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Testing the Effectiveness of a Combined Web-Based and Ecological Momentary Intervention for First-Year University Students
No full textFirst year university students engage in heavy alcohol use. Concerns around adverse alcohol-related health outcomes has prompted research on methods to reduce alcohol consumption in university students. The current study investigated the effectiveness of a combined Web-Based Intervention (WBI) and Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) on reducing alcohol consumption in first-year university students. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), EMA+WBI, or EMA+WBI+EMI. The WBI consisted of personalized feedback on participants’ alcohol consumption while the EMIs consisted of a combination of social norms, potential alcohol-related consequences, and protective behavioural strategies. To assess the impact of the intervention, participants completed three surveys across the academic year (i.e., pre-university, end of semester 1, end of semester 2) and responded to fortnightly EMA text messages to report their weekend alcohol consumption. Results revealed that alcohol consumption reported by those in the EMA+WBI+EMI and EMA+WBI conditions did not differ from that of participants in the EMA control condition. Further, although participants in the EMA+WBI+EMI condition reported an average of one less harm than those who received the EMA+WBI condition, it was not significantly different from the number of harms reported by those in the EMA control condition
Calcium intakes and the main food sources of calcium in New Zealand adolescent females
No full textBackground: Adolescence is a critical time to be consuming adequate amounts of calcium for bone health. The consequences of inadequate calcium intake include reduced bone mass and increased risk of osteoporosis, a disease which decreases quality of life in older adults. Internationally, calcium intake among adolescent females is low with a high prevalence of inadequacy. Currently, limited data is available on calcium intakes of adolescent females aged 15-18 years in New Zealand.
Objective: To assess the intake of calcium and establish the prevalence of calcium inadequacy among New Zealand adolescent females aged 15-18 years old. Key food groups that contribute to calcium intake will also be examined.
Design: Phase one of the SuNDiAL study was a cross-sectional cluster study involving 145 participants aged 15-18 years old, from eight high schools across New Zealand. Online questionnaires collected self-reported data on demographic, and dietary food habits. Actual dietary intake was assessed using repeated 24-hour dietary recalls. The dietary assessment software FoodWorks was used to calculate calcium intake based on the New Zealand Food Composition Tables and was adjusted for usual intake using the multiple source method. The prevalence of calcium intake inadequacy was estimated using the estimated average requirement (EAR) cut-point method. Height and weight measurements were used to calculate body mass index Z-scores.
Results: The mean dietary calcium intake of adolescent females aged 15-18 years in New Zealand was low at 723 (95 % CI 677, 769) mg/day. Additionally, 89 % of the study population had inadequate calcium intakes. The most common food sources that contributed to calcium intake of the study cohort were milk (16 %), cheese (11 %), bread-based dishes (10 %), and bread (10 %). One fifth of participants reported consuming a plant-based milk while 18 % reported that they did not usually consume breakfast. Regular consumption of milk, fruit, vegetables, juice and breakfast had a significant positive relationship with calcium intake.
Conclusion: This study suggests that majority of adolescent females (89 %) are not consuming adequate intakes of dietary calcium, placing them at risk of osteoporosis in later life. Dietitians should be conscious of this when working with this population. Further research is recommended to examine if certain socio-economic or ethnic groups are particularly at risk. Additionally, barriers and facilitators to increase calcium intake in this population should be revised
The principles of Māori directed practice and development
No full textThis research used a Qualitative Kaupapa Māori research methodology using semi-structured interviews to identify the principles of Māori Social and Community Work practice and development and how they are implemented.
The research was conducted in three phases: Phase One involved interviews with Māori people working in Māori roles in Government organisations delivering social policy outcomes. It was found that Government workers implement Māori principles in four identified ways: creating supportive environments, responding to community needs, keeping themselves linked into the Māori community and following Māori processes.
Phase Two involved interviews with Māori workers employed by Māori health and social service providers. These projects looked at the distinctiveness of their sites, along with the strengths, tools, principles, values and processes that underpinned their approaches. The main difference between Government and NGO workers is that, because they are already part of the community, they don’t need to make that extra effort to engage.
