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The broken operating model of the New Zealand Public Service
No full textLeading public sector researchers in the field of
public sector capability and performance share their
perspectives on why the operating model of the Public
Service may need a fundamental rethink
The Genetically Engineered Mouse Cell Line Model: A new tool to improve preclinical glioma research
No full textPreclinical research in glioma requires in vivo tumour models. Many researchers rely on murine transplantation models that fail to fully replicate the complexity of human gliomas, particularly the interactions between the tumour and the immune system. The lack of appropriate models has contributed to the failure of new treatments in the clinic.To address the limitations, I developed a new genetically engineered mouse cell line model, or the GEM-CLeM. Mutations were introduced into an immortalised C57BL/6 eGFP astrocyte cell line to create a genetic profile that mimics human glioma cells. Two key models were characterised: (1) a high-grade glioma model featuring a knockdown of Pten with RAS V12 overexpression (Pten KD + RAS V12), and (2) an IDH1 mutant low-grade glioma model with a P53 knockdown and IDH1R132H overexpression (P53 KD + IDH1R132H). The aim of this study was to characterise the tumours that develop from these transplanted cells. Histological, immunological, and transcriptional analyses were used to evaluate the tumours.The Pten KD + RAS V12 model exhibited rapid tumour development, with a median survival of 22 days. Histologically, these tumours displayed dense cell packing, significant invasion into surrounding tissue, and signs of microvascular proliferation. In contrast, the P53 KD + IDH1R132H model produced consistently small tumours, which did not lead to significant tumor-related symptoms. These small tumours were well-vascularised and showed notable macrophage infiltration.Spectral flow cytometry revealed significant tumor-associated macrophage infiltration in both models. The high-grade glioma model showed reduced functional antigen-presenting cells, particularly dendritic cells. This was indicative of an immunologically “cold” tumour microenvironment. Gene set enrichment analysis of RNA-sequencing data confirmed the immune suppressive phenotype and revealed upregulation of invasion, ECM and angiogenic pathways. In contrast, the P53 KD + IDH1R132H tumours contained a more activated anti-tumour response, exemplified by increased presence of monocyte-derived inflammatory dendritic cells. Gene ontology and gene set enrichment analysis confirmed this myeloid-focussed immune infiltration. This model recapitulated phenotypes associated with earlier stages of IDH1 mutant gliomagenesis.In conclusion, this new immune-competent glioma models effectively recapitulate key phenotypes of human tumours, including appropriate histological features, immune infiltration profiles, and transcriptional signatures. These models provide a valuable tool for studying glioma biology and testing potential therapies in a representative preclinical setting.</p
The Healthy Parasite: Towards a sustainable approach to adaptive reuse projects
No full textA number of historical buildings with heritage significance remain as marks of the past on Wellington’s urban fabric. However, many of these buildings are seismically prone and require regular structural upgrading. These buildings have the potential for further development and added value through seismic strengthening. This thesis proposes a sustainable approach to adaptive reuse by exploring three avenues of interest in the realm of green architecture. The first chapter explores the sustainability of plywood as a building material. The second chapter explores the possibility of reducing the need for structure by ‘feeding off’ an existing building’s structure and services through parasitic design concepts. Chapter three explores the integration of biophilic design principles into the building. The final design is a combination of these three areas of research and demonstrates a possible approach to sustainable adaptive reuse projects in New Zealand.</p
Development of Student Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Primary Proportions during Practicum in China
No full textThis research focuses on the development of student teachers’ (STs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching primary proportions during their practicum experience and associated factors, a topic of growing interest in China and internationally. PCK is essential professional knowledge for teachers as it is associated with effective teaching and children’s learning. PCK represents teacher knowledge for integrating subject content into comprehensible forms for all learners to fulfill specific teaching purposes. Teacher knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of learners, and knowledge of instructional strategies are widely accepted as three important PCK components. Mathematics is an important subject in the 9-year compulsory education system in China, and learning primary mathematics is fundamental for children to access higher education. In China, some researchers assert that many novice primary teachers’ effectiveness is constrained by weak PCK. Therefore, it is important to seek ways to cultivate effective mathematics teachers with robust