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Dietary habits between New Zealand adolescent males and females
Get PDFBackground: Dietary habits develop in adolescence, and these can continue into adulthood, as does obesity, increasing the risk of non-communicable disease. The dietary habits of fruit, vegetable, breakfast and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) have varying effects on health; sub-optimal dietary habits are associated with poor diet quality and nutrient intake, increasing the risk of poor health outcomes. There has been no research examining the dietary habits of New Zealand (NZ) adolescents in over a decade. Research is needed so current behaviours can be identified and strategies put in place to help reduce the risk of non-communicable disease in this population.
Objective: To assess the specific dietary habits of fruit, vegetable, breakfast and SSB consumption among NZ adolescents, and compare these dietary habits between males and females.
Design: An observational cross-sectional study was used to gather data on a total of 266 females (15-18yrs) and 135 males (15-17yrs) from 19 secondary schools around NZ. In total, 241 females and 122 males completed a dietary habits questionnaire, to assess their consumption of fruit, vegetables, breakfast and SSB. A demographic questionnaire was also completed, heights and weights were taken during school visits, and the World Health Organisation growth charts were used to determine BMI Z-scores. Level of deprivation was determined using the New Zealand Deprivation Index (NZ Dep18).
Results: Overall a low proportion of males and females are meeting our recommendations (based off the Ministry of Health, Healthy Eating for young people) for fruit, vegetable, breakfast and SSB consumption. All dietary habits assessed in this study were significantly different between males and females. Females were more likely to meet recommendations for fruit and vegetables, while males were more likely to consume breakfast and SSB daily. Healthy weight females were more likely to meet recommendations for fruit, while those from areas of low and moderate deprivation were 6 times more likely to meet recommendations than those from areas of high deprivation. This was not seen in the male sample, where obese males and those from areas of high deprivation were most likely to meet recommendations. There was an inverse relationship observed between vegetable consumption and weight status in the female sample, whereas, a positive relationship was observed for the males. Females from areas of low and moderate deprivation were 4 times more likely to meet vegetable recommendations, compared to females from areas of high deprivation. An inverse relationship between breakfast consumption and NZDep, was observed in both the male and female samples. Obese males and females were also less likely to consume breakfast than adolescents in healthy and overweight categories. Males and females from areas of low deprivation were less likely to consume SSB daily compared to those from areas of moderate and high deprivation. Obese males and females were also more likely to consume SSB daily compared to those in the healthy or overweight categories.
Conclusion: Overall, findings of our study suggest the dietary habits of NZ adolescents are sub-optimal, with low proportions of both males and females meeting recommendations for fruit, vegetable, breakfast and SSB consumption. Due to the differences in dietary habits between males and females, and between those of different SES, interventions should be targeted to help improve diet quality and reduce chronic disease risk
The Material Costs of Claiming International Human Rights: Australia, Adani and the Wangan and Jagalingou
No full textThis article presents a materialist account of Indigenous peoples’ international legal human rights claims. It argues that appeals to the global legal system as well as pluralistic approaches to Indigenous peoples’ rights depend on international law to make a convincing case and yet fail to account for the material construction of human rights claimants as subjects of international law. To explain this intervention, this article theorises that when international human rights law and national laws clash, human rights claimants constitute and transform themselves into international legal subjects and become identifiable Indigenous peoples. In support of this international legal constructivist approach to Indigenous peoples’ human rights claims, this article re-articulates the development of Indigenous peoples as subjects that emerged from international law and then examines the development of Australia’s native title regime. An exposition of international and then state laws reveals that the codification of different standards for participation enables those who subject themselves to international law as Indigenous peoples to claim human rights. It then provides a case study on the Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council, which constructed itself as Indigenous peoples to assert human rights, as they engage with Australia’s native title regime in the case against Adani Mining Pty Ltd’s Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project. A central aspect of this argument is that becoming identifiable Indigenous peoples through claiming human rights provides benefits as well as potentially deleterious political, economic and legal costs.Peer Reviewe
