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Can regenerative agriculture be transformative for New Zealand agriculture? A community summary report
No full textWant to check out a short comic version of this research? A Regenerative Journey: Transforming Farms and Cultures comic is available at: https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/12107
The full thesis will be publicly available upon completion of the examination process.
If you have any questions about the research, you can get in contact with Madison at [email protected] agriculture has become a buzz word in New Zealand's primary industries in recent years. It is a type of farming that pursues improved ecological, social and economic outcomes. But what is the potential for regenerative agriculture to shake up the way that New Zealand farms?
This community summary report explores the key arguments and findings of the thesis "Caring food systems? The Transformative Potential of Regenerative Agriculture in New Zealand" by Madison Seymour.
The thesis research was conducted for partial fulfillment of the degree of Masters of Arts.
Supervised by Sean Connelly
School of Geograph
Oranga Mokopuna. Ethical co-designing for the pluriverse
No full textIn recent times, government appears to have conferred co-design a place of prominence in the future of hauora Māori. Yet an ever-increasing enthusiasm for co- design as ‘the solution’ has not equated with an increasing evidence-base around its effectiveness or appropriateness as an applied approach within hauora Māori. This thesis has explored concepts of co-design in relation to equitable health and/or disability related services for tamariki and rangatahi, within the broader context of sovereign tāngata whenua rights to health and well-being in Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu.
Underpinned by Kaupapa Māori, ‘Oranga Mokopuna’, the conceptual and theoretical framework developed during this research, provides the underlying perspective to my approach to systematic inquiry in this PhD. Building on mātauranga Māori practices foregrounding the treasured status of mokopuna within Te Ao Māori, ‘Oranga Mokopuna’ provides a decolonial frame of reference for the full realisation of tāngata whenua rights to health and well-being.
My research design – ‘Te whenua i whiriwhiri/The woven land’ – allowed for exploration of the emerging and evolving landscape of co-design within Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. As a metaphor, ‘Te whenua i whiriwhiri’ alludes to the multiple yet complementary and interconnected methods of data collection and analyses undertaken to navigate this landscape. These involved an environmental scan, a systematic literature review, document and critical discourse analyses, in-depth interviews with ngā kaipūkenga, and focus group interviews with mokopuna Māori.
Research findings identified the emergence of co-design as a market/commodity, and the parallel presence of harmful colonial, racist, paternalistic, deficit, othering, voyeuristic and extractive discourses within the field of co-design. A lack of engagement with ethics was also evident. Thus, there is an apparent disconnect between the rhetoric of co-design and its purported benefits, and how co-design appears to be currently practised.
Lack of definitional clarity in the literature around the term ‘co-design’ has been acknowledged as unhelpful. However, what may be more unhelpful and potentially harmful, is the continued use of the term within elite discourses without description of what is meant. This leaves the term open to interpretation within the field, with those in power the apparent beneficiaries from this. In addition to the requirement for definitional clarity around the term, the development of a code of ethics is considered fundamental for the field of co-design within Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu.
Informed by ‘Oranga Mokopuna’ and based upon the voices of mokopuna and ngā kaipūkenga, a new definition of ‘ethical co-designing’ is put forward. Ethical co-designing with mokopuna and whānau is proposed as an ongoing reflexive, respectful and reciprocal process of designing that, underpinned by tāngata whenua rights, requires equitable power-sharing throughout in the determining of, and collective creativity in addressing those issues of importance to them. Ethical co-designing necessitates accountability to mokopuna and whānau and supports meaningful transformative outcomes. ‘Te Wānanga’ is offered as a new framework supporting ethical co-designing with mokopuna and whānau that is grounded in Māori ways of knowing and being, tikanga and mātauranga Māori, and in tāngata whenua rights to health and well-being.
The ethic of prior thought emphasises that, for Māori, designing is not a new concept. It is aged in aeons as evident in our whakapapa narratives from our origins across and beyond the cosmos. They are ngā taonga for us to understand that we have always seen (and continue to see) our many worlds of the pluriverse as evolving and iterating over space-time, and thus requiring in response, a relationality and creativity in our ways of knowing and being.