PCK, especially before they start their careers. Practicum in China is the last phase of initial teacher education. During practicum, STs are assigned to one school for two to six months where they complete classroom tasks including teaching observations, curriculum design, and teaching. Within their initial teacher education, the practicum is their final opportunity to expand PCK before becoming a qualified teacher. To address the research questions, “Is practicum effective for developing PCK? How is STs’ PCK for proportion teaching in terms of knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of learners, and knowledge of instructional strategies developed during practicum?”, this qualitative case study explored the effectiveness of practicum for developing three PCK components and 12 subcomponents, and factors associated with STs’ PCK development. Participants were six student teachers and four mentor teachers who were working together during a 2-month practicum. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, documents, and observation, and analysed with a scoring rubric, qualitative deductive, and inductive processes. The findings showed that practicum was more effective in cultivating knowledge of instructional strategies and two subcomponents of knowledge of students; less effective for developing two subdomains of knowledge of curriculum and two subcomponents of knowledge of students; and not effective for developing two subdomains of knowledge of curriculum. Findings also showed that different tasks in practicum may contribute to development of different PCK aspects, and that the three practicum tasks, mentor teachers and STs’ confidence to teach may be strongly associated with PCK development. The findings can enable teacher education programmes to be more strategic about the use of practicum for specific STs’ PCK needs. Contributions of this research include: (a) support other than practicum is needed to develop some aspects of PCK, and (b) further development of the scoring rubric can be applied. Findings of this research may be generalisable to other mathematics topics and the combination of questionnaire and the scoring rubric may have potential for investigating PCK across other subject areas.</p
Leveraging the Asia-Pacific context to advance management research
No full textThe Asia Pacific Journal of Management (APJM) has been instrumental in advancing management research specific to the Asia-Pacific region for four decades. This article underscores the importance of leveraging the unique contextual features of the Asia-Pacific region to enrich and refine management theories. Traditional management theories, often rooted in Western contexts, may not fully capture the complexities of the Asia-Pacific region’s diverse and dynamic environment. The article highlights the need for context-specific research that considers the region’s economic, institutional, and cultural diversity. It calls for a deeper exploration of under-researched areas of management. By contextualizing existing theories and developing new ones grounded in the Asia-Pacific context, the Asia Pacific Journal of Management aims to provide valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners. The editorial also outlines the journal’s vision to promote diverse perspectives, encourage submissions from underrepresented contexts, and celebrate contributions that significantly advance the understanding of management in the Asia-Pacific region
Travel Behaviour and Carbon Emissions of Residents of Public Housing Areas in Aotearoa, New Zealand
No full textPublic housing tenants in many countries have multiple challenges, often including socioeconomic disadvantage, family health and disability limitations, and compromised potential to earn income. An understanding of this group’s travel behaviours is particularly salient when policies to limit carbon emissions are being considered because such policies can exacerbate transport inequities. The current study makes use of an ongoing national travel survey in New Zealand that uses in-person interviews. We studied travel behaviours from neighbourhoods with mostly public housing tenants compared to other areas with no, or low numbers of, public housing tenants. Respondents from public-housing-intensive areas tended to be younger, have lower incomes, have more dependent children, have fewer household vehicles, and reside in areas with the highest levels of socioeconomic deprivation, all features that are known to affect travel patterns. The public-housing-intensive areas had a much higher proportion of trips made as passengers and hence higher levels of car occupancy than people living in other areas. The distance driven per person was less than half that of other areas, as were carbon emissions per person arising from private vehicle travel. Public housing providers and transport planners need to collaborate so that public housing is close to public transport and active transport facilities to allow tenants ready access. Public housing tenants are likely to suffer aspects of transport poverty, and where policies designed to limit carbon emissions increase the price of fossil-fuelled private car travel, other affordable and accessible transport options need to be available
Te Reo Māori in Clinical Psychology: Are the Therapeutic Experiences of Whānau Influenced by Clinicians' Te Reo?
