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Optimising local and imported poultry feed formulation in West Papua, Indonesia : integrating supply chain analysis and least-cost diet formulation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Agribusiness at the School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu, Palmerston North, New Zealand
No full textPoultry production in Indonesia contributed to the nation’s economy and food security. The poultry sector provides employment all around Indonesia and supplies 65% of the nation’s animal protein, including eggs and meat. This effect extends to the development of poultry sectors in areas like West Papua Province in the eastern part of Indonesia. However, the challenges in the poultry industry are that the total production costs of farms come from the feed costs and the feed supply. The source of feed ingredients in West Papua Province comes from domestic trading within Indonesia or imports, leading to price fluctuations, high production costs, and supply chain vulnerabilities. Subsequently, formulating broiler and layer chicken diets with locally produced and imported ingredients could help lower feed costs and support sustainability. By examining the price and accessibility of locally produced, domestically traded, and imported ingredients for the formulation of poultry diets in West Papua Province, this thesis explores the supply of livestock feed. Linear programming was utilised to formulate poultry diets by incorporating ingredient nutrient composition values against the poultry nutrient requirements. The data on the nutritive values and the costs were obtained from secondary sources, including academic literature, industry reports and statistics, government publications, and online market data. Linear programming has formulated 25 poultry diets utilising both local and imported ingredients without violating necessary nutrient requirements. In exploring supply chain vulnerabilities, a sensitivity analysis was performed on these initial diets. Three additional constraints were introduced by setting a zero-inclusion level for maize only, soybean meal only, and both ingredients. These constraints were applied to each representative broiler and layer diet. The findings in this research were that linear programming found infeasible solutions when formulating the selected broiler diet under these scenarios, demonstrating the dependence of maize and soybean meal. However, linear programming was able to formulate three-layer diets using partly local and imported ingredients, though these were more costly than the original diet. Under the sensitivity analysis scenarios, this research found that even though the initial representative layer diet also partly relied on maize and soybean meal, the initial layer diet could still partially substitute maize and soybean meal with local ingredients. Accordingly, the sensitivity analysis revealed the supply chain vulnerability of the maize and soybean meal, which underscores the cost-effectiveness of poultry production. Therefore, this research provides recommendations in optimising poultry diet formulation, including allowing ingredient flexibility, substitution and diversification, strengthening supply chain partnerships, developing strategies for storage and infrastructure development, and proposing government support and policy can optimise feed formulations. Integrating supply chain analysis and least-cost diet formulation underscores the significance of the supply chain of feed ingredients in the region. Regional agricultural and farm enterprises, the government and the poultry industry, and economic sustainability in West Papua Province or regions in similar settings would benefit from the results of this research
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Smallholder Dairy Cattle Farmers in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Survey on Cattle Infertility
No full textInfertility is one of the major farming constraints facing smallholder dairy cattle farming in Tanzania. Despite its impact, there is limited information on how farmers understand and manage it. The present study aimed to assess farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices related to dairy cattle infertility. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire involving 301 farmers across six major dairy-farming regions: Tanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro and Njombe. Overall, 95% of respondents reported encountering infertility on their farms. Farmers were asked to identify signs of infertility from the list of 10 (8 correct and 2 distractors); the median score for correct identification was 7 (range 2–10). The most recognised sign was return to oestrus after insemination (94%). Most farmers correctly identified low milk yield and mastitis as not being signs of infertility. The main reported causes included poor nutrition/housing (93%), livestock diseases (89%), poor record keeping (85%), and poor oestrus detection (83%). Nearly all (98%) viewed infertility as a serious issue, predominantly naming repeat breeding (95%) and failure to produce a calf/year (90%). Management strategies included seeking veterinary services (94%), slaughter (69%), sell to other farmers (23%) and self-treatment (16%). Our findings highlight widespread awareness of infertility while pointing out gaps in management, which reinforces the need for improved farmer education and support services.fals