Searching for the Author: A performative reading of legal subjection in David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King
No full textDavid Foster Wallace died before the publication of his novel The Pale King, which complicates and is, indeed, important to this novel. This article argues that law – as a broadly construed concept – is a character and subject of The Pale King. Many of the characters enact a form of legal subjection, by becoming agents of U.S. tax law, which construes them as agents of the law while providing them with their sense of self. Major themes of the novel revolve around tax law, which constitutes individualized legal subjects and political bodies. However, the legal performative interpretation provided here is not a simple or straightforward analysis. Because Wallace died before the novel was published, but then appears within the text as the author who is subject to the law, The Pale King plays with and reflects on the multiple conditions of legal subjection, that which constructs and deconstructs the conditions that allow one to be both subject and free, false and real, fiction and nonfiction. Because we cannot know if Wallace is actually the author of the text, The Pale King reveals processes of legal subjection by providing readers with the opportunity to performatively subject oneself to that text, which they exhibit by attributing authority to Wallace.Peer Reviewe
Endophytic phaeophyceae from New Zealand
Get PDFThe aims of this study were to find endophytic brown algae in marine macroalgae from New Zealand, isolate them into culture and identify them using morphological as well as molecular markers, to study the prevalence of pigmented endophytes in a representative host-endophyte relationship, and to reveal the ultrastructure of the interface between the obligate parasite Herpodiscus durvillaeae (LINDAUER) SOUTH and its host Durvillaea antarctica (CHAMISSO) HARRIOT.
Three species of pigmented endophytic Phaeophyceae were isolated from New Zealand macrophytes. They were distinguished based on morphological characters in culture, in combination with their distribution among different host species and symptoms associated with the infection of hosts. ITSl nrDNA sequences confirmed the identity of two of the species as Laminariocolax macrorystis (PETERS) PETERS in BURKHARDT & PETERS and Microspongium tenuissimum (HAUCK) PETERS. A new genus and species, Xiphophorocolax aotearoae gen. et sp. ined., is suggested for the third group of endophytic Phaeophyceae. Three genetic varieties of L. macrorystis as well as two varieties each of M. tenuissimum and X. aotearoae were present among the isolates. L. macrorystis and X. aotearoae constitute new records for the marine flora of the New Zealand archipelago, on genus and species level. The red algal endophyte Mzkroryphar pacchymeniae LINDAUER previously described from New Zealand is possibly synonymous with Microspongium tenuissimum.
The prevalence of infection by Laminariocolax macrorystis was investigated in three populations of Macrorystis pyrifira along the Otago coast. Two of the populations situated inside and at the entrance of Otago Harbour showed high infection rates (average between 95 and 100%), while an offshore population was less infected (average of 35%).
The phylogenetic affinities of the parasitic brown alga Herpodiscus durvillaeae, an obligate endophyte of Durvi!!aea antarctica (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) in New Zealand, were investigated. Analyses combined nuclear encoded ribosomal and plastid encoded RuBisCO genes. Results from parsimony, distance and likelihood methods suggest a placement of this species within the order Sphacelariales. Even though H. durvillaeae shows a reduced morphology, molecular data were supported by two morphological features characteristic for the Sphacelariales; the putative presence of apical cells and the transistory blackening of the cell wall with 'Eau de Javelle'.
Ultrastructural sections showed evidence for a symplastic contact between the cells of the parasite H. durvillaeae and its host D. antarctica. Within the host cortex, parasite cells attack the fields of plasmodesmata connecting host cells. In these areas, parasite cells squeeze between the host cells and form secondary plasmodesmata connecting the primary plasmodesmata of the host cells with the cytoplasma of the parasite cell.
