Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Comparison of a novel culture-based selection for dry cow therapy with somatic cell count-based selection: Comparing detection rates for major pathogens and subsequent udder health outcomes
    (Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation., 2025-09-18) Cuttance E; Nortje R; Laven R; Mason W
    This study compared a culture-based protocol in which only cows identified as having intramammary infections due to major pathogens (major IMI) were treated with dry cow antibiotics (DCAT) compared with the current New Zealand somatic cell count (SCC) and mastitis-based algorithm. Healthy multiparous pregnant lactating cattle (n = 1541) were enrolled from three spring-calving New Zealand farms. A composite four-quarter milk sample was collected aseptically prior to the last milking before dry-off. Samples underwent standard culture and a culture using a novel, custom-made agar plate. Enrolled animals were classified as having a major IMI on 1) standard culture; 2) novel culture and 3) having SCC > 150,000 cells/ml at the last herd test and/or clinical mastitis (CM) in the current lactation. The sensitivity and specificity of novel culture and SCC/mastitis history for identifying cows with major IMI (compared with standard culture) were calculated. Cows were then blocked by standard culture results (major, minor or no growth) and randomly allocated to treatment based on either novel culture results (cult-SDCT) or SCC/mastitis history (alg-SDCT). Cows allocated to cult-SDCT whose novel culture result was major pathogen positive or contaminated received DCAT, while for alg-SDCT cows, all cows with either SCC > 150,000 cells/ml at the last herd test or CM in the current lactation received DCAT. The sensitivity (0.80 vs 0.67) and specificity (0.91 vs 0.81) for major IMI prediction were greater for cult-SDCT than alg-SDCT. After accounting for farm, age and dry-off SCC, alg-SDCT cows had marginal mean SCC at first herd test post-calving of 129,000 (95% CI 116-143,000) cells/ml, whereas the equivalent for cult-SDCT cows was 113,000 (95% CI 101-126,000) cells/ml. Compared to alg-SDCT, using cult-SDCT correctly identified a higher proportion of major IMI identified by standard culture and did not result in an increase in post-calving SCC.
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    Chinese and Indian views of pain and pain management: A qualitative evidence synthesis to facilitate chronic pain management
    (Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of World Institute of Pain, 2023-07-01) Lewis GN; Shaikh N; Wang G; Chaudhary S; Bean DJ; Terry G
    Objective People from minority ethnicities often have a greater impact of chronic pain, are underrepresented at pain services, and may not benefit from treatment to the same extent as dominant cultures. The aim of this study was to review Indian and Chinese cultural views of pain and pain management, as a basis for improving management of chronic pain in migrant populations from these ethnicities. Methods A systematic review of qualitative studies addressing pain beliefs and experiences involving Indian and Chinese participants was conducted. Thematic synthesis was used to identify themes across the studies, and the quality of the articles was appraised. Results Twenty-six articles were included, most of which were appraised as high quality. Five themes were identified: Making meaning of pain described the holistic interpretation of the meaning of pain; Pain is disabling and distressing described the marked physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of pain; Pain should be endured described the cultural expectation to suppress responses to pain and not be a burden; Pain brings strength and spiritual growth described the enrichment and empowerment some people experienced through living with pain, and Management of pain goes beyond a traditional or Western approach described the factors that guided people in their use of healthcare. Discussion The review identified a holistic interpretation and impact of pain in Indian and Chinese populations, with pain management guided by multiple factors that transcended a single cultural framework. Several strength-based management strategies are recommended based on preferences for traditional treatments and respect for Western healthcare.
