper also outlines future research avenues to advance scholarly and managerial understanding of PSC resilience
Personalising Nutrition and Lifestyle Recommendations: Analysis of Gene-test Reports by Individual and Geographic Differences
No full textIntroduction: Advances in nutrigenomics have enabled exploration of how genetic variation may relate to nutrition and lifestyle traits. However, the extent to which demographic factors influence the distribution of such variants remains underexplored.
Objective: This study examined gender- and region-specific variation in diet- and lifestyle-related genetic traits and described patterns of trait clustering within a cohort of direct-to-consumer gene-test clients.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 503 anonymised gene-test reports covering 41 nutrition- and lifestyle-linked genetic components. Chi-square tests assessed demographic differences in allele frequency distributions. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis were applied as exploratory tools to visualise trait patterns.
Results: Most individuals exhibited typical genotype distributions, though some demographic differences were observed. Statistically significant gender variation was noted in omega-3/6 metabolism (p = 0.0378). Lactose intolerance showed the greatest regional disparity, disproportionately affecting Asian (p < 0.00001). Marked regional differences were also observed in vitamin-D status (p = 0.0137), omega-3 metabolism (p = 0.0215), pain tolerance (p = 0.0279), fat utilisation (p = 0.0406) and gluten sensitivity (p = 0.0411). Clustering grouped 41 components into 14 sets. Three principal clusters explained 44-80% of the variance. Predictive modelling was limited by incomplete data and class imbalance.
Conclusion: This exploratory study highlights modest demographic differences in allele frequencies and demonstrates clustering of nutrition-related genetic traits within a direct-to-consumer dataset. Findings should be interpreted as descriptive signals rather than prescriptive guidance. Future research incorporating phenotypic, biomarker, and outcome data is needed to evaluate functional and clinical significance
Hierarchical Switch Fault Diagnosis Based on Transformer Algorithm in Four-leg Inverters of Stand-alone Wind Energy Conversion Systems
No full textWith the increasing development of renewable energy resources, stand-alone structures are gaining more attention. Among these, wind energy systems are particularly notable because of their advantages, including sustainability, low operational expenses, and minimal environmental impact. Due to the challenges of load balancing in such systems, four-leg inverters have emerged as a viable solution, offering improved performance under unbalanced load conditions. However, like all inverters, they remain susceptible to internal faults. Accordingly, this paper proposes a hierarchical two-level Transformer-based model to detect switch internal faults, including open-circuit and short-circuit in four-leg inverters. The OPAL-RT hardware-in-the-loop setup was used to generate data in various scenarios to validate the efficiency of the proposed framework. The results demonstrate that the developed technique can effectively classify fault types and identify faulty switches compared to state-of-the-art algorithms and single-level structures
A System Dynamics Approach to Evaluating Factors Influencing Whole Life Cost Estimation for Residential Buildings in New Zealand
No full text
Purpose
This study aims to apply a system dynamics approach to examine and model the interrelated factors affecting whole lifecost estimation for residential buildings within the New Zealand construction context. Accurately estimating the whole life cost (WLC) of residential buildings is critical to achieving long-term economic and environmental sustainability. However, existing WLC frameworks often overlook the dynamic interdependencies among influencing factors, particularly within New Zealand’s unique construction context, characterised by seismic activity, climate variability and supply chain constraints.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a system dynamics approach to model and analyse these complex relationships, integrating insights from a systematic literature review and 22 semi-structured interviews with industry professionals. The analytic hierarchy process was used to prioritise and weight 80 identified factors based on their relative influence, with consistency of expert judgements confirmed through the consistency ratio. These normalised weights were then combined with directional relationship mapping to construct a linkage matrix that informed the development of causal loop diagrams and stock-and-flow models.
Findings
The research highlights key feedback loops and time delays that affect lifecycle cost elements, including construction, operation and maintenance. Findings reveal significant gaps in current international frameworks such as ICMS, particularly their inability to accommodate regional risks and behavioural influences.
Research limitations/implications
The study proposes a context-specific enhancement to WLC methodologies, enabling more accurate and resilient cost estimation. This tailored framework supports informed decision-making by stakeholders and advances sustainable residential construction practices in New Zealand. However, the qualitative nature of the research limits the generalisability of findings beyond New Zealand’s residential construction sector.
Originality/value
This research presents a novel, comprehensive modelling approach that incorporates regional and behavioural factors specific to New Zealand’s residential construction sector, offering enhanced accuracy and practical value beyond existing international standards.
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Enhancing Sustainable Development in the Tourism Sharing Economy: Value Co-Creation in the Service Ecosystem
No full textPurpose – The study aims to explore how value co-creation is achieved through a relationship between hosts and guests in the urban tourism sharing economy (TSE). Based on the service-dominant logic (SDL), the study offers a novel understanding of the nature and types of value generated during interactions between hosts and guests within tours and activities, an area that has been comparatively overlooked in academic literature relative to accommodation.
Design/methodology/approach – The study employed an exploratory case study to thoroughly investigate the interactions between hosts and guests, focusing specifically on the types of value created through these interactions. The study employed various research methods, including in-depth interviews, participant observations, and focus groups, to gather data and gain insight into the co-creation phenomenon.
Findings – The value of co-creation extends beyond the engagement between the host and guest to include participation from local service providers (LSPs) and local communities, promoting sustainable tourism development through stakeholder interactions.
Research limitations/implications – Future studies could expand on this theoretical foundation by quantitatively examining the co-creation practices and values identified, or by determining the levels of engagement involved.
Practical implications – It can assist tourism stakeholders in enhancing experiences for hosts and guests, and raising their awareness of how the TSE affects sustainable local development.
Originality/value – Host-guest value co-creation enhances sustainable tourism development in the TSE context
Effects of Repeated Forward Versus Repeated Backward Sprint Training on Physical Fitness Measures in Youth Male Basketball Players
No full textThis study aimed to examine the effects of eight weeks of repeated backward sprint training (RBST) versus repeated forward sprint training (RFST) on physical fitness measures. Twenty-three postpubertal male basketball players (mean age = 15 years) were randomly assigned to either an RBST group (n = 12) or an RFST group (n = 11). Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured 5-, 10-, and 20 m sprint performance, Y-agility, 505 change of direction (CoD) speed, countermovement jump (CMJ), standing long jump (SLJ), and RSA (RSA best time [RSAbest] and RSA mean time [RSAmean]). The RBST group significantly improved in all measures (p < 0.05; 6.11 to 19.25%; Effect size [ES] = 0.32 to 1.05) except RSAbest. The RFST group significantly improved 10 m sprint, SLJ, RSAbest, and RSAmean (p < 0.05; 6.25 to 17.84%; ES = 0.05 to 0.80). Between-group analysis revealed that RBST outperformed RFST in Y-agility and SLJ (p < 0.05; ES = −1.03 and 0.16, respectively). RBST was more effective for improving agility and lower-body power, while RFST provided a slight advantage in peak RSA. These findings suggest that incorporating task-specific sprint training may optimize physical performance in male youth basketball players.</jats:p