Phase Three involved interviews with experienced Māori Social Workers about how a particular principle, whakawhanaungatanga, was implemented and the ethical dilemmas that could arise. Experienced Māori social workers were found to use a number of guiding principles and processes to protect themselves and their clients when choosing to cross traditional social work boundaries. The boundaries crossed were usually perceived as organisational rather than ethical. The processes for using whakawhanaungatanga included the worker having a clearly identified role and recognised the importance of negotiation, supervision and accountability. The role of tikanga was stressed as was the need for a process similar to poroporoaki.
Other findings of the research include a model for analysing Māori development and Māori organisations. Also a framework is suggested to avoid Kaupapa Māori deteriorating into either a culturally appropriate Critical Theory response or as Graham Smith warned, a domesticated Culturalist expression
Aeolian Sedimentation on Equatorial Reef Islands
No full textAeolian landforms have been recorded on reef islands between 7° - 25° S, but never in equatorial settings. While evidence of aeolian activity has been observed, the significance of aeolian sedimentation has not been considered in the current model of reef island development. Reef islands are derived from biogenic sediments produced on the reef platform. Sea level rise and an increase in ocean acidification and extreme weather events are expected as a response to anthropogenically forced climate change. The response of reef islands to these processes is currently unknown. It is suggested that aeolian sedimentation provides a key mechanism of reef island accretion above the limit of marine processes. This research will investigate the significance of aeolian sedimentation of low-lying islands in an equatorial setting.
This study presents high-frequency measurements of aeolian sedimentation and incident and near surface wind flow on a lagoon sand cay (Maaodegalaa) in the Maldives. Wind flow was recorded using sonic anemometers operating at 1 Hz over 8 days during the Iruvai monsoon in January and February 2018. WenglorTM particles counters, also operated at 1 Hz, and self-orientating swinging sediment traps, were used to measure sedimentation and particle flux at the bed during two high speed wind events, on the 31st of January and the 1st of February 2018. Island topography and vegetation cover were surveyed using RPAS (Remote Piloted Aircraft System) photogrammetry and a laser level. Sand samples were collected from the surface and through a series of pits on two landforms in Huvadhoo Atoll. Particle distribution analysis was completed at the University of Melbourne using a Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 laser diffractor.
Four distinct transitional stages of island form were identified in Huvadhoo lagoon; ; (i) patch reefs with submarine sediment deposits; (ii) ephemeral sediment deposits which are covered at spring high tide; (iii) sand cays which rise above spring high tides and are colonised by early successional vegetation species; and (iv) forested islands with stable cores. Each island form is progressively more stable which is associated with increasing vegetation cover. Beach rock is also associated with island stability, but only one occurrence was reported in the lagoon.
The subaerial surface of Maaodegalaa is comprised of medium-size coral sands. As no tsunami or over-wash events were reported since the formation of the island in its current position since 2011, these sands are likely deposited through aeolian processes. Coarse and fine layers within the stratigraphy became gradually finer closer to the surface, but an unequivocal aeolian facies could not be determined from grain size characteristics alone.
Significant sediment flux was recorded on Maaodegalaa during the Iruvai monsoon (35,848.13 g/hour/m2). This was recorded in the lee of a scarp during the second recorded high-speed wind event. Higher rates of sedimentation occurred in the lee of a scarp, which indicates that flow acceleration over scarps is likely to provide higher rates of sand flux compared with flow over simple topographies. Aeolian accretion may be a significant phase in reef island development. The length of this period will differ between island morphology, seasonal forms, vegetation cover and exposure to incident wind. Ultimately it will be limited by vegetation cover, which decreases the potential for aeolian sedimentation through and increase in surface roughness and shelter.