No full textClinical psychologists are predominantly tangata tiriti in Aotearoa/New Zealand, which is a demographic with relatively low te reo Māori/Māori language speakership. This suggests that te reo Māori might not be available in therapy for tangata whenua whānau who might want it. That would mean clinical psychology as a discipline might be ineffectively attending to the needs of tangata whenua clients. To consider these issues, five tangata whenua participants—four who previously saw tangata tiriti clinical psychologists and one who saw a tangata tiriti counsellor—were asked about their experiences in qualitative interviews. Findings suggested tangata tiriti clinicians rarely used te reo Māori with tangata whenua, and that this impacted therapy. Despite this, it was suggested that if clinicians engage with te reo Māori sincerely, this can positively influence the clinician-client relationship. Whānau tangata whenua did not generally endorse a level of proficiency, fluency, or accuracy using kupu Māori/Māori words as being necessary for this relationship to be positive. Rather, whānau indicated that correct pronunciation results from tūhonohono/connection to broad te ao Māori/the Māori worldview concepts underpinning te reo Māori use. Recommended applications for clinical psychology were further explored with whānau. Implications, limitations, and future directions are finally discussed in turn. Overall, the kōrero with whānau tangata whenua highlighted that te reo Māori is missing from therapy too often, and that proper engagement with this space is an opportunity for tangata tiriti clinicians to improve the therapeutic experiences for whānau.</p
AC Loss Research on Conductor on Round Core (CORC) Cables and Multifilamentary Magnesium Diboride (MgB2) Wires for All-superconducting Rotating Machines
No full textAll-superconducting rotating machines, which utilize superconducting materials for both field and armature windings, offer significant advantages of high-power density, lightweight, and high efficiency, making them promising candidates for future all-electric aviation applications. AC loss, as a main heat source that greatly influences its performance and efficiency, is one major challenge hindering its practical applications. Under this condition, selecting appropriate superconducting materials to minimize AC losses is one of the critical issues. Conductor on round core (CORC) cables assembled with multiple HTS coated conductors, are one promising candidate for the field windings, due to their excellent current-carrying capacity and robust mechanical strength. Low-cost, round magnesium diboride (MgB2) wires are one promising material for the armature windings considering their multifilamentary structure, fine filament size and tight twist. However, AC loss behaviors of both candidates operated at realistic conditions have not been fully explored and remain unclear for its real applications.This thesis aims to conduct numerical research in AC loss of these two candidates for their applications in aviation when operated in realistic conditions. In order to obtain a systematic understanding of AC loss behaviors and provide valuable references for the design of practical HTS applications, the following research questions are addressed: how the AC loss behaves in the CORC cables when transporting DC current and exposed to AC magnetic field; what the analytical equations for AC loss are for the spirally wound CORC cables; how the AC loss changes when the operation temperatures and the number of tapes and layers of CORC cables vary; how the AC loss behaves in the multifilamentary MgB2 wires when carrying AC current under AC field; and how the variation of operational conditions impact AC loss, such as the frequency, the twist pitch, the resistivity of matrix and the filament size?Firstly, three-dimensional (3D) simulations of a spiral tape and two HTS CORC cables (one-layer Cable A and two-layer Cable B) carrying DC current exposed to an AC field were carried out to explore their AC loss characteristics, with the external AC magnetic field amplitudes up to 500 mT. The experimental Ic(B, T, ) and n(B, T, ) of a HTS coated conductor from SuperOx are interpolated into models and the operation temperatures are at 77.5 K, 50 K and 30 K, respectively. The generated AC loss, termed as total loss, comprises magnetization loss due to the shielding currents induced by the applied AC magnetic field and dynamic loss from dynamic resistance due to the interaction of the DC current and AC magnetic field. The simulation results show that the total loss of all models above 100 mT increases as temperature decreases from 77.5 K to 30 K when the current-carrying level is less than 