Analysis and practice of organic forms in ceramic arts

Throughout history, organic forms can be found in various social contexts such as community rituals. Gradually, with the development and maturation of modern science, organic forms started to be employed in a more conceptually informed manner. In the mid-20th century, with the development of contemporary art, ceramics re-emerged as a medium for artistic creation and captured people's attention once again. This material complements the organic forms derived from nature, establishing a harmonious connection. In this research, organic form refers to refined and newly created artificial forms that combine morphological characteristics and colours derived from life forms in nature. From a visual standpoint, the vital force of an organism emanating is considered a significant organic characteristic that people strive to attain. This organic form, derived from life, possesses evident randomness, irregularity, and inherent sense of motion. The diversity of nature offers an infinite number of inspiring forms, providing an astonishing array of creative possibilities through the potential of limitless transformation. Symbolism and abstraction are commonly observed traits of expression in creative works that utilize organic forms. Artists conceptually extract form features, enabling them to find a foothold for emotion and thought and to make deliberate choices and combinations to clarify the purpose of their works. In my artistic work, the intensity of natural objects being extracted and transformed into organic forms gradually increases, transitioning from simple modifications and reassembling to abstraction and simplification. I conducted numerous experiments and creations, documenting my understanding of the chosen subject matter. Through the exhibition, I aimed to raise awareness of these relationships of transformation and to stimulate aesthetic contemplation. By showcasing the diverse and vibrant organic forms found in nature, I hoped viewers would have a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the natural world and a stronger sense of responsibility to protect it

Waipoa Forest Trust drone survey report

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This project aims to provide relevant spatial information that will inform project planning, decision making and implementation of management measures of the Waipoua Forest Trust Area Specifically, its objectives include the determination of the characteristics of vegetation and land cover of the area, the classification of the land cover and the identification of priority areas to focus efforts on. Additionally, this project also seeks to contribute to methods for improving the usefulness and effectivity of image acquisition using a drone with sensors designed for vegetation classification

Diagnostic procedures for low-level asbestos contamination in occupied tertiary institutional buildings

Asbestos related disease: a global picture Changing risk New Zealand timeline New Zealand's asbestos story New Zealand facts New Zealand case history Unitec - Auckland, New Zealand Asbestos in buildings Asbestos discovery, 2021 Methods Problems with surface sampling Results Asbestos source? Action taken Recommended proecdure Conclusions Reference

Observations of avifauna on Rēkohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Island, Chatham Islands group, in February 2023

Rēkohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Island (hereafter Rēkohu) is the largest island in the Chatham Islands group, 800 km east of Te Wai Pounamu / South Island, Aotearoa / New Zealand. This island has an avifauna of 170 taxa. Here, we present a list of bird species encountered during an eight-day undergraduate field trip in February 2023. Based on visual encounters or via calls heard, we encountered 38 species of bird (two seabirds, eight coastal birds, six freshwater birds and 22 terrestrial birds) across 13 locations over six days. The most common species sighted were common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris), followed by white-fronted terns (Sterna striata) and black swans (Cygnus atratus). We encountered a Chatham Island tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae chathamensis) in Nīkau Bush Reserve, c.35 km north of the translocated population in Awatotara Valley. We also present the first list of bird species for Motuhinahina and a nearby limestone rock stack in Te Whanga Lagoon. Birds encountered there included Chatham Island shag (Leucocarbo onslowi), Pitt Island shag (Phalacrocorax featherstoni), buff weka (Gallirallus australis hectori) and New Zealand little penguin (Eudyptula minor minor). We formally report the presence of feral emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), including chicks, at Te Matarae, where there is self-sustaining population following their release to the wild years ago. In previous observations, feral chicken (Gallus gallus gallus) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) were ‘semi-wild’ on the basis that observations made of these species were well outside sites of human habitation. In the case of turkey, they are in the process of self-establishing. We suggest a full census is required to determine the status of these populations, particularly emu. As the emu population is self-sustaining, they should be considered as a new addition not only to the avifauna of the Chatham Islands group but to Aotearoa / New Zealand

Does the threat of takeover affect default risk?

We examine the impact of the threat of takeovers on default risk. Using a sample of 50,189 firm-year observations for US firms over the period 1990–2015, we find that the threat of takeovers has a negative relation with default risk. We use difference-in-difference analysis to address potential endogeneity concerns and propensity score matching to control for self-selection bias. The results are robust to alternative measures of default risk and exclusion of the dot com and financial crisis periods. Our results also hold after controlling for Governance Index and Entrenchment Index. We identify improvement in performance and earnings quality in response to the threat of takeovers as channels underlying our main result. The effect of the threat of takeovers on default risk is more pronounced for firms with opaque information environment and low institutional ownership. Our findings provide important insights for the market for corporate control as a disciplining mechanism in reducing default risk

Hypothesis driven designing for carpooling applications

Uniwaka Admin panel + Cloud database + Mobile app Design iteration User research The incremental expansion and complexity of the Design Hypothesis mirrors a developing understanding of people’s mental models Social norms v. Market norm

The training and education of civil engineering students at New Zealand's largest technical institute

This paper attempts to highlight some interesting and unique aspects related to engineering education (mainly in the civil discipline) in New Zealand, a country where the typical student cohort is extremely diverse in terms of nationality, ethnicity, previous educational background, and age. The New Zealand education system follows a three-tier model made up of: kindergartens and childcare centres (Early Childhood Education), primary and secondary school (high schools), and tertiary education (higher and vocational education) – provided by the universities, institutes of technology, industry and private training providers, and Māori training organisations. As with many other countries in the English-speaking world, engineering education in New Zealand is delivered at three levels; at diploma level (Dublin accord qualification), a three-year bachelor degree (Sydney accord), and a four-year bachelor degree (Washington accord). The diplomas and three-year bachelor qualification are typically delivered at institutes of technology around the country, while the four-year degree is only delivered at the universities. The diversity of Dublin and Sydney accord civil engineering students in the structural specialisation over the past five years is introduced. Their academic performance in terms of these various characteristics, nationality, age, educational background, among others is investigated, and commentary is provided on how this relates to the imperatives of the New Zealand government’s long-term Tertiary Education Strategy. Some practical teaching methods used to engage and inspire students, and ensure that they are equipped with relevant skills to participate successfully in the labour market are also presented

Development of a virtual automation laboratory for teaching programmable logic controllers

Online learning during Semester 1 of 2022 meant that students in Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) 2 Courses (DE6411 ad MG6019) had reduced access to physical hardware and therefore an investigation into the creation of a virtual laboratory was undertaken. The hardware platform currently used is the Siemens S7-1200 PLC with Siemens TIA Portal software and the Lucas Nuelle Industrial Mechatronics System (IMS) which uses Profibus fieldbus communication protocols. While this system provides a campus facility based practical experience; online learning means we now need a virtual laboratory replacement. The first virtual laboratory software replacement for the IMS system investigated uses FactoryIO simulation software. FactoryIO is an industrial automation simulation package used in the education field to simulate and replicate the behaviour of industrial equipment. It interfaces with a number of different PLCs and PLC simulators. Our attempt to replace the physical IMS with a FactoryIO simulation used the following steps. For step 1, we developed a functional software solution that was verified using the physical IMS, in step 2, we developed a FactoryIO simulation of the IMS conveyance system, for step 3, we used the verified software solution to test if our FactoryIO simulation’s behaviour matches the IMS, step 4 involved modification of the FactoryIO simulation to better replicate the IMS and lastly steps 3 and 4 were iterated until our FactoryIO’s simulation behaviour matched the physical IMS. One of the issues we identified when replacing physical IMS hardware with a virtual simulation is FactoryIO had limited tools and scenarios which did not completely match the IMS. We concluded that we may never get a perfect FactoryIO replacement for all the IMS equipment due to the simulation software’s limitations, however we have been able to successfully replicate the IMS conveyance system and we now have the ability start moving our teaching away from physical IMS hardware and onto virtual laboratory simulations for the IMS conveyance system. This virtual replacement allows us to provide course content to student numbers which could potentially greatly exceed our physical campus resources. We therefore consider the early stage endeavour worthwhile and successful

Developing a prefabricated timber and strawbale wall panel for Aotearoa New Zealand

Making greater use of materials that sequester carbon, like timber and straw, is one way of reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry. In Aotearoa New Zealand building with straw bales has been perceived as a fringe technique, undertaken mostly in rural locations and often by owner-builders. For the past twenty years, however, and in the face of escalating climate change, practitioners have looked to prefabrication to advance the process of building with straw. Prefabricated timber and straw-bale wall panels have been developed in Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Australia. They have been used to construct stand-alone houses, medium density housing, schools and medium scale commercial projects. This paper reports on Project Pātūtū, a research project aiming to develop a straw-bale panel system suitable for use in Aotearoa. International examples have been investigated before designing six panel options. Scale model panels were built and analysed in terms of their suitability for both community participation in the construction process and mainstream commercial construction. A small house was designed using the panels and analysed in terms of compliance with building regulations and the practicalities of constructio

Inconsistencies and inequalities: Why the world needs a more unified approach to air pollution

The issue 1948 Donora Smog (Pennsylvania, USA) 1952 Great Smog of London (UK) Development of air quality legislation Global air quality legislation Why standards are confusing Averaging periods Measurement units Unit variations Air quality legislation complexity Limits – particulate matter (PM) Conclusions Reference