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Automated capture/replay test generation for android using espresso
No full textThis thesis presents the design of a new tool for automated test generation in Android applications using the Espresso framework. The primary focus is on designing a robust and efficient tool with the use of the Presentation Model (PModels) to simplify the automation of test case design. By incorporating techniques such as interaction sequence modeling and widget-based abstraction, the tool’s design aims to address the challenges of testing interactive systems, which are often timeconsuming and complex. The research includes comprehensively analyzing existing testing methodologies, identifying their limitations, and proposing enhancements to improve test coverage and reliability. Through detailed design documentation and conceptual frameworks, the study demonstrates how the tool can generate maintainable test scripts, reducing the effect required for manual testing. The tool’s design is evaluated through theoretical case studies, including various Android applications, to illustrate its potential effectiveness in real-world scenarios. This work contributes to the field of software engineering by offering an approach to automated UI testing, emphasizing the importance of design considerations in developing tools that can meet the evolving demands of software quality assurance
2024 Moana Oceania soil judging competition handbook
No full textWelcome to the 2024 Moana Oceania Soil Judging Competition, jointly hosted by the New Zealand Society of Soil Science (NZSSS) and Soil Science Australia (SSA) and held this year in the stunning volcanic landscape of Rotorua, New Zealand.
This prestigious competition has become a much-anticipated event on both of our Societies’ calendars. This year's event provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn alongside participants from various soil-related backgrounds, including university students, regional council scientists, land managers, consultants, and general soil enthusiasts. Participants have travelled from every Australian state, across New Zealand and from a number of Pacific Island nations.
Soil judging is one of the best possible training grounds for aspiring soil professionals and those working professionals who wish to add a string to their bow of skills. Whether you have an interest in research, teaching, or consultancy, within academia, government or the private sector, there is no shortage of career possibilities in soils.
Students are our next generation of soil scientists and land managers and for that reason you play a critical role in both the NZSSS and SSA. Both nationally, and through our branches, our societies support students through a range of initiatives:
• Travel grants to attend the biennial national soil science conference.
• Financial support to attend the national soil judging competition and for the absolute best competitors, to attend the World Congress of Soil Science.
• Awards, presented at national conferences and by our branches.
• Reduced membership fees for our societies and registration fees for events.
• Great opportunities for mentoring and networking.
Over 3 days, we aim to equip participants with the soil description and classification skills that are vital for interpreting the best management and land use for any given soils. The practice and competition days will be intense, as your problem-solving skills, academic credentials and practical experience will be put to the test. This is your opportunity to show how much you have learned about soil description and classification and how you apply that knowledge in the field, often under pressure. Make the most of the training sessions, in the lead up to the competition day, and the chance to learn from some of our finest soil scientists as well as your fellow entrants.
Remember, beyond the technical challenges, you will also discover the value of ongoing education and professional development and the satisfaction that comes from strong teamwork. Most importantly, we hope this experience reinforces your commitment to sustainable land management and to protecting one of our nation’s most precious natural assets - our soil
An improved and robust finite element model for simulation of cold-formed steel built-up beams
No full textCold-formed steel (CFS) built-up sections are increasingly utilized in structural applications due to their lightweight properties, high strength-to-weight ratio, and enhanced moment capacity, which can be further improved by adding stiffeners to the webs or flanges. Accurately determining the moment capacity of these sections is important for practical use. This can be achieved through experimental testing or finite element analysis (FEA) using a four-point bending setup. However, conducting full-scale experimental tests is both expensive and time-consuming, and developing a full-scale finite element (FE) model to replicate these tests can be computationally intensive.
To address these challenges, this study introduces an accurate, efficient, and robust numerical method that replicates the behaviour of CFS built-up sections, applicable to both back-to-back and face-to-face configurations. The proposed numerical methodology demonstrates excellent agreement with available test results in terms of moment capacity and failure modes, highlighting its potential for determining the moment capacity of built-up sections. The study further investigates two cross-sectional types—stiffened nested and unstiffened nested—to evaluate their behaviour and moment capacity.