30% of their respective critical currents. When the current-carrying level is more than 50% and the field amplitudes are greater than 100 mT, the onset of flux-flow loss at 77.5 K and 50 K leads to a surge in total loss. This is because the transport current exceeds their respective field-dependent critical currents. When compared to those observed in the spiral tape and one-layer Cable A, the total loss of the two-layer cable B becomes lower due to shielding by the second layer. Through simulations, we also uncovered that the dynamic resistance of the spiral tape and each tape of Cable A can be analytically predicted by considering the geometric coefficient 2/π, whereas this finding is not suitable for Cable B due to the shielding effect. Then, the dependence of transport critical current Ic and associated power-law index (n-values) on magnetic field and temperatures of four non-magnetic, multifilamentary MgB2 wires, Ic(B, T) and n(B, T), were measured over a wide range of temperatures (15 – 35 K) and fields (0 – 7 T). Three twisted 54-filament MgB2 wires are manufactured by Hyper Tech Research, USA, with diameters 0.48 mm, 0.48 mm and 0.70 mm respectively, one non-twisted 18-filament MgB2 wire with diameter 0.83 mm is from Sam Dong, South Korea. In order to reduce the heating issues at the current contacts, a newly devised sample mounting method is used for the transport Ic measurements. Among these four wires, only one Hyper Tech wire with a 10 mm twist pitch and 0.48 mm diameter has been fully tested without temperature rise at all temperatures down to 15 K. Thus, the full dataset of this wire is used in AC loss simulation of MgB2 wires later. For other three wires, the sudden temperature rise at low fields and low temperatures results in missing Ic(B, T) data, we thus established an empirical expression to estimate the magnetic field- and temperature-dependent critical current density. This is crucial for aviation applications employing MgB2 wires, as the target operating temperature is 20 K, which is achieved using liquid hydrogen – considered as an efficient coolant. Additionally, all wires have negligible difference in in-field transport Ic when exposed to increasing or decreasing magnetic fields, which is critical for lowering AC loss because the additional losses from magnetic sheaths can be eliminated. Next, 3D simulations of magnetization loss of twisted 2-filament and 54-filament wires with a non-magnetic matrix at 20 K were presented to analyse the loss behaviours and estimate the loss values under realistic conditions, with AC field amplitudes between 0.1 T and 2 T and frequencies ranging from 50 Hz to 200 Hz. The measured Jc(B, 20 K) and n(B, 20 K) are used in simulations. Starting from a simple 2-filament wire, the operational frequency, the twist pitch, the filament size, the matrix resistivity, and inter-filament gap have been varied to systematically study their impacts on magnetization loss and its loss components (hysteresis loss, coupling loss and eddy currents). The simulation results show that the 2-filament wire with a 5 mm twist pitch and a higher resistivity matrix operated at 50 Hz has the lowest magnetization loss through decoupling the filaments. In this context, for the 54-filament MgB2 wire, only the magnetization loss of a 5 mm twist pitch and a higher resistivity matrix wire operated at 50 Hz is obtained in order to estimate the potential minimum loss values. Simulation shows that the hysteresis loss of the 54-filament wire can be well predicted by the analytical hysteresis loss equation for a cylindrical superconductor multiplied by 54 (the number of filaments) when Ba ≤ 0.5 T. The deviation at high-B is attributed to the field-dependent Jc(B) in our simulation while the analytical curve assumes a constant Jc0. Good agreement is also observed between the simulated coupling loss and the analytical coupling loss equation from Wilson for a circular-arranged multifilamentary superconducting wire. Finally, 3D total AC loss simulations on a non-magnetic 54-filament MgB2 wire carrying AC current and exposed to AC field operated at 20 K, targeting for the real armature winding applications, were presented, where the current-carrying level, the twist pitch and the operational frequency were varied. The transport loss without field and magnetization loss without current were also investigated to provide comparisons for the total AC loss. Simulation results show that the total AC loss values in the wires with different twist pitches agree well with the sum of magnetization loss without current and transport loss without field for all different current levels when Ba ≤ 1 T. This suggested that total AC loss in an MgB2 wire carrying an AC