Systematic Reanalysis of KMTNet Microlensing Events. II. Two New Planets in Giant-source Events
No full textIn this work, we continue to apply the updated KMTNet tender-love care photometric pipeline to historical microlensing events. We apply the pipeline to a subsample of events from the KMTNet database, which we refer to as the giant source sample. Leveraging the improved photometric data, we conduct a systematic search for anomalies within this sample. The search successfully uncovers four new planet-like anomalies and recovers two previously known planetary signals. After detailed analysis, two of the newly discovered anomalies are confirmed as clear planets: KMT-2019-BLG-0578 and KMT-2021-BLG-0736. Their planet-to-host mass ratios are q ∼ 4 × 10−3 and q ∼ 1 × 10−4, respectively. Another event, OGLE-2018-BLG-0421 (KMT-2018-BLG-0831), remains ambiguous. Both a stellar companion and a giant planet in the lens system could potentially explain the observed anomaly. The anomaly signal of the last event, MOA-2022-BLG-038 (KMT-2022-BLG-2342), is attributed to an extra source star. Within this sample, our procedure doubles the number of confirmed planets, demonstrating a significant enhancement in the survey sensitivity.fals
Navigating perceptions of risk and value : a case study on coastal adaptation planning in Aotearoa, New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
No full textFigure 1 (= Lawrence & Bell, 2024 Fig 7) is ©Crown copyright New Zealand 2024 and was therefore removed. Figure 7 (= Ministry for the Environment, 2020 Table 1 p. 9) is ©Crown copyright New Zealand 2020 and was therefore removed. Figures 10 and 17 (=MacDonald & Blazey, 2022 Fig 12 and Fig 8) are ©Jacobs New Zealand Limited 2022 and were therefore removed. Figure 22 (= Boffa Miskell, 2024 p. 58) is ©Boffa Miskell Limited 2024 and was therefore removed. Figure 2 (=Pascual et al., 2022 Fig 6 p. 36) and Figure 6 are reused under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.Climate change is a wicked problem of global proportions and with broad consequences. It is exacerbating coastal hazards, such as erosion and inundation and impacting coastal communities in variable and interconnected ways. Coastal adaptation planning seeks to proactively manage these risks. Actions towards coastal adaptation reflect a multitude of value positions and ways of knowing, and these are intrinsically linked to how receptive communities are to proposed adaptation strategies. The complexities of coastal adaptation planning are highlighted, before exploring the principal components of risk-based and value-based assessment in coastal adaptation planning. The interpretation and evaluation of coastal hazard risks is particularly challenging when risk is examined in the context of the subjectivities of landscape value. Vulnerability and uncertainty add further complexities. Attributes of value can be used in risk assessment to inform coastal adaptation planning and foster local community action. For example, tolerances of risk and conceptions of what is valued and to be protected can differ greatly and be divisive across individuals, groups, and sectors. In this research, document analysis was used to explore how risk and landscape values are evaluated and how value-based risk assessment can inform coastal adaptation planning. Drawn from the literature, a Concentric Framework for Coastal Adaptation Planning was developed and applied to the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Takutai Kāpiti Coastal Adaptation Project. As a completed coastal adaptation planning project, it presented a useful case study from which to draw insights about how planners and policymakers identified risk alongside landscape values in coastal adaptation planning. Four inter-related themes, identified from relevant literature - governance and power, risk assessment, values-based assessment and community empowerment, alongside considerations of global and local action were explored in the case study using the Concentric Framework for Coastal Adaptation Planning. This study presents a basis for exploring coastal adaptation planning in the context of local government and presents an opportunity for further research. It found that there were differences in approaches to landscape and risk assessment, from highly technical assessments of natural character, towards more nuanced assessments of social and cultural values. The complexities of planning within an evolving political landscape were also revealed in the examination of the proposed plan change, which lead to Takutai Kāpiti. It also found that, by addressing factors of vulnerability and matters of uncertainty in decision-making frameworks, planners can enhance a community’s capability to withstand, recover and adapt to coastal hazard risks. Furthermore, when values are acknowledged through meaningful participation and inclusive engagement processes, coastal adaptation outcomes are more likely to be accepted by communities. The research provides insights into the realities of coastal adaptation planning in NZ and confirms that coastal adaptation planning is a ‘wicked problem’ that can never be solved, only re-solved over and over