The proposed simplified model was subsequently used in an extensive parametric study to determine the moment capacity of stiffened and unstiffened nested sections. Parameters considered in the study include varying section thicknesses (0.75 mm to 3.00 mm), web depths (150 mm to 600 mm), section configurations (nested and stiffened nested), and screw spacings (75 mm, 150 mm, and 300 mm). Given that existing design standards, such as those from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI 2016) and the Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS 2018), lack specific guidelines for calculating the moment capacity of these sections, this research aims to fill that gap. Furthermore, to simulate practical scenarios, models incorporating screws in the webs (screw-web model) were developed and compared against the simplified model. The results of the parametric study revealed that the moment capacity of the built-up sections is significantly influenced by section thickness, web depth, and section configuration. Screw spacing, however, had a less significant impact. Notably, the moment capacity of the screw-web model was lower than that of the simplified model, emphasizing the importance of bimoment and warping deformation in connection design.
The study concludes that the developed simplified model provides a computationally efficient tool for predicting the moment capacity of built-up beams, offering valuable insights for designers and engineers. Additionally, the nested section configuration is recommended for achieving higher moment capacity compared to the stiffened nested section
Effects of environmental and behavioural factors on fish swimming performance and passage success
No full textInstream structures like culverts, dams, and other anthropogenic barriers fragment river networks worldwide, posing a significant threat to the connectivity and migration of freshwater fish communities. Designing effective fish passage solutions requires a comprehensive understanding of the swimming abilities, behaviours, and environmental tolerances of diverse fish species. This thesis aims to address this need by investigating the factors influencing the swimming performance and passage success of multiple migratory fish species in New Zealand, with implications for improving fish passage design and connectivity restoration efforts.
Two methods for assessing swimming performance, critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and sprint swimming speed (Usprint), were compared across two fish species. Results revealed no significant statistical difference between swimming speeds estimated using Ucrit versus Usprint protocols for the pelagic Galaxias maculatus and the benthic-associated Galaxias fasciatus. This suggests that shorter time-stepped swimming speeds tests can be used to measure swimming abilities of benthic-associated species, allowing comparisons across a broader range of fish for passage design.
Inter- and intraspecies variation in swimming speeds across nine migratory New Zealand fish species was quantified. Galaxias brevipinnis, Galaxias argenteus, and Galaxias postvectis exhibited the strongest swimming abilities. Galaxias maculatus was among the weakest swimmers. Body length was positively correlated with maximum speed, indicating that barriers select against weaker swimming species and smaller individuals within species. Maximum allowable culvert velocities should be significantly lower than previous standards to accommodate most individuals across species.
The impact of varying acute water temperatures on critical swimming speeds of four migratory species was investigated. At higher temperatures (26°C), three species (Galaxias maculatus, Galaxias brevipinnis, Gobiomorphus cotidianus) exhibited significant reductions in swimming performance compared to lower temperatures (8°C, 15°C). In contrast, Galaxias fasciatus showed no water temperature-related changes. These findings underscore the importance of designing fish passages to accommodate acute temperature fluctuations, to ensure successful migration under changing environmental conditions.
Potential benefits of collective navigation were explored using the small-bodied Galaxias maculatus. Experiments with an artificial velocity barrier revealed that fish swimming in groups had faster entry and passage rates, as well as lower metabolic rates indicating reduced energy expenditure, compared to solitary individuals. These findings highlight the importance of designing fish passes to facilitate movement of gregarious species by accommodating group dynamics.
The effect of repeated exposure on passage performance through an experimental raceway with high water velocities was examined. Over five consecutive days, passage success increased significantly, suggesting a role for cognition and spatial memory in improving passage performance. However, approach and entry rates did not improve, indicating other factors like attraction flows or fish physiology may be important for locating and entering structures.
