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Item Indigenous Perspectives and Gene Editing in Aotearoa New Zealand(Frontiers Media SA, 2019-04-11) Hudson M; Mead ATP; Chagné D; Roskruge N; Morrison S; Wilcox PL; Allan AC; Robienski JGene editing is arguably the most significant recent addition to the modern biotechnology toolbox, bringing both profoundly challenging and enabling opportunities. From a technical point of view the specificity and relative simplicity of these new tools has broadened the potential applications. However, from an ethical point of view it has re-ignited the debates generated by earlier forms of genetic modification. In New Zealand gene editing is currently considered genetic modification and is subject to approval processes under the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). This process requires decision makers to take into account Māori perspectives. This article outlines previously articulated Māori perspectives on genetic modification and considers the continuing influence of those cultural and ethical arguments within the new context of gene editing. It also explores the range of ways cultural values might be used to analyse the risks and benefits of gene editing in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Methods used to obtain these perspectives consisted of (a) review of relevant literature regarding lessons learned from the responses of Maori to genetic modification, (b) interviews of selected 'key Maori informants' and (c) surveys of self-selected individuals from groups with interests in either genetics or environmental management. The outcomes of this pilot study identified that while Māori informants were not categorically opposed to new and emerging gene editing technologies a priori, they suggest a dynamic approach to regulation is required where specific uses or types of uses are approved on a case by case basis. This study demonstrates how the cultural cues that Māori referenced in the genetic modification debate continue to be relevant in the context of gene editing but that further work is required to characterize the strength of various positions across the broader community.Item We’re in the era of overtourism but there is a more sustainable way forward(The Conversation Media Group Ltd, 2019-01-16) Scheyvens RItem Studies on the fertility and breeding management of New Zealand dairy cows : a thesis presented to Massey University as a requirement for the degree of Doctor of Science(Massey University, 1982) Macmillan, K. L.This thesis reviews an extensive research program on the fertility of dairy catt1e in New Zealand. Most of the work was completed between 1967 and 1977. It involved studying numerous basic aspects of reproductive physiology by analysing extensive amounts of data either lodged within a large centralised recording system, or produced through the participating cooperation of herd owners or inseminators. New concepts were developed and old recommendations sometimes found to be inappropriate.Item Water and solutes in soil : hydraulic characterisation, sustainable production, and environmental protection : application for the degree of Doctor of Science from Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2002) Clothier, Brent EThe soil of the rootzone, the fragile and fertile interface between the atmosphere and the subterranean realm, is characterised by massive transfers of water and solutes. Our understanding of the biophysical transport processes into, and through, soil has been enhanced by the research endeavours of the applicant, Brent Euan Clothier. Dr Clothier, a 1977 Ph.D. graduate of Massey University, has developed tools and techniques that increased the acuity of our vision of transport processes of water and solutes in soil, as well it has sharpened our ability to hydraulically characterise those mechanisms for the purpose of modelling and risk assessment. His research has also enhanced our understanding of how these biophysical processes affect sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, and the bioremediation of contamination. These endeavours are grouped, in this thesis, into four overlapping areas of research: • Processes and properties of water movement into and through soil • Processes and properties of solute movement through soil • Root uptake processes and sustainable irrigation • Plants, groundwater protection and bioremediation of contaminated soil. The key elements of these four themes, and their contribution to knowledge, form Chapters 2-5 of this thesis. Dr Clothier's awards, honours, and impact are discussed in Chapter 6.Item Digital badges - What is the state of play within the New Zealand Higher Education sector?