Etorphine induces pathophysiology in immobilized white rhinoceros through sympathomimesis that is attenuated by butorphanol
No full textWhite rhinoceros are a sentinel species for important ecosystems in southern Africa. Their conservation requires active management of their population, which, in turn, requires immobilization of individuals with an ultra-potent opioid such as etorphine. Unfortunately, when immobilized with etorphine, they develop severe hypoxaemia that may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that (i) etorphine causes sympathetic upregulation that is responsible for physiological complications that produce hypoxaemia and (ii) butorphanol, a partial μ opioid agonist, mitigates sympathetic upregulation, thereby improving arterial oxygen content (CaO2) and delivery (DO2). Six subadult male white rhinoceros were administered two treatments in random order: etorphine-saline (ES) and etorphine-butorphanol (EB). After intramuscular etorphine (~2.6 μg kg−1), rhinoceros became recumbent (time 0 min [t0]) and were instrumented. Baseline data were collected at t30, butorphanol (0.026 mg/kg) or 0.9% saline was administered intravenously at t37, and data were collected again at t40 and t50. At baseline, plasma noradrenaline concentration was >40 ng ml−1, approximately twice that of non-immobilized rhinoceros (t test, P < 0.05); cardiac output (Qt, by thermodilution) and metabolic rate (VO2, by spirometry/indirect calorimetry) were greater than predicted allometrically (t test, P < 0.05), and pulmonary hypertension was present. After butorphanol, noradrenaline concentration remained greater than in non-immobilized rhinoceros; in EB, CaO2 was greater, while Qt, DO2, VO2, and pulmonary pressures were less than in ES (linear mixed effect model, all P < 0.05). Increased noradrenaline concentration with increased Qt and hypermetabolism supports etorphine-induced sympathetic upregulation. Butorphanol partly attenuated these effects, increasing CaO2 but reducing Qt and, thus, DO2. Since plasma noradrenaline concentration remained increased after butorphanol administration while Qt, DO2, and VO2 decreased, a pathway independent of plasma noradrenaline concentration might contribute to the cardiopulmonary and hypermetabolic effects of etorphine. Developing treatments to combat this sympathomimesis could reduce capture-related morbidity in white rhinoceros.fals
Conversations with Practitioners: How Technology Can Facilitate Collaboration
No full textCreative responses to the Classics are one of the most powerful engines that fuels the field of Classical Reception. In the new millennium technology has not only helped facilitate a closer dialogue between practitioners working in a variety of artistic mediums and reception scholars, but it has also widened the dissemination possibilities via open-access websites hosted by universities. This paper testifies to this well-established but still growing phenomenon. It is based on the work I carried out at The Open University, UK as an interviewer for Classics Confidential (2013–2016) and Practitioners Voices in Classical Reception Studies (2014–2018), and as project leader of Classical World New Zealand project (2017–present) at Massey University. I reflect on how this work has shaped my understanding of the reception process itself and enabled me to contribute to the dissemination of information about exciting new case studies in the long reception history of the Graeco-Roman Classics.fals
Estimate industry cost of equity from machine learning : Master of Business Studies (Finance), Massey University
No full textThis thesis aims to contribute to the existing literature in several specific ways. To the best of our research, there has been relatively limited research applying advanced machine learning (ML) techniques specifically to the estimation of industry-level cost of equity (ICoE). While existing studies have generally focused on firm-level return forecasting or relied heavily on traditional asset pricing models such as CAPM, FF3, or FF5, our study extends this scope by systematically exploring how ML methods perform in the broader context of industry-level equity cost estimation. Through this investigation, we provide empirical insights that help clarify the robustness and applicability of ML techniques at the industry rather than the firm level.
We propose a hybrid modelling framework designed to integrate factors selected by machine learning methods into the traditional FF5 asset pricing framework. Specifically, we utilize the extensive JKP factor library, which comprises 153 factors categorized into 13 economic themes, to investigate whether ML-selected factors can provide incremental explanatory power relative to the original, fixed FF5 factors. By adopting this approach, we seek not only to enhance theoretical understandings of factor models but also to offer practical improvements that investors and financial analysts could potentially adopt in their valuation processes.