This thesis provides insights into the factors influencing swimming performance and passage success for migratory New Zealand species. By studying variation across species in water temperature effects, group behaviour, and cognitive abilities, this research provides a comprehensive understanding to guide the development of more inclusive and effective fish passage solutions. The findings highlight the importance of accounting for many sources of variation when designing instream structures to facilitate unimpeded fish migration
Māori beekeepers: Reframing New Zealand’s apiculture narratives
No full textNew Zealand’s historical apiculture narratives are dominated by the colonial settlers' experiences of beekeeping, which marginalised Māori experiences. This has perpetuated the notion that historically, Maori had little to do with beekeeping. However, this article contests this notion and demonstrates that after the introduction of the western honeybee, Māori were active participants in the apiculture industry, both as traders and beekeepers. Moreover, this article explores the current contributions that Māori beekeepers make to New Zealand’s apiculture industry but continue to be ignored by the apiculture industry. Despite this, this article shows that Māori beekeepers are making important contributions in the apiculture research space, working with researchers and research institutions to explore climate change impacts, floral honey diversity in the native forests and aspects of honeybee colony health
An ACT UP case study: How the mainstream consumption of queer culture and contemporary masculinities obscures a continuity of queer oppression
No full textThroughout the AIDS crisis, mainstream media depicted queer populations, specifically queer men, through a lens of deviance. These depictions, in concert with political homophobia, slowed AIDS research, limited media coverage of the crisis, and created barriers for marginalised people to access healthcare. To oppose this queer disenfranchisement from dominating medical, scientific, and political establishments, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) emerged—promoting a more forceful, equitable, and humane response to a disease killing the most vulnerable members of society. By advocating for queer rights and facing challenges brought on by the AIDS crisis, ACT UP ruptured the invisibility of queer oppression and brought queerness from the fringes of society into mainstream cultural awareness. Since ACT UP, there has been some progression in queer rights and many of the challenges faced in the early days of the AIDS crisis have come to be (perceived as) resolved. However, queer people continue to face discrimination via increasing amounts of anti-queer policy and extreme-Right hostilities. Yet, the radical voices that once brought such issues to the forefront have since dispersed. Therefore, this study argues that queer oppression made visible during the AIDS crisis has continued to the present day but it is no longer as salient nor as apparent to mainstream society as it was during the time of ACT UP. A key reason for this argument is that queer visibility in mainstream media gives the illusion that traditional forms of queer discrimination have been resolved when in actuality, the consumption of queer culture by non-queer audiences obscures a continuity of queer oppression. These processes of obscuration may, in part, be driven by the lack of attention historical forms of queer resistance have received.
To provide theoretical insights into ways the mainstream consumption of queer culture has perpetuated and obscured a continuity of queer oppression, this study employed an exploratory case study evaluation of ACT UP. This case study was guided by the sociological and Black feminist frameworks of intersectionality and the matrix of domination, with a particular focus on controlling images. Special interest was also devoted to exploring the ways contemporary masculinities can be used to understand configurations of power in the queer community. This study found that mainstream media perpetuated and obscured queer oppression throughout the AIDS crisis by spreading misinformation surrounding AIDS and the AIDS crisis, misrepresenting people with AIDS, and mis-historicising ACT UP. Additionally, this study found that masculinities influenced how men in ACT UP navigated and accessed power, most notably by leveraging their maleness and whiteness. This study concludes by framing this contemporary phenomenon as a form of epistemic violence. This study also expands upon the concept of queer blindfolding as an investigative tool for understanding how queer voices are silenced. This research is important because it draws on historical accounts to expand present-day understandings of an under-researched, contemporary queer issue, as well as honours the people who put their bodies on the line for queer rights
Integrating technology in STEM with integrity: Avoiding the mucky brown paint
No full textThis chapter explores and discusses a range of issues associated with the integration of science, technology, engineering and maths in the classroom. It will argue for an approach that enables authentic and appropriate representation of each discipline and the ways in which approaches can be students centred. The main implication of this approach for technology is that it puts it centre stage as student work towards the development of a technological artefact to meet an identified need or opportunity. Disciplines must be considered and specifically taught to develop skills and knowledge required by the students to reach their intended goal- a successful outcome to their technological practice. However, if purposeful teaching fails to occur students find themselves busy but not necessarily learning to their potential in the STEM disciplines
WERO: A pānui for tauira Māori in psychology
No full textThe first WERO pānui was edited in 1991 by the first Māori in psychology at Waikato University, Stephanie Palmer and Linda Waimarie Nikora. This pānui is the third in the WERO series, aiming to continue the legacy of the first publication in 1991 (edited by Stephanie Palmer) and the second in 1992 (edited by Hikitapua). The pānui continues to center diverse Māori perspectives with relevance for those affected by racial oppression in psychology
Use of high-rate filamentous algal ponds for primary municipal wastewater treatment
No full textHigh-rate filamentous algal pond (HRFAP) systems offer a promising alternative to conventional municipal wastewater treatment. Research on selecting filamentous algal species for municipal wastewater bioremediation is currently limited. Chapter 2 introduces a screening protocol aimed at identifying robust cultivars suitable for HRFAP monoculture systems. Evaluating eleven cultivars under local seasonal ambient and extreme conditions played a crucial role in cultivar selection. Based on their consistent biomass productivity and bioremediation performance across ambient and extreme conditions, Klebsormidium sp. (KLEB B), Stigeoclonium sp. (STIG A) and Ulothrix sp. were identified as target cultivars for nutrient bioremediation of primary municipal wastewater.
The identification of target cultivars has previously been based on laboratory conditions, which are insufficient for practical applications. Chapter 3 assessed the biomass productivity and nutrient bioremediation performance of three cultivars - Klebsormidium flaccidum, Oedogonium calcareum, and Oedogonium sp. – in outdoor HRFAP mesocosms. K. flaccidum had the highest biomass productivity and bioremediation performance, while O. calcareum had complete die-off. Competition experiments at varying stocking densities highlighted K. flaccidum dominance at lower densities (0.25 and 0.5 g FW L-1), positioning it as the preferred cultivar for nutrient bioremediation in primary municipal wastewater within HRFAP systems.
Effective management of operational parameters is crucial for optimising wastewater treatment in HRFAP systems. Therefore, in Chapter 4 the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), stocking density, and harvest frequency on the growth and nutrient bioremediation performance of K. flaccidum in primary municipal wastewater in outdoor HRFAPs were examined during summer and winter. Seasonal conditions impacted biomass productivity, which was 48.3% higher in summer compared to winter. A HRT of 4 days was optimal for both seasons based on bioremediation of total ammoniacal-nitrogen (TAN). Lower stocking densities of 0.25 and 0.5 g FW L-1 demonstrated enhanced bioremediation efficiency, while higher densities were preferable during slower growth periods to mitigate potential toxicity risks from primary wastewater. Harvest frequencies of two, four and six days did not significantly affect nutrient removal rates across different treatments and seasons. These results highlight the importance of seasonal optimisation of HRFAP systems to maximise biomass production and nutrient bioremediation.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution entering the environment. Certain algal species have demonstrated the ability to bioaccumulate PFAS compounds, indicating their potential for removing PFAS from wastewater. Therefore, in Chapter 5 a laboratory study was conducted to assess the ability of K. flaccidum to reduce concentrations of PFAS and PFAS precursors in primary municipal wastewater under two HRTs. K. flaccidum maintained stable productivity in the wastewater. Removal rates of PFAS and PFAS precursors, however, varied considerably. Specifically, reductions were observed in three individual PFAS and in all measured PFAS precursors present in the wastewater. Despite these reductions, PFAS was not detected in the algal biomass of K. flaccidum, making it suitable for a range of biomass applications provided it remains free of other contaminants.
Overall, this thesis has demonstrated that HRFAP systems are an effective alternative treatment for nutrient reduction in primary municipal wastewater. Application of the screening protocol to select target species, and seasonal optimisation of HRFAP operating parameters will enable more consistent and effective year-round nutrient bioremediation and algal biomass productivity to be achieved
Examining the effects of Ki-o-Rahi on the development of fundamental movement skills by children in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textChildren with poor fundamental movement skills might have challenges when engaging in activities that require specific skills to help them perform effectively. Development of those skills through targeted training has the potential to build the foundation for fundamental movement skills. This study examined whether Ki-o-Rahi can enhance learning fundamental movement skills (FMS) and cognitive and social skills in Aotearoa New Zealand children. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was conducted over 8 weeks with 86 primary school children from five separate classes that were allocated to treatment conditions via cluster sampling: two classes to the intervention group, two to the control group, and one to the legend-only control group. The intervention group learned the legend and played Ki-o-Rahi over 8 sessions, whereas the control groups continued with their regular physical activities, but only one of the control groups learned the legend. FMS were measured using the Test of Gross Motor Development—Third Edition (TGMD-3) and the Motor Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2). Cognitive skills were measured using the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders test (HTKS), forward and backward digit span, and forward and backward corsi block. Researchers measured social skills using the Early Childhood Social Relationship with Peers (ECSRP) teacher-proxy questionnaire. The results demonstrated that the intervention and control group gained improvements in the FMS and social skills but not cognitive skills. The legend-only group showed no significant changes. The findings suggest that Ki-o-rahi can contribute to developing FMS, cognitive, and social skills in Aotearoa New Zealand children. Future research should consider extending the duration of the study to assess long-term effects and include a larger cohort of Pacific or Māori children to explore potential benefits of Ki-o-Rahi in greater depth