Moreover, despite being described as lacking pigments, H. duroi!!aeae possesses a rbcL gene, and its plastids show red autofluorescence in UV light, suggesting the presence of a possibly reduced, but functional photosynthetic apparatus. Vestigial walls between developing spores in the 'secondary unilocular sporangia' of H. duroi!!aeae confirm the identity of these sporangia as plurilocular gametangia, derived from reduced gametophytes which were entirely transformed into gametangia
Magnesium Intakes and the Main Dietary Sources of New Zealand Adolescent Males
Get PDFBackground: Magnesium is an essential mineral to the human body. During adolescence, rapid rates of growth are accompanied with an increase in nutritional demand for magnesium. Despite its abundance, intakes among adolescent males have been found to be inadequate in many countries. The National Nutrition Survey (NNS) in 1997 found intakes within New Zealand to be adequate, but key dietary sources were not identified. In the later Adult Nutrition Survey (ANS), magnesium intakes were not reported. Due to changes in the food supply, technological developments, consumer preference and behaviours over time it is important to update the information concerning intakes and dietary sources of magnesium for the New Zealand adolescent male population.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the magnesium intakes and the main dietary sources among the adolescent male (15-18y) population of New Zealand.
Methods: 135 participants were recruited from six schools across Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch, Rotorua, Tauranga and Auckland. Participant demographics, health information and dietary habits were assessed through self-administered online questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were taken and used to assign a BMI-z score to participants. Dietary intake was assessed using two non-consecutive 24-hour recalls. These were performed using a three-pass multiple pass method. Recalls were entered into the dietary analysis software, FoodWorks 9, which was used to calculate energy, macronutrients and micronutrients intake. Foodworks 9 used the 33 food groups included in the Adult Nutrition Survey to identify the main dietary sources of magnesium. Estimation of usual intakes was done using the multiple source method (MSM) programme. The EAR cut point method was used to estimate the prevalence of inadequate intakes within the convenience sample.
Results: Participants had an average age of 16.6 years (SD=0.7) and a BMI z score of +0.4 (SD=1.1). Participants predominately identified as New Zealand European or Other (57%). Based on the 2018 New Zealand Deprivation categories, participants mostly came from moderate levels of deprivation (42%). At least one 24-hour dietary recall was completed by 102 participants. The average median intake of magnesium was 318.3mg/day (25th percentile=259.7, 75th percentile= 364.9) with 61.8% of participants consuming intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR). The five main dietary sources of magnesium were bread (10.4%), grains and pasta (10.2%), milk (8.9%), poultry (7.7%) and fruit (6.4%). Collectively the food groups ‘grains and cereals’ (26.5%) provided the greatest source of magnesium to participants followed by vegetables and fruit (18.7%), meat, fish, poultry and eggs (16.2%), and milk and milk products (11.9%).
Conclusion: Despite consuming magnesium from a variety of sources, approximately 61.8% of participants consumed intakes below the recommended EAR (340mg/day). This aligns with global literature, which frequently estimates 60-70% of adolescent males consume inadequate intakes. Due to the immediate and subsequent health implications of low magnesium intakes, action to resolve suboptimal intakes may be required. This may include interventions at an individual level (e.g. education) or national level (e.g. fortification, supplementation, subsidies and tax). To justify any action, research using a nationally representative sample is warranted to investigate magnesium intakes and main dietary sources of New Zealand adolescent males
Investigating the roles of the sll1392 and slr1501 genes in response to high pH and environmental stress factors in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Get PDFThe way cyanobacteria can adapt to the most seemingly challenging environments provides an opportunity to understand how molecular mechanisms to aid in cyanobacterial survival. Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is a cyanobacterium that can grow at a wide pH range making it an interesting organism to investigate for biofuel applications by potentially reducing unwanted bacterial contaminants Two gene candidates, sll1392 pfsR and slr1501 (hypothetical gene) were chosen due to previous research that noted considerable down-regulation when Synechocystis 6803 cells were transferred from pH 10 buffered medium to pH 7.5 buffered medium, indicating potential involvement in high pH acclimation. In this study, mutant strains that lacked sll1392 and slr1501 were investigated and subjected to high pH, increased light,
ethanol, sodium chloride ( and limited iron conditions.
The ∆ sll1392 mutant strain displayed multiple phenotypes ( increased growth in 0.75 M NaCl, ( ethanol sensitivity and iii iron sensitivity. The ∆ slr1501 mutant strain displayed (ethanol tolerance and ( growth in limited iron. A double knockout strain (removal of slr1501 and sll1392 displayed: ( high light sensitivity and ( increased growth in iron-limited conditions. To further explore the role of slr1501 an overexpression strain slr1501 OE) wascreated which exhibited increased growth when subjected to 0.75 M NaCl.
Both the Sll1392 and Slr1501 proteins were shown to be conserved in 5 6 and 45 other cyanobacterial species, respectively. The results indicated the genes are not solely responsible for pH regulation nor are required for Synechocystis 6803 survival but they do have a role in
stress response. This research highlights how pH influences growth alone, and when further stressors are added. Investigating genes that are involved in stress regulation could potentially aid biofuel production by targeting ethanol or NaCl tolerance to reduce overall production costs and improve output yield that could aid a path in a greener renewable future
Making meaning: Informal craft communities as sites of learning and identity development
Get PDFSituated in the field of adult learning, this thesis examines why individuals choose to engage in non-credentialed learning outside of formal education institutions, and explores how the individual’s sense of self is affected by participation in a Community of Practice where activity is the mediating factor. The study focuses on soft material craft activity, specifically, how learning is accessed and mediated in online and physical craft groups. This study seeks to both respond to, and advance, existing research into adult learning and making communities.
The study is located within a social constructivist paradigm, drawing on Anna Stetsenko’s Cultural Historical Activity Theory, Etienne Wenger’s Communities of Practice, and Barbara Rogoff’s model of Learning by Observing and Pitching In. The study contains four data sets. The first focuses on the intra-personal effects of learning a new activity in an unfamiliar context through analysis of an autoethnographic narrative detailing the researcher’s personal experience learning traditional crafts in Peru. The remaining three data sets examine the inter-personal aspects of group learning. These include in-depth interviews with eight participants in online and physical craft groups, analysis of 345 posts and 2038 comments harvested from two online craft groups, and field notes detailing participant observations of four physical craft group meet-ups. Constructivist Grounded Theory and a General Inductive approach are employed in the analysis of data.
Analysis of the four data sets resulted in three key findings. Firstly, that participants are motivated to engage in non-credentialed learning activity by a desire to align with desirable social narratives. Secondly, that previous experience in related Communities of Practice, particularly formal education, influences how individuals respond to, and make meaning from, unfamiliar activities. Thirdly, that the boundaries between Communities of Practice are critical to the development and performance of identity.
These findings lead to the development of a holistic model for adult learning which articulates the multiple and overlapping contexts in which learning occurs, and the role these contexts, and the boundaries between them, play in the development of identity and the qualified self. I argue that participation in formal education results in the construction of meaning schema that influence how individuals make meaning from experience and I consider how this impacts on the learning that occurs in informal and non-formal contexts. The thesis concludes by considering the implications for adult learners, tertiary education institutions and education policy makers and suggesting directions for future research
Doing death differently? A digital ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand death talking communities
Get PDFFor many people, talking about death may seem unnatural. However, for the death talking community, death is a normal topic of conversation. Death talking is part of a growing global movement of ‘ordinary’ people using online and offline spaces to talk openly about death, share resources, and share personal experiences. Through the use of digital technologies, such as social media, conversations about death span geographical divides meaning that online death talking groups have an international presence.
In New Zealand, the death talking community uses Facebook pages and offline groups, often Death Cafés, to talk openly about death. Facebook provides a relatively accessible space for community members to discuss alternative ways of doing death, dying, and grief in a supportive group of like-minded people. This digital ethnography provides an insight into the New Zealand death talking community and answers how, and why, New Zealand death talkers created online spaces of conversation on Facebook, and what conversations about the death process were made possible through the use of Facebook and through offline meet-ups.
My findings show the value of a community when pushing against normative conversational boundaries in what is perceived as a death-denying ‘western’ society. My findings also show that the death talking community is frustrated with the death practices they are currently experiencing, and are turning to death practices of cultures they romanticise in search of a more ‘natural’ and fulfilling way of doing death. In the search for this ‘natural’ deathway, New Zealand death talkers give authority to the personal experiential knowledge of community members as equally, or even more valid than the professional knowledge of ‘experts’. For New Zealand death talkers, Facebook and other death talking spaces offer people ways to reclaim control and authority over their death, dying, and grief processes
Dietary intake, adequacy and food sources of zinc in New Zealand adolescent males and females
Get PDFBackground: Zinc is an essential trace mineral and plays a role in immune function, wound healing, and normal growth and development. Evidence suggests that the risk of inadequate zinc intakes during adolescence – a period of rapid growth – is moderate to high. The recent global shift towards vegetarian diets and lower bioavailability of zinc from plant foods than that from animal foods may further increase the risk of suboptimal intakes. With the latest New Zealand nutrition survey conducted over 10 years ago, zinc intakes among New Zealand adolescence are unknown.
Objective: To describe and assess the usual intakes of, and main food groups contributing to zinc intake among New Zealand adolescent males and females.
Design: The Survey of Nutrition Dietary Assessment and Lifestyle (SuNDiAL) project was a two-year cross-sectional survey of 401 adolescent males and females aged 15-18 years old. In Year 1, 266 females were recruited from thirteen schools in eight locations around the country with a targeted approach to recruit vegetarians. In Year 2, 135 males were recruited from six schools in five locations around the country. A total of 28 female and five male vegetarians were included in the study. Socio-demographics and health, dietary habits, and attitudes and motivations to food choice were collected via an online questionnaire. Anthropometrics were collected using standardized study protocols. Two non-consecutive 24-hour diet recalls were used to assess dietary intakes. Usual zinc intakes were estimated using the MSM method. The prevalence of zinc inadequacy was determined using the estimated average requirement (EAR) cut-point method (11 mg/day for males and 6 mg/day for females). The major food groups contributing to zinc intake were calculated from 33 food groups.
Results: The usual median (IQR) zinc intake for males was 13 (10.3, 15.2) mg/day and 9 (7.3, 10.6) mg/day for females. Overall, the prevalence of inadequate zinc intakes was relatively low for females (6.4%) but substantially higher for males (23%). For males, the highest prevalence of inadequacy existed among Māori and Pacific sub-groups and those that resided in moderate-high deprivation areas. For females, Māori and Asian participants appeared at greatest risk of suboptimal zinc intakes. Apparent differences in the prevalence of zinc inadequacy existed among vegetarian males (20%) and females (7%), despite no differences existing among vegetarian and non-vegetarian within each sex group. ‘Grains and pasta’ were the greatest dietary contributor to zinc intakes for both males and females, followed by bread and bread-based dishes for females and poultry and beef and veal for males.
Conclusion: Males appear to be at a greater risk of inadequate zinc intakes compared to females with some sub-groups at greater risk than others. There were no apparent differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians despite other studies reporting a high risk of inadequate zinc intakes among vegetarians. The number of participants identifying as vegetarian limited interpretation, and further research is warranted to confirm findings
Determining How Chinese Consumers that Purchase Western Food Products Prioritize Food Safety Cues: A Conjoint Study on Adult Milk Powder
Get PDFThis study investigated how Chinese consumers prioritize cues when assessing the safety of imported milk powder. A choice-based conjoint survey was completed by 307 participants in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Nanjing, using the internet-based software 1000minds. Important cues for consumers were “government certification logo shown on the product label/Website”; “ingredients and materials, free from preservatives and additives”; “having traceability techniques such as QR code included” and “realistic photos.” Distinct consumer segments reflecting differing trade-offs between safety cues were not detected suggesting that a single food safety communication strategy for this market may be sufficient. These findings add to extant literature by highlighting what cues give consumers the most confidence a product is safe and they provide a raft of actionable insights for government and the food industry in terms of designing and implementing effective risk or market communication strategies for Chinese consumers