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The sediment, river plume, and inner shelf variability in a bay with multiple fluvial inputs
No full textSmall mountainous rivers deliver considerable sediment loading to the coastal ocean and play a disproportionate role in marine sediment deposition globally. Discharge in these rivers is often driven by short episodic events and they typically deliver sediment to energetic coastal environments where in-situ observations of cross-shelf sediment transport are spatially limited and are difficult to maintain over representative periods of time. How these river plumes respond to environmental conditions, and where sediment is initially deposited from the river plumes are essential to understanding long-term sediment transport and deposition patterns in the coastal ocean. This thesis explores this problem using three approaches applied to Hawke Bay (Aotearoa New Zealand) and its river plumes: remote sensing (paper 1), large-scale numerical modelling (paper 2) and high resolution in situ observations at one of the river mouths (the Tukituki River) (paper 3)
Unique contributions of anxiety, stress and depression to immunity: A cross-cultural investigation
Get PDFWhile immunity and psychological distress are strongly associated, studies seldom consider how different types of distress relate to immune functioning. The literature tends to emphasis the impact of stress on immunity. The present cross-sectional study estimated the unique contributions of depression, anxiety, and stress on immune function in culturally diverse samples of adults from Italy, New Zealand and India. Participants were Italian (n = 1061), New Zealand (n =1037), and Indian (n =384) volunteers. Stepwise multiple linear regression and dominance analysis were used to analyse differences in immunity uniquely explained by anxiety, depression, and stress. While samples from the three countries differed significantly, anxiety consistently explained the greatest proportion of differences in immunity. After accounting for the effect of anxiety, stress and depression explained only negligible variation in immune functioning. This association of anxiety with immune functioning was consistent across three different countries and this unique impact was further confirmed by the results of dominance analysis. These findings suggest a clear link between anxiety and immunity, which advances the prevailing stress-disease model and foster further experimental and longitudinal research into the impact of anxiety on immunity
Heirlooming and shell money beads in the Solomon Islands
No full textStrings of shell money made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of intensively worked shell beads have featured in the accounts of anthropologists of Melanesia for over a century, and large collections of these strings are to be found in major museum collections around the world. In the Solomon Islands, the tradition of their production continues to this day. Despite new strings still entering circulation, within villages in and around Malaita there are also older strings, either held communally or under tabu. Local wisdom states that some of these are around two hundred years old. The historical and anthropological literature also makes mention of heirloom shell money strings, although how long such strings may be curated and remain active in cultural life has never been quantified. Here, we investigate two large, complex shell money strings from the Solomon Islands, held in the collections of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge: one from Makira and the other from Nggela. Through direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of individual beads, we establish the restringing and combining of strings of different ages into new strings, as well as the maintenance in use of individual beads for up to two to three hundred years. This demonstrable case of the heirlooming of shell beads has repercussions for archaeology, and the potential cultural longevity of shell valuables such as these should be a consideration in interpretations
Nectar variation in Aotearoa New Zealand tree species
No full textIn this thesis, I investigated whether and how the nectar of New Zealand flowering trees varies within and among species and across regions. For this, I quantitatively assessed interspecific variation in floral (size, weight, shape, and colour) and nectar traits (volume, concentration, and chemical composition) across 50 woody species in New Zealand. Sampled species included, but were not limited to, those associated with honey production and those susceptible to Myrtle Rust, such as the Myrtaceae Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka), Kunzea ericoides (kānuka), Lophomyrtus spp. (rama rama), Metrosideros spp. (pōhutukawa, rāta), and Knightia excelsa (rewarewa). I also examined the impact of climate on nectar traits using a subset of eight common native tree species sampled from five coastal regions. Additionally, the study investigated the Removal-Enhanced Nectar Replenishment (RENR) response of Vitex lucens Kirk (pūriri, Lamiaceae), an endemic bird-pollinated tree, to frequent two-hourly nectar removal.
Sampling comprised approximately 10,500 flowers from 436 trees across all six climate regions of New Zealand, covering both main islands (35-45° S / 170-177° E), and measuring the diameter at breast height (DBH) of these trees. Most flowers (10,000 flowers from 428 trees) were analysed for the interspecific study (Chapter 4), with a subset of these (4,276 flowers from 164 trees) used in the inter-regional climate study (Chapter 3), and 120 pūriri flowers from 8 trees examined in the nectar removal study (Chapter 2).
For all studies, nectar was extracted using micropipettes; flower size was measured with digital callipers; flower and nectar weight were determined using a scale; flower colour by applying picture analysis software; nectar concentration was assessed with a refractometer; and nectar chemical composition was analysed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS).
Data were analysed using a comprehensive suite of statistical techniques, including linear regression, Spearman rank and Pearson’s correlations, and generalised additive models (GAMs) and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs), to identify correlations, detect multicollinearity, and elucidate multivariate trends. Additionally, a range of tests, including t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests, Dunn's tests (with Bonferroni correction), and Kruskal-Wallis tests, as well as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), were employed to determine covariances and assess statistical significance among groups. Lastly, I tested traits for phylogenetic signals using Pagel’s lambda. Flower traits ranged from 3–879 mg in fresh weight and 2–67 mm in size, and they secreted 1–82 μL of nectar containing 0.01–54% solubles. I identified 62 distinct nectar components, comprising 25 sugars and 37 non-carbohydrate compounds. On average, nectar solubles consisted of 97% carbohydrates and 3% non-carbohydrates, including six alkaloids, sixteen amino acids, eleven phenolics, and four vitamers. Only 8% of the 50 tested species produced sucrose-rich nectar, defined as nectar in which sucrose comprised more than 50% of total solubles. Species exhibited unique nectar sugar profiles, containing between 4 and 25 sugar types. In the RENR study (Chapter 2), V. lucens flowers exhibited a neutral response to frequent nectar removal: total nectar volumes from flowers sampled five times at two-hour intervals were similar to those from control flowers sampled once after ten hours. Interestingly, the replenishment patterns of frequently sampled flowers followed a diurnal rhythm that correlated with changes in Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD). The inter-regional study (Chapter 3) highlighted that nectar and floral trait variation among regions was significant for all but one species, underscoring the highly species-specific nature of climate-trait relationships. Climate factors each accounted for approximately 30-80% of the regional variation in plant traits for most species. The analysis of a substantial interspecific dataset (Chapter 4) revealed positive correlations between nectar volume, concentration, and alkaloid content with floral traits such as size, weight, shape (especially those more difficult to access, such as tube- and flag-shaped flowers), and colour (notably yellow, orange, or red). In contrast, levels of hexasaccharides were negatively correlated with these floral characteristics, with higher concentrations found in smaller, white, green, or purple flowers of shapes that are more accessible (e.g. dish-shaped). Hence, some nectar traits aligned with the species’ pollination syndrome. Moreover, significant phylogenetic signals were observed; for example, nectar from Fabid and Campanulid taxa had higher sucrose concentrations than other clades, whereas nectar from Myrtales and Lamiales was characterised by higher glucose content than other clades. I found that nectar variation is highly complex and species-specific, shaped by phylogenetic relationships, climate and water status. These findings offer new insight into the factors driving nectar composition across species. The results can support large-scale estimates of nectar availability, with applications in honey production and habitat conservation. In addition, the identified nectar profiles provide a foundation for comparison with honey chemistry to develop new authenticity markers for high-value honeys. For future studies, I propose conducting simultaneous nectar removal experiments across multiple species under controlled environmental conditions to assess whether phylogenetic relationships influence species-specific responses to nectar removal. Particular attention should be given to the type of nectary vascularisation and secretion mechanism, as well as to potential effects of flower colour and shape on nectar production concerning heat management. In field-based RENR studies, I recommend that nectar sampling be carried out by multiple researchers simultaneously, as replenishment is highly time-sensitive. Additionally, sampling should be paired with pollinator observations, and the analysis should incorporate information on the diurnal activity patterns of key pollinators. Similarly, studies on inter-regional differences in nectar composition should account for local pollinator communities and investigate additional potential drivers of variation, including the species' nectary type, vascularisation, secretion mechanism, plant water status, soil nutrient availability, and phylogenetic relationships. To build a detailed picture of regional nectar variation, I recommend using large sample sizes per species per region, with a focus on closely related species known for their high nectar production.
Further research into interspecific nectar variation should explore whether the observed phylogenetic patterns persist across broader taxonomic and ecological contexts, and whether species-specific nectar profiles are consistently shaped by nectary structure and function
Conventionalism in Izydora Dąmbska (1904-1983)
No full textAn overview of Izydora Dąmbska's views on conventionalism
Investigating boredom in social commerce: Definition, function, and consequences
No full textBoredom, a ubiquitous emotion, has garnered extensive research attention in digital communication and business, yet remains underexamined in the context of social commerce (s-commerce). This dissertation, comprising three studies (with studies 2 and 3 extending the first), aimed at comprehensively understanding the role of boredom in s-commerce and its implications for consumer behavior. The first study employs grounded theory, reviewing 103 studies to construct an inductive framework identifying five key building blocks. It highlights boredom as stemming from individual, situational, and mismatch factors, influencing individuals to seek stimulation from s-commerce, yielding both positive and negative outcomes. The study suggests constructive intervention strategies for positive development and market performance in s-commerce.
