Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item Cooling demand reduction with nighttime natural ventilation to cool internal thermal mass under harmonic design-day weather conditions(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-02-01) Li M; Shen X; Wu W; Cetin K; Mcintyre F; Wang L; Ding L; Bishop D; Bellamy L; Liu MCooling demand is steadily increasing across different climate zones due to global warming. A potential solution for cooling demand reduction is applying nighttime natural ventilation to cool internal thermal mass. However, a simplified and accurate modelling framework to assess the technique is still missing. The goal of the study is to build that framework integrated with a validated internal thermal mass model and apply the framework to quantify the cooling demand reduction potential in a space with different thermal mass and envelope configurations and in different climate zones. Results show that using Granite as internal thermal mass is three times more effective than concrete to reduce peak cooling load. Adding too much internal thermal mass can create adverse effects on cooling load reduction. The optimum thickness of internal thermal mass is between 28 and 45 mm. Envelope construction also has an influence on the performance of nighttime cooling. Applying the technique in buildings with lightweight structures reduces peak cooling load by 35.9% more than heavyweight structures. As heavyweight structures delay the release of the daily absorbed heat and cause higher indoor air temperatures at night. The two belts between the Tropic of Cancer and 60 degrees north latitude, and between the Tropic of Capricorn and 45 degrees south latitude are suitable for nighttime natural ventilation of internal thermal mass, achieving the annual cooling demand reduction above 1.25 kWh m−2. In Dessert climate zones, the technique exhibits an extraordinary potential to reduce cooling demand, up to 6.67 kWh m−2 per year.Item Mechanical properties of kiwifruit as influenced by water loss, location, and compression velocity with respect to compression damage(Elsevier B V, 2025-11-01) Urbańska MA; Li M; East AInternational distribution of kiwifruit to overseas markets often results in high loads being applied to the fruit for a prolonged time. These high loads may cause compression damage. Compression damage refers to the permanent deformation of near-surface tissue. Kiwifruit affected by compression damage are less attractive to consumers and might result in further deterioration of the fruit. Previous research has been done to model the behaviour of kiwifruit under compression loads and predict compression damage susceptibility. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding of the influence of fruit water loss, compression location and velocity on kiwifruit mechanical properties. In this article, we demonstrate that Young modulus decreases 10-fold during kiwifruit storage (from about 3 MPa to 0.3 MPa). Additionally, kiwifruit of the same flesh firmness and different water loss can present a 2-fold difference in Young's modulus value, with lower values towards the higher water loss. Furthermore, small increase in compression velocity (0.01–0.08 mms−1) led to 2-fold decrease in Young's modulus values. Also, the stem end was found to have a slightly but significantly higher Young's modulus value than the middle of the fruit and the blossom end for soft fruit. These dependencies prove the complexity of the kiwifruit compression damage behaviour and the importance of improvement of the currently existing models.Item Exploring Chinese student’s perceptions of learning management systems: A community of inquiry approach(MedCrave Group, 2025-06-12) Li MLearning Management Systems (LMS) have become essential platforms for online teaching in higher education, providing spaces for synchronous and asynchronous communication, online interaction, and collaboration. This study investigates the perceptions of Chinese international students regarding their learning experiences in a university course, via an LMS designed based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework. Twenty Chinese students participated in narrative interviews. The findings indicate overwhelmingly positive perceptions among Chinese students. They expressed satisfaction with the CoI LMS course design, which incorporated techno-pedagogical perspectives and a seamless learning approach. This approach facilitated collaborative, constructive, and meaningful learning in an environment that provided spaces for collaboration, interconnectivity, communication, and learning support. It is recommended to integrate a techno-pedagogical approach in designing LMS course content, structure, organization, communication, and assessment to meet students’ diverse learning expectations.Item Dynamics of Porcine Circovirus Type 3 Detection in Pre-Weaning Piglets: Insight From Multiple Sampling Methods(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025-01-24) Yang DA; Li M; Wang Y; Zhao K; Zhang Q; Laven RA; Yang Z; Chen N-HPorcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) has been identified worldwide and is associated with reproductive and systemic diseases, yet the dynamics of PCV3 within pig farms remain unclear. Building upon our previous study, which initialised comparisons of different sample types for the detection of PCV3 in a sow farm, this study expanded both the range of sample types and the timeline of sampling in piglets and sows to better understand the PCV3 dynamics. This study collected two additional sample types—oropharyngeal swab (OS) and oral fluid (OF) along with placental umbilical cord (PUC) blood and processing fluid (PF) that were used in the previous study. Data were collected from July to August and October 2022; the aforementioned four sample types from 51 litters were collected, and additional OS samples were collected from two to three