This research proposes a model where island accretion results from a combination of aeolian sedimentation and plant colonisation. The initial ephemeral surface provides an environment conducive to seed germination. The increase in surface roughness from vegetation colonisation also promotes accretion through growth of aeolian landforms. This model is independent of sea-level over decadal time scales. The period over which aeolian accretion and plant colonisation occur simultaneously is unknown, but it is likely to occur over years to decades.
This research is the first to record aeolian sedimentation in an equatorial setting. It is also the first to consider aeolian accretion in a model of reef island development. However, a clear aeolian facies could not be identified using only Folk and Ward grain size statistics, and it is recommended that sediment shape and composition is analysed in further research
Visual appeal: How the characteristics of photographs can affect science communication in Chinese national parks
No full textAs places that conserve iconic natural heritage, national parks are appropriate destinations for people to engage with and reconnect to nature. Within such parks, the interpretation of the natural science stories behind them is a helpful means to enrich human experience and increase the public’s understanding of the natural attractions. Given that effective interpretation includes not only cognitive outcomes but also affective outcomes, photography, as a widely-used tool for documenting science stories and evoking emotions, may help to enhance interpretation. When using a photograph to communicate science stories, it is important to recognise that its efficacy may be affected by its visual characteristics (i.e. subject and visual quality). However, the literature review within this thesis found that to date there is no empirical study on how such visual characteristics influence the effectiveness of photographs for communicating natural science stories.
This thesis was conducted within the context of interpreting natural attractions within national parks. It focused on how photographs with different visual characteristics influence their effectiveness for interpretation from a science communication perspective. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from May 2017 to October 2018. As the first phase of the research, a survey of the preferences of tourists for a selection of photographs of the natural attractions within the Xixi National Wetland Park (XNWP) in China was designed to identify how the visual characteristics of the photographs influence the preferences of tourists for these photographs. Based on the above results, I then examined the specific role of a few visual attributes of a wildlife photograph in its perceived attractiveness. Next, I focused on the value of photographs with different visual qualities for two widely-used interpretive products: (i) interpretive signage as one of the most common interpretive approaches used in national parks, and (ii) WeChat (i.e. WeChat public account articles) as China’s most popular online social media application. Tourists’ general attitudes towards the importance of photographs for interpretive signage and their responses to the existing interpretive signage within XNWP were examined firstly as the basis of the subsequent experiment. Next, using three manipulated signs, I identified the specific contributions of nature photographs for enhancing the effectiveness of the interpretive signage for the purpose of science communication. Lastly, given that interpretive WeChat articles were considered as a potentially powerful tool for interpreting science, a supportive online survey was developed to test the efficacy of nature photographs in WeChat online interpretive articles on natural sciences.
The results of the first section confirmed the relationship between the visual appeal of photographs and the preferences of participants. For the majority of participants, the photograph’s visual quality (i.e. aesthetics) was the most important characteristic that determined its perceived attractiveness; those photographs of high visual quality and with a sharp and colourful subject could successfully attract tourists’ attention. The subject of a photograph also significantly affected the preferences of observers, which showed an interest-dependent pattern. Using photographs of birds as examples, the participants who were interested in birds tended to be attracted to the photographs of birds rather than those of other subjects. In particular, those bird enthusiasts who have specific knowledge of birds paid more attention to the bird subjects.
The survey on the effectiveness of the existing interpretive signage within XNWP found that the majority of participants could indeed be attracted to interpretive signage with an appealing photograph. However, the photographs on the existing signage had varied visual qualities, which seemed to affect reading engagement and understanding. Results of the field experiment with manipulated interpretive signage showed that an appealing photograph (determined by its high visual quality) on the signage significantly increased the following affective and cognitive effectiveness of interpretation: (i) visitor’s intention to read the signage; (ii) reading engagement; (iii) comprehension and (iv) recall of the information on the signage. Similarly, the survey of WeChat popular science articles noted the perceived visual quality of the photographs used in such articles was related to users’ intention to read the article and to their overall engagement.