The voices of mokopuna in this research give emphasis to their agency and their capability as knowledge holders, creators, and makers of meaning. Just as whakapapa and space-time are processes of never-ending beginnings, so is the search for knowledge. Like Te Kore – the realm of potentiality, the realm of unlimited possibilities – mokopuna too have unlimited potentiality as our knowledge holders, our creators, and our makers of meaning across the many worlds of the pluriverse. Including mokopuna in processes of knowledge creation through an honouring of their consciousness, supports them to make their own contributions to our collective decolonising and dismantling of knowledge and systems, and to the designing of divergent futures and never-ending beginnings for themselves, their whānau and communities
The effects of a 20-week HIFT circuit on cardiorespiratory fitness, functional fitness, muscle strength and body composition in recreationally active breast cancer survivors
Full text linkCancer treatment increases survivors risk for cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular
diseases, alterations of body composition, and loss of muscular strength. Regular physical
activity can be an effective strategy to reduce the risk of non-cancer related death among cancer
survivors. Recently, high intensity functional training (HIFT) has been identified as an
effective modality for improving fitness, body composition and muscle strength in cancer
survivors. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of HIFT on
cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular health, physical function, and body composition in
breast cancer survivors previously treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. It was
hypothesised that high intensity functional training will be safe and effective at increasing
fitness, body composition and strength in breast cancer survivors, with a null hypothesis of no
change seen in these variables. The exercise intervention involved a 20-week HIFT program,
utilizing a variety of exercise modalities, including aerobic (walking/running, rowing, cycling),
resistance (machines, dumbbells, kettle bells) and body weight exercises (e.g. squats, push
ups). Participants exercised twice weekly, with each session lasting approximately 30-minutes.
The HIFT intervention sessions included 12 exercise stations, with participants exercising at
each station for 2-minutes, before having 30-seconds to move to the next station. Physical
function was measures through balance and functional tests, cardiorespiratory fitness assessed
through V̇ O2peak tests, strength tests through a variety of one-repetition max tests and body
composition through BIA. Significant improvements were observed in lift and carry (p=0.17),
weighted stair climb (p=.012), posterior leg reach (p=.014), thigh extension (p=.007) and
flexion (p=.027) strength and systolic blood pressure (p=.012). Favourable, but non-significant
(p>.05), effects on body composition were observed. No significant (p>0.05) change was seen
in bench press 1RM, handgrip strength or V̇ O2peak. This study showed that HIFT can provide
significant improvements in functional capacity and lower body strength. Participants in the
current study were already physically active, which may account for the lack of change in upper
body strength and cardiorespiratory fitness. No significant reductions were observed in any
variable, suggesting that HIFT is effective at maintaining and, in some cases, improving aspects
of fitness in physically active breast cancer survivors
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs and Work in New Zealand
Full text linkFinal Report on Phase 1 of the New Zealand Law Foundation’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Projec
Comparing taste sensitivity and dietary intake across individuals with vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous diets
No full textTaste perception is an important factor affecting human life. It plays an undisputed role in public health through its effects on food choice, food preference, dietary intake, nutritional status, and subsequently quality of life. Previous researchers have extensively studied taste perception and suggested that various factors (e.g., genetics, age, gender, culture, ethnicity, emotional status, diseases, treatments, smoking behaviour, alcohol, and drug usage) significantly influence taste perception. Owing to the well-known association of taste perception with eating behaviour and health it is of importance to identify factors that can affect taste perception.
The effect of diet on health is becoming an increasingly popular topic of debate due to the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and obesity), and the role of a person’s diet in promoting/or preventing diseases. Hence, interest in what is perceivedin being healthier diets in particular plant-based diets (e.g., vegan or vegetarian diets) have recently increased. Shifting to vegan or vegetarian diets and demands for vegan or vegetarian products is increasing worldwide due to concerns around health, sustainability, and animal ethics. Changing consumers' food behaviour is a challenge for food and beverages manufacturers who need a wide range of information to optimise food product development. Various aspects of vegan and vegetarian diets such as health benefits, nutritional advantages or disadvantages, alternative food and beverage products, meal recipes, environmental or economic benefits have been investigated by researchers and have provided
more knowledge around these factors. A few studies have recently highlighted the influence of frequent/regular consumption of certain food types (e.g., fast food, sweetened beverages, or high-salted food) on taste perception. Overall, it remains unclear whether a person’s diet also can influence taste perception, or individuals following a vegan or vegetarian diet have different taste perceptions relative to omnivores? Understanding the possible impact of diet on taste perception is important to inform food manufacturers about product formulation, the effect of ingredient change, or designing food products with higher acceptability and liking matched with taste requirements of different populations and target consumers.
Taste perception is frequently evaluated by the assessment of taste sensitivity through the measurements of taste detection thresholds of individuals. The measurement of taste detection thresholds needs to be not only accurate but also convenient for people. These methods have traditionally been carried out in laboratory settings. The requirement of laboratory context poses challenges for assessing the taste sensitivity of individuals who are unable to attend laboratories due to physical (health/age) or mental conditions. Moreover, the testing process requires relies upon the provision of adequate testing facilities for these individuals (e.g., space, and equipment). These long-standing research challenges indicate a need for developing and establishing home-based taste sensitivity methods in sensory science that are convenient and accessible for use.
In the context of the limited knowledge on the influence of diet on human taste perception and the lack of a home-based taste sensitivity method, the current study aimed to investigate the influence of diet on the taste sensitivity of individuals across vegan, vegetarian,
or omnivorous diets. The research also aimed to develop a home-based taste sensitivity method. Accordingly, the first objective in this thesis was the development, evaluation, and validation of a home-based method for determining taste detection thresholds. This method was designed and developed using the two-Alternative Forced Choice (2-AFC) procedure prescribed by ASTM international standard practice E-679 (ASTM E-679). The newly developed method was evaluated by conducting a comparison between the home-based method and the laboratory-based method using the Best Estimated taste detection Threshold (BET) approach. In a cross-sectional trial with a within-subjects design, 60 healthy participants (females=38, and males=22) aged 21-65 years tasted and detected four different tastes: sweet (sucrose), salty (Sodium chloride), bitter (caffeine), and metallic (Iron II sulphate heptahydrate) through both the home-based and the laboratory-based methods. The obtained results from both methods were analysed and their total BETs were compared. The total BETs from the laboratory-based and the home-based method were 1.81±1.35 g/L and 1.99±1.37 g/L respectively for sweet taste, 0.20±0.26 g/L and 0.19±0.26 g/L respectively for salty taste, 0.026 g/L and 0.028 g/L respectively for bitter taste, and 0.0056 g/L and 0.0058 g/L respectively for metallic taste. No statistically significant difference was found between the two methods indicating the similar efficiency of the home-based method with the laboratory-based method. The results of analysis of data through test-retest reliability using Intra-class Coefficient Correlations (ICC), and assessment of RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the accuracy of both methods in the measurement of taste sensitivity. Key factors for the successful design of the home-based method included providing a clear design, accurate instruction, and having participants carry out the test in a place free of noise, odour, and other distractions.
The second objective was to compare the taste sensitivity of individuals on either meat-based (omnivorous diet) or plant-based diets (vegetarian or vegan diets) using the home-based method through a between-subjects study. The BET to sweet, salty, bitter, sour (citric acid), umami (MonoSodium Glutamate or MSG), and a metallic taste were determined for NZ European female participants aged 18-45 years on either a vegetarian (n=23), vegan (n=22), and omnivorous (n=35) diet. Individuals following a vegetarian diet for at least one year had a lower BET to bitter taste compared to vegans and omnivores indicating a higher sensitivity to bitter taste in vegetarians, with no significant differences detected in BET for the other tastes tested across the three diets.
The third objective assessed and compared energy and nutrient intake of NZ European female participants aged 18-45 years on either vegetarian (n=18), vegan (n=21), and omnivorous (n=22) diets using a 4-day dietary intake record. A significantly lower intake of protein, carbohydrate, glucose, fructose, and zinc, as well as a higher intake of caffeine (caffeinated products), was found among individuals following a vegetarian diet compared to vegans and omnivores. Vegans were found with a lower intake of cholesterol, and higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, total folate, thiamine, vitamin C, and vitamin E compared to both vegetarians and omnivores. The results, therefore, demonstrated differences in dietary intake between “vegetarians and vegans” and omnivores but also between vegans and vegetarians.
This study speculated on the links between observed differences in dietary intakes and taste sensitivities to six different tastes including sweet, salt, sour, bitter, umami, and metallic
tastes obtained in the second objective. It was suggested that the higher intake of caffeine (caffeinated products), may be associated with a lower bitter taste perception in people on a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet may affect carbohydrates, glucose, and fructose consumption through the effect on bitter taste perception.
In conclusion, the results from the research presented in this thesis have provided new insights into the effect of diet on human taste perception. The differences in dietary intake and their association with taste perception were described across the three diets. The findings in this thesis will help food professionals developing food products designed for individuals following a specific diet
The appropriation of cultural safety: A mixed methods analysis
No full textThis research frames the appropriation of Cultural Safety from an indigenous-led bicultural framework to a more inclusive cross-cultural framework for working with diverse patient populations. While scholars have questioned the appropriateness of Cultural Safety models outside an indigenous context, the perceived incompatibility of Cultural Safety alongside other cross-cultural frameworks has seen Cultural Safety continually expand its remit. Consequently, the 2011 Guidelines for Cultural Safety, the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori Health in nursing, education and practice reflect conflicting theoretical ambitions that hinder a clear purpose and effective teaching pedagogies. A mixed-methods survey consisting of both closed and open-ended questions investigates nurses’ understanding of these guidelines, their confidence in meeting them and their relevance. The findings suggest that employing Cultural Safety as an inclusive cross-cultural framework is challenged in three ways. First, data suggests Internationally Qualified Nurses (IQNs) and New Zealand Qualified Nurses are not equally understanding and meeting these guidelines. IQNs who have received Cultural Safety training demonstrated a poorer understanding of the guidelines and less confidence in meeting them than their New Zealand Qualified (NZQN) counterparts. Second, diversifying patient and nurse populations are challenging the idea that self-awareness and an understanding of power relations enable ‘culturally safe care in any context’. Language barriers and the increasing and necessary presence of language interpreters are just two unconsidered obstacles in providing culturally safe care. Third, nurses perceive culture-specific knowledge as essential in meeting the needs of a diversifying patient population. This demand is unmet by Cultural Safety which cautions that this approach can undermine efforts to recognize individual difference and interrogate power relations. This study has four recommendations. First, to ensure all nurses have a critical understanding of power relation and self-awareness, it is recommended that nursing curricula incorporate these discussions outside a cross-cultural context. Consideration of power relations and self-awareness is in fact critical in all patient/provider interactions. Second, to strengthen the purpose and utility of Cultural Safety, Cultural Safety ought to be realigned with ‘for Maori by Maori’ discourses. Third, Registered Nurse Competencies (2012) warrant consideration in light of a diversifying patient and nursing population. Finally, Internationally Qualified Nurses need access to Cultural Safety education that acknowledges their own culture and diversity of learning styles. The findings and recommendations within this study suggest there is potential to better meet the needs of a diversifying patient and nursing populations while upholding the critical role of Cultural Safety within New Zealand.
The “Any Evidence” Rule in New Zealand Family Law
Full text linkThe ‘any evidence’ rule provides judicial discretion to admit evidence in the Family Court that would otherwise be inadmissible. Although the rule has frequently been criticised, its operation and ongoing value have not been closely examined. In its recently-reformed iteration, the ‘any evidence’ rule embodies and demands a rigorous approach to evidentiary issues in the Family Court, premised on fundamental Evidence Act principles of relevance, probative value and prejudicial effect. In this first comprehensive review of the New Zealand family law ‘any evidence’ rule, based on an analysis of post-reform case law, we argue that the rule should be repealed. It is unnecessary, other than in relation to the special issue of children’s hearsay, and in practice contributes to a lax approach to the admission of evidence in the Family Court. We conclude by setting out recommendations for reformed law and practice, and directing users towards a more principled approach to family law evidence in the meantime.Peer Reviewe
Effects of Secreted Amyloid Precursor Protein-Alpha on Neurogenesis in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
No full textAlzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is characterised by amyloid-beta accumulation, phosphorylated tau aggregation, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the brain. Current therapies targeted at reducing amyloid-beta have not proven effective yet, warranting research into other avenues. The hippocampus contains neural stem cells that continuously generate new neurons throughout adulthood, a process known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Increasing evidence indicates that AHN, proposed to play important roles in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, is impaired in AD mouse models and in humans with AD. The neuroprotective protein secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα), a product of non-amyloidogenic APP processing, enhances memory and stimulates neurogenesis in vitro. The present study investigated whether the genesis of neurons or astrocytes is impaired in the APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mouse model of AD and whether sAPPα overexpression could rescue neuro- and astrogenesis in vivo. Three phases of AHN, cell proliferation, differentiation and survival of neurons and astrocytes, were assessed in the dentate gyrus (DG) of adult female APP/PS1 and wild-type (WT) mice. Two further questions were asked: (i) whether sAPPα overexpression induced differences in AHN along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus and (ii) whether sAPPα overexpression attenuated amyloid plaque burden in the DG.
To address the aims of the study, adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) encoding HA-tagged sAPPα (APP695) or enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP control) were injected bilaterally into the dorsal DG of the hippocampi of 8-month-old female mice. After birth dating both proliferating and surviving adult-born cells with thymidine analogues (XdU) immunofluorescence revealed Tg-control mice had a ~71% reduction of newly proliferated progenitor cell density in the DG subgranular zone that was rescued by sAPPα overexpression by ~61%.
In APP/PS1 mice, no change in the differentiation of adult-born astrocytes and neurons in the granule cell layer (GCL) was discovered but sAPPα overexpression increased astrocytic differentiation in the GCL. Survival of adult-born cells, including neurons and astrocytes, was impaired, and sAPPα overexpression increased astrocytic, but not neuronal survival in the GCL of APP/PS1 mice. For WT mice, sAPPα overexpression increased adult-born cell proliferation, astrocytic differentiation, and survival in the GCL, but not neuronal differentiation and survival. sAPPα overexpression also reduced amyloid burden in the DG and cortex, confirming its ability to reduce amyloid in an Alzheimer's mouse model.
The results indicate that adult female APP/PS1 mice had a cell proliferation impairment that was rescued by sAPPα overexpression. Neuro- and astrogenesis in surviving adult-born cells were impaired overall in APP/PS1 mice. sAPPα overexpression had a stronger proliferative effect on adult-born cells compared to a neurogenic effect, suggesting that sAPPα overexpression can be adapted for future manipulations to increase neurogenesis preferentially. The present study provides a novel proof-of-principle that sAPPα overexpression in vivo can be used to increase astrogenesis in an AD context. This may help to develop therapeutic approaches for modifying the course of AD or disorders involving cell loss
Intra-eruptive trachyte-phonolite transition: natural evidences and experimental constraints on the role of crystal mushes
Full text linkThe generation of silica undersaturated phonolite from silica saturated trachytes is uncommon, as it implies the crossing of the thermal barrier and critical plane of silica undersaturation. Nevertheless, a co-genetic suite displaying compositional transition from benmoreite-trachyte to phonolite has been observed within the Al Shaatha pyroclastic sequence in the Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). We performed crystallization experiments on benmoreite and trachyte starting compositions in order to simulate the pressure-temperature-volatile conditions that generated the observed liquid line of descent. The experimental conditions were 200-500 MPa, 850-1,150 °C, 0-10 wt.% H2O, 0.0-0.5 wt.% CO2 and NNO+2 oxygen buffer. The experimental mineral assemblage consists of clinopyroxene, feldspar and titanomagnetite, as well as glass in variable proportions. The degree of crystallinity of hydrous runs is lower than that of anhydrous ones at analogous pressure and temperature conditions. Clinopyroxene crystallizes with compositions diopside-augite and augite-hedenbergite, respectively at 500 MPa and 200 MPa. The saturation of feldspar is primarily controlled by temperature and volatile content, with the more potassic composition equilibrating at low temperature (850-900 °C) and anhydrous (for benmoreite) or hydrous (for trachyte) conditions. At low pressure (200 MPa), temperatures below 850 °C and anhydrous conditions, the degree of crystallization is extremely high (>90%) and the residual glass obtained from trachyte experiments is characterized by peralkaline and sodic affinity. This finding is consistent with natural eruptive products containing interstitial phonolitic glass within an anorthoclase framework. The shift from trachyte to phonolite is therefore interpreted as the result of open system interaction between trachytic magma and intercumulus phonolitic melt, as well as of dissolution of anorthoclase from a crystal mush
Extracellular matrix biomarkers in acute myocardial infarction
Full text linkExtracellular matrix (ECM) biomarkers are useful for measuring underlying molecular activity associated with cardiac repair following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). While promising as predictive tools, integration into clinical practice has been hindered by discordant findings within the literature and investigations have largely been limited to single biomarker analysis. Thus, this thesis explored alternative strategies for examining circulating ECM biomarkers in AMI.
Firstly, we examined the feasibility of combining circulating ECM biomarkers in a cohort of 140 AMI patients. ECM biomarkers measured in this study included: fibroblast growth factor basic (FGFb), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2, -3, -8, -9, osteopontin, periostin, N-terminal type I procollagen (PINP), transforming growth factor - beta 1 (TGF-β1), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP) -1, -4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Application of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a mathematical technique to elucidate the underlying structure of variables, demonstrated collinearity between biomarkers. Combination of biomarkers using cluster analysis separated patients into three distinct clusters, with differential levels of peak high-sensitivity troponin T and global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) scores. We demonstrate that complex interrelationships exist between ECM biomarkers and combination can distinguish ECM profiles associated with differential patient risk.
Next, we explored the temporal variability of circulating ECM biomarkers in a prospective cohort of 23 AMI patients. When compared to levels in 12 healthy volunteers, MMP-8, MMP-9, PINP and TIMP-1 were elevated in AMI patients at one or more of the time points measured, while MMP-3 and periostin were significantly decreased. Longitudinal profiles of these ECM biomarkers demonstrated some temporal variation, but no clear trend in maximal or minimal levels were identified. Furthermore, only weak-to-moderate correlations were observed between ECM biomarkers and baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and area under the curve (AUC) high-sensitivity Troponin T, suggesting that biomarker variation was not primarily driven by indices of myocardial damage.
Harnessing this panel of seven ECM biomarkers, we investigated the clinical utility of combined biomarker analysis to predict the development of systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with echocardiogram measurements within 1 year of AMI. Specifically, combination of MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 using cluster analysis separated patients into two clustered groups. Assignment to Cluster One, as well as prescription of ACE inhibitors at discharge, peak high-sensitivity troponin T ≥ median levels and current smoking were independent predictors for development of systolic dysfunction. However, neither single nor combined biomarker analysis could predict development of diastolic dysfunction. Thus, these findings demonstrate both the advantages and limitations of combined ECM biomarker analysis for predicting LV remodelling processes.
Potentially, novel biomarker approaches should be developed to represent ECM activity during AMI. Therefore, the final study in this thesis examined extracellular vesicle (EV) expression in cardiac fibroblasts stimulated under pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic conditions in vitro. Using RNA sequencing, we identified 12 EV microRNAs differentially expressed across stimulation conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate cardiac fibroblast-derived EVs under conditions representing early cardiac repair processes, and these may provide novel putative targets for future biomarker research.
Together, findings from this thesis demonstrate the complexity of measuring ECM biomarkers in AMI. We have shown that combined biomarker analysis may more appropriately capture ECM activity than single biomarkers, and we have provided future potential targets for assessment of cellular activity in cardiac repair