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Internal transcribed spacer and 16s amplicon sequencing identifies microbial species associated with asbestos in New Zealand
No full textInhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in many countries. In most countries, large amounts of asbestos exists within building stock, buried in landfills, and in contaminated soil. Mechanical, thermal, and chemical treatment options do exist, but these are expensive, and they are not effective for contaminated soil, where only small numbers of asbestos fibres may be present in a large volume of soil. Research has been underway for the last 20 years into the potential use of microbial action to remove iron and other metal cations from the surface of asbestos fibres to reduce their toxicity. To access sufficient iron for metabolism, many bacteria and fungi produce organic acids, or iron-chelating siderophores, and in a growing number of experiments these have been found to degrade asbestos fibres in vitro. This paper uses the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 16S amplicon sequencing to investigate the fungal and bacterial diversity found on naturally-occurring asbestos minerals, asbestos-containing building materials, and asbestos-contaminated soils with a view to later selectively culturing promising species, screening them for siderophore production, and testing them with asbestos fibres in vitro. After filtering, 895 ITS and 1265 16S amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) were detected across the 38 samples, corresponding to a range of fungal, bacteria, cyanobacterial, and lichenized fungal species. Samples from Auckland (North Island, New Zealand) asbestos cement, Auckland asbestos-contaminated soils, and raw asbestos rocks from Kahurangi National Park (South Island, New Zealand) were comprised of very different microbial communities. Five of the fungal species detected in this study are known to produce siderophores
Taking it all in their stride: nursing students’ clinical placement experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
No full textThe aim of this research was to identify whether the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected nurses and nursing education from 2020 through to present times, impacted student nurses’ perceptions of their clinical experience during this time. The initial premise was based on anecdotal conversations with students who were expressing their displeasure with how they were being treated in the clinical areas, and the learning experiences which had changed with the introduction of new clinical placements. This research found that the pandemic did not impact students’ perception of the value of their clinical placement, which is reassuring for clinical and academic management
Renegotiating the narrative: EQ students’ attitudes and engagement in relation to the language of the Socioeconomic Equity ‘EQ’ Project and inequity
No full textThe Socioeconomic Equity (EQ) Project is a comprehensive programme of support for students from decile 1-3 secondary schools in Health Sciences at the University of Otago. It is underpinned by Māori values and was established in 2019 to increase the number of students from lower socioeconomic communities progressing through health professional study and ultimately into the health workforce. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and/or low decile schools are significantly underrepresented in tertiary study. They are more likely to experience socioeconomic and educational disadvantage, be the first in family to enter university study, and have English as an additional language. A student’s school decile does not reflect individual socioeconomic status but those who attend low decile schools have lived awareness and understanding of the diverse challenges of these communities. Socioeconomic status, inequality and inequity are sensitive and subjective topics to engage with but engagement is essential — for EQ student outcomes and funding, but also to actively effect change to broad and systemic societal inequity.
Acknowledgement of socioeconomic disadvantage and discrimination in policy and practice reflects the University’s commitment to equity through health professional graduates that represent, and are more responsive to, the communities they serve.
This research examines how we talk about inequity, acknowledge unfair advantage, and authentically address its outcomes as a community. It explores how we frame our desire for a ‘fair society’ despite increasing disparity and wide-ranging inequity. This research project specifically explores how we address inequity within a tertiary education context, through the narratives of students from decile 1-3 secondary schools supported by the EQ Project in their health sciences study at the University of Otago. It investigates EQ students’ attitudes and engagement in relation to the language of the EQ Project and inequity — the current ‘EQ narrative’ as EQ students experience it. It aims to challenge existing assumptions of language and cultural appropriateness by premising the lived knowledge of EQ students within a new co-constructed ‘renegotiated narrative’ of communication and engagement
Making the call: Medical imaging staff perceptions of self-rostering
No full textSelf-rostering: a scheduling methology
Sekf-rostering in practice
Context - Staff interest, Management interest
Project aims
Methodology
Reference
Decolonising and re-indigenising neighbourhood design
No full textHow do we create a fairer, more equitable future? How do we create neighbourhoods that serve and nurture us; spaces that reflect us, that bring beauty, that inform our identities? Urbanists are generally reluctant to address the past in order to summon that more equitable future. However, I believe that it cannot be achieved without decolonisation. Before we get into it, we’ll need to set some parameters. I cannot dictate exactly how Māori should be represented or what mātauranga Māori should mean. That’s not what this piece is. Its purpose is instead to provide an overview of this topic and what Aotearoa can do to decolonise architecture and urban design on a larger scale. Hopefully, it will also introduce you to some incredible people and research that I highly recommend you dig into after this. Next, decolonisation, even just for design, is a large topic. It’s a complex and nuanced one, too. Furthermore, fully unpacking colonialism and its devastating, widespread and pervasive effects deserves a lot more time than we have today. So, let’s focus up. We’re here to talk about neighbourhoods, so, as much as it hurts, we are going to have to leave every other institution aside, just for today. Decolonised neighbourhoods will better reflect Aotearoa’s people. Through art and language, structures and environments, we can confront this country’s very real and ongoing colonial history and consciously make space for future Māori representation. This decolonisation will mean deconstructing what is in our neighbourhoods, who they’re for, and the institutions behind their creation. From there, it will mean purposeful and meaningful Māori and iwi involvement to consider what these spaces could become
Reviving face-to-face learning: Using interactive activities to engage students in academic writing
No full textThis presentation is about how a combination of face-to-face and online interactive activities can benefit students' engagement, participation and interaction in learning how to write a technical report in an embedded workshop. It demonstrates the variety of interactive activities to meet the students' diverse learning styles and needs. It reflects how collaborating with the course lecturer in the class can enhance and motivate students to work on their assessments on report writing
Enhancing the urban community resilience through street retrofitting interventions: A case study by Unitec Students in Auckland, New Zealand
No full textHow can architecture/landscape architecture students improve the resilience of suburban streets?
The natural and cultural environment has been greatly impacted by climate change, and residential streets in suburban areas, which make up around 30% of public space, are important for building community resilience. However, most of these streets were originally designed as car-dominated paved space, and are increasingly criticized as environmentally and socially unsustainable. This article focuses on enhancing urban community resilience in Auckland through street retrofitting interventions. The authors view streets as a cultural tool and a public space that can be used to bring communities together and encourage social interaction. Auckland, being a multi-cultural city, provides a unique challenge in terms of creating street designs that work with the diverse identities of its communities. The authors present a case study of a design student-built projects in the neighborhoods of Onehunga, Avondale and Aurangua where they aim to create architectural interventions for the community to use. The design process involves close collaboration with the community to understand their particular ways of living and to provide them seating, shelter and expression with spaces. The authors argue that this approach will help to increase community engagement and a sense of pride in the public spaces that they use. Overall, this paper highlights the importance of street retrofitting pop-up interventions in enhancing urban community resilience, and shows how this can be achieved through a collaborative design process that reflects the desires and aspirations of the community. The success of these architectural interventions can act as a catalyst for community-based street retrofits that integrate environmental intervention with cultural solutions. It has the potential to transform car-dominated streets into a vibrant and resilient public space that is proud by all cultures
Ka mua, ka muri-looking back to move forward: Cultural conscious awareness for kaimahi/tauira as whole persons in the educational system
No full textWhole person concept in traditional Māori education systems
Whole person concept in traditional Chinese educational system
Educational mindfulness/cultural conscious awareness in education
The whole person concept in mindful education
Hua’s experience Whaea Lynda pastoral care examples
Our educational mindfulnes
A suggested revision of the Chung Hwa Hymn” by Chao Yuenren
No full text1915年11月，美国波士顿刊行的《中国学生月刊》上发表了赵元任用英文写成的《“中华颂”改进之我见》（A suggested revision of the Chung Hwa Hymn）一文。这篇短文的发现，不仅对于赵元任在美期间的音 乐活动研究有重要的史料价值和学术价值，对了解我国近代国歌创作历程亦有参考作用。
In November 1915，Zhao Yuanren’s article in English“ A Suggested Revision of the Chung Hwa Hymn”was published in the Boston Monthly Journal of Chinese Students. The discovery of this short article not only has important historical and academic value for the study of Zhao Yuan⁃ ren’s musical activities in the United States but also serves as a reference for understanding history of the China’s modern national anthem
Personality types and ako?: How do they matter to our learning and development lecturers’ role?
No full textMyers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator
If we are NOT conscious of the differences and their effect on how we communicate in education, what could happen?
What other differences may we present without our consciously knowing?
In the space and process of Ako, we find different learning styles due to cultural upbringing
Through ako, students achieve Mana motuhake?
Know myself to know my students
Another barrier that impinges on Maori students’confidence to succeed
What can learning advisors do to support Maori student