current exposed to an AC magnetic field can be accurately predicted by knowing magnetization loss without current and transport loss without field values that are more easily obtained at low-B. At 2 T, the simulated total AC loss experiences a surge this may be due to the quench effect. In addition, with the increase in twist pitch and frequency, a significant increase of total AC loss at high fields is observed. Simulation results also estimate the achievable total AC loss values of a 5 mm twist pitch wire, operated at 200 Hz, are below 4.46 W/cm3 under i = 0.3 and Ba ≤ 0.5 T, where Qm0 is dominant and Qt0 makes a minor contribution. This work presents a pioneering study of the AC loss analysis on the HTS CORC cables and multifilamentary MgB2 wires, operated under realistic conditions for all-superconducting rotating machines in all-electric aircraft. For CORC cables carrying DC current exposed to AC field, the influence of operational temperature, the structure of CORC cables on total loss and dynamic resistance, as revealed in this thesis, contributes to the design of field windings in all-superconducting rotating machines. For multifilamentary MgB2 wires carrying AC current and subject to AC field, the quantitative estimation of AC loss at 20 K, considering the variations in twist pitch, operation frequency, the resistivity of matrix, also provide valuable insights for the real-world applications as well as in the manufacturing of MgB2 wires.</p
Stories of Saviourism : Examining the Moral Negotiations in Volunteer Tourism
No full textVolunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is a thriving form of humanitarian travel characterised by tourists paying to join organised service projects in countries considered as the ‘Global South’. With an estimated 10 million people participating annually in the Asia-Pacific region alone, voluntourism draws increasing scrutiny due to high-profile cases of harm to host communities, including child exploitation, and elevated discourse on the ‘White saviour complex’. These concerns have prompted ethical debates that distinguish voluntourism from conventional volunteering, such as the unique power dynamics and the benefits for the voluntourists. Despite this moral polarity, empirical psychological research regarding voluntourism remains limited, which underscores the need for this programme of research.Building on interdisciplinary research, my thesis investigates the morality of voluntourism using a psychological approach by employing a mixed-methods design. I specifically explore differences in moral justifications from three perspectives: (a) previous and prospective volunteer tourists; (b) laypeople who resemble voluntourists’ in-group; and (c) one voluntourism host community in Fiji. Across three studies, this thesis offers nuanced insights into why this phenomenon perpetuates despite ethical critiques and how groups negotiate their roles within these cooperative efforts. In the first study of my thesis, I elucidate relevant psychological factors that drive volunteer tourists by employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses. I conducted statistical analyses of an online survey sample of 259 previous voluntourists and those interested in future participation. A social network analysis revealed paradoxical relationships that emerged between psychological entitlement, components of empathy, attitudes of privilege and motivations to participate in volunteer tourism. Notably, entitlement was prominent among previous voluntourists and those highly motivated to engage in the future. Follow-up qualitative interviews with a subset of survey participants (N = 9) provided a more nuanced understanding, as participants’ dialogue evidenced self-oriented reasoning, reconciled feelings of guilt for their privilege, and internalised hierarchical beliefs. Some interviewees also expressed advanced comprehension of the colonial structures of voluntourism and navigated discussions of privilege with ease, but remained protective of their moral identity as participants. In my second study, I employed an experimental design to investigate the moral judgments of those who may typically engage in voluntourism, undergraduate students (N = 189) in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I manipulated a between-subjects factorial vignette; results indicated the complex interplay of mindsets, outcomes, and perceived cost in shaping moral judgments towards voluntourism dynamics and its participants. I was particularly interested to find that asset-based mindsets towards a host community appeared to excuse failed voluntourism projects that cause harm to the host community. This indicates the presence of both moral flexibility and conditional subscriptions to promoting autonomy. These findings diverge from traditional theoretical arguments about 'blame' because participants ascribed more praise to successes than blame for failures.Finally, in the third study of this thesis, I immersed myself in fieldwork in an i-Tuakei (Indigenous) Fijian village experienced in hosting voluntourism for 4 weeks after a preliminary consultation visit. Through culturally relevant, collaborative methods, including talanoa and Indigenous frameworks, the study focused on villagers’ (N = 17) and stakeholders’ (N = 4) moral concerns and perspectives of voluntourism. In constructing themes using reflexive thematic analysis, the findings challenged prevailing ethical assumptions about voluntourism. Widespread acceptance of voluntourism was attributed to material benefits and exposure to new ideas. However, in the shared attempts of intergroup cooperation, the reciprocity appears unbalanced and ongoing power imbalances are prevalent. Participants expressed a desire for greater agency in shaping projects brought by outsiders and discussed cultural values that voluntourists should respect. Together, these studies weave a coherent story of how and why this morally polarising phenomenon persists. Theoretically, voluntourism misaligns with traditional moral-psychological frameworks and more closely resembles intergroup cooperation, albeit asymmetrical cooperation. Findings from the first study may suggest that voluntourism diverges from both the empathy-altruism hypothesis and interpretations of the White saviour complex. The second reveals unexpected forms of moral blame asymmetry, offering implications for the path model of blame in these unique dynamics. Finally, the third study proposes grounded recommendations based on first-hand hosting experiences for more equitable and sustainable voluntourism practices that could inform international policy. In the concluding discussion, I outline ongoing efforts to apply these insights and recommend that future psychological research could confirm the role of entitlement for voluntourists and the colonial mentalities of host communities. Implications from this body of research extend across various disciplines, but this thesis is the first scholarship to explore the moral psychology behind voluntourism.</p
The Impact of Psychopathic Personality on Interpersonal Closeness: A Multi-Modal Approach
No full textThis thesis examines the impacts of psychopathy on naturalistic dyadic interactions. Social interactions make up a key element of the human experience and contribute to many facets of our wellbeing. Psychopathic personality is associated with traits that can detrimentally impact the quality of these interactions. The quality of these interactions can be measured by how close we feel to someone, and there are factors that contribute to this including synchrony in facial expression of emotion, physiological responses, and the interpersonal distance we have between ourselves and an interaction partner. Research has shown that the more in sync we are the closer we feel after sharing an emotional moment with another, and the closer we are stand to someone, the more intimate and closer we feel to them, with physical proximity being seen as a support mechanism. The current study investigates these relationships using actor-partner interdependent mediation models (APIMeM), with psychopathic personality scores as predictor variables, changes in feelings of closeness across conversation tasks as outcome variables, and the three mediator variables: facial expression of emotion synchrony, physiological synchrony, and minimum interpersonal distance (i.e. the closest the interaction partners got throughout the conversation task). Data was collected from familiar and stranger dyads who took part in 4 conversations, positively and negatively valenced, and whose movements were captured through motion capture suits, physiological responses through sensors, and facial expressions of emotion from videos of faces put through emotion recognition software. Feelings of closeness were captured through the Inclusion of the Other in the Self Scale (Aron et al. 1992), a self-report measure, before the conversations and after them, and the difference between the two measures was used. Results showed that the Coldheartedness scale scores were associated with greater increase in the person’s own feelings of closeness, with less facial expression of emotion synchrony, and less interpersonal distance. Less interpersonal distance was associated with greater increase in feelings of closeness. Possible interpretations and implications are discussed.</p
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