In summary, this thesis identifies the existing limitations and issues of using photographs as visual elements to interpret natural sciences. Examining widely-used interpretive products (i.e. signage and WeChat) within two Chinese national parks, this thesis offers empirical evidence for the benefits of using high-quality photographs to communicate science. Specifically, it confirms that the use of photographs in interpretive products may not necessarily improve the effectiveness of interpretation, i.e. the visual characteristics of the nature photographs play an important role in the effectiveness of interpretation. Only those photographs with a high visual quality or sharp/colourful subjects are appreciated by observers and as a result enhance affective and cognitive outcomes. This thesis answers the question: what types of photographs are more effective for science communication and how do appealing photographs improve the effectiveness of communication? The results are important both for the selection of photographs within the interpretive product design process and for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such interpretation. This thesis, therefore, has global implications for improving the efficacy of photographs to communicate science, particularly for interpreting natural science stories within national parks
Exploring senior secondary health education in Aotearoa New Zealand: A cabinet of curiosities
No full textSenior secondary Health Education in Aotearoa New Zealand is somewhat of a curiosity: Often misunderstood and certainly under-researched. The school subject is uniquely placed internationally; one which can contribute to the national school qualification and one which shares equal status with any other subject in The New Zealand Curriculum at the senior secondary level.
The purpose of my inquiry was to investigate how learning in senior secondary Health Education in Aotearoa New Zealand might contribute to our twenty-first century world. Embracing Barad’s intra-action and Braidotti’s affirmative ethics, I engaged with posthuman and feminist new materialist theoretical underpinnings. I produced data by conducting in-depth interviews with 25 people who had studied the subject to the final level of schooling in Aotearoa New Zealand. I analysed the data post-qualitatively; with a bricoleur approach which encompassed diffractive, narrative, and assemblage-focused analytics as I thought with theory to encounter the unexpected, the puzzling, that which can often be obscured from view, and that made me wonder.
I discovered a wide range of insights into senior secondary Health Education, encompassing structural issues facing the subject, materialities of the Health Education environment, pedagogical arrangements used in the subject, and learning outcomes experienced by students of the subject. I connected the findings to the field of critical health literacy and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD’s) global competence capabilities needed for people to thrive in a rapidly changing, globalised, and culturally diverse twenty-first century world.
My inquiry sheds light upon new, previously obscured insights into Health Education, enabling both me and my readers to open the drawers of the Health Education cabinet, look inside, and see something new, unexpected, curious, and wonderful. As a result, I hope to plant the seed to enable scholars and practitioners across the fields of health and education to embrace new ways of thinking about what Health Education in school settings can do, as well as what Health Education can become, if it is given the opportunity to flourish
Single Cell Transcriptome Analysis in Prostate Cancer
No full textBackground:
Single cell transcriptome studies have recently advanced to the analysis of millions of cells in a single pipeline. This type of analysis requires expensive, high maintenance platforms, precluding its use in most laboratories. Therefore, there is a need to find innovative ways of using more accessible low throughput methods for clinical application. Understanding the gene expression of an individual cell has clinical applications ranging from improved diagnosis to more precise treatment. We developed a novel single cell transcriptome analysis method and adapted it for ultra-low input mRNA analysis to potentially improve cancer diagnosis.
Methods:
Our single cell transcriptome analysis method allowed us to determine if the detection of single prostatic cells in various backgrounds could identify novel quantitative PCR biomarkers that could be used in urine diagnosis of prostate cancer. We applied this method to detect single cells from the LNCaP and PC3 prostate cancer cell lines in populations of prostatic (LNCaP) and non- prostatic (HeLa) cells. We used up to 29 cells from the HeLa cell line as a non-prostatic background for detection of a single LNCaP and PC3 cells. We also used up to approximately 199 LNCaP cells as a prostatic background to detect a single PC3 cell.
