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NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA35: South Taranaki District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
A Vector Space Model for Koine Greek Lexicography: An Exploration in Linguistic Categorisation
No full textDespite its long and well documented history, Koine Greek lexicography has been slow to adopt techniques for lexical analysis that are truly grounded in modern linguistic theory and method. While the publication of Louw and Nida’s Greek-English Lexicon (1988) is often hailed as a linguistic breakthrough in this regard, promising a reassessment of Koine Greek in light of lexical field theory and componential analysis, major theoretical and methodological issues seriously undercut this lexicon’s claims to linguistic rigor. A number of recent advances in distributional semantics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) present promising new directions for lexicographical tasks. This thesis makes use of one such NLP tool, the vector space model Word2Vec (Mikolov et al., 2013). Word2Vec is an unsupervised learning algorithm that assigns vectors to word tokens based on the distributional profile of each token within a corpus. Model outputs are represented in vector space, and a cosine similarity metric can be used to compute similarity between words. This effectively operationalises Zellig Harris’ (1954) distributional hypothesis—the notion that words appearing in similar contexts will have similar meanings. I seek to demonstrate the utility of Word2Vec for Koine Greek lexicography, specifically for issues relating to linguistic categorisation. I show how categorisation based on corpus data cannot be intuited through a process of logical taxonomic delineation. Instead, vector space modelling shows how categorisation reflects prototypical encyclopaedic knowledge. Since Koine Greek is a dead language—methods of introspection and elicitation being unavailable to the lexicographer—vector space modelling offers a uniquely empirical basis for researching Koine Greek categorisation
Some microbiological aspects of the short eared European hedgehog, erinaceus europaeus, in New Zealand
No full textAmong English farmers and game wardens, a large body of folklore on hedgehogs has existed for centuries. The first scientific description of these mammals was contained in Barrett-Hamilton’s ‘A History of the British Mammals’ published in 1910. Herter’s ‘Der Biologie der Europaeischen Igel’ written in 1938 includes a wider summary of continental literature which is based largely on the study of laboratory or tame animals.
Despite the return of interest to mammalian field studies over the last decade or so, it is somehow surprising that such a common animal as the hedgehog has been generally overlooked. In New Zealand, Wodzicki (1950) and Brockie (1958) have both examined aspects of the ecology of the hedgehog, Brockie intimating that the hedgehog population of New Zealand far exceeds that of Britain. The contact between man and hedgehogs participating in some of the zoonoses in this country cannot be overlooked.
This thesis is an attempt to determine what part New Zealand hedgehogs play in the spread and carriage of human and animal diseases. The work is divided into three sections: Section I dealing with dermatophytes and yeast recoverable from hedgehogs; section II with bacteria; and section III with a discussion on some ecological aspect of the skin microflora. [from Introduction
Access to medicines and use of medicines by Māori with type 2 diabetes in Tairāwhiti
Get PDFType 2 diabetes and its associated co-morbidities have a significant impact on Māori and other indigenous populations. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Tairāwhiti was far greater for Māori than non-Māori (11% vs 4%). Māori experience poor diabetes related outcomes: premature mortality, co-morbidities, greater severity of disease and complications, poorer access to health services and diabetes related care and poorer management and treatment of diabetes. This thesis reviews the literature on diabetes amongst Māori and other indigenous peoples; medicines use and access for Māori, other indigenous people and those living in rural areas. The literature review found that, in common with other indigenous peoples, Māori shared a greater prevalence of diabetes, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for diabetes, and diabetes-related complications, particularly in the younger population.
This thesis includes three inter-related studies to investigate access to medicines and use of medicines by Māori with type 2 diabetes in Tairāwhiti, within a Te ao Māori world view.
The first, quantitative, study uses data from pharmacy dispensing computers to explore whether patterns of medicines use match the pattern of need for medicines. This study found that there was inequity and disparity in medicines used in the treatment and management of type 2 diabetes between Māori and non-Māori in Tairāwhiti. The rest of the thesis explores potential reasons for these inequities.
The second, qualitative, study explored the lived experience of Māori people with diabetes in Tairāwhiti. People have different health beliefs and attitudes, but this should not be a barrier for them to receive the best care. Communication is a key element at all levels of care. Whānau and health professionals are encouraged to engage in healthy conversations to improve whānau outcomes. The traditional biomedical model of disease and recommended best practice for management of diabetes focuses on self- management, which is not consistent with a te ao Māori view, which is a collective whānau approach. The relationship between whānau and health professionals determines and shapes whānau attitudes and behaviours, and when health professionals connect with whānau in a meaningful way, they enable whānau to make and work towards positive change.
The Tairāwhiti context shapes people’s access to medicines in many ways. These are outlined and explored in the third study which looks at how medicines are distributed in the Tairāwhiti region and reports on interviews with people who picked up their medicines from pharmacy depots in the region. This highlights the challenges for those living in remote rural areas of Tairāwhiti to accessing quality medicines and health services.
The thesis ends with recommendations, including the need to improve communication and relationships between whānau and health professionals. These are key to improving knowledge and achieving positive outcomes. Health professionals must have an awareness and understanding of different health beliefs and attitudes and the value this brings to their practice. Additional research and action are needed regarding the cost of medicines, accessibility and the quality of medicines in rural areas. Key stakeholders need to work together to improve the management and treatment of diabetes in Tairāwhiti, and focus on whānau outcomes not disease
Maternal Reminiscing during Middle Childhood: Associations with Infant and Child Temperament
No full textThe way that mothers engage in conversation with children about the past is associated with key developmental outcomes such as memory, language, and narrative skills, as well as emotional understanding (Fivush, 2019; Salmon & Reese, 2016; Waters et al., 2019; Wu & Jobson, 2019; Laible, 2004a). A small body of research has suggested that mothers may differ in elaborative style based on the temperament of their child (Bird et al., 2006; Laible, 2004a, 2011; Lewis, 1999). The present study explored how mother-child reminiscing related to child temperament and maternal demographic factors. It was hypothesised that mothers would be more elaborative with children who were higher in orienting/ regulatory capacity when younger. On the other hand, it was predicted that mothers would be less elaborative with children who were higher in positive emotionality and/ or negative emotionality. Maternal ethnicity and demographic factors were also hypothesised to predict reminiscing style. As a part of a broader cohort study called Growing Up in New Zealand (www.growingup.co.nz), 1,348 participants were randomly selected for this project. Maternal ethnicity and demographics were recorded antenatally. Temperament was measured during infancy (9-months) with the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire– Revised Very Short Form (IBQ-R-VSF) as well as in early childhood (54-months) with the Child Behaviour Questionnaire– Very Short Form (CBQ-VSF). Elaborative style was measured during a reminiscing conversation at age-8 using a revised version of the Elaborative Reminiscing Scale (Laible, 2004b; Leyva et al., 2020). During the reminiscing task, dyads were instructed to talk about a time that the child was injured, had a social disagreement, or felt disappointed. Results suggested that elaboration style was linked with temperament scores at 9- months, but not at 54-months. Specifically, mothers were less elaborative with children who were higher in positive emotionality/surgency during infancy. Maternal demographic factors including age, education, and culture were also identified as significant predictors of elaboration style. These results suggest that early temperament may predict parents’ later reminiscing styles, and future work is needed to explore the directionality of this relationship
Immune-Boosting Functional Foods: A Potential Remedy for Chinese Consumers Living Under Polluted Air
Get PDFThe deterioration of air quality in China has resulted in many people looking for technological approaches or medical remedies to counteract the impact that air pollution is perceived to be having on their health and wellbeing. As the importance of diet on immune health is becoming increasingly well recognised, there is increasing interest in the development of food products designed to help the immune system recover from the impact of air pollution. A narrative literature review was undertaken to elucidate Chinese consumers’ acceptance and market potential of functional food products designed to help the immune system recover from the impact of air pollution. Topics reviewed included, the functional food market in China, scientific findings on how functional foods / ingredients can enhance immune health, the actions that Chinese consumers take to limit exposure to and combat the effects of pollution and their perceptions of immune-boosting functional foods. Consumers’ attitude towards functional foods including those designed to enhance the immune system were mainly positive, with scientific validation being important in determining the credibility of a product. This was despite the fact that the effectiveness of the functional food products currently in the market which purported to be remedies for pollution-driven impacts on the lung did not appear to be supported by scientific evidence. Numerous studies have reported functional foods could provide a wide range of benefits to immune health, including helping pollution-driven immune issues. This review shows that there would appear to be market demand for effective and scientifically-proven functional food products that help Chinese consumers’ immune system recover from the impact of air pollutio
Health and wellbeing of under-25 year olds in Hutt Valley, Capital & Coast, and Wairarapa 2019
Get PDFIn this report the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service (NZCYES) presents information to assist in the planning and funding of services that can collectively improve, promote and protect the health and wellbeing of children and young people aged under-25 years. This is the final of three age-based reports: indicators presented in 2017 had a focus on the first five years of life, and the 2018 report had a focus on the health and wellbeing of under-15 year olds.
Data for the indicators presented in this report were extracted in 2019 from a range of routinely collected national datasets. The report provides an analysis of the most recent data available for each indicator at the time of writing. Unadjusted rates should be interpreted in light of the differing patterns in age structure, ethnic composition, social and material deprivation in each DHB and in Aotearoa overall. Evidence for good practice is presented for each section, compiled from published scholarly literature and from publicly available guidelines, policies, and reports. Where possible, the evidence for good practice includes discussion of equity issues relevant to each indicator, to inform service planning and delivery.
The two review topics included in this report were selected by DHB representatives: Alcohol use in young people by Lee Smith and Promoting mental wellbeing in schools by Judith Adams and Georgia Richardson. These two sections of the report can inform strategies to promote health and wellbeing for all young people. Intervention and treatment services, supportive environments, and healthy cultural norms around drinking are some key components to addressing hazardous alcohol consumption in Aotearoa’s youngest generations. Through school-based initiatives, services can support the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents and thus invest in their long-term flourishing.
Navigating sexual and reproductive health is important to the lives of many young people. Information on reproductive planning and pregnancy rates can provide an indication about the accessibility of services and provide an indication about the future social and economic participation of this generation of young people and the sustainability of the overall population and economy.1 These indicators are presented in the section on Reproductive health.
The section on Mental Health presents information on the prevalence of selected mental health diagnoses in young people, the mental health services utilised by young people and the hospitalisations of young people that are associated with mental health issues.
Selected indicators about substance use and smoking, alcohol and drug service utilisation, and alcohol and drug hospitalisations are presented in the Substance use section. These indicators are important for overall wellbeing, growth, and long-term health of children and young people and inextricably linked to other wellbeing measures presented in the 2019 report.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes that every child is deserving of a state-level commitment towards the promotion of their social, spiritual and mental wellbeing, as well as towards their protection from all forms of violence and harm.2 The section on Safety and Security provides an overview of indicators relating to the protection of children and young people in Aotearoa, including information about assault and self-harm.
Supporting and adding value to the lives of children and young people with cancer is an important part of planning and funding decisions and is presented in the section on Cancer.
The report appendices describe the processes used in compiling information for these reports, including the methods used to develop evidence for good practice, and the statistical methods used in the data analyses. The appendices give further information about the data sources used for the indicators in the report, explanation about classification of ethnicity and social and material deprivation, and a list of the clinical codes relevant to each indicator.
In summary, the 2019 report on health and wellbeing of under-25 year olds presents data and interpretation on a set of relevant indicators extracted from national health datasets. The data used were the most recent available at the time of writing, and provide a snapshot of achievements and challenges in these areas. This report cannot address questions that require outpatient data, as these are not yet available at a national level. Developing systems that can provide a fuller picture of outpatient and primary health care data is important to inform child health service planning at national and DHB levels. The NZCYES is liaising with the Ministry of Health as they develop and roll out a patient flow system that will include primary care and outpatient data
Hidden diversity of two intracellular parasites, Microsporidia and Rickettsia, in New Zealand amphipod hosts: patterns and causes
Get PDFIntracellular parasites, endosymbionts that are specialised to live in host cells, have evolved independently in many different lineages. Endosymbionts can be transmitted vertically and horizontally, and many of them maintain intimate associations with their hosts over space and time. For example, the mitochondrion, which is now an essential organelle in eukaryotes, is believed to have an endosymbiotic origin.
This thesis focuses on two intracellular parasite groups, Microsporidia and Rickettsia, in diverse amphipod hosts in New Zealand. Microsporidia and Rickettsia are phylogenetically distantly related, but both are ecologically and evolutionary successful in diverse groups of hosts. I aimed to understand their diversity, the factors that have shaped their current distribution, the various phylogenetic patterns they are involved in, their spatiotemporal variations and cooccurrence, and their evolutionary histories.
