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A Deep Learning Approach to Detecting Multiple Types of Sybil Nodes in VANETs
No full textThis thesis outlines a solution based on deep learning against Sybil attack detection
in VANET. Sybil attacks occur when a single node mimics multiple automobiles and
induce a tremendous threat against the authenticity and credibility of VANET communications.
The existing methods of detection against Sybil attacks cannot counter
dynamic and cooperative Sybil attacks and hence call for stronger defense mechanisms.
Our solution integrates hierarchical feature engineering and GNNs in an effort
to identify interactions and spatiotemporal correlations among automobiles. The major
innovations include: (1) an extended dataset that extends the VeReMi benchmark
with two additional categories of attack (preset route spoofing and periodic spoofing
of location) that mimic real attacker tactics; (2) a hierarchical approach of feature
engineering that separates automobile behavior into instant kinematics, short-time dynamics,
and long-time consistency and reduces the issue of fragmentation of features
in the existing techniques; and (3) a hybrid model of a GCN-GRU that leverages the
use of graph convolutions in capturing spatiotemporal automobile interactions and
gated recurrent units in examining the trajectory of automobiles at a specific instant
of time. Upon evaluation with SUMO-OMNeT++ simulation of six classes of attacks
and dynamic Oakland traffic, the proposed framework achieves an F1-score of 99.91%
and improves conventional models by 10% in complex scenarios. This thesis extends
the field of study of Internet of Vehicles security and outlines a fault-tolerant and extensible
solution for real-time detection of Sybil attacks in vehicular transport systems
and thus achieves safer and functional in-vehicle communications
Nikki Chamberlain's Submissions to New Zealand Parliamentary Select Committee on the Proposed Retrospective Law in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill 137-1
No full textThese are my written submissions to the New Zealand Parliamentary Select Committee on the proposed retrospective law in the New Zealand Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill 137-1 (Bill). I have significant concerns about the proposed retrospective law contained in Clause 15 of Schedule 1 of the Bill. If enacted, the retrospective law would interfere with a live class action for the benefit of two overseas banks to the detriment of the consumer class members, third-party litigation funders and principles which underpin our democracy such as the rule of law, separation of powers, and access to justice
Natural cyclic glycine-proline supplementation improves clinical outcomes of vascular complications in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: An exploratory study
No full textImpaired microcirculation in Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) contributes to vascular complications. Cyclic glycine-proline (cGP) normalizes insulin-like growth factor-1 mediated capillary remodeling. This open-label trial at Tianyou Hospital, Wuhan, China, investigated the effects of natural cGP on vascular complications in Chinese participants with T2DM. Thirty-eight participants with vascular complications were sequentially allocated into two cohorts, receiving either 20–25 μg or 40–45 μg of natural cGP daily. The primary outcome was protective foot sensation. Secondary outcomes included kidney function, blood pressure and energy metabolism. Biological changes underlying these vascular complications were assessed at three hospital visits over six months. Natural cGP supplementation improved protective foot sensation, reduced macroalbuminuria, plasma concentrations of p53 and VEGF-A, and normalized blood pressure and HbA1c%. These preliminary findings suggest that natural cGP may have therapeutic potential to improve clinical outcomes and prognosis of vascular complications in individuals with T2DM, pending confirmation in larger, controlled studies. Trial Registration: ISRCTN84351085
‘Talk about constitutional government in New Zealand’: New Zealand’s Constitution in Hansard, 1854-2020
No full textNew Zealand (NZ) is a constitutional iconoclast. It is one of three states without a single, written constitution, has no supreme law, and is an unitary, unicameral system in which parliamentary sovereignty is a central constitutional principle. Because NZ’s whole constitution could perhaps be changed by simple parliamentary majority, this thesis describes the history of constitutional thought, as expressed by NZ’s MPs in the 536,079,187 words of Hansard compiled between 1854 and 2020. I ask three questions of the debates: what is NZ’s constitution? What is and is not constitutional, and what sort of actions and institutional arrangements does this entail? Have these understandings changed over time, and how? To answer these questions, I created an archival “soak and poke” method using computational assistance to locate and quantitatively describe Hansard data, and to select tracts of material for qualitative, historical analysis.