Results:
Our method detected 23 gene isoforms that significantly distinguish (P < 0.05) a single PC3 cell from a background population of approximately 199 LNCaP cells. 161 gene isoforms significantly distinguished (P < 0.05) a single PC3 cell from a background population of 29 HeLa cells. 64 gene isoforms significantly distinguished (P < 0.05) a single LNCaP cell from a background population of 29 HeLa cells. The MAGED1 gene had the highest log fold change in PC3 cells compared to HeLa cells (log2 fold change = 9.3, P < 0.05) and significantly distinguished (P < 0.05) a single PC3 cell from a background of 29 HeLa cells. qPCR analysis confirmed the RNA-seq results for MAGED1 and PSA gene expression patterns in LNCaP and PC3 cells.
Conclusions:
Transcriptome wide single cell analysis identified several genes that indicate the presence of single PC3 and LNCaP cells in background populations of cells. This result supports a single cell sampling approach to highly sensitive diagnostics and prognostics for ultra-low input RNA samples. Our single cell analysis method compares positively with methods described in the literature with respect to genes detected per read
What does upscaling stroke rehabilitation mean globally? A qualitative description of international variation in stroke rehabilitation and the influences on evidence-based practice
No full textBackground: Demand for rehabilitation is expected to grow dramatically in the near future due to population ageing and increases in people living with chronic health conditions. For example, the global incidence of stroke is expected to increase to an estimated 70 million stroke survivors by 2030. In 2017, in response to this need, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report -Rehabilitation 2030: a call for action – detailing the actions required to ‘upscale’ rehabilitation to meet this future demand on healthcare systems.
Aim: Using stroke as an example, this thesis explores what ‘upscaling’ might mean for rehabilitation health professionals in different parts of the world. This research has three aims:
1. To explore the scope of, and variability in, the practice of stroke rehabilitation globally,
2. To explore what upscaling stroke rehabilitation might mean for health professionals from countries at different stages of economic development around the world, and
3. To explore influences on the application of evidence-based stroke rehabilitation at regional levels.
Methods: This thesis employed a qualitative descriptive design. Interviews were conducted with clinical leaders in stroke rehabilitation from 12 countries around the world, purposefully sampled to ensure representation from high, middle, and low-income countries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English via videoconferencing, with the interview schedule sent to all participants in advance. Recordings from the interviews were transcribed and analysed using inductive content analysis.
Results: Twelve rehabilitation professionals participated in interviews from high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low-income countries (United States, Germany, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, England; Turkey, Colombia; Vietnam, Ghana, Pakistan; Nepal and Sierra Leone) and from different professional backgrounds (medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech language therapy). The findings covered three main topics. Firstly, the participants discussed the influence of local context on stroke service provision (e.g. political, organisation, and sociocultural factors). Secondly, upscaling was seen as a necessity, the participants discussed what they understood by the term “upscaling stroke rehabilitation” and what this might require in each of their countries (e.g. political will, governmental support, workforce developments, resourcing, and raised awareness of the need and the value of rehabilitation). Thirdly, they discussed the challenges they faced in implementing evidence-based stroke rehabilitation: general barriers (e.g. the complexity and quality of evidence, lack of time, lack of training, changing behaviours, and resources) and region specific barriers (e.g. language barriers, lack of research relevant to the local context, and lack of physical access to current research).
Conclusion: Although there have been many gains with the development of stroke rehabilitation internationally, further investment is required to ensure that this patient population group continues to receive the best quality care. In order for the WHO to be successful in implementing Rehabilitation 2030: a call for action, attention will need to be paid to political, professional, economic, and sociocultural issues at global and local levels. However, this work is well supported by health professionals in many countries all around the world and is the start of decisive action towards a brighter future for stroke survivors and their families
Climate Niches of New Zealand’s Extinct and Extant Plant Genera
No full textThroughout Earth’s history changes in environmental conditions have caused plant species to either adapt or become extinct, however, the drivers of past plant extinctions are poorly understood. This project investigates Cenozoic (66 MYA–present) plant extinctions in New Zealand to understand the impact of climate change on the fate of plants. The climate niches of extant and locally extinct New Zealand plant genera in Australia and New Zealand are analysed to determine the role that climate (temperature, precipitation, seasonality) may have played in the disappearance of many genera during Cenozoic climate changes. Species distribution data for extinct and extant genera from nine plant families and gridded climate data for Australia and New Zealand were used to determine the current climate niche of each genus. Current Australian climate contains analogues for both current and past New Zealand climate conditions. Most of the investigated New Zealand extinct genera (69%) occupy significantly different niches in Australia compared to a closely related extant genus that remain in New Zealand. The specific climate features that differentiate extant and extinct genera are not consistent throughout pairs, with precipitation and seasonality variables causing larger differences between genera than mean annual temperature. This suggests that changes in precipitation and seasonality of both temperature and precipitation are more likely to contribute to the extinction of plant species than changes in mean annual temperature. This study found no relationship between extinction age and the level of climate niche overlap between the New Zealand extinct and closely related New Zealand extant genera in Australian climate space. Niche differences were also explored between the Australian and New Zealand distributions of New Zealand extant genera to determine if niche divergence has occurred, which would suggest some level of adaptation to the cool New Zealand climate that developed in the late Cenozoic. All genera currently extant in New Zealand show large differences between their Australian and New Zealand climate niches. For most genera (73%) this difference is not significant, suggesting niche shift but not complete niche divergence. Overall, understanding the differences in the climate niches occupied by extinct and extant plant genera provides insight into potential climate drivers of historic extinctions as well as the level of adaptation to New Zealand climates of those genera that survived
Development of Drug-Eluting Surgical Sutures for the Wound-Healing Process Using Melt Extrusion Technology
No full textIncorporation of an anti-inflammatory drug with polymer materials to produce suture products is important especially when the suture is used for internal organs and/or tissues. In this work, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400), chitosan and keratin were used as biopolymer matrix to encapsulate 5, 15, 30 wt% diclofenac potassium (DP) to achieve controlled drug release.
At first, polymer alone was extruded by hot-melt extrusion technique under various temperatures and at different PCL/PEG400/chitosan-keratin ratios. The products were analysed in terms of FTIR characterization, thermal properties and mechanical properties. According to the characterization analysis of polymer sutures, the optimal polymer formulation (PCL: PEG400: chitosan/keratin= 80:19:1 wt%) (Group 1) was chosen to manufacture sutures with drug DP content at 5, 15, 30 wt%. In addition, PCL/PEG400/chitosan (Group 2) and PCL/PEG400/keratin (Group 3) were also fabricated with drug DP to create sutures, the polymer and drug weight ratios were 95:5, 85:15 and 70:30 wt%. Drug release features were investigated via the drug dissolution test. MTT assay, live/dead assay and scratch assay were also applied to study the biocompatibility of drug embedded sutures.
Results showed that sutures can be extruded with a smooth surface and uniform thickness under the temperature of 63 ± 1 °C. It was observed from DSC and TGA studies that completely amorphous and miscible solid dispersions were prepared. FTIR analysis indicated that the presence of hydrogen bonds between the polymers improved material miscibility. Tensile properties of the sutures were clearly affected by PEG400, chitosan and keratin addition. The optimal formulation of tensile strength was obtained when PEG400: chitosan/keratin was 19:1 wt%. The rapid drug release rate was observed at different stages of group 1, 2, 3. For group 1, the release occurred rapidly occurred after 1 h 45 mins, whereas group 2 exhibited fast release between 1 h 45 mins and 3 h 45 mins. Group 3 displayed a sustained release where a fast release occurred from the onset to 3 h 45 mins. However, the final concentration of drug release in group 1 was lower than the other two groups, which can be predicted that a longer drug release time would be in an extended period compared to the other two groups. According to biocompatibility test, group 1 demonstrated very high cell viability at 72 h. Especially sample F3, which contained 30 wt% drug, and the ratio of PCL/PEG/chitosan-keratin was 80/19/1 w/w. It achieved the highest wound healing rate in the scratch assay