(ASCILTE - Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, 2018-01-01) Hartnett M; Campbell M; Willems J; Adachi C; Blake D; Doherty I; Krishnan S; Macfarlane S; Ngo L; O’Donnell M; Palmer S; Riddell L; Story I; Suri H; Tai JThe importance and influence of digital technologies as a mediator and facilitator of learning is fundamentally changing education; what it encompasses, what counts as learning, who has access, where and when it occurs, and the ways in which skills, knowledge and capabilities are recognised. One technological innovation that has emerged within the last few years is digital badges. Developed to act as indicators of accomplishment, skill, or interest, they are being used in a variety of contexts for purposes such as to motivate, capture achievement, or credential learning. Digital badging is a technology that has the potential to change how we engage learners, deliver content and acknowledge learning. Internationally, digital badge use is growing particularly in Higher Education. However, to-date, it is difficult to determine how many institutions are using digital badges and for what purposes. This is particularly true within the New Zealand Higher Education context where little research is currently available. The focus of this study was to identify the ‘current state of play’ of digital badge use (i.e. which tertiary institutions are using badges, and the perceived benefits and drawbacks associated with their use) within the public New Zealand Higher Education sector.Item Germline CDH1 mutations are a significant contributor to the high frequency of early-onset diffuse gastric cancer cases in New Zealand Māori.(Springer Nature, 2018-03-27) Hakkaart C; Ellison-Loschmann L; Day R; Sporle A; Koea J; Harawira P; Cheng S; Gray M; Whaanga T; Pearce N; Guilford PNew Zealand Māori have a considerably higher incidence of gastric cancer compared to non-Māori, and are one of the few populations worldwide with a higher prevalence of diffuse-type disease. Pathogenic germline CDH1 mutations are causative of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, a cancer predisposition syndrome primarily characterised by an extreme lifetime risk of developing diffuse gastric cancer. Pathogenic CDH1 mutations are well described in Māori families in New Zealand. However, the contribution of these mutations to the high incidence of gastric cancer is unknown. We have used next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification to examine germline CDH1 in an unselected series of 94 Māori gastric cancer patients and 200 healthy matched controls. Overall, 18% of all cases, 34% of cases diagnosed with diffuse-type gastric cancer, and 67% of cases diagnosed aged less than 45 years carried pathogenic CDH1 mutations. After adjusting for the effect of screening known HDGC families, we estimate that 6% of all advanced gastric cancers and 13% of all advanced diffuse-type gastric cancers would carry germline CDH1 mutations. Our results demonstrate that germline CDH1 mutations are a significant contributor to the high frequency of diffuse gastric cancer in New Zealand Māori.Item Historical translocations by Māori may explain the distribution and genetic structure of a threatened surf clam in Aotearoa (New Zealand)(Springer Nature Ltd, 2018-11-22) Ross PM; Knox MA; Smith S; Smith H; Williams J; Hogg IDThe population genetic structure of toheroa (Paphies ventricosa), an Aotearoa (New Zealand) endemic surf clam, was assessed to determine levels of inter-population connectivity and test hypotheses regarding life history, habitat distribution and connectivity in coastal vs. estuarine taxa. Ninety-eight toheroa from populations across the length of New Zealand were sequenced for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene with analyses suggesting a population genetic structure unique among New Zealand marine invertebrates. Toheroa genetic diversity was high in Te Ika-a Māui (the North Island of New Zealand) but completely lacking in the south of Te Waipounamu (the South Island), an indication of recent isolation. Changes in habitat availability, long distance dispersal events or translocation of toheroa to southern New Zealand by Māori could explain the observed geographic distribution of toheroa and their genetic diversity. Given that early-Māori and their ancestors, were adept at food cultivation and relocation, the toheroa translocation hypothesis is plausible and may explain the disjointed modern distribution of this species. Translocation would also explain the limited success in restoring what may in some cases be ecologically isolated populations located outside their natural distributions and preferred nichesItem Lowering hospital walls to achieve health equity(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2018-09-20) Matheson A; Bourke C; Verhoeven A; Khan MI; Nkunda D; Dahar Z; Ellison-Loschmann LHospitals have evolved to become integral and dominant components of health systems, although their functions, organisation, size, degree of centralisation, and resourcing varies across countries. Despite this diversity, hospitals are generally focused on providing services for sick people rather than prevention. Although many have shown the capacity to quickly adopt new technologies, especially for diagnosing and managing illness, achieving