By starting with molecular screening of diverse amphipods collected throughout the country, I uncovered a diversity that was previously unknown in this region, a first for both groups in the Southern Hemisphere. For Microsporidia, by expanding their known geographical and host ranges, I applied phylogenetic and cophylogenetic methods to infer the evolutionary history of host-parasite associations. Based on the congruent phylogenetic and phylogeographical patterns, I provided evidence for their shared evolutionary histories.
Some vertically transmitted parasites can manipulate host reproduction, and this can have various ecological and evolutionary consequences. Certain endosymbionts are known to disrupt phylogenetic patterns of mitochondrial DNA mainly due to linkage disequilibrium. I discussed the direct and indirect impacts of Rickettsia infections on the use of mitochondrial DNA in barcoding, phylogenetic, and phylogeographical studies. Also, I explored the possible role of Rickettsia infections in accelerating host mitochondrial DNA evolution, which could result in mitonuclear discordance patterns appearing on deep time scales.
Because Microsporidia and Rickettsia share the same amphipod hosts and coexist in many populations, they may interact with each other within the same individual. I investigated spatiotemporal dynamics in the prevalence of both parasites, and tested whether infection by one parasite influences the probability of infection by the other. Although there were variations in prevalence among different sampling times and locations, there were no clear consistent patterns between the two parasites and their patterns of co-occurrence within the same individual hosts did not depart from random expectations.
Taken together, Microsporidia and Rickettsia are widespread in New Zealand amphipod hosts. It seems that both vertical and horizontal transmission have played important roles in their current distribution. The vertical transmission of endosymbionts seems to have great potential to cause profound effects on host mitochondrial DNA. However, demonstrating this will require more data from multiple systems and scales. In the future, population- to community-level studies will be especially valuable to understand the ecological interactions between hosts and parasites and among different strains/species/groups of parasites
Understanding the Needs of Food-Allergic Adults
Get PDFFood allergies are a growing issue, yet society’s understanding of how individuals’ lives are affected is limited. We conducted four focus groups with food-allergic adults in New Zealand to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues that impacted their quality of life. Key themes identified included allergen-free eating issues, health care system issues, costs of having a food allergy, effects on well-being, external influences (e.g., others’ lack of awareness), and internal influences (personal growth and adaptation). The unmet needs of food-allergic adults led to risk taking, increased stress, and social isolation. A lack of awareness in others (including medical professionals, food service providers, and the general public) had a negative impact, suggesting that an intervention targeting awareness would be beneficial. Adaptation, particularly in terms of assertiveness and organizational skills, was important for coping, so we suggest training in these skills be made available for food-allergic patient
Clinical anatomy of the subacromial and related shoulder bursae
No full textThe shoulder is complex from both functional and biomechanical perspectives, with shoulder disorders affect a large proportion of adults at some stage in their life and are the most common musculoskeletal complaint in people over 65 years of age.
The bursae associated with the shoulder are essential for normal movement and are also implicated in the pathogenesis of shoulder pain and dysfunction. The subacromial bursa (SAB), situated in the subacromial space, is the largest of the shoulder and considered a primary source of pain. Several other bursae, including the coracobrachial (CBB), subcoracoid (SCB) and subtendinous bursa of subscapularis (SSB), related to the nearby subcoracoid space, are also clinically relevant in terms of shoulder pathology. However, the detailed morphology of all of the shoulder bursae has not been well studied. Narrowing of the subacromial and subcoracoid spaces, the spaces in which the bursae reside, with subsequent impingement of the interposed soft tissues is considered important in the pathogenesis of shoulder pain. The acromiohumeral (AHD) and coracohumeral (CHD) distances are commonly used as a proxy to measure these spaces using ultrasound. However, it is unclear if AHD and CHD are influenced by age and if other variables such as thoracic kyphosis and shoulder muscle strength are related to these measures in a population without shoulder pain.
The main purpose of this thesis was to: (1) systematically review the literature describing the morphology of the subacromial and related shoulder bursae, and describe their associated spaces, including the AHD and CHD; determine the (2) detailed gross and (3) microscopic morphology of the SAB and related shoulder bursae; and (4) examine AHD and CHD in a population without shoulder pain across the lifespan and investigate if certain factors are associated with these measurements.
