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Using data science techniques to create and maintain a globally diversified ETF-based investment portfolio
Get PDFInvesting has been recognised as one way to generate wealth. Investors are particularly interested in chasing short-term top performance while they, in fact, should be concerned with selecting proper financial assets of different asset classes and allocate them to optimize long-term returns. This article explores the use of data science tools and techniques for creating and maintaining (via rebalancing) an investment portfolio that is statistically capable to provide the expect returns while being consistent to the investor profile.
In the article, we quantitatively analysed some of the exchange traded funds (ETFs) from the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) aiming of determining their historical performance and how it can predict future returns. After, we created a portfolio with the selected ETFs as well as an investing approach that would meet the expected performance while maintaining the risks relatively low. Back testing, machine learning, simulation and other data sciences techniques were used to analyse historical and forecasted performance of the portfolio and the potential outcomes of the associate investing strategy
The development of personal growth, self-awareness & graduate attributes in engineering & design factory students – Part 1
Get PDFCONTEXT
Engineering, like many workforces, is adapting to the technological advances the world is experiencing which is creating new engineering roles as well as requiring more links between roles. This, therefore, is putting pressure on undergraduate students to enter a workforce that is constantly evolving and to quickly feel comfortable to contribute meaningfully. Currently, engineering education tends to focus heavily on technical teaching and practical experiments with little emphasis on work-ready skills. The use of student-centered teaching & learning pedagogies is essential engineering disciplines though are still assessed heavily on outcomes rather than process; with repetition of a skill seen as growth. This paper is an investigation into how a Level 7 engineering project and Design Factory Module can develop and enhance student’s growth which in turn, can create students who can assimilate faster into the workforce.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to understand the engineering educational approach to prepare students for industry and to record the progression of student’s personal growth, self-awareness, and graduate attributes, which are measured against our observations.
APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS
The Engineering project and Design Factory courses have industry connections and are believed to create the most change in personal growth of students. This study involves ongoing collection of student data from semi-structured interviews at the beginning, middle and end of year. The interviews collect data about the learners’ profile, learners’ progress, and employability skills self-assessment to analyse their competency throughout the course. As well as this, part of the Design Factory course assessment includes a personal development plan which measures the soft skill development of the students during their study.
ACTUAL OUTCOMES
Early indications show students want involvement in industry projects, participate in hands on exercises and practical learnings to gain work-ready skills. Students tend to rate themselves highly on their employability skills, until placed in a situation that is new to them. As more data is received (over a long term study) this study will help identify graduate attribute areas which require development and aid in identifying activities that work the best for student growth.
CONCLUSIONS
Reid and Ferguson state, “To develop and enhance student’s growth, it is necessary to praise a student’s professional learning – not just a student’s intelligence”. This study is a first step to building on this statement, by creating an understanding of engineering students needs in relation to future engineering employability
Airways
No full textMultimedia installation
Airways (2022) is the result of my collaboration with musician Micah Livesay and mathematician Chris Batterton, responding to the ‘What if Climate Change was Purple’ arts project – initiated by climate scientist Prof. James Renwick, aimed at gathering scientists and artists together to share knowledge and research that inspire climate action.
As an artist and former air traffic controller, I have a long-standing interest in the profound impact of aviation on the natural environment and ways the atmosphere is permeated by technologies of communication, transportation and scientific research. With the coronavirus pandemic causing worldwide air travel disruption, there has been a unique opportunity to observe significant changes in the usual rhythm of flight, resulting in humans effectively becoming de-centered and reconfigured within a broader ecological/multispecies system.
To improve quality of life and create an environment in which humans recalibrate their relationship with nature, it is sometimes necessary to evaluate and predict the effects of human activity, using mathematical and statistical modelling. It was with this in mind that 'Airways' became an inquiry into how mathematical data might be used to create new atmospheric imaginaries that somehow flesh out this singular moment in human history.
Both the soundtrack and graphic components of the installation are created using real-world aircraft movement data collected over the past year from various airports in New Zealand, which were then converted into mathematical wave form frequencies. What we see and hear in the installation are sounds and images produced using mathematical ‘models’, through which patterns of flight and acoustic communication in the air are identified and embedded within a harmonic structure. The breathing process synonymous with the flow of information and communication is evoked, using the acoustic signatures of air traffic controllers’ voices and bird calls that combine with indigenous Māori Taonga Pūoro – traditional wind instruments, relying on the performers breath to imitate sounds of the natural world, including bird calls for the purpose of attracting and interacting with them
Educating a culturally competent health workforce for Pasifika communities: A Wintec/K'aute Pasifika clinical partnership project
Get PDFIntroduction
The connection between Wintec and K’aute Pasifika is long standing through health and education and the time is right for collaboration that lifts both organisations is the strongest possible partnership. Significant opportunity exists for Wintec’s CHASP/CSSHP and K’aute Pasifika to work together in developing innovative strategies to enhance opportunities for student engagement in the delivery of services offered through K’aute Pasifika and to evaluate these.
Literature review
Pacific Islanders typically have lower health status and life expectancy than other New Zealanders. Implementation of Māori initiatives are not always appropriate for Pasifika peoples and there is a need to develop Pacific-specific initiatives. Evidence suggests tailored teaching and learning interventions may be required to promote participation and academic success of underrepresented minority groups in New Zealand, such as Pasifika. However, the focus needs to be on more than just Pasifika students and also on increasing non-Pasifika student capacity to work with the Pasifika community in a culturally acceptable and competent manner. There is a consistent shortage of Pacific primary health care workers in New Zealand and Pasifika are underrepresented across all health occupations. The literature identifies a complex range of factors that may contribute to this including high levels of mobilization in the skilled professional workforce and blurring of boundaries. Student-led placements with Indigenous populations have been identified as a feasible and meaningful way of developing a workforce ready to serve Indigenous and minority populations.
Method
A mixed method study design incorporating Talanoa was implemented to address the following key objectives:
1. Map current Wintec student placement provision within K’aute Pasifika against regional population health needs
2. Identify educational opportunities available at K’aute Pasifika through consultation with K’aute Pasifika staff
3. In collaboration between Wintec and K’aute Pasifika, develop a 5-year strategic plan for enhancement of cultural competence of Wintec staff and students in working with Pasifika people
Findings
Our Talanoa identified three major themes through which current and potential student placements could be better understood: the student experience, vā/relationships, and transformation. The first theme, student experience, was divided into subthemes, which expressed how students are valued, quality experiences for students are important to K’aute Pasifika staff, cultural practices are significant in placements at K’aute Pasifika, authentic experiences and interprofessional practices are essential and readily occur at K’aute Pasifika. The second theme, vā/relationships, was conceptualised as a network, with K’aute Pasifika at the centre, surrounded by the relevant partnerships. Equally as important as who those partners were, was the connections and space - or vā - between them. The third theme, transformation, was divided into three sub-themes: growth, capacity for more, and workforce development. These themes were understood in the context of the health data to create a clearer picture of the health needs for the Pasifika community in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton.
Recommendations
A clear action plan for 2021 is outlined which was co-constructed and agreed between K’aute Pasifika and Wintec and derived from the Strategic Plan
Online learning factors that influence the student’s learning outcomes
Get PDFThe research aim is to determine the factors of online learning which has influences on the students learning outcomes. This research is conducted using an online survey to find out the online learning factors from the student’s perspective. Research on the definition and many features of online education is numerous but there are relatively few publications on the determinants of online learning. Online education is becoming an increasingly significant part of higher education as both online and traditional colleges continue to broaden their online offerings. The purpose of this research is to understand the online learning factors which can influence student learning outcomes. All the factors are discussed in the literature in detail. The finding indicated that student’s learning outcomes are influenced by some factors which are interaction, motivation, satisfaction and advantages of online learning. To find out the effectiveness of online learning an online survey is conducted and circulated on social media platforms. The data gathered from the survey show that online learning is growing rapidly and is very effective with different advantages. Many aspects play important roles, and this literature review will go further into a few of them. The research demonstrates that the importance of technological infrastructure and connection in guaranteeing the effectiveness of online learning is critical. In addition, content and technology suppliers require mobile, high-quality, interoperable solutions so that the same information is offered inside the same institution across other institutions and departments.
This research uses the quantitative analysis approach. This study's test model is a revised Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data was gathered using an online survey method and convenience sampling. The remaining part of the research report is structured as follows: First, the related literature on the factors is examined, and hypotheses for this research are developed. Following that, the research method for this study is addressed. The analysis findings, discussion of the findings, and limits for this study are then presented. The appendix and references are the final parts
Eye of the Taika: New Zealand Comedy and the Films of Taika Waititi
No full textEye of the Taika: New Zealand Comedy and the Films of Taika Waititi is the first book-length study of comic film director and media celebrity Taika Waititi. Author Matthew Bannister analyses Waititi’s feature films and places his other works and performances—short films, TV series, advertisements, music videos, and media appearances—in the fabric of popular culture. The book’s thesis is that Waititi’s playful comic style draws on an ironic reading of NZ identity as Antipodean camp, a style which reflects NZ’s historic status as colonial underdog.
The first four chapters of Eye of the Taika explore Waititi’s early life and career, the history of New Zealand and its film industry, the history of local comedy and its undervaluation in favor of more "serious" art, and ethnicity in New Zealand comedy. Bannister then focuses on Waititi’s films, beginning with Eagle vs Shark (2007) and its place in "New Geek Cinema," despite being an outsider even in this realm. Bannister uses Boy (2010) to address the "comedian comedy," arguing that Waititi is a comedic entertainer before being a director. With What We Do in The Shadows (2014), Bannister explores Waititi’s use of the vampire as the archetypal immigrant struggling to fit into mainstream society, under the guise of a mockumentary. Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Bannister argues, is a family-friendly, rural-based romp that plays on and ironizes aspects of Aotearoa/New Zealand identity. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) launched Waititi into the Hollywood realm, while introducing a Polynesian perspective on Western superhero ideology. Finally, Bannister addresses Jojo Rabbit (2019) as an "anti-hate satire" and questions its quality versus its topicality and timeliness in Hollywood.
By viewing Waititi’s career and filmography as a series of pranks, Bannister identifies Waititi’s playful balance between dominant art worlds and emergent postcolonial innovations, New Zealand national identity and indigenous Aotearoan (and Jewish) roots, and masculinity and androgyny. Eye of the Taika is intended for film scholars and film lovers alike
Experiences of New Zealand registered nurses of Chinese ethnicity during the COVID‐19 pandemic
No full textNew Zealand's nursing workforce is becoming increasingly multicultural as foreign nurses make up an essential part of the New Zealand health workforce. The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has highlighted the contributions that nurses have made in providing front‐line services to the public. However, little has been documented about challenges and experiences of this minority ethnic group—Chinese nurses—who have been working as registered nurses in New Zealand during the COVID‐19 pandemic.This study aimed to investigate the experiences and challenges of New Zealand registered nurses of Chinese ethnicity who have been working during the COVID‐19 pandemic.The result showed that 47.06% participants (n = 24) reported negative experiences including racial discrimination, workplace bullying and judgement, while 52.94% (n = 27) participants reported positive working experiences including supports received in the workplace and positive recognition by the pubic in New Zealand
Dilution method of menthol solutions affects subsequent perceptual thermal responses during passive heat exposure in non‐heat acclimated participants
Get PDFDue to its volatility, the qualitative experience of menthol may be modulated by its prep‐ aration and combination with other compounds. One such method of preparation is dilution, with two dilution methods existing within the sport and exercise science literature, where menthol is used to impart feelings of oral cooling and improve thermal comfort and sensation during heat ex‐ posure. This study compared these two dilution methods; one using a solvent the other using tem‐ perature, via a randomized counterbalanced repeated measures design (n = 12; Height: 174.0 ± 8.5 cm Mass: 73.4 ± 13.3 kg Age: 28.7 ± 8.4 y; two exposures to each solution) to assess the effect of solution and heat exposure, upon thermal comfort, thermal sensation and associated physiological parameters in non‐heat acclimated participants. Thermal comfort was significantly affected by so‐ lution (p = 0.041; η2 = 0.017) and time (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.228), whereas thermal sensation was signifi‐ cantly affected by time only (p = 0.012; η2 = 0.133), as was tympanic temperature (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.277). Small to moderate clear differences between solutions at matched time points were also ob‐ served. These trends and effects suggest that, depending upon the dilution method employed, the resultant perceptual effects are likely impacted; this also likely depends upon the timing of menthol administration within a heat exposure session
The thermal comfort sweet-spot: A case study in a residential house in Waikato, New Zealand
No full textA longitudinal study has revealed that 50% of New Zealand children sleep in rooms that fall below the expected standard for thermal comfort during the winter months. Causes include older insulation and glazing standards for residential homes, poor materials, inadequate ventilation, and residents being unable to afford heating. These combined factors result in poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This paper aims to analyse experimentally and computationally the thermal comfort in a bedroom occupied by two children (aged eight and three) from 19:00 to 7:00. The experiment was carried out during June 2021. The measured data were particulate matter (PM2.5), relative humidity (RH%), and air temperature (, captured with an air image sensor. In order to find appropriate thermal comfort parameters, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models with four heat pump temperature settings (19, 20, 21 and 22 were investigated to assess the predicted mean vote (PMV), predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) and the local air quality index (LAQI) for the expired air. Measurements and CFD results show that setting the heat pump temperature to 22 is aligned with the 1.7 Metabolic (MET) - EN ISO 7730, 2005 and ASHRAE 55 recommendation for thermal sensation and the indoor PM2.5 of 1.058 μg/m3, which meets ASHRAE 62.1, 2019 and the New Zealand Standard NZS4246:2016
Generation of Biogas using Fixed-Dome Anaerobic Digester for Small-Scale Industrial Applications in New Zealand
Get PDFClimate change is clearly becoming perceptible by its adverse effects to the environment. New Zealand is an agriculturally focused nation, it has the capacity to
generate a large amount of organic animal and farm waste (e.g., wood, crops, and food waste) to produce renewable energy resources such as, Biogas. Biogas is a sustainable substitute for a range of small-scale industrial applications such as, Natural Gas for cooking, electricity generation and fuels (Biodiesel) for Diesel Engines.
Biogas is generated from Anaerobic Digestion that consists of five stages of organic matter breakdown, disintegration, hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. The organic waste gets fed to the digester at the disintegration stage, which breaks down organic polymers such as lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. In the hydrolysis stage, organic polymers from disintegration are hydrolysed (depolymerised) by various enzymes. The carbohydrates, proteins and fats are then converted to their respective monomers such as, sugar, amino acids, and lipids. In acidogenesis, group of microorganisms converts monomers to a mixture of alcohols, volatile fatty acids, and other organic compounds. In acetogenesis, volatile acids produced are transformed to acetic acid, carbon dioxide and hydrogen by a group of acetogenic bacteria. Lastly, methanogenesis stage consists of methanogenic bacteria that munches on the organic matter in a desperate search of oxygen, which breaks down the complex structures to its simplest form, resulting in the formation of Biogas (composed of methane and carbon dioxide).
A single-phase fixed-dome digester is chosen due its cost and ease of maintaining the mesophilic temperatures bands from 25°C to 45°C and pH scale from 5 to 7. The sizing of the digester was computed using the Organic Loading Rate, Hydraulic Retention Time, and Volume of Farm Dairy Effluents formulas. From the calculations, it was found that the digester produces approximately 55% of CH4 and 45% of CO2