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 ,
Ergonomic Design of Rock-Climbing Clothing: Beyond Static Anthropometry to Movement-Informed Design
(Informa UK Limited, 2026-10-21) Novikova, Aleksandra; Cleveland, Donna; Joseph, Frances
Conventional garment design typically relies on static anthropometric measurements, which may not adequately account for changes in body dimensions and posture during highly dynamic activities such as rock climbing. This study investigates how climbing-specific movement analysis and dynamic anthropometry can inform ergonomic design of rock-climbing clothing. It combines a review of relevant research with observational and movement analysis of climbers using the Xsens motion-capture system to examine relationships between dynamic body dimensions and garment pattern requirements. The analysis identified changes in body dimensions during climbing and highlighted the crotch and inner-leg, knee, upper-back, armhole and sleeve regions as key areas for pattern development. The findings demonstrate the limitations of static anthropometry for dynamic garment design and indicate areas where pattern adaptations and ease require consideration. The study provides a basis for developing climbing-specific pattern-engineering strategies. Further prototype testing is required to validate specific modifications and ease allowances.
Access status: Open Access ,
Exploring Liming and Ole Talk as a Culturally Relevant Methodology for Researching With Caribbean People
(University of Alberta, 2018-11-20) Nakhid-Chatoor, Margaret; Nakhid, Camille; Wilson, Shakeisha; Fernandez Santana, Anabel
This article explores the necessity of developing a qualitative research methodology grounded in Caribbean peoples’ worldviews and interactions. It presents the epistemology and ontology of liming and ole talk to show their natural employment in qualitative research settings. Liming offers an opportunity for social engagement and provides a culturally relevant purpose, environment, and space in which ole talk can take place. Ole talk is presented as a uniquely Caribbean way of engaging with one another in small or large groups. The potential of liming and ole talk to create new ways to research and share knowledge is discussed. Through a brief analysis of two limes, this article proposes liming and ole talk as an authentic research methodology for researching Caribbean peoples and their contexts.
Access status: Open Access ,
Evaluating Flood-Adaptive Design Principles: A Systematic Review of Global Practices
(Elsevier BV, 2026-10-30) Rotimi, Funmilayo Ebun; Kalatehjari, Roohollah; Moshood, Taofeeq Durojaye
Flooding ranks among the most devastating natural hazards globally, affecting >1.65 billion people between 2000 and 2019 and causing direct economic losses exceeding USD 650 billion. Climate change trajectories consistently project escalating flood frequency, intensity, and geographic extent, while rapid urbanisation compounds exposure by expanding impervious surfaces, fragmenting floodplains, and concentrating vulnerable populations in coastal and riparian zones. Amid these converging pressures, the global flood management discourse has undergone a fundamental paradigm shift from resistance-based engineering towards multi-dimensional flood-adaptive design principles that embrace resilience, coexistence with water, and long-term sustainability. Despite the proliferation of case studies and sector-specific reviews, a comprehensive global synthesis evaluating the full typological spectrum of flood-adaptive design practises, their comparative effectiveness, and contextualised implementation guidance remains limited. This systematic literature review (SLR), guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework and drawing on 250 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from Scopus (2007–2026), addresses that gap by identifying, categorising, and evaluating global flood-adaptive design principles across five overarching thematic categories: Nature-Based Solutions and Green Infrastructure; Urban Water-Sensitive and Sponge City Design; Structural and Hybrid Engineering Approaches; Building-Level and Architectural Adaptations; and Governance, Community, and Spatial Planning Frameworks. Findings indicate that integrated multi-scalar strategies tend to outperform single-intervention approaches across the reviewed evidence, and that governance quality frequently emerges as a critical constraint on adaptation effectiveness across design categories. Significant disparities exist between high- and low-income contexts regarding the applicability of strategies, institutional capacity, and access to financing. Based on synthesised evidence, a Global Flood-Adaptive Design Framework (GFADF) is proposed as a conceptual framework that outlines differentiated implementation pathways for urban and rural settings across diverse geographic, climatic, and socio-economic conditions; the framework requires empirical validation before it is used as a decision-support tool. This review provides a theoretically grounded and empirically synthesised knowledge base for researchers, engineers, planners, architects, and policymakers navigating flood adaptation in an era of accelerating climate risk.
Access status: Open Access ,
Strategies to Strengthen Rural Allied Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention in Aotearoa New Zealand: Evidence-Based Recommendations From Qualitative Research
(Pasifika Medical Association Group, 2026-10-23) George, Jane; Kayes, Nicola; Larmer, Peter
INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Rural and remote communities in Aotearoa New Zealand face persistent challenges recruiting and retaining allied health professionals (AHPs). Despite investment enhancing medical and nursing rural workforces, the more than 40 professional groups comprising allied health, scientific and technical collectives have received little attention. We aimed to undertake a secondary analysis to systematically develop evidence-based, actionable and context-specific recommendations to improve rural AHP recruitment and retention in Aotearoa. METHODS: We used a five-step process to translate evidence into context-specific guidance for five stakeholder groups (line managers, health organisations, recruiters, professional bodies/regulatory authorities, education providers) drawing on: a) empirical data and findings from qualitative research involving 18 AHPs with rural experience across Aotearoa; and b) targeted literature scans to identify intervention and implementation research and policy-relevant evidence from comparable rural and remote health system contexts. RESULTS: Twenty recommendations were developed and then grouped into four focus areas: 1) build workforce integration and belonging, 2) establish sustainable practice environments, 3) design career-worthy rural roles, and 4) match people, place and practice. Implementation actions for key stakeholder groups were developed within each focus area. These recommendations collectively address the three key themes identified in our original research. CONCLUSION: Successful recruitment and retention of rural AHPs requires a multifaceted, collaborative approach. Implementing these targeted recommendations can create environments where AHPs feel valued, supported and connected, ultimately improving allied health service access for rural communities.
Access status: Open Access ,
Review of Human Hair Optical Properties in Possible Relation to Melanoma Development
(Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), 2018-05-11) Huang, Xiyong; Protheroe, Michael; Al-Jumaily, Ahmed; Paul, Sharad; Chalmers, Andrew
Immigration and epidemiological studies provide evidence indicating the correlation of high ultraviolet exposure during childhood and increased risks of melanoma in later life. While the explanation of this phenomenon has not been found in the skin, a class of hair has been hypothesized to be involved in this process by transmitting sufficient ultraviolet rays along the hair shaft to possibly cause damage to the stem cells in the hair follicle, ultimately resulting in melanoma in later life. First, the anatomy of hair and its possible contribution to melanoma development, and the tissue optical properties are briefly introduced to provide the necessary background. This paper emphasizes on the review of the experimental studies of the optical properties of human hair, which include the sample preparation, measurement techniques, results, and statistical analysis. The Monte Carlo photon simulation of human hair is next outlined. Finally, current knowledge of the optical studies of hair is discussed in the light of their possible contribution to melanoma development; the necessary future work needed to support this hypothesis is suggested.