institutional change to tackle the systemic causes of health inequities has proved much more difficult. We argue that the actions of hospitals contribute to health inequities. This is important given that hospitals hold an inordinate share of power, resources, and influence within health and community systems—while primary care and prevention are consistently undervalued and underfunded. We draw on four opportunistically selected country case examples to show the role that hospitals can play in overcoming systemic barriers to health equity. Each example highlights health sector actions taken for particular population groups: women and children in Pakistan and Rwanda and the indigenous peoples of Australia and New Zealand.Item Maverick politicians : their beliefs and actions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 1999) Boyd, Hilary ChristineThrough interviews with maverick politicians and political commentators, this research explores the beliefs and actions of maverick politicians, a sub-group of actors within the policy-making process. It builds on previous research which focused primarily on the characteristics and beliefs of maverick politicians. This research was undertaken to ascertain the process by which the politicians attain the maverick label; explore the environment within which these politicians operate; examine the methods maverick politicians use to achieve change in policy, parliamentary practices and the political landscape; and determine their effectiveness in implementing change. Attaining the maverick status involved politicians undergoing a process of alienation from their party. They struggled to implement policy initiatives and adopted an oppositional approach as they battled with an antidemocratic policy-making process. Often unable to effect significant policy changes maverick politicians attempted reformation of the parliamentary practices and the political landscape. However, these attempts merely entrenched existing undemocratic processes. The research findings suggest that because of their underlying beliefs of how Parliament should operate maverick politicians choose to give priority to their constituents rather than to their party and support a notion of democracy that is participatory rather than representative. These choices contribute towards their maverick behaviour; result in alienation from their party; and limit their long-term effectiveness as policy-makers by leading them to focus on reformation. It is likely that, unless changes which accommodate politicians with differing views of representation and democracy occur within the parliamentary and party systems, there will continue to be disillusioned MPs who become alienated from their political parties and follow the maverick path.Item Mild traumatic brain injury in New Zealand: factors influencing post-concussion symptom recovery time in a specialised concussion service.(CSIRO Publishing, 2018-06-28) Forrest RHJ; Henry JD; McGarry PJ; Marshall RNINTRODUCTION: By 2020, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are predicted to become the third largest cause of disease burden globally; 90% of these being mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Some patients will develop post-concussion syndrome. AIM: To determine whether the time between sustaining a mTBI and the initial assessment by a specialised concussion service, along with the post-concussion symptoms reported at the assessment, affected recovery time. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review of clients who had completed the Rivermead Post-Concussion Questionnaire (RPQ) at their initial assessment and were discharged from a large metropolitan concussion service in New Zealand was undertaken over a 6-month period in 2014 (n = 107). Using correlations, General Linear Mixed-effects Models (GLMM) and linear regressions, we explored associations between factors including ethnicity, gender and accident type, along with individual RPQ symptom scores and cluster scores, with time from injury to initial assessment by the specialised concussion service and initial assessment to discharge. RESULTS: Time from injury to initial assessment by a specialist concussion service was correlated with proportionally more psychological symptoms present at initial assessments (r = 0.222, P = 0.024); in particular, feeling depressed or tearful (r = 0.292, P = 0.003). Time to discharge was correlated with individual RPQ symptom proportions present at initial assessment for headaches (r = -0.238, P = 0.015), sensitivity to noise (r = 0.220, P = 0.026), feeling depressed or tearful (r = 0.193, P = 0.051) and feeling frustrated or impatient (r = 0.252, P = 0.003), along with the psychological cluster proportion (r = 0.235, P = 0.017) and the total RPQ score (r = 0.425, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Prompt diagnosis and treatment of mTBI may minimise the severity of post-concussion symptoms, especially symptoms associated with mental health and wellbeing.
