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Field study of relationships between indoor thermal conditions and two major causes of allergies—dust mites and mould—in New Zealand houses
No full textBased on field studies, this study contributes the new physical data of winter indoor thermal conditions of the indoor spaces with four different dust mite allergen levels in New Zealand houses. This study provides a new method to identify the relationships between indoor thermal conditions and indoor dust mite allergen levels. This study found that the indoor mean relative humidity (RH) close to the floor must be controlled below 70%, and there must be less than 30% of time in winter when indoor RH close to the floor is higher than or equal to 75% to maintain indoor dust mite allergens at an undetectable level; and the indoor mean RH close to the floor must be controlled below 75%, and there must be less than 50% of time in winter when indoor RH close to the floor is higher than or equal to 75% to maintain indoor dust mite allergens at a low (acceptable) level. This study also identified the relationship between indoor thermal conditions for dust mites to thrive and for mould spores to germinate. This study provides a strategy or guideline for preventing indoor allergies related to dust mites and mould under the temperate climate zone; the winter is mild and humid
Digital technology knowledge transfer enablers amongst end-users in architecture, engineering, and construction organisations: New Zealand insights
No full textThe architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors are constantly evolving, and the effective adoption and use of digital technologies are critical for improving project outcomes, enhancing productivity, and fostering innovation. This study aims to identify and analyse the key factors that enable effective knowledge transfer among digital technology end-users in the AEC industry. The study’s theoretical framework is a modified version of the technology acceptance model (TAM). It investigates six knowledge transfer enablers, including ease of use, perceived usefulness, training and support, self-efficacy, and mastery goal orientation. The study also examines the mediating roles of transfer motivation in the relationship between these enablers and knowledge transfer effectiveness. A quantitative research methodology was employed to conduct the research, using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse data collected from 85 construction practitioners through an online survey. The study reveals that there are significant positive relationships between the knowledge transfer enablers and the effectiveness of knowledge transfer, with transfer motivation playing a crucial mediating role. Self-efficacy is the single most important driver of digital technology (DT) knowledge transfer, while supervisory support has a marginal role. Mastery goal orientation increases an employee’s knowledge transfer motivations; therefore, challenging working environments have a positive influence on DT knowledge transfer. These results contribute to the theoretical understanding of knowledge transfer in the context of digital technology use in AEC organisations. The study provides practical insights for managers and policymakers on creating an environment that facilitates effective knowledge transfer, emphasising the need for supportive organisational cultures, adequate training, and the development of user-friendly and compatible technologies. It further highlights the importance of motivating end-users to participate in knowledge transfer processes and suggests strategies to enhance motivation, leading to the successful adoption and utilisation of digital technologies in the AEC industry
Developing Leadership Values in Learners of Electrical Engineering
No full textThis material presents my work as a programme leader in vocational education, focusing on the research question: "Is there value in teaching leadership qualities to learners in a tertiary context?" The research explores an underlying premise of my practice that teaching leadership values helps learners become well-rounded, confident individuals who are better equipped for success in all areas of their lives. While much of the existing research in this field focuses on leadership in education, this study delves into the specific methods used to teach leadership qualities, considering cultural and regional factors. Insights were gained through interviews with trainers, lecturers, and consultants. Using narrative-rich methods, I created a blend of factual and fictional storytelling to communicate the findings. This thesis establishes a framework for embedding leadership values into programmes, creating meaningful learning opportunities, and offering practical resources to support vocational education. Through this process, I have strengthened my role as a thought leader, enhancing curriculum design in ¯akonga-centered vocational training
River in need: Redeveloping the Ganga Ghat
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How can redevelopment support the revitalization of the Ghat of Ganga and address the environmental impacts of the current usage patterns?
ABSTRACT
The Ganga River holds immense religious and cultural significance, worshipped as a goddess by 966 million Hindus who believe in its purifying and healing powers. The ritual of scattering ashes in the river symbolizes liberation from the cycle of rebirth. However, the sacred river faces a severe pollution crisis due to the dumping of incompletely cremated bodies, industrial waste, and untreated sewage, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. The increasing spatial overload at Har Ki Pauri, a major pilgrimage site, has further intensified pollution levels and disrupted the natural ecology of the riverfront.
This study proposes a sustainable redevelopment plan for Har Ki Pauri ghat, and crematorium to address both spatial congestion and pollution. By redesigning the riverfront with dedicated zones for cremation, rituals, and public spaces, the pressure on the main ghats can be reduced. Establishing modern, eco-friendly crematoria with alternative cremation techniques.
A new approach to the problem through identity is essential, as religious beliefs and cultural practices contribute to the pollution of the Ganga. By redefining the relationship between spirituality and sustainability. The integration of passive recreational landscapes, such as green corridors, cultural hubs, and heritage trails, will further strengthen the city's connection to the river, promoting regional art, heritage conservation, and sustainable tourism.
This study will explore how riverfront development, when guided by identity-based solutions and sustainable design, can reconcile spiritual practices with environmental conservation. By balancing religious significance, urban planning, and ecological restoration, the redevelopment of Har Ki Pauri and adjacent ghats can serve as a model for other sacred riverfronts, ensuring the long-term revival of the Gang and its environment
Save the weta save the word: Antiparasitic treatment fluralaner impact on non-target organisms
No full textAntiparasitic treatments for companion animals are approved with the understanding that their benefits outweigh potential harm. However, when these treatments are administered to large populations of healthy animals, the environmental consequences of millions of doses may not necessarily outweigh the harm to Aotearoa New Zealand's unique ecosystem. This talk will focus on fluralaner, a commonly used antiparasitic in companion animals. It will discuss the potential impact of fluralaner on native invertebrates in Aotearoa New Zealand and it will cover preliminary findings on the toxicity of fluralaner to non-target invertebrates, specifically Teleogryllus commodus (crickets), a species taxonomically similar to the New Zealand wētā
Exploring Construction Firms' Practices in China: Implications for Global Markets
No full textThis study explores the challenges faced by Chinese construction companies operating in international markets, focusing on three key areas: cross-cultural communication, business-to-business (B2B) relationship management, and project management practices. The research adopts a qualitative approach using interviews with twelve professionals from four multinational construction firms which headquartered in Australia, Korea, the United States, and China, and all operating in the Chinese market. Participants included project managers, site engineers, and finance officers with rich experience in the construction area. Thematic analysis identified key patterns across the interviews. The findings show that cultural differences strongly affect communication, decision-making, and teamwork in multinational projects. Trust and informal relationships play a vital role in B2B cooperation, especially in the Chinese context. The research also reveals the tension between standardized global procedures and the need for flexible, localized management. By examining these challenges, the study offers practical insights into how Chinese construction firms adapt their practices in international settings, providing useful references for improving collaboration in culturally diverse project teams
Incremental learning applied to phishing detection: Incremental QR and SVM
No full textRESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How effective is LDA-based feature extraction in capturing the most discriminative characteristics for phishing detection compared to other traditional techniques?
2. How does applying QR decomposition to LDA-transformed features improve computational efficiency and enable scalable, real-time phishing detection?
3. What are the limitations of traditional batch-learning approaches in phishing detection, and how can an incremental SVM improve adaptability to evolving phishing attacks?
4. How does the proposed combination of LDA, QR decomposition, and incremental SVM compare to other machine learning pipelines in terms of memory usage, accuracy, and update time?
5. Does reducing feature dimensionality via LDA and QR decomposition help mitigate overfitting and improve generalization in dynamic phishing detection environments?
ABSTRACT
Phishing through social engineering methods on the Internet is an issue that will continue affecting cybersecurity, as attacks are always changing, and static detection models have the disadvantage of overfitting.
To address this, we propose an incremental learning framework that combines class discriminative feature extraction, obtained via Linear Discriminant Analysis, with computationally lightweight updates enabled by QR decomposition for optimization of the projection matrix, and robust classification achieved through Support Vector Machines. This allows for adapting to a new attack pattern in batches, filtering the noise and removing redundant features, thus removing the expensive process of retraining.
Evaluated on four benchmark datasets—PhiUSIIL (phishing URLs), SMS spam, email phishing, and phishing webpages—the model achieved 99.71% accuracy and a ROC-AUC of 0.9997 on PhiUSIIL, outperforming traditional PCA/SVD approaches by reducing memory consumption by 30% and accelerating batch updates to 0.038 seconds. The addition of dimensionality reduction not only prevents overfitting but also enhances deployability in real-time, resource-constrained environments, and is additionally a significant step forward in adaptive, real-world threat detection systems.
Additionally, this framework’s combination of LDA, QR decomposition, and incremental SVM provides a scalable, adaptive solution that maintains classification performance while minimizing computational overhead. The QR decomposition offers numerical stability and compact orthonormal projection, leading to up to 27% faster training times and 30% lower memory usage compared to incremental PCA and SVD. These improvements enable real-time phishing detection suitable for deployment in resource-limited settings such as mobile devices or edge computing platforms. Furthermore, the model demonstrates robustness across different phishing modalities (URLs, SMS, email, webpages), showing minimal degradation when encountering new phishing patterns or domain shifts, thereby reducing overfitting and improving generalization. This makes the approach not only effective against current phishing threats but also resilient and adaptable to continuously evolving cybersecurity challenges
A generative AI approach for blind spot awareness: Real-Time image compression and reconstruction using DDPM model
No full textRESEACH QUESTIONS
• How can a generative AI model be used to compress visual data from CCTV footage to reduce its size while maintaining crucial image quality for blind spot detection?
• How does the use of AI-based image compression affect network latency when transmitting CCTV images for real-time monitoring?
• In what ways does real-time, low-latency transmission of compressed CCTV images improve the ability of drivers to detect potential hazards in blind spots?
• What privacy and security considerations must be addressed when transmitting compressed visual data from CCTV systems for blind spot detection?
ABSTRACT
With the increased number of vehicles and pedestrians on the road, blind spots have become a significant factor in road traffic accidents as they lead to reduced visibility, thus increasing the chance of collision. This thesis explores the application of generative AI to detect and mitigate blind spots, enhancing road safety for drivers and pedestrians. The primary objective of this thesis is to develop a generative AI-based model capable of compressing images like individual images extracted from CCTV video streams to send it over networks with less latency and reconstructing these images in the driver end in real-time, thus building a model capable of identifying hidden hazards and predicting potential risks in real-time.
Using advanced deep learning techniques like Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DDPM) with UNET architecture, this system is trained on diverse datasets such as CIFAR10 and Unnamed Aerial Vehicle (UAV), encompassing various vehicle types, environments, and traffic conditions.
The proposed model was initially tested on the CIFAR dataset, achieving the desired results, including accurate image reconstruction through reverse diffusion. Subsequently, the model was tested on the UAV dataset to evaluate its performance in scenarios closer to real-world applications, such as higher-resolution data typically expected from CCTV footage. While the model demonstrated potential, some challenges arose due to the UAV dataset's higher pixel resolution, requiring the downscaling of images to 32x32 pixels, which limited its performance. This work underscores the need for further optimisation to handle high-resolution data effectively, paving its way for applications in real-world systems
Kia whakawāhine au i ahau: Redefining the ‘Angry Māori Woman’: Exploring the pūrākau of Wāhine Māori in leadership
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How do 6 wāhine Māori maintain their hauora and redefine the ‘Angry Māori Woman’ persona through their Māori focussed social justice leadership?
ABSTRACT
This thesis explores how six Māori women leaders redefine the stereotype of the ‘Angry Māori Woman’ through their dedication to social justice and maintenance of personal and cultural well-being. Using Kaupapa Māori methodology (Smith, 2021), Mana Wahine theory (Pihama, 2001), and Pūrākau narrative inquiry (Lee, 2009), this study documents the lived experiences of these women as they navigate leadership roles in non-Māori, often Euro-centric, environments. Addresses the intersecting impacts of colonisation, racism, and patriarchy on Māori women in leadership positions, this research examines how historical and modern-day challenges shape perceptions of Māori womanhood and leadership. By analysing their narratives, this study highlights the strategies they employ to balance well-being, cultural obligations, professional demands, and navigate the stereotypes imposed upon them.
Using thematic analysis, four primary themes emerged from one-on-one interviews with five Māori women: mana tangata (leadership), te riri (anger), te riri ā-tātāmi (colonial oppression), and tukuna kia ora (releasing burdens). Each theme reveals the complexities of sustaining authentic Māori woman identities within predominantly non-Māori environments. The findings reveal that these women actively reclaim or reject perceptions of anger and leadership, reframing anger as a constructive tool for advocacy, resilience, and compassion. They challenge colonial narratives while encapsulating the cultural ethics of aroha, manaakitanga, and whānau to inform their leadership and counteract stereotypes.
This research contributes to the limited literature documenting Māori women in leadership and offers a framework that validates the experiences of Māori women while providing tools for others facing similar challenges. It underscores the resilience and adaptability of Māori women leaders and their role in advancing social justice, promoting Māori rights, and enriching New Zealand’s social and cultural landscape
Collateral damage: Behavioural impacts of pet parasite control on non-target organisms
No full textOBJECTIVE
• To determine whether commonly used antiparasitic treatment fluralaner used in companion animal species has a detrimental effect on Tellogryllus commodus (field crickets) a taxonomically similar species used as model organisms in place of the New Zealand ground wētā (hemiandrus spp.