The systematic review of the main shoulder bursae (SAB, CBB, SCB and SSB) revealed that some morphological aspects of these structures were still unclear. Specifically, further information is required regarding precise bursal location and dimensions, attachments, constancy, and communication between the bursae. In addition, comprehensive histological descriptions, including the type of synovium and the distribution and density of neurovascular structures are lacking. Increased severity of rotator cuff pathology is related to reduced AHD and CHD. However, no normative data are available across the lifespan and little is known regarding the relationship of these measures with factors such as thoracic kyphosis and shoulder strength in people without shoulder pain.
In the anatomical study, the shoulder bursae were examined in 16 embalmed cadaveric shoulders from eight individuals (five female, three male; mean age 78.6 ± 7.9 years) using macro-dissection and histological techniques. Up to four separate bursae were related to the subacromial and subcoracoid spaces. The SAB (5.6 ± 1.6 cm, anterior-posterior; 6.0 ± 1.6 cm, medial-lateral) was a large, constant, separate bursa with a confluent subdeltoid portion in all except one specimen, which displayed an additional subdeltoid bursa. Roof attachments of the SAB included the lateral edge and inferior surface of the acromion and coracoacromial ligament and the subdeltoid fascia, and its floor was fused with the underlying supraspinatus tendon and greater tubercle. The extensive expanse and attachments of this bursa supports adoption of the term subacromial-subdeltoid bursa. The CBB (2.6 ± 0.9 cm, superior-inferior; 2.3 ± 1.0 cm, medial-lateral) was present in all but one specimen and located deep to the tip of the coracoid process and the conjoint tendon of coracobrachialis and short head of biceps brachii. The SCB (1.6 ± 0.5 cm, superior-inferior; 1.5 ± 0.5 cm, medial-lateral) was inconstant (5/16) and positioned deep the coracoid process. The SSB (2.6 ± 1.1 cm, superior-inferior; 2.8 ± 1.0 cm, medial lateral) was always present and located deep to the subscapularis tendon. The SSB commonly displayed a superior extension. This projected underneath the root of the coracoid process and often overhung the upper edge of the subscapularis tendon anteriorly coming into close proximity with the CBB or SCB.
The synovium was predominantly areolar in the SAB and SSB, and fibrous in the CBB and SCB. There was a higher proportion of areolar synovium in all the bursal roofs compared to their floors. Blood vessels were identified in all sections (n = 43), with a median density of 3% of the tissue surface area, being greatest in the SSB and SAB roofs (4.9% and 3.4%, respectively) and least in the SAB floor (1.8%) and CBB roof and floor (both 1.6%). Nerve bundles and free nerve endings were identified in the subintima in over a third (15/43, 34.8%) of the samples; few specialised mechanoreceptors were present in deeper tissue layers. The median density was 1.6 per mm2, varying between 0.8 per mm2 in the SSB roof and 7.1 per mm2 in the CBB roof.
In the ultrasound study, volunteers (n = 104) without a history of shoulder pain were recruited into five stratified groups between 18-80 years. Measurements of AHD and CHD and tendon thickness were taken in various shoulder positions using ultrasound. In general, intra- and inter-rater reliability of all sonographic outcome variables were good to excellent. The relationship between the outcome variables (AHD and CHD) with several primary (age and thoracic kyphosis index) and secondary (isometric shoulder strength, height, weight, body mass index and level of shoulder activity) independent variables were examined using uni- and multivariable linear regression analysis.
When all independent variables were controlled for, age and thoracic kyphosis were not associated with AHD and CHD. Positive, yet small, relationships were evident between isometric abduction strength and AHD (in neutral) and between height and CHD (in internal rotation and flexion), but not for the remaining variables.
Morphologically, the strong attachments of the bursal roof and floor along with their mobile edges imply that that there are fixed and mobile portions of the SAB and related shoulder bursae, which enable movement in relation to the surrounding structures. The presence of neurovascular structures demonstrates that these bursae have the potential to contribute blood supply to surrounding structures and while they are likely involved in nociception, their role in proprioception is less certain. Acromiohumeral distance and CHD do not appear to change across the lifespan in a population without shoulder pain and are not influenced by normal thoracic kyphosis.
The anatomical details presented in this research clarify the location, size, and relationships of the shoulder bursae, supplemented by histological findings that offer further insight into their potential function. Novel, normative data on AHD and CHD provide an essential basis for interpreting research focussed on these ultrasonographic measurements in people with shoulder pathology and pain