I find that MPs largely understand NZ’s constitution as flexible and unwritten, and favour only gradual, evolutionary changes. What they regard as constitutional or not depends on both prevailing—and often inherited British—beliefs about a proposal, and the process used to pursue it. There is a long history of debate constitutionalism that prioritises collective self-restraint, obtaining parliamentary supermajorities, consensual legislative strategies, and non-binding electoral or plebiscitary approval for constitutional change proposals.
In addition, MPs prefer a form of parliamentary sovereignty that I term “House sovereignty”, i.e. that the ultimate power should rest with elected representatives. There have been challenges posed to House sovereignty by Governors, Legislative and Provincial Councillors, the judiciary, the Treaty of Waitangi, legal rights protections, and popular sovereignty measures. Yet most MPs will not tolerate any counterfoils to House sovereignty that are not of their own making, or which could unequivocally bind their future actions. The House historically justified this because of its popular basis, and MPs continue to insist that they should be the guardians of NZ’s constitution. Though many acknowledge the danger of this position, most nonetheless believe it best for politicians to decide what is constitutional, and that concentrated constitutional power is the best guarantee of responsive government, and protection for citizens
Floral Culture & the Festive Beauty of the Impermanent
No full textBy drawing inspiration from the ephemeral and sacrificial nature of flowers, this thesis envisions an impermanent festival architecture that embodies the aesthetics of beauty, violence, the grotesque, and the carnivalesque.
The project emerged from a personal experience with flowers and floral culture through my work in a florist shop. On the one hand, flowers are used by human beings to celebrate life and happiness; they are commonly gifted during times of celebration and for rites of passage like birthdays, marriages, and graduations. On the other hand, there is an inherent violence in the act of cutting flowers; indeed, flowers are a symbol of the transitory, fleeting, and nature morte.
Thus, the notion of impermanence and ephemerality is an essential part of this project. It takes the form of festival architecture because festivals, like flowers, are, by definition, impermanent and ephemeral. In my design, a series of platforms are created for festive events to take place (the project is also interested in the pragmatic issue of what contemporary festival architecture might look like). The temporary and ephemeral nature of my architecture constitutes a contrast with the assumption that architecture is meant to be enduring and stolidly monumental. The analogy with flowers suggests a different approach whereby the architecture is impermanent, provoking reflections on the momentary junctures of life.
Key research nodes included practices of festivity and rituals- the duality of violence and beauty within pagan rituals- as well as Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque. These concepts are manifested through an installation for the Art Week festival in Auckland in October 2024, plus a series of ornamental drawings that embrace grotesque aesthetics.
This work is fundamentally two-sided or Janus-faced; it is about festive acts of decorating, celebrating, and performing, but also about processes of destruction and decay. The thesis aims to capture this duality inherent in the phenomenon of flowers. More pragmatically, it proposes an architectural catalyst for communal interaction and celebration. My proposed architecture celebrates the significant moments in people’s lives by creating temporary suspensions of time and space
The acceptability of gene editing technologies in New Zealand agriculture: A multi-level exploration of food system actors’ perspectives
No full textGiven the polarising role of gene editing technologies (GETs) in agriculture, and their rising prominence in scientific and political debates, understanding the acceptability of these technologies is crucial. While much research focuses on regulatory issues and consumer willingness to pay, discussions on the broader social implications of GETs remain limited. Particularly, the international trade and export marketing of gene-edited foods (GEFs) is underexplored, despite major exporters revising their GET policies. Furthermore, consumer trust in actors who develop and commercialise GEFs is essential but insufficiently studied, especially the role of different types of trust. This research responds to these needs by establishing a more holistic understanding of perspectives toward GETs and GEFs and provides new insights into the complex dynamics shaping their acceptance. This research is set in New Zealand, a country with a strong agricultural heritage but that remains undecided on GET policies, given its image as a ‘natural’ food producer and exporter. This thesis comprises three studies, which together provide a multi-level exploration of food system actors’ perspectives.
Study one involved a systematic review of eighty-nine studies to synthesise key socio-cultural factors influencing global food system actors’ acceptability of GETs in agriculture. Study two involved twenty-eight semi-structured interviews with New Zealand stakeholders working in the agricultural sector. This study explored local stakeholder views focusing on the country of origin (COO) brand related to the export and marketing of GEFs. Study three utilised nine focus group discussions with 44 New Zealand consumers. This study examined consumer trust formation toward food system actors involved in GETs. Study one showed that food system actors recognised both positive and negative implications of using GETs in agriculture, with their views often embedded within wider debates about sustainability and broader food system issues. Study two uncovered that stakeholders perceived a misalignment between GETs and New Zealand’s COO brand as either a potential threat or as an opportunity. Lastly, study three revealed that consumers draw on specific ‘trust heuristics’ when forming trust judgements, highlighting the importance of food system actor visibility in building consumer trust. Together, these three studies contribute to the literature on the acceptability of GETs and GEFs. The research also extends COO brand theory into GET scholarship for the first time and highlights the importance of considering the entire food chain and ‘thin’ interpersonal trust in consumer trust formation. Overall, the results of this research indicate the relevance of deeply understanding GET acceptability in unique regulatory and cultural contexts. The research also offers valuable insights to policymakers, the food industry, and marketing practitioners on managing tensions arising from diverse food system actor perspectives
Examining access to and trust in sources of COVID-19 information among CALD Asian communities in New Zealand
No full textDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, effective crisis communication has been crucial yet challenging, especially for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. This study explored how CALD Asian communities in New Zealand accessed and trusted various sources of COVID-19 information. A cross-sectional online survey with 1,267 Asian respondents was conducted in 2021. Findings revealed that participants engaged with diverse sources for COVID-19 information, despite delays in government efforts to provide linguistically appropriate information. Those without English as a first language tended to have access to fewer information sources. Ethnic group preferences varied: Indian and South East Asian groups favoured official channels (mainstream media and government websites), the Chinese group preferred messaging applications and workplaces, and the Korean group showed a preference for ethnic community media. Trust was higher in formal information sources than online platforms and personal networks. Increased trust was noted in social media among non-English speakers and messaging applications among Koreans, while decreased trust was seen in messaging applications among Chinese and workplace information among Koreans. This research underscores the necessity of multifaceted, linguistically, and culturally appropriate crisis communication strategies. It advocates for proactive measures to establish networks for distributing vital information to CALD communities during future crisis communication
Extract, Abstract, Exclude: Representation and equity in Aotearoa’s WBE programme
No full textThis thesis critically examines wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a public health surveillance tool in Aotearoa New Zealand. While WBE offers novel methods to monitor population-level health trends through the chemical analysis of wastewater, it is not without its challenges. WBE research has largely centred on the technical challenges of such an approach, often overlooking the methodological, ethical, and socio-political limitations that also exist within the discipline. Drawing on national-level WBE data and literature from surveillance studies and Indigenous data sovereignty, the thesis explores how assumptions about scale, representativeness, and governance shape both the production and interpretation of WBE data in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Using the New Zealand Index of Multiple Deprivation, a geospatial analysis of 46 monitored catchments revealed that WBE in Aotearoa disproportionately samples socioeconomically deprived communities. These catchments often have deprivation profiles that differ significantly from the broader regions from which they are derived. Furthermore, substantial intra-catchment socioeconomic variation was found, which is masked when such data are aggregated to a single measure of disadvantage, an approach commonly used in public WBE reporting.
These representational distortions carry political and ethical consequences. When aggregated wastewater data are used to generalise about entire populations, they risk producing ecological fallacies, reinforcing deficit-based narratives, and obscuring the lived realities of underrepresented groups. This is particularly consequential for Māori and other marginalised communities, who are made hyper-visible in surveillance outputs but often remain excluded from data governance structures.
