Masters Theses

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The Masters Theses collection contains digital copies of AUT University masters theses deposited with the Library since 2002 and made available open access. From 2007 onwards, all theses for masters degrees awarded are required to be deposited in Tuwhera Open Theses & Dissertations unless subject to an embargo.

For theses submitted prior to 2007, open access was not mandatory, so only those theses for which the author has given consent are available in Tuwhera Open Theses & Dissertations. Where consent for open access has not been provided, the thesis is usually recorded in the AUT Library catalogue where the full text, if available, may be accessed with an AUT password. Other people should request an Interlibrary Loan through their library.

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    Physicochemical Characterisation of Soil from Dieback Kauri Forest
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Mohini, Trupti
    Kauri (Agathis australis) is an ecologically and culturally significant conifer, endemic to the northern North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Kauri trees are designated as foundation species due to their substantial effect on the configuration of distinct surrounding plant communities and significant impact on overall species diversity in kauri forests. Kauri greatly influence the soil conditions underneath their crowns by lowering soil pH, impeding nitrogen cycle, and occasionally creating podzols. In kauri forests, soil has significant influence on the health of the ecosystem by anchoring roots, storing water and nutrients, and providing a habitat for a variety of invertebrates and microorganisms. However, these ancient and iconic kauri trees are threatened with extinction as a result of dieback disease caused by the highly pathogenic and intrusive oomycetes, Phytophthora agathidicida. This novel soil and waterborne pathogen has the ability to disturb above and below ground species composition and biogeochemical processes. This study utilised soil samples from kauri forests located in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park in Auckland, and Tairua and Whangapoua in Coromandel, to investigate physical and chemical characteristics of soil from beneath healthy kauri trees as well as kauri trees that display dieback disease symptoms. These soil characteristics were compared using two-sample unpaired t-tests and Wilcoxon tests to investigate whether there are differences in the physicochemical characteristics of kauri soil within and between healthy and unhealthy trees. In both the Auckland and Coromandel regions, unhealthy kauri soil demonstrated significantly higher moisture factor (p = 0.0481 in Waitākere and p = 0.00239 in Coromandel) and water holding capacity (p = 0.0224, p = 0.0347) than healthy soil, which may indicate that wetter soil provides more favourable conditions for growth and proliferation of Phytophthora agathidicida. Moreover, unhealthy kauri soil in both regions also exhibited significantly higher total carbon (p = 0.000559, p = 0.0235), total nitrogen (p = 4.621×10-5, p = 0.0318), and total hydrogen (p = 0.00953, p = 0.0265) in comparison to healthy kauri soil. The root cause of the elevated content of these elements is likely to be thinning of kauri canopies and defoliation, both symptoms of dieback which add to the acidic, tannin-rich litter. The association with litter was confirmed by using Kendall rank coefficient test to find significant negative correlations between pH and total carbon (p = 2.58×10-5) as well as total nitrogen (p = 0.00762) in unhealthy kauri soil. Hence, these elements may be useful indicators of the presence of dieback, and thus could help map the spread of the disease. The findings of this study contribute towards presenting more comprehensive insight into the link between soil physicochemical characteristics and kauri dieback in the Auckland and Coromandel regions. The current study also contributes to the ongoing research into the detection and prevention of dieback disease, and ultimately in the preservation of the remaining kauri stands in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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    Mai i te Puna Whakaaro ki te Pūwaha o te Arawai
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Rogers, Neil
    The Waikeria hapū groups the Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā faced two central crisis in the Ara Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections (APADoC) system. The high Māori reoffending rates and that nearly all prisoners had mental health or addictions disorders or both in their lifetime. APADoC responded with ‘Hōkai Rangi’, the five-year strategic plan to find new ways of doing things to achieve better outcomes with Māori and their whānau. Central to this plan is for APADoC to work in Crown-Māori partnership for the wellness and wellbeing of the people in their care and management and their whānau. The aim of the research was to understand the foundational dimensions of the mental health and addiction service at Waikeria prison from the perspective of the local hapū people, the Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā, who led the co-design. The research is qualitative using kaupapa Māori methods for collection and analysis of the principle of Āta, Pūrākau, Te-Āta-Tū Pūrākau and Thought Space Wānanga. The five Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā research participants pūrākau were rich and indepth of their lead of co-design for the Foundation Document with APADoC staff. The pūrākau provided understanding of the Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā partnership and relationship with APADoC. Co-design with the Kaupapa Māori approach was led by the Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā as a APADoC partner. The co-design of the Foundation Document for the care of tāne incarcerated in Waikeria prison and their whānau is based on tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and Te Ao Māori which includes Te Ao Wairua. The findings of this research are the foundational relationship for Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā with APADoC was their whakapapa to Waikeria whenua. The development of the Foundation Document has reaffirmed Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā self-determination over the Waikeria whenua that they have always held control over. The Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā expectations require APADoC to demonstrate a genuine commitment to maintain and sustain Te Ao Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori evident in the Foundation Document. A key recommendation from this study is to ensure that APADoC have their own kaumatua; a kaumatua to guide APADoC at all times in interactions with Māori such as Mana Whenua-Ahi Kā.
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    Measures of Software Development Leading to Applications Enhancements
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Hussein, Tasleem
    This study analyses measures and patterns from data drawn from application communications and updates from development teams, to assess the value of data-driven prioritisation of software enhancements, and to develop a framework to facilitate decision-making. The data source used is GitHub and datasets include software user interactions that influence the software development lifecycle of projects such as feature requests, bug reports and issues logged and their resolutions. The dataset also includes software developer activities against a software projects such as code commits, cloning of repositories, peer review activities relating to code changes and releases of changes. Multivariate time series data analysis methods are applied to identify which factors influence software changes. The results are used in this study to create models and frameworks for decision-making based on available data. Businesses have encountered rapid changes in customer demands for content and quality of software delivered in short time frames resulting in software development teams adopting ways of working and technologies to release software as Minimal Viable Products with continual delivery of enhancements. This presents an opportunity to use metrics to prioritise product enhancements to continuously deliver valuable software. However, there exist opportunities for changes to be made that do not provide value and this study seeks to establish value can be ascribed.
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    Bio-Inspired Fins for High Performance Bodysurfing/Boarding
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Murley, Anthony Adam Owen
    In the last 35 years, bodyboarding and body surfing have increasingly become world-renowned sports. In line with these developments, the industry has been striving to constantly develop better equipment to allow athletes to create and maintain a competitive advantage. Accordingly, the aim of this thesis was to design bio-inspired equipment that provide a drag reduction and increased stability to assist and improve athlete performance, as well as investigate how flippers can increase swimming performance. To do this, Auckland University of Technology (AUT University), worked alongside one of the leading bodysurfing equipment designers and manufacturers, FCS and Surf Hardware International, in an industry-sponsored research project. A new bio-inspired hand planes was designed based on sea turtles' carapaces characteristics. This thesis elaborates on the design and development of the hand plane through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Validation experiments for drag and stability testing were conducted using a pulley with force sensors, and the product was compared to existing top equipment in the marketplace. In parallel to the hand planes, a flipper dynamometer (dyno) was developed to understand how fins increase the athlete’s performance and the aspects that lead to a good fin design. The flipper dyno went through an engineering design process, where the design was based on derived kinematics developed from the locomotion of flutter kicking. Flipper testing was conducted using existing flippers from Surf Hardware International, where each flipper's thrust, lift, and power consumption was assessed. The result of the bio-inspired hand plane indicted a drag reduction, increased stability, and superior performance over existing products, leading to noticeable gains for an athlete. The ideal designed flipper would optimize vortex generation to create a high thrust per power ratio.
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    Kit of Parts: Finding the Balance Between Fast Pace Building and Space Comfort for Future Healthcare
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Liang, Junn
    The increase of population densification of Auckland has put enormous pressure on supply of healthcare services and has also rise a rapid growth in the healthcare sector. The Greenlane Clinical Services Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland was chosen as the site of this research project. As the growing of urban population and advances in medical technology, the evolving speed of healthcareservices is far below the increasing speed of demond onhealthcare service, which brings huge pressure on the dailyoperation of healthcare facilities. This research project explores the role thatarchitecture can play to positively address this situation. Relatively speaking, architecture is not able to keep up with the rate of change that healthcare demands. The financial cost and permanency of buildings prohibits its ability to adjust to current healthcare needs. This research project utilises pre-fabrication techniques and an Amoeba Strategy to develop an architecture that can adapt to change as demanded. This will ensure sustainable growth in the face of changing healthcare needs and technological advances, minimising the impact on the operation of existing departments and facilities. Through a pre-fabrication strategy, this research focuses on the modular designs in Amoeba Strategy to explore what the Greenlane Clinical Services Centre might look like with responsiveness and comfort modular. The design component focuses on researching and summarising the current state of the Greenlane Clinical Services Centre to ensure that the design proposition considers the way in which the different modules will function and be combined to accommodate the development of the hospital facility. Through a combination of architectural, social needs and sustainability considerations, this research project aims to support the future development of the Greenlane Clinical Services Centre to ensure that the hospital is able to evolve with the times and provide high quality healthcare services to the community.
Theses are protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use:
  • Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person.
  • Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate.
  • You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis.