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Dignity and Mana in the "Third Law" of Aotearoa New Zealand
Full text linkThe concept of dignity is increasingly recognised in Aotearoa New Zealand case law and legislation as an important value. Indeed, it has the potential to become a foundational interpretive value within our legal system. Although its precise theoretical basis is contested, in its current conception it is typically grounded in the right to equality and/or autonomy and is presented as being equally inherent in all people. This conception generally fits well within the Anglo-New Zealand form of law that currently dominates New Zealand’s legal system (New Zealand’s “second law”). In contrast, in recent years, tikanga Māori has been recognised as a further source of law in this country (New Zealand’s “first law”). There are now promising signs that a “third law” is developing: a hybrid of the two streams, drawing on but conceptually distinct from each of its parents. Consistent with this development, the Māori concept of mana is increasingly invoked, in law, alongside dignity. In this Article we describe the results of our comprehensive overview and critique of the use of the term “dignity” within New Zealand law. We seek to convey a sense of the many ways in which dignity is being used in contemporary case law and legislation, and to encourage thoughtful engagement with the concept. As part of doing so, we critique the associations being drawn between mana and dignity and suggest that, to date, most invocations of mana and dignity fail to examine conceptual differences between the two terms. We further suggest that there is potential for a new, richer, third-law concept of dignity to develop: one that is distinctly Aotearoan, drawing on but conceptually different from its first- and second-law parents.
E mōhio whānui haere ana i te ariā o ‘dignity’ hei whanonga pono hirahira i ngā ture kēhi me ngā hanganga ture ki Aotearoa. Otirā, he pito mata pea kia tū hei whanonga pono tūāpapa ki roto i te pūnaha ture. Ahakoa e tautohe ana te paparahi tātai pū, kei tana huatau o nāianei, ka ahu mai i te mana taurite, i te mana motuhake hoki, ā, ka whakaaturia, he momo ōrite ki roto i ngā tāngata katoa. Ka noho tēnei huatau i roto i te ao ture Pākehā e whakatuanui ai i te pūnaha ture ki Aotearoa (ko te “ture tuarua” ki Aotearoa). Engari, i ngā tau inā tata nei, kua āhukahukatia ngā tikanga Māori hei puna ture hoki ki Aotearoa (ko te “ture tuatahi” ki Aotearoa). Ko te āhua awhero nei, e whakawhanake ana i tētahi “ture tuatoru”: he momorua o ēnei mea e rua, e whakamanawatia ana, heoi, e noho huatau ā-motuhake ana i ngā mātua. Pērā i te whakawhanaketanga, i te ao ture, e noho tahi ana te kupu Māori o ‘mana’ i te taha o ‘dignity’. Kei tēnei atikara, ka kōrerohia ngā tukunga iho o tā māua tirohanga whānui me tētahi arotaketanga i te kupu ‘dignity’ i te ao ture o Aotearoa. Ka hiahia māua kia whakaatu, he maha ngā whakamahinga rerekē o te dignity i te ture kēhi me ngā hanganga ture, ā, e akiaki ana i te whakawhitinga mahara ki te ariā. Hei wāhanga o tērā mahi, ka arotake māua i ngā hononga i waenganui i te mana me te dignity, ā, e taunaki ana, i nāia tonu nei, kāore te nuinga o ngā whakamahinga i te mana me te dignity e tautuhi i ngā rerekētanga ā-ariā i waenganui i ngā kupu e rua. E taunaki hoki ana i te pito mata mō tētahi momo hou, mō tētahi momo hira ake o te ariā ture tuatoru o te dignity: he momo nō Aotearoa, he momo e whakamanawatia ana, heoi, e noho huatau ā-motuhake ana i ngā mātua.Peer Reviewe
An investigation into the use of pollen from South Mavora Lake for paleoclimate reconstruction
No full textThe proxies embedded within both lake and peat bog sediments provide information on both vegetation and by inference climate changes. When developing paleoclimate records based on pollen, peat bogs are favoured due to passive modes of accumulation and simple proxy source models. However, slow accumulation rates result in low resolutions and poor recording of decadal to centennial scale environmental changes. Lacustrine systems offer higher resolution records, robust chronologies, and multiple supporting proxies. However, modes of accumulation are complex, and the role fluvial processes and lacustrine dynamics play in shaping paleoclimate records are currently poorly understood thus, lacustrine records are currently underutilised in pollen based paleoclimate research. Pollen taphonomy can indicate sediment sources and pre/post depositional processes. Therefore, not only can pollen be used to investigate climate, the role of catchment processes in shaping the final record can be determined. Parallel pollen-based paleoclimate reconstructions have been developed from an adjacent lake/peat bog complex at South Mavora. With the peat bog record acting as a control, pollen taphonomy has been used to investigate inputs into the lacustrine environment and a conceptual pollen input model for South Mavora lake has been constructed. Remobilised terrestrially stored pollen is the dominant pollen source in South Mavora Lake. However, given the similarities seen between the two Mavora records and that the trends seen in these records are seen at other sites, it can be concluded it is a suitable site for pollen reconstruction. Furthermore it can be concluded that lacustrine systems are suitable sources of pollen based paleoclimate information where the influence of catchment and lacustrine processes are carefully considered
MicroRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers of Parkinson's disease
No full textParkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It is a heterogeneous disease caused by the complex interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors. The cardinal motor features of PD include a resting tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity. However, this disease presents with a wide variety of other motor and non-motor symptoms, which contribute significantly to the disability, morbidity and mortality associated with PD.
The current gold-standard for the diagnosis of PD is neuropathology. Although clinical diagnostic criteria have helped standardize and improve diagnosis, they are heavily dependent on the expertise of the diagnostician and might not be appropriate for patients in early stages who do not yet meet the required thresholds for diagnosis. The need to identify patients in early and presymptomatic stages of the disease is fundamental to developing novel disease-modifying therapies. As clinically evident PD is associated with a significant loss of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, along with widespread neural network dysfunctions, identifying patients at this stage limits the impact of novel neuroprotective and disease-modifying therapies. There is, therefore, an urgent, unmet need for biomarkers which allow for the early and accurate diagnosis of PD, detect disease progression and facilitate the discovery of novel therapies. A promising class of biomarkers which are easily and non-invasively obtained from several biofluids are microRNAs (miRNAs).
This study aimed to identify plasma miRNAs which are able to discriminate between PD patients and controls with high diagnostic certainty. Plasma-derived miRNA signatures were identified from patients in relatively early disease stages (miR-451a, miR-151a-5p and miR-223-3p) and at a later disease stage (miR-195-5p and miR-423-3p). Both these miRNA signatures were able to discriminate between patients and controls with good diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, the high specificities of these signatures also demonstrates good ability to identify unaffected individuals and therefore serve as potential screening tests. Pooling data from this study into a larger meta-analysis also demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy indices, helping to strengthen the evidence that biofluid miRNAs are capable of effectively discriminating between PD patients and controls with high diagnostic certainty.
Additionally, miRNAs which correlated with specific clinical features of PD were also identified. For example, miR-130b-3p, which correlated with cognitive assessment scores, suggesting a potential role for this miRNA to serve as a specific marker for cognitive impairment in PD. Additionally, several novel miRNAs (miR-7-1-3p, miR-25-3p, miR-27b-3p, miR-30e-5p, miR-151a-3p, miR-151a-5p, miR-301a-3p, miR-378a-3p, and miR-484) were identified in the plasma of PD patients compared to controls, which merit further validation and exploration into their role in disease pathology and their potential to serve as novel therapeutic targets for PD.
In summary, miRNAs could be considered as promising candidate peripheral biomarkers of PD. The advantages of being able to repeatedly and easily access blood as part of routine clinical investigations cannot be overstated. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness of blood tests would allow them to be widely used in clinics of most economic backgrounds. Additionally, it would also enable testing in patients who present to primary care with prodromal symptoms which are commonly associated with PD, making this a potentially effective way to identify patients in very early stages of the disease. Beyond the clinic, an objective diagnostic measure to confirm a clinical PD diagnosis would also be crucial for drug trials needing to homogenize and stratify their cohorts to help facilitate the development of DMTs and further our understanding of the pathology of PD
Remedies when a tenant profits from unlawful sub-lease on Airbnb: Nice Place Property Management v Paterson
Full text linkIn Nice Place Property Management Ltd v Paterson,1 a New Zealand court recently ordered a tenant to pay the landlord the roughly $7,500 NZ profit that the tenant had made while sub-letting the premises via Airbnb in breach of their lease. The orthodox position is that an account of profit for breach of contract is available only in exceptional cases. We argue that Nice Place is not such an exceptional case. However, we suggest that a court could make an award of “negotiating damages”, which are compensatory in nature, to reflect the landlord’s loss of right to control their land. This approach could result in a sum less than, or possibly more than, the tenant’s actual profit
Dissecting the receptor signalling events responsible for the immune suppressive and immune stimulatory effects of IL-10
No full textInterleukin 10 (IL-10) is a dynamic cytokine produced by most adaptive and innate immune cells. Though known as a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10 has been shown to promote the immune stimulatory activity of B cells, cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells and mast cells. This has hindered the use of IL-10 as a therapeutic in immune mediated diseases. It is hypothesised that IL-10 induces its immune suppressive activity through the JAK-STAT3 pathway and immune stimulatory activity through the P13K-AKT1 pathway. We hypothesized that using structurally guided human IL-10 mutants with altered receptor affinity, can potentially bias IL-10 signalling towards therapeutic immune suppressive pathways.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from four healthy donors were stimulated with LPS and wild-type human (h)IL-10 or receptor-selective mutants IL-10s. The supernatant was collected and the levels of IL-1β measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To detect pSTAT3 and pAKT1 signalling, PBMC derived from two healthy donors were stimulated with hIL-10 or receptor-selective mutant IL-10s. PBMC were stained for CD3, CD8, CD19 and CD14 cell surface markers as well as intracellular phosphorylated (p) proteins pAKT1 and pSTAT3. Phospho-flow cytometry was used to detect phosphorylated proteins in specific cells, with changes in the geometric mean fluorescence intensity (gMFI) measured.
One mutant was found to have slightly greater anti-inflammatory activity than hIL-10 as it induced lower levels of IL-1β. The rest of the mutants did not inhibit the production of IL-1β to the same extent as hIL-10. Phosphorylation of STAT3 was induced to similar levels by hL- 10 and the IL-10 mutants across the CD3+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD19+ B cells and CD14+ monocytes. However, stimulation with hIL-10 induced substantially more phosphorylation of AKT1 across the immune cells compared to the mutant IL-10s.
These results suggest that changes to receptor affinity may not affect the JAK-STAT3 pathway however P13K-AKT1 signalling may be subject to manipulation. This could provide a mechanism of decoupling the immune stimulatory and immune suppressive activity of IL-10 which would contribute to improved IL-10 therapies for immune mediated disease
Exploitation of disrupted redox-detoxification to eradicate drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
No full textMycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the rise in multidrug-resistant (MDR)- and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB highlights an urgent global requirement for novel therapeutic strategies. Antibiotic killing is intrinsically linked to bacterial metabolism and redox homeostasis; however, drug-resistance in M. tuberculosis is often driven by mutations in genes that regulate these pathways. Here, I hypothesize that antibiotic resistance dysregulates mycobacterial metabolism or redox homeostasis and renders them hypersensitive to killing by drugs that can exploit this dysregulation. The aim of this study was to identify biological pathways that when inhibited lead to enhanced killing of drug-resistant redox-detoxification mutants of M. tuberculosis (i.e. isoniazid (INH)-resistant katG catalase mutant and an ethionamide (ETH)-resistant mshA antioxidant mutant). The inactivation of katG catalase or mshA mycothiol biosynthesis rendered drug-resistant strains of MTB hypersensitive to killing by a wide variety of antibiotics that target a range of biological pathways. Furthermore, the increased killing was often unique, with the katG catalase being hypersensitive to drugs that had no increased lethality against the mshA mutant and vice versa. For example, the normally bacteriostatic drug, Q203 that targets the cytochrome bc1 respiratory complex, was bactericidal against the katG inactivation in the INH-1 resistant mutant. Further to this, CRISPR interference was used to construct a broader set of metabolically-compromised strains, with Q203 identified as also having a bactericidal phenotype against sodA and cydB depletion strains. Collectively, these results have demonstrated the importance of redox-detoxification systems for the ability of M. tuberculosis to mitigate antibiotic efficacy. More importantly, these results contribute to the overarching goal of developing more effective treatment regimens to reduce the global burden of tuberculosis (TB)
Smad7: a master regulator of β-cell plasticity in T2DM controlled by uric acid
No full textType-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a growing pandemic that affects over 380 million people worldwide, especially in New Zealand where Māori and Pacifica populations are disproportionately affected. Besides insulin resistance, hallmarks of T2DM include the increase in pancreatic β-cell mass loss leading to reduced insulin secretion subsequently causing hyperglycaemia. Compelling new evidence suggests that the loss of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells may be due to the increased conversion of β-cells to glucagon-secreting α-cells, known as β-cell plasticity.
The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) pathway maintains pancreatic β-cell identity. Its activation facilitates paired box 4 (Pax4) expression, a protein that is important to maintain β-cell identity and insulin production highlighting the importance of the TGFβ pathway for β-cell plasticity and T2DM development. A major negative regulator of the TGFβ pathway especially during inflammation is the transcription factor mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7 (SMAD7).
Uric acid (UA), a metabolite of purine and fructose metabolism, increases significantly in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. Furthermore, elevated UA levels (hyperuricemia) are known to inhibit the TGFβ pathway, however, the exact underlying mechanisms linking UA to the SMAD7-TGFβ signalling and to β-cell plasticity in T2DM is unknown and is the aim of this study.
Using the immunoblotting technique in fed and fasted, high fructose diet fed, and db/db mouse models, we found a significant reduction in Pax4 protein expression in high fructose fed mice (p = 0.034, n = 4) and db/db mice (p = 0.005, n = 6). Interestingly, we only detected a significant increase in Smad7 protein expression in db/db mice (p = 0.005, n = 6).
Findings in the Bahn lab (Dpt Physiology, Otago), revealed that elevated UA levels significantly down-regulated PAX4 expression and increased glucagon synthesis in pancreatic β-cells. High-fructose fed and db/db mice are hyperuricemic indicating a possible connection between hyperuricemia and changes in TGFβ-mediated β-cell plasticity in vivo. The changes in Smad7 protein expression we saw in db/db mice suggest that the increase in TGFβ signalling inhibition might be induced by increased inflammation, a condition known in the context of hyperuricemia as gout. Our results are the first step towards a better understanding of the real causes leading to the development of T2DM based on the observed disturbance of β-cell plasticity evolving as the main driver of T2DM. Ultimately, the answer to whether T2DM is an inflammatory or metabolic disease or both at different time points of the disease will lead to changes in T2DM treatment
Te Pūrongo ā-Tau Tekau mā Toru o te Komiti Arotake Mate Pēpi, Mate Whaea Hoki | Thirteenth Annual Report of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee
Full text linkTe Pūrongo ā-Tau Tekau mā Toru o te Komiti Arotake Mate Pēpi, Mate Whaea Hokihe | Thirteenth Annual Report of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee focuses on the epidemiology of perinatal mortality from 2007 to 2017, maternal mortality from 2006 to 2016, babies with neonatal encephalopathy from 2010 to 2017, and perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity for the 2017 calendar year
The effect of aging on the wear performance of monolithic zirconia
No full textThe increase in patients’ awareness and demands for metal-free, highly aesthetic restorations, even in the posterior area of the mouth, has contributed to the introduction of high-strength ceramics into dentistry. Yttrium-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) is by far the strongest of these compositions, however, it is opaque white in colour, which compromise its aesthetics properties, therefore, it was covered by a layer of more translucent veneering ceramic to improve the overall aesthetics of the restoration. However, chipping of the veneering layer is a frequent problem associated with these restorations, therefore, several zirconia compositions with enhanced translucency were introduced to allow the production of the full contour of the restoration from zirconia alone.
The elimination of the veneering layer brings zirconia into direct contact with the tooth material and the oral environment, increasing the risk of excessive tooth material wear as a result of the high surface hardness of zirconia. Additionally, the oral environment is an ideal place for phase transformation to happen which involves enlarging of the zirconia crystal that leads to microcracking, making zirconia more abrasive. Therefore, studying the effect of aging on wear behaviour of zirconia is of high importance.
This thesis begins with a literature review composed of two parts in which the peer reviewed literature of the various components of study was critically analysed and comprehensively presented. The first part focused on development of all-ceramic systems for the monolithic use, especially zirconia ceramics. The findings indicate that the literature lacks the answer to whether the different zirconia products of the same generation and the different generations share the same material properties. In fact, the dental research community is even unaware of this issue. Additionally, several monolithic zirconia compositions cannot be classified under the second or third generations of zirconia and yet they are being studied and referred to using broad terms like monolithic or translucent zirconia.
The second part of the literature review examined the in vivo and in vitro studies on wear performance of monolithic zirconia against human enamel antagonists, to present and analyse the factors that control and modify the wear behaviour of monolithic zirconia in this tribological system. The findings indicated that zirconia is minimally abrasive to human enamel and less abrasive than the other dental ceramics, provided that its surface was polished, however, standard polishing protocols and surface roughness value that should be achieved to reduce abrasiveness of zirconia are yet to be determined. Furthermore, the studies on the effect of aging on wear of monolithic zirconia are lacking which motivated the conducting of the in vitro experiment presented in the next chapter. Additionally, the use of the number of wear simulation cycles as the base for comparing the results between the different studies is misleading and the total sliding distance should be used instead. The findings also agreed with part one of the literature review regarding the lack of distinction between the different zirconia products.
An in vitro study was conducted to study the effect of aging on the wear performance of monolithic zirconia. It was found that aging increased abrasiveness of monolithic zirconia regardless of the type of surface finish and that the effect of aging is “latent” and only revealed under mechanical loading during wear simulation which increased surface roughness and wear by adversely affecting zirconia’s mechanical properties, making it less capable to maintain its initial surface smoothness. Also, the glaze layer may protect zirconia from low temperature degradation (LTD), however, it was susceptible to aging which further increased its abrasiveness
Students' perceptions of undergraduate endodontic education and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
No full textKnowledge, understanding and developing clinical skill in endodontics is an essential competency for graduation in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree, and for registration as a general dental practitioner (GDP). Historically, students have found learning and performing endodontic treatment a difficult and anxiety-inducing endeavour. These challenges can hinder their confidence which may negatively affect the quality of endodontic treatment performed after graduation.
The overarching aims of the research reported in this thesis are to investigate final year dental students’ perceptions and experiences of the endodontic programme in New Zealand (NZ), and the extent to which such experiences were influenced by disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. An embedded mixed-methods research design was employed to capture students’ perspectives and experience of learning endodontics over a two year period (2019 and 2020). An electronic survey with closed-ended questions (measured on a Likert scale) and open-ended questions was developed and sent to final year dental students (n=137) who were three months from graduation. The survey comprised of three sections. The first explored the students feelings of confidence, anxiety and preparedness to perform endodontics; the second explored the students’ perceptions and clinical experience; and the third evaluated the outcome of teaching and learning by assessing the students application of endodontic theory to practice using clinical scenarios. In 2020, an additional section included questions related to the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to clinical practice and learning. Data was analysed quantitatively using SPSS software and qualitatively using thematic inductive theory.
Results showed NZ graduating dental students in their final three months of study perceived endodontics as a valuable and interesting part of their professional programme. Maximising clinical experience and patient contact at dental school, the importance of appropriate case selection and strong clinical supervision, particularly from those with specialist skill, were critical to improving confidence in endodontics before entering the workforce. Students perceived their knowledge, skills and confidence to be negatively affected because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the clinical decision-making task did not support this, suggesting there may be a gap between students actual knowledge and skills in endodontics and how they perceive their abilities.
The findings from this research can be used to investigate ways in which dental students can be supported while learning and performing endodontics, as well as the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic