UC Research Repository
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The UC Research Repository collects, stores and makes available original research from postgraduate students, researchers and academics based at the University of Canterbury.
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Recent Submissions
Non-Fungible Programs: Private Full-Stack Applications for Web3
(2024) Regalia, Blake; Adams, Benjamin; Vallarano N; Tessone CJ
The greatest advantage that Web3 applications offer over Web 2.0 is the evolution
of the data access layer. Opaque, centralized services that compelled trust from users are
replaced by trustless, decentralized systems of smart contracts. However, the public nature
of blockchain-based databases, on which smart contracts transact, has typically presented
a challenge for applications that depend on data privacy or that rely on participants having
incomplete information. This has changed with the introduction of confidential smart contract
networks that encrypt the memory state of active contracts as well as their databases stored
on-chain. With confidentiality, contracts can more readily implement novel interaction mechanisms that were previously infeasible. Meanwhile, in both Web 2.0 and Web3 applications
the user interface continues to play a crucial role in translating user intent into actionable
requests. In many cases, developers have shifted intelligence and autonomy into the client-side,
leveraging Web technologies for compute, graphics, and networking. Web3’s reliance on such
frontends has revealed a pain point though, namely that decentralized applications are not
accessible to end users without a persistent host serving the application. Here we introduce the
Non-Fungible Program (NFP) model for developing self-contained frontend applications that
are distributed via blockchain, powered by Web technology, and backed by private databases
persisted in encrypted smart contracts. Access to frontend code, as well as backend services,
is controlled and guaranteed by smart contracts according to the NFT ownership model,
eliminating the need for a separate host. By extension, NFP applications bring interactivity to
token owners and enable new functionalities, such as authorization mechanisms for oracles,
supplementary Web services, and overlay networks in a secure manner. In addition to releasing
an open-source software development kit for building NFPs, we demonstrate the utility of
NFPs with an interactive Bayesian game implemented on Secret Network.
Draft genome sequence of Thermococcus waiotapuensis WT1T, a thermophilic sulfur-dependent archaeon from the order Thermococcales
(American Society for Microbiology, 2024) Manners , Sarah H.; Carere, Carlo; Dhami , Manpreet K.; Dobson, Renwick; Stott, Matthew; Stedman KM
Thermococcus waiotapuensis WT1T is a thermophilic, peptide, and amino acid-fermenting archaeon from the order Thermococcales. It was isolated from Waiotapu, Aotearoa-New Zealand, and has a genome size of 1.80 Mbp. The genome contains 2,000 total genes, of which 1,913 encode proteins and 46 encode tRNA.
Canopy Cover Dynamics in New Zealand’s Cities
(2023) morgenroth, justin
Scaling a group intervention to promote caregiver mental health in Uttarakhand, India: A mixed-methods implementation study.
(Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2023) Agarwal , Disha; Bailie , Christopher R.; Rana, Samson; Balan , Laxman; Grills , Nathan J.; Mathias, Kaaren
Caregivers are integral to health and social care systems in South Asian countries yet are themselves at higher risk of mental illness. Interventions to support caregiver mental health developed in high-income contexts may be contextually inappropriate in the Global South. In this mixed-methods study, we evaluated the implementation and scaling of a locally developed mental health group intervention for caregivers and others in Uttarakhand, India. We describe factors influencing implementation using the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and selected implementation outcomes. Key influencing factors we found in common with other programs included: an intervention that was relevant and adaptable; family support and stigma operating in the outer setting; training and support for lay health worker providers, shared goals, and relationships with the community and the process of engaging with organisational leaders and service users within the inner setting. We identified further factors including the group delivery format, competing responsibilities for caregivers and opportunities associated with the partnership delivery model as influencing outcomes. Implementation successfully reached target communities however attrition of 20% of participants highlights the potential for improving outcomes by harnessing enablers and addressing barriers. Findings will inform others implementing group mental health and caregiver interventions in South Asia.
Experiences of Using Wiki as a Participatory Learning Tool in Teacher Education
(2016) Astall, Chris; Cowan, Jackie
Wikis have potential for facilitating learning in the online environment but studies have identified
varying degrees of success. The implementation of a new learning management system at the university provided a
context for course instructors to explore the potential of web2.0 tools to facilitate collaborative learning. This
research sought to understand teacher education students’ experiences of working collaboratively using a wiki as the
participatory technological web2.0 tool. The research study involved pre-service education teachers enrolled as
either on-campus or distance (flexible) students in a compulsory first year curriculum paper. A quantitative and
qualitative methodology was used to determine learner perspectives on working within a collaborative learning
space. Working collaboratively using a wiki as a participatory technological tool was new to most pre-service
teachers. Results from this study indicated that their experiences towards collaborative learning remained positive
despite a number of challenges. Whilst each group’s experiences varied, we identified three contributing factors to
pre-service teacher’s use of wiki as a collaborative learning tool. The student experiences were discussed in relation
to the three factors supporting the development of collaborative learning: positive relationships, the role of the
course instructor, and the web2.0 technology.