identified piglets per litter on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 post-farrowing. Besides, blood swabs were taken from 135 sows subject to both PCR test and oestrogen measurement. PF showed the highest detection rates (50/51), while OS and OF revealed 33/51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.2%–76.8%) and 37/51 (95% CI: 59.5%–83.5%) detection rates; both were higher than that of PUC blood (22/51, 95% CI: 30.2%–56.8%). Despite the similarity between OS and OF samples, they did not identify the same population as infected, as the agreement between the samples was only fair at 90% level. The Bayesian generalised linear mixed model suggested PCV3 was more likely to be detected in both OS and OF compared to PUC blood, and PCV3 was present in the farrowing room throughout the pre-weaning period using an OS. Finally, we observed higher PCV3 detection rates in sows after farrowing; however, no evidence was found that such a pattern was associated with the decreased concentration of oestrogen.Item Interaction between Rumen Epithelial miRNAs-Microbiota-Metabolites in Response to Cold-Season Nutritional Stress in Tibetan Sheep.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-09-23) Lv W; Sha Y; Liu X; He Y; Hu J; Wang J; Li S; Guo X; Shao P; Zhao F; Li M; Freking BTibetan sheep are already well adapted to cold season nutrient stress on the Tibetan Plateau. Rumen, an important nutrient for metabolism and as an absorption organ in ruminants, plays a vital role in the cold stress adaptations of Tibetan sheep. Ruminal microbiota also plays an indispensable role in rumen function. In this study, combined multiomics data were utilized to comprehensively analyze the interaction mechanism between rumen epithelial miRNAs and microbiota and their metabolites in Tibetan sheep under nutrient stress in the cold season. A total of 949 miRNAs were identified in the rumen epithelium of both cold and warm seasons. A total of 62 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were screened using FC > 1.5 and p value < 0.01, and a total of 20,206 targeted genes were predicted by DE miRNAs. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that DE miRNA-targeted genes were mainly enriched in axon guidance(ko04360), tight junction(ko04530), inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels(ko04750) and metabolism-related pathways. Correlation analysis revealed that rumen microbiota, rumen VFAs and DE miRNAs were all correlated. Further study revealed that the targeted genes of cold and warm season rumen epithelial DE miRNAs were coenriched with differential metabolites of microbiota in glycerophospholipid metabolism (ko00564), apoptosis (ko04210), inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels (ko04750), small cell lung cancer (ko05222), and choline metabolism in cancer (ko05231) pathways. There are several interactions between Tibetan sheep rumen epithelial miRNAs, rumen microbiota, and microbial metabolites, mainly through maintaining rumen epithelial barrier function and host homeostasis of choline and cholesterol, improving host immunity, and promoting energy metabolism pathways, thus enabling Tibetan sheep to effectively respond to cold season nutrient stress. The results also suggest that rumen microbiota have coevolved with their hosts to improve the adaptive capacity of Tibetan sheep to cold season nutrient stress, providing a new perspective for the study of cold season nutritional stress adaptation in Tibetan sheep.Item Exploration of fruit parameters for non-destructive identification of calyx cavity in ‘Fuyu’ persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.)(Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-05-08) Longuet-Higgins JM; Rivera SA; Woolf AB; Li M; Golding JCalyx cavity is a common physiological disorder in many persimmon cultivars. It is characterised by a separation between the calyx and the surrounding flesh. The presence of calyx cavity in export fruit can lead to phytosanitary risks and reduced storage potential due to more rapid softening and increased chilling injury. Manual detection of calyx cavity at packing is very time-consuming and uneconomic. This work investigated the ability of non-destructive evaluation, combined with modelling, to identify calyx cavity in ‘Fuyu’ persimmons. Fruit were evaluated at harvest, followed by a period of nine-week storage in modified atmosphere packaging at 0°C. The presence and severity of calyx cavity was related with higher red colouration and fresh weight before storage. Using colour index data and weight data, binary classification of calyx cavity by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) resulted 74.1% correct segregation. The model correctly identified 70.5% of calyx cavity fruit (29.5% false negatives) and 77.4% of no cavity fruit (22.6% false positives). The use of non-destructive calyx cavity classification based on the evaluation of quality parameters is a starting point in providing the ability to segregate healthy fruit before packaging and storage. Further work is necessary to improve model performance before implementation is viable.Item Analysis of the Antioxidant Mechanism of Ozone Treatment to Extend the Shelf Life and Storage Quality of ‘Korla’ Fragrant Pears Based on Label-Free Proteomics(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-05-01) Lin S; Zhang X; Li M; Zhang N; Dong C; Ji H; Zheng P; Ban Z; Mei X; Gu C; Chen C; Antunes MDCIn this study, the physiological indicators, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and activities and expressions of key enzymes related to ROS metabolism were monitored to explore the mechanism of ozone treatment on the shelf life of postharvest Korla fragrant pears. The results show that postharvest fragrant pears treated with ozone had a higher firmness and lower weight loss rate and decay rate during their shelf life, especially in the late