Tuwhera Research Repository

The Tuwhera Research Repository provides sustainable open access and archiving to a broad range of AUT produced research - theses, research outputs and datasets.

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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
The Homeomorphic Mutt: Emergent Topologies in Sculptural Assemblage
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Nelson, Su; Lever, Ziggy; Hooper, Julian
Through a creative process that involves transplanting and reconfiguring rescued raw materials, rejected remnants, by-products, and found objects, I engage internally with my own colonial transplantations and reconfigurations that have shaped an emergent identity. I use the universal languages of alchemy and abstract mathematics to help articulate a multiple-storied selfhood in my practice. A “homeomorphic mutt” describes a selfhood that emerges through a sympoietic (made with) individuation process in a shared collective requiring authentic differentiation. The simultaneous fractal and holistic nature of non-autonomous sovereignty relates to this kind of individuation, depending on archetype, inheritance, integration, and context. I explore questions such as “How can the parts of a whole transform, or be transformed by their own topology?”, “How does alchemical transformation symbolically echo a lived creative practice?”, and “How can provisionality and the preservation of ancient patterns co-exist in sculptural assemblage?”
Access status: Open Access ,
Good Science, Poor Visibility? Communicating Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity Evidence in the Algorithmic Attention Economy
(BMC, 2026-10-06) Barrett, Stephen; Ostermeier-Karim, Emma; Gale, Jennifer; Wilson, Kylie; Wheeler, Michael; West, Courtney Anne; Denniss, Emily; Palmeira, António
Behavioural nutrition and physical activity research has produced a strong and growing evidence base to inform prevention, treatment, and policy across a wide range of health outcomes. Yet the visibility of this evidence beyond academic audiences does not consistently reflect its scientific quality. Increasingly, dissemination occurs within digital environments shaped by algorithms that prioritise engagement, simplicity, novelty, and emotional salience over nuance and uncertainty. This creates a mismatch between the complexity that characterises behaviour change science and the attention-driven logics that shape what evidence becomes visible. This Comment was prompted by our involvement in developing the NESI (Network of Early Career Researchers and Students of ISBNPA) Podcast and ASPA (Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity) Radio, initiatives designed to disseminate credible behavioural science. Despite prioritising high-quality, peer-reviewed research, we encountered persistent challenges in achieving visibility relative to simplified or commercially framed health narratives amplified in digital spaces. We argue that visibility in digital environments is algorithmically mediated in ways that can systematically disadvantage complex, context-dependent evidence characteristic of behavioural nutrition and physical activity research. We explore the risks of equating visibility with impact, including oversimplification and erosion of trust, while contending that disengagement from contemporary communication platforms is not viable for a field committed to translation. We propose reframing dissemination as a collective responsibility of researchers, journals, and professional societies, focused on stewardship, integrity, and principled engagement. Addressing the visibility gap is essential to ensuring that credible evidence remains visible, interpretable, and influential within an attention-driven information ecosystem.
Access status: Open Access ,
Optimal Subspace-Enhanced Dynamic Mode Decomposition-Assisted Dissipating Energy Flow-Based Forced Oscillation Source Localization Using Synchrophasor Measurement
(Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy, 2026-03-30) Wang, Lixin; Suo, Weijun; Gao, Han; Sun, Zhenglong; Xia, Shiwei; Lie, Tek Tjing
Forced oscillation source localization (FOSL) using synchrophasor measurements is critical for mitigating forced oscillations (FOs) in power systems. However, the performance of the conventional dissipating energy flow (DEF) is significantly affected by measurement noise and other irrelevant modal components. To address this challenge, an optimal subspace-enhanced (Os-enhanced) dynamic mode decomposition (DMD)-assisted DEF-based FOSL is proposed in this paper using synchrophasor measurement. First, Os-enhanced DMD is employed to decompose multi-channel measurements into time-domain responses of individual modes. Then, the time-domain components associated with FO are distinguished from the decomposed modes based on the rate of change of modal energy, and are subsequently used to calculate the DEF at all generator buses. Furthermore, the rate of forced energy is introduced as an indicator of energy flow direction to localize the FO source. The performance of the Os-enhanced DMD-assisted DEF is evaluated by the simulated data from IEEE 16-machine 5-area system and field phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurement data from Independent System Operator New England (ISO-NE). Comparative results demonstrate that the Os-enhanced DMD-assisted DEF achieves improved accuracy and robustness for localizing FO sources under noisy conditions.
Access status: Open Access ,
Species Diversity Associated With Foundation Species in Temperate and Tropical Forests
(MDPI, 2019-02-05) Ellison, AM; Buckley, Hannah L; Case, Bradley; Cardenas, D; Duque, ÁJ; Lutz, JA; Myers, JA; Orwig, DA; Zimmerman, JK
Foundation species define and structure ecological communities but are difficult to identify before they are declining. Yet, their defining role in ecosystems suggests they should be a high priority for protection and management while they are still common and abundant. We used comparative analyses of six large forest dynamics plots spanning a temperate-to-tropical gradient in the Western Hemisphere to identify statistical "fingerprints" of potential foundation species based on their size-frequency and abundance-diameter distributions, and their spatial association with five measures of diversity of associated woody plant species. Potential foundation species are outliers from the common "reverse-J" size-frequency distribution, and have negative effects on alpha diversity and positive effects on beta diversity at most spatial lags and directions. Potential foundation species also are more likely in temperate forests, but foundational species groups may occur in tropical forests. As foundation species (or species groups) decline, associated landscape-scale (beta) diversity is likely to decline along with them. Preservation of this component of biodiversity may be the most important consequence of protecting foundation species while they are still common.
Access status: Open Access ,
Breaking the Blueprint: Unveiling Cognitive Biases Affecting Professional Women in Construction
(UTS ePRESS, 2026-10-08) Bassi, Sheena; Purushothaman, Mahesh Babu; Rotimi, Funmilayo Ebun
The global construction industry is facing a skills shortage. Researchers explore the potential of leveraging women as untapped resources to tackle this issue. However, barriers hinder women's entry and career advancement within the construction sector. While past research on women in construction has highlighted the obstacles and challenges, it often overlooks the underlying stereotypes and cognitive biases contributing to these issues. In this systematic review, we aim to bridge that gap by analysing 85 journal articles published between 2015 and 2024 in reputable journals to examine the effects of cognitive biases that present as challenges and barriers faced by women professionals in the construction industry. The investigation of three key variables, factors, cognitive biases, and their impacts emphasises three aspects: the self-perpetuating nature of biases, factors that trigger these biases on personal and societal levels, and distinct consequences of biases on the industry culture for women. Furthermore, the study offers insights for policymakers and analysts to develop strategies and frameworks aimed at mitigating the influence of biases and factors, thereby promoting women's retention and reducing barriers to employment. The novelty of this study lies in examining the unique intersection of cognitive biases and their effects on women in the construction sector, a topic that remains underexplored. This research is pioneering in its approach to identifying multiple cognitive biases, factors, and impacts using innovative methods, revealing the intricate biases that affect women professionals at various career stages in the construction industry.