Through this analysis, this thesis ultimately challenges the notion that WBE is a neutral scientific tool. Instead, it is shown to be deeply embedded in social, political, and institutional contexts. This research critiques the absence of meaningful community, particularly Māori, engagement in the governance of WBE data. It calls for a radical reimagining of WBE governance, one explicitly grounded in Indigenous data sovereignty principles, ethical transparency, and methodological reflexivity. Such an approach would reposition WBE as a tool for healthcare equity and representational justice, rather than one that reproduces historical patterns of control and marginalisation
Low-dose naltrexone as an adjunctive treatment in major depressive disorder: Exploring EEG Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes in a Randomised Control Trial
No full textBackground: Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has shown promise as an adjunct treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), with potential effects on brain activity and inflammation. EEG-derived biomarkers have been proposed as tools for understanding MDD, but the role of LDN in modulating neural activity remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between EEG measures, depressive symptoms, and inflammatory markers, with a focus on how LDN treatment affects brain activity in MDD.
Objectives: To examine the potential of EEG metrics as biomarkers for MDD, assess the effects of LDN on neural activity, and explore the relationship between EEG features and inflammatory markers.
Methods: Participants (n=36 MDD, n=24 healthy controls) underwent EEG recording at baseline, with MDD participants receiving either LDN or placebo in a randomized controlled design. Blood samples were taken to measure inflammatory markers, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the MADRS. Key EEG parameters (spectral power, alpha asymmetry,) were analysed, with relationships between EEG measures and clinical variables explored.
Results: In the MDD group, delta power in the ACC, PCC, and PFC regions was positively correlated with depressive symptom severity, while alpha asymmetry showed a negative correlation with MADRS scores. LDN treatment led to a reduction in gamma power and an increase in alpha asymmetry, suggesting distinct effects from traditional antidepressants. Inflammatory markers were found to be associated with EEG measures, with alpha asymmetry negatively correlated with ESR and brain temperature in the right insula. Brain temperature in the ACC also correlated with delta power and gamma power.
Discussion: These findings suggest that EEG-derived biomarkers, such as delta power and alpha asymmetry, could be valuable in assessing depressive symptom severity and treatment response in MDD. The effects of LDN on EEG metrics may differ from traditional antidepressants, and the association between EEG measures and inflammatory markers further supports the role of neuroinflammation in MDD. However, some inconsistencies with previous research highlight the complexity of these relationships and warrant further investigation. Future research should explore larger, longitudinal studies and the impact of high inflammation subgroups in understanding the causal mechanisms at play
A genetic treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the
accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and Tau protein tangles. Early-onset Alzheimer’s
disease (EOAD), where symptoms appear before the age of 65, is often caused by autosomal
dominant mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene, or the presenilin genes
(PSEN1, PSEN2). The PSEN genes encode components of the catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase complex, which cleaves APP to generate Aβ peptides, contributing to amyloid plaque formation.
The Snell lab has developed two sheep models of AD: PSEN1 E280A and APP Swedish
(K670M, N671L double mutation). PSEN1 E280A, the most common EOAD-causing variant,
functions in a dominant gain-of-function manner and is the focus of this thesis. This sheep
model provides a platform for developing allele-specific reagents to selectively knockout the
mutant allele using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This therapeutic approach aims to reduce or
ablate the activity of the γ-secretase complex incorporating the mutant PSEN1 copy, potentially
lowering the production of longer, more amyloidogenic Aβ peptides and slowing or preventing
disease onset.
In this study, PSEN1 E280A knockout was achieved in cultured fibroblasts from the sheep
model using dual-guide RNA complexes. Analysis of pooled cells revealed near-complete
deletion of a portion of the coding sequence, eliminating the mutant allele while preserving the
wildtype copy. To advance towards human therapeutics, an adeno-associated virus (AAV)
vector was engineered and tested in homozygous PSEN1 E280A sheep fibroblasts
demonstrating an effective knockout in 4.8% of reads. In future, this vector will be administered via brain injection in the PSEN1 E280A sheep model to assess its impact on Aβ
production and AD pathology, including Tau accumulation.
Additionally, a human EOAD cell model carrying the PSEN1 E280G mutation was generated
in the HepaRG cell line through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated-homology-directed repair. The
mutation creates a canonical NGG PAM site, enabling targeted inactivation of the mutant allele
via non-homologous end joining. This study serves as a proof of principle for translating allelespecific
knockout strategies into human therapeutics, highlighting a promising gene-editing
approach for EOAD intervention