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True Crime Podcasting and Technical Communication: Exposing the Oppression of Objectivity
Get PDFTPC scholarship about podcasting has much to gain from more thoroughly engaging with the social justice turn in the field. To demonstrate the significance of podcasting as a site for social justice research in TPC, this article examines the true crime podcast Serial Season 1. This study illustrates how Serial appears to seek justice but actually employs a journalistic notion of objectivity to advance a white supremacist agenda.fals
Trends in micronutrient research since the SDGs: a global perspective
Get PDFSustainable food systems have become a central focus in efforts to combat micronutrient malnutrition, with increasing recognition of their role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article presents a bibliometric analysis of micronutrient research from 2015 to 2023, examining trends and thematic clusters within the SDGs framework. Using data from the Web of Science and science mapping techniques, the study identifies key trends and thematic clusters that highlight evolving research priorities. Four major trends emerge: the application of machine learning, the exploration of macroalgae for their micronutrient potential, the use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in biofortification, and concerns about heavy metal contamination in food. Research clusters show a strong focus on bone health, particularly osteoporosis and vitamin D, which align with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Yet research on micronutrient deficiencies, such as those in iron, zinc, and vitamin A, remains underrepresented despite their high global impact on malnutrition, especially in low- and middle-income countries, raising concerns about whether research priorities sufficiently address the SDGs. This study highlights the need for more targeted research to align with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The article concludes by stressing the importance to balance cutting-edge technological advances with a renewed emphasis to address critical micronutrient gaps to improve global nutrition and align with sustainable food system goals.fals
Population dynamics and anthropogenic threats to New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) in New Zealand : a thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand
Get PDFNew Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri; ‘NZFS’) are New Zealand’s most encountered pinniped. However, substantial gaps exist in the knowledge of their abundance and distribution. This study provides NZFS abundance and distribution data for Kaikōura and Banks Peninsula and investigates anthropogenic risks in both locations. Additionally, the thesis undertakes the first nationwide NZFS abundance estimate in ca. 50 years.
The Kaikōura population study was the first since the 2016 earthquake. Kaikōura’s NZFS population has grown and spread post-earthquake, with an upper population estimate of 21,560 – 28,327 NZFS in the 2022/23 breeding season. However, pup production at Ōhau Point, the most impacted colony, has not grown, and breeding distribution has changed significantly. Following earthquake damage, State Highway 1 (SH1), which runs close to NZFS colonies, was reconstructed. This study detected an almost fivefold increase in the annual number of NZFS recorded on SH1 from 2012 – 2022, compared to 1996 – 2005. Ten statistically significant NZFS incident clusters were located, representing 89% of the incidents. Cluster location shifted following post-earthquake road reconstruction. Monthly NZFS incident numbers were significantly positively associated with traffic and windspeed, and significantly negatively associated with temperature and rainfall. Road-abutting NZFS breeding explained most of the spatial variation in NZFS incidents.
An abundance estimate of 13,147 – 17,675 NZFS was calculated for Banks Peninsula in 2023/24, and 25 previously unrecorded colonies were assessed. This study considered response strategies for an oil spill impacting Banks Peninsula’s NZFS, as the region is classified as ‘high risk’ for such incidents. Priority response strategies include preventing oil from reaching colonies, and hazing individuals away from waterborne slicks.
From the most recently available count data, a minimum nationwide population estimate of 131,338 – 168,269 NZFS was calculated. Using recent counts and stage-structured population modelling, a more reliable estimate of 181,646 – 239,473 NZFS was calculated, a substantial increase on the most cited nationwide abundance figure, 100,000 NZFS.
This thesis’ population findings provide useful baselines and highlight the need for improved NZFS population monitoring. This is particularly important due to the changing human-NZFS relationship, evidenced by the Kaikōura road reconstruction and the risk of oil spills in Banks Peninsula
Environmental Violation and Cost of Equity Capital—Evidence From Europe
No full textWe examine the association between environmental violations and the cost of equity capital. We posit that firms that breach environmental compliance introduce firm-specific risks and, consequently, elevate the costs associated with equity capital. Utilizing a dataset comprising publicly listed firms from the Bloomberg European 500 index spanning the period from 2005 to 2020, we present empirical evidence that environmental violations contribute to an increase in a firm's cost of equity capital. Our findings hold economic significance, revealing that a one standard deviation increase in environmental violations results in a 4.28–5.12 basis point increase in the cost of equity. Furthermore, we establish that the positive relationship between environmental violations and the cost of equity capital is more pronounced in firms lacking corporate social responsibility training and those operating within highly competitive industries. Importantly, our results withstand endogeneity concerns, affirming their robustness. The implications of our study extend to stakeholders, enhancing their understanding of the repercussions of environmental violations on investment decisions.fals
The association of parental or caregiver alcohol use with child maltreatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
Get PDFBackground and Aims:
Caregiver alcohol use is a risk factor for child maltreatment, but a previous meta-analysis was limited to physical abuse only. We aimed to quantify the association of parental or caregiver alcohol use with child maltreatment and assess if this differs by incidence or recurrence of maltreatment and level of caregiver alcohol use.
Methods:
We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies according to a registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42020211585). We searched the databases MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library in November 2024. We included studies that reported the association of interest. We excluded studies that only assessed prenatal alcohol use or caregiver substance use, and studies that did not adjust for socio-economic position. Two reviewers independently screened the retrieved articles for relevance, extracted data from the included studies and assessed the methodological quality of studies using criteria adapted from the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We performed meta-analyses using inverse variance weighting and random effects models.
Results:
We included seven studies on child maltreatment incidence and five on recurrence. All were cohort studies in high-income countries: three in Australia, one in Denmark, one in New Zealand, two in South Korea, one in the United Kingdom and four in the United States. The sample size ranged from 501 to 84 245 (median 4782). Caregiver alcohol-related diagnoses were associated with higher child maltreatment incidence [odds ratio (OR) = 2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10–4.89] and recurrence (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.13–3.28) compared with caregivers without alcohol-related diagnoses. An association of any caregiver drinking with child maltreatment incidence could not be ruled out (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.72–2.08). The review was limited by high heterogeneity and variable reporting of alcohol use and child maltreatment; however, we obtained similar results after sensitivity analysis and adjustment for reporting bias.
Conclusions:
Caregiver alcohol use may be an important risk factor for child maltreatment, adding to the growing body of evidence on alcohol's harm to others and calling for stronger actions to reduce alcohol harm.fals
Re-sensing economies: Artistic and embodied knowing for more-than-capitalist futures.
No full textfalseTampere, Finlan
Group-based journal review: opportunities