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    Sensationalising Sleep: Perspectives and Protocols for Understanding Discourses of Sleep Health in Aotearoa New Zealand
    (John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association, 2025-07) Gibson R
    Sufficient sleep is a basic right, vital for functioning and wellbeing. Socioecological disparities in sleep status are increasingly highlighted. However, broader social and cultural factors, including beliefs and practicalities of sleep, are seldom considered. This is particularly important for bicultural countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand, where mainstream discourses and health promotion have been colonised. Media provides a platform for shaping beliefs and attitudes concerning sleep. Media messaging contributes to definitions of 'normal sleep' and sensationalised messages around sleep(lessness) and disease-seldom accounting for nuanced differences across the lifespan or Indigenous knowledge and practises concerning sleep and wellbeing. How messages concerning sleep are delivered, interpreted, and resisted varies and warrants exploring-particularly among populations predisposed to sleep disturbances. This paper provides a narrative review of the social and cultural factors influencing sleep and highlights the paucity of research in this space. Responding to these gaps, a current research agenda is presented concerning sleep-related discourses and practises in Aotearoa New Zealand. This includes explorations of media representations of sleep, key audience interpretations, and the development of a theoretical framework to inform appropriate sleep-related research and health promotion relevant to contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
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    Systematic Literature Review of the Natural Environment of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, from a Conservation Perspective
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-09-30) Zakharovskyi V; Németh K; Margalida A
    This research presents a literature review of published scientific literature on the Coromandel Peninsula, a well-known region of the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand. It contains many biological, geological, and historical features and is well known for beautiful scenery, resulting from a volcanic rock-dominated terrestrial environment influenced by oceanic factors at the coast. All these factors have combined to make the Coromandel a popular tourism destination for New Zealanders and offshore visitors. In researching the current state of knowledge of the region, we searched three scientific databases to define the main ways of studying the region. The results demonstrated a high interest in biological and environmental factors, reflected in the type and scale of conservation measures applied to flora and fauna of the region. Additionally, specificity of geological evolution was a highly examined subject, in the context of hydrothermal alteration as related to gold and silver mineralization resulting in extensive exploration and mining. Meanwhile, indigenous cultural aspects of the land were not recognizable as expected within Western scientific literature, even though the region contains sites recognized as some of the earliest Māori habitations. Therefore, we suggest future studies to expand our understanding of scientific, cultural, and social aspects of the region as applied to the field of conservation in the region.
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    Sleep as a social and cultural practice in Aotearoa: a scoping review
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-09-22) Ross I; Signal L; Tassell-Matamua N; Meadows R; Gibson R
    Traditionally, sleep science is grounded in biology, physiology, and medicine. But socio-cultural considerations provide a crucial lens into sleep health. Exploring the sociology of sleep in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) could broaden our understandings and better represent sleep-related practices among our diverse communities. This scoping review represents the pre-existing literature concerning sleep as a social or cultural practice in AoNZ. The initial search (via Discover and Scopus) search yielded 2,442 results. Of these results, 113 manuscripts were characterised of interest, but only 20 were directly related and included in the review. This literature was presented in relation to Meadows’ (2005) modes of ‘sleep embodiment’ including sleep practice norms, the pragmatics of sleep and social roles, individual experiences and feelings related to sleep, and the visceral need for sleep. The findings highlight the progress of sleep literature in AoNZ. This covers diverse sleep practices, perspectives and experiences of sleep and sleeping, as well as the broader socio-cultural factors and unique AoNZ context that influence sleep. However, gaps in the field of local sleep research are also identified. Findings lay the foundation for further research in AoNZ to explore sleep-related discourses and practices that will ultimately broaden existing perspectives.
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    Conflict styles within individualistic, low power distance, and low context nations: a four nation comparison
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-08-29) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Ashwell D; Condon SM
    This study compared conflict styles approaches of four nations with similar cultural dimensions. Prior literature assumes similar cultural dimensions produce similar approaches to conflict. Four nations were examined: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Results reveal the conflict approaches of individuals from these nations differ despite similar cultural dimensions. In addition, the four nations scored relatively high on solution-oriented approaches to conflict (integrating and compromising). This is the first study to compare conflict styles across traditionally individualistic, low-context, independent self-construal, and low power distance nations.
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    Cross-cultural measurement validation: an analysis of dissent, workplace freedom of speech, and perceived immediacy
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-03-12) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Ashwell D; Condon S; Tootell B
    Croucher and Kelly (2019) laid out guidelines to develop measures that can be used across cultures. The present study provides support for their guidelines, indicating that pancultural measurements cannot be behavioral and should not include unnecessary contexts; however, they should be worded as simplistically as possible. This study utilizes measures of dissent, perceived immediacy, and workplace freedom of speech in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Only the perceived immediacy measure, which follows Croucher and Kelly’s (2019) guidelines, maintained internal consistency.
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    Chinese and Indian interpretations of pain: A qualitative evidence synthesis to facilitate chronic pain management
    (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2023-07-09) Lewis GN; Shaikh N; Wang G; Chaudhary S; Bean D; Terry G
    Objective People from minority ethnicities often have a greater impact of chronic pain, are underrepresented at pain services, and may not benefit from treatment to the same extent as dominant cultures. The aim of this study was to review Indian and Chinese cultural views of pain and pain management, as a basis for improving management of chronic pain in migrant populations from these ethnicities. Methods A systematic review of qualitative studies addressing pain beliefs and experiences involving Indian and Chinese participants was conducted. Thematic synthesis was used to identify themes across the studies, and the quality of the articles was appraised. Results Twenty-six articles were included, most of which were appraised as high quality. Five themes were identified: Making meaning of pain described the holistic interpretation of the meaning of pain; Pain is disabling and distressing described the marked physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of pain; Pain should be endured described the cultural expectation to suppress responses to pain and not be a burden; Pain brings strength and spiritual growth described the enrichment and empowerment some people experienced through living with pain, and Management of pain goes beyond a traditional or Western approach described the factors that guided people in their use of healthcare. Discussion The review identified a holistic interpretation and impact of pain in Indian and Chinese populations, with pain management guided by multiple factors that transcended a single cultural framework. Several strength-based management strategies are recommended based on preferences for traditional treatments and respect for Western healthcare.
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    Instant Messaging and Relationship Satisfaction Across Different Ages and Cultures
    (Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, 2023-06-30) Vauclair C-M; Rudnev M; Hofhuis J; Liu JH; Dedkova L
    Research suggests that using IM is generally beneficial for maintaining personal relationships, yet well-being benefits are likely to be conditional on micro- and macro-level variables. This study investigates the link between IM use and relationship satisfaction across age groups using survey data collected from 19 countries (N = 20,358, age range 18-94, Mage = 41.0, SD = 14.6). The multilevel regression results revealed that (1) overall IM use with strong ties is positively related to individuals' satisfaction with their relationships across all countries and (2) this link is weaker among older people compared to younger ones. The hypothesized cross-level interactions were not statistically significant overall, yet comparing individual countries (e.g., Germany and Indonesia), which are on the opposite ends of the autonomy-embeddedness value dimension, suggests that the use of IM might indeed be more important for relationship satisfaction in more embeddedness-oriented cultures and relationship benefits may be more similar across age groups than in autonomy-oriented cultures. More large-scale cross-cultural studies and multilevel theories are needed to arrive at a more contextualized understanding of IM as a global communication phenomenon.
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    Rapid Review and Meta-Meta-Analysis of Self-Guided Interventions to Address Anxiety, Depression, and Stress During COVID-19 Social Distancing
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2020-10-28) Fischer R; Bortolini T; Karl JA; Zilberberg M; Robinson K; Rabelo A; Gemal L; Wegerhoff D; Nguyễn TBTN; Irving B; Chrystal M; Mattos P; Treadway D
    We conducted a rapid review and quantitative summary of meta-analyses that have examined interventions which can be used by individuals during quarantine and social distancing to manage anxiety, depression, stress, and subjective well-being. A literature search yielded 34 meta-analyses (total number of studies k = 1,390, n = 145,744) that were summarized. Overall, self-guided interventions showed small to medium effects in comparison to control groups. In particular, self-guided therapeutic approaches (including cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, and acceptance-based interventions), selected positive psychology interventions, and multi-component and activity-based interventions (music, physical exercise) showed promising evidence for effectiveness. Overall, self-guided interventions on average did not show the same degree of effectiveness as traditional guided individual or group therapies. There was no consistent evidence of dose effects, baseline differences, and differential effectiveness of eHealth interventions. More research on the effectiveness of interventions in diverse cultural settings is needed.