stage. Ozone treatment could also delay the occurrence of the respiratory peak and reduce the peak value. The generation rate of superoxide anion (O2−), the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level were reduced in the ozone-treated group, while the activities of key enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), related to ROS metabolism in postharvest fragrant pears were stimulated by ozone treatment, especially in the middle and late stages of shelf life. Analysis of the proteomics results indicates that the POD family enzymes were the main target protein in postharvest fragrant pears treated by ozone during the middle and late stages of shelf life. The activity and expression of antioxidant-related enzymes in postharvest fragrant pears were stimulated by ozone to accelerate the metabolism of ROS and maintain high quality, especially in the middle and late shelf lives.Item Language endangerment and the linguistic vitality of Miao in China: Cultural shifts and revitalisation strategies(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-10-03) Li M; Croucher S; Shen LThis study applies ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) theory to analyse the diminishing proficiency and usage of the Miao language among its speakers in Guizhou, China. Forty-five Miao participated in the semi-structured interviews for this project. The study identified the language’s endangered status characterised by low vitality, Mandarin dominance, declining proficiency, and economic-cultural shifts. Media influence exacerbated these threats, while negative perceptions of Miao linguistic capital and inadequate educational resources further endanger the language. Integrating EV theory, this study informs targeted revitalisation efforts crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the Miao language amidst socio-economic pressures favouring Mandarin dominance in China.Item Understanding changes of laser backscattering imaging parameters through the kiwifruit softening process using time series analysis(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2024-05-12) Yang Z; Li M; East A; Zude-Sasse M; Gould NDuring kiwifruit storage, quality monitoring is required for inventory planning and consistent quality maintenance. Commercial near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometers showed reduced performance in the estimation of kiwifruit flesh firmness (FF) as the FF estimation is indirect and can be affected when both, textural structures and absorbing compounds, change during postharvest ripening. Laser backscattering imaging (LBI) records the backscattered signal after a single laser beam interacts with kiwifruit tissue, including merged information on light absorption and scattering. Measurements were carried out at 830 nm, where scattering is most dominant. In this work, time series of kiwifruit ‘Zesy002’ (n = 30) and ‘Hayward’ (n = 30) LBI were collected through the postharvest ripening during a 15-day shelf life at 20°C. Four LBI parameters capturing DIP, FWHM, SLP and HWQM were selected in this study. ‘‘Zesy002’ DIP, FWHM, SLP, and HWQM increased approx. 0.6 cm, 0.2 cm, 0.3 and 0.14 cm, respectively. ‘Hayward’ LBI increased approx. 0.2 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.2 and 0.04 cm, respectively. Different initial LBI values between cultivars and LBI changes may reflect the actual stage of softening, affected by kiwifruit ripeness. In conclusion, time series analysis could be useful in describing kiwifruit LBI change during ripening and making forecasts.Item Segregation of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit for storage potential using Vis-NIR spectroscopy(Elsevier BV, 2022-07) Li M; Pullanagari R; Yule I; East AKiwifruit are often harvested unripe and kept in local coolstores for extended periods of time before being marketed. Many pre-harvest factors contribute to variation in fruit quality at harvest and during coolstorage, resulting in the difficulty in segregating fruit for their storage potential. The ability to forecast storage potential, both within and between populations of fruit, could enable segregation systems to be implemented at harvest to assist with inventory decision making and improve profitability. Visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy is one of the most commonly used non-destructive techniques for estimation of internal quality of kiwifruit. Whilst many previous attempts focused on instantaneous quantification of quality attributes, the objective of this work was to investigate the use of Vis-NIR spectroscopy utilised at harvest to qualitatively forecast storage potential of individual or batches of kiwifruit. Commercially sourced ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit capturing large variability of storability were measured non-destructively at harvest using Vis-NIR spectrometer, and then assessed at 75, 100, 125 and 150 days after coolstorage at 0 °C. Machine learning classification models were developed using at-harvest Vis-NIR spectral data, to segregate storability of kiwifruit into two groups based on the export FF criterion of 9.8 N. The best prediction was obtained for fruit stored at 0 °C for 125 days: approximately 54% of the soft fruit (short storability) and 79% of the good fruit (long storability) could be predicted. Further novelty of this work lies within an independent external validation using data collected from a new season. Kiwifruit were repacked at harvest based on their potential storability predicted by the developed model, with the actual post-storage performance of the same fruit assessed to evaluate model robustness. Segregation between grower lines at harvest achieved 30% reduction in soft fruit after storage. Should the model be applied in the industry to enable sequential marketing, significant costs could be saved because of reduced fruit loss, repacking and condition checking costs.