The second study investigates the interaction between boredom and impulse buying behavior, considering the influence of consumer personality and external s-commerce stimuli. Analyzing data from New Zealand consumers (n=243) with SmartPLS, findings reveal that boredom, influenced by personality, triggers impulse buying. Among s-commerce stimuli social value positively moderates the boredom-impulse buying relationship, while atmosphere shows a negative moderation effect, and price offering is found to be insignificant.
The third study explores the potential link between boredom and consumer brand-cyberbullying (CBCB) in s-commerce. Analyzing data from New Zealand consumers (n=253) with SmartPLS, it establishes that boredom, influenced by personality factors, motivates CBCB behavior. Also, this relationship is positively moderated by s-commerce stimuli. This research provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and marketers seeking to understand and address the complexities of bored consumers in the evolving landscape of s-commerce
The TOHU framework: Sensing and interpreting tohu to heal from trauma
No full textThis hypotheses article presents understandings and practices of tohu (signs) in the personal, eco-environmental, and spiritual wellbeing of Māori. Tohu can be observed in the natural, social, physical, or spiritual environment, and within a Māori worldview provide important ways of understanding and responding to phenomena. Wānanga (shared dialogue and debate) were held with seven Māori clinical psychologists from He Paiaka Tōtara (Māori Psychologist Network) and two mātauranga Māori specialists to explore their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives about tohu, with their insights collected through online information sharing. Our wānanga goals were to inform the creation of a therapeutic framework to address patu ngākau, psychological and spiritual trauma experienced by Māori. The results identified that tohu are located within the person and their environment, and the importance of exploring how tohu are interpreted. We propose a TOHU acronym as a framework for understanding and addressing the multifaceted impacts of patu ngākau
Untying of hands: Working migrants as social agents
No full textThis research elicited in-depth settlement experiences from long-term working migrants who migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand, interpreted through an ecological perspective on immigration. The purpose of this study was to provide a contextualised understanding of working migrants’ experiences as social agents. Immigration policies in New Zealand are primarily formulated to extract the economic benefits of migrant labour and to satisfy workforce shortages in certain industries (Terruhn & Cassim, 2023). At the same time, mainstream psychological literature usually focuses on the individual process of ‘acculturation’, describing how migrants adapt and cope in the new place of living (Berry, 2001; Ward, 2001). The community psychology approach in this research focused on addressing the societal conditions surrounding immigrants' difficulties in settling (Birman & Bray, 2017). This research explored how migrants' settlement experiences are shaped by these broader societal dimensions, examining both the resources that helped migrants to become settled and the barriers that made participation difficult.
This research took a case-based study approach. Five working migrants were interviewed about their experiences of the labour market and navigating the immigration system in their real-life contexts. In this study I explored the precarity of migrant workers, regulatory constraints on the labour market, cases of work exploitation but also constructive employment relationship experiences. This research showed that the individual stories and trajectories of migrant workers cannot be comprehended without considering their context. The findings reflected the heterogeneity and diversity of experiences for working migrants. Not all of their experiences were negative, although there were common threads linked with their precarious migrant status. Working migrants in this study experienced a loss of power, autonomy and social status as migrants, and at some point, in their migratory journey, they all sought to move out of their temporariness and precarity, so they could build their lives with more agency.
Working migrants in this study experienced a precarious migrant status due to the regulatory immigration policies that they were subjected to. The main factors of this precarious migrant status arose from their restricted movement in the labour market and a long-lasting uncertain temporal status. Participants affected by their precarious migrant status pursued more autonomy to be able to learn new skills or enhance their existing skills, which opened new opportunities for them in the labour market and also offered broader contributions to the community. This sense of agency also contributed to their personal growth. Working migrants’ experiences extended beyond their workplaces and encompassed broader social spaces. These experiences included participation in the health and housing system, together with achieving a greater work/life balance. Supportive employment relationships, stable and prosperous working conditions and social support led working migrants to develop a sense of home and a sense of meaning in their migration journeys. Permanent settlement was not a primary settlement objective for four working migrants in this study. However, all working migrants shared a need to gain more agency and autonomy. The findings of this study
tentatively suggest that granting working migrants more/full participation may have benefits that outweigh the costs that immigration policies intend to prevent. Through this thesis and by acknowledging the stories of my participants I showed that with the appropriate support, migrants can contribute fully to the receiving community and at the same time improve their well-being significantly
A sense of Place: A study of nineteenth and twentieth century material culture within the public historic site of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga
No full textThis thesis examines the material culture of a public historic space, assessing how the meanings embedded in objects may develop more nuanced narratives in the house museum.
The material culture in this thesis is part of the collection of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, a house museum in Tauranga, New Zealand. The museum offers a history of Māori settlement, bi-cultural relations between Māori and Pākehā, the Land Wars and the changing socio-cultural landscape of Tauranga from the nineteenth to the twentieth century.
The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is largely comprised of original objects of the successive residents. My research focused on three art forms: an Aeolian harp, a crazy quilt, and a carved picture frame. Art is a medium through which people express who they are; by studying the material culture of The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, we recognise the larger events, social patterns, and cultural trends that impacted individual lives. Through these items, we may compare the cultural ideals with the more complex realities of residents’ lives, noting the tensions, reconfigurations, and nuances as cultural practices were transported, adopted and adapted within the imperial context.
There has been a growing desire, and debate, around teaching a public history that focuses on New Zealand, acknowledging the difficult moments of New Zealand’s past. This study
demonstrates that within the house museum stories may be shared in which the specific histories of a local setting are also interwoven with the broader context of nation and
imperialism.
Studies in New Zealand have explored the relationship between material culture and the stories we tell in historical sites. The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga, as a house museum, has two
elements that have contributed to this approach. Firstly, the collection is interpreted without a glass barrier: this study expands this interpretation by reflecting on the sensory
characteristics of objects as a part of the museum interpretation. Secondly, The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is a museum comprised of buildings and a garden environment entwined with the same contextual history. This work explores the connecting threads between the interior domestic space and the exterior garden site, examining the socio-cultural landscape in connection with the changing environmental landscape. As the museum is a space which has often portrayed nation and settler belonging, this history develops a more complicated narrative around settler belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand
Using inclusive research with participants with learning (intellectual) disability to better inform adult literacy policies in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textWestern ideas about disability and literacy were developed in tandem during the Industrial Revolution and subsequently brought to Aotearoa New Zealand via colonisation. These ideas inform and reinforce educator attitudes, which are the leading factor impeding adults with learning [intellectual] disability from their educational pathways of choice. People without learning disability need to hear the voices of people with learning disability to counteract these attitudes and move towards transformational equality.
There is a paucity of information about the access to and accessibility of adult literacy education for people with learning disability in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, anecdotal evidence reports their exclusion, even from foundational adult learning. There was a gap in knowledge where collaborative research that conveys the experiences of adults with learning disability was needed to gain greater insight to these issues in our bicultural context. My original contribution to knowledge is to present the voices of adults with learning disability as they discuss and demonstrate their literacy practices, and to use their perspectives to make recommendations for adult literacy policies in Aotearoa New Zealand.
I undertook a thematic analysis of current adult literacy policies in Aotearoa New Zealand and found that they target “most” adult learners, while positioning disabled people as needing specialised, and by inference optional to provide, education and resources. These policies also prescribe a linear and progressive andragogy that may not meet the needs of all adults with learning disability, while measuring literacy skills in a way that does not foreground their strengths or value their purposes for engagement.
Then, I conducted Inclusive Participatory Action Research with five adults with learning disability to gather information about their literacy practices and perspectives. Participants in this research decided to call themselves the Passioners. We met for 10 research meetings, preceded by at least two home visits, and interspersed by reflective meetings with individual participants. All research information was presented in easy read and key information was distributed audiovisually.
The Passioners added value to this research by providing unique opportunities that are only available through doing inclusive research with them, prompting research improvements, innovation, and my efforts towards acculturation in their worlds. I evaluated my inclusive approach in this research to learn more about how people with learning disability do research as people with learning disability, and what dispositions, resources, and skills people without learning disability need to do research with them.
Using reflexive thematic analysis, I constructed six themes from our research meetings data: learning disability cultural literacies, Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) cultural literacies, Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) cultural literacies, encoding, decoding, and social media, which extends the narrow definition of literacy in our adult literacy policies. These findings, and those from my policy analysis, were used to inform policy recommendations. Policy recommendations in this research may support implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly access to lifelong learning on an equal basis with others