We conduct a detailed comparative analysis between traditional models (especially FF5) and selected ML methods, such as LASSO, Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), and Light Gradient Boosting Machines (Light GBM). We evaluate the predictive accuracy and stability of these methodologies using a range of commonly accepted error metrics, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Adjusted R². This structured comparison may illustrate the conditions and industry features. Under these conditions and features, ML methods might outperform traditional asset pricing models. To this extent, it may provide useful practical insights for both academic researchers and financial practitioners.
Finally, we attempt to bridge existing gaps between traditional asset pricing theories and modern machine learning methodologies with our empirical framework. We validated the potentiality of integrating ML-selected factors into traditional models, and provide a basic approach for future researchers and practitioners interested in improving industry-level equity cost estimation. Overall, our research seeks to provide a novel perspective about factor selection in asset pricing models. Also we seek to suggest methodological improvements that could enhance investment decision-making under complex and volatile market conditions
Blue threads : a design exploration into uniform apparel systems : an exegesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 14th March 2027
No full textEmbargoed until 14th March 2027Uniform apparel for the New Zealand Police (NZP) plays a significant role in the visual identity and legitimacy for both officers and the public, while improving functional performance and safety for frontline staff. Currently the uniform is developed without a formal process to understand it at a systematic level. This collaborative design research project proposes a product architecture-based methodology to support the New Zealand Police’s operational capability group. This mixed methods approach visualises and responds to the needs of the uniform as a system, allowing adaptive improvements of existing garments, implementation of new garments into the uniform system and speculative outcomes to prepare for potential future contexts. This proposal is validated by three design interventions used as case studies which result in designs. These include, patterns and construction samples for an improved men’s trouser and new knit long sleeve base layer, and conceptual design visualisations for future uniform options. These designs respond to the innovative product architecture mapping, and iterative technical design developments. This design strategy highlights design opportunities to help the New Zealand Police transition towards a more effective uniform apparel system, informing and assisting the management of procurement processes
Helping or hindering solo mothers in need? A rapid realist review of Aotearoa New Zealand’s welfare state and support for solo mothers : a research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Wellington
No full textSolo mothers are some of the most vulnerable people in Aotearoa New Zealand. They face a suite of complex, intertwined hardships exacerbated by the housing they live in (Pehi et al., 2025; Stanley & Monod de Froideville, 2020), the employment they can access and the wages they are paid (Campbell et al., 2016; Martin et al., 2024), the food they can afford (Macaulay et al., 2023; Riol & Connelly, 2023), and the way they are treated by the very people employed to help them (Cram et al., 2020, Gray, 2019). The welfare state, a web of services and support designed to be a safety-net for the most vulnerable, is built into the foundations of most Western countries (Flora & Heidenheimer, 1981; Kuhnle & Sander, 2021). Yet, in many, poverty rates are stubbornly high (Horemans & Marx, 2018; Pérez-Corral & Moreno-Mínguez, 2025), including in Aotearoa (Dwyer, 2015; Madden, 2016). The research used a critical realist theoretical position, executed through a rapid realist review, to explore the extent that Aotearoa’s welfare state supports solo mothers in the context of these complex, intertwined hardships. The research examined three types of policy interventions: cash transfers, in-kind benefits, and Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs). A de-facto best-practice model was developed, setting out how welfare states support solo mothers across these intervention types using international and local evidence, and was then tested against Aotearoa’s suite of welfare policies. The research found that a welfare state that supports solo mothers is generous, universal but with tailored targeting of some services, flexible to changing circumstances, and with a broad-spectrum of in-kind and cash support. In Aotearoa, there are a number of gaps and opportunities to address the differential between the current provision of welfare and this ideal model for solo mothers, and a long way to go to establish a welfare state that fundamentally helps, not hinders, their success. While the research does not set out explicit recommendations for change, it presents a suite of potential pathways for future research to determine how Aotearoa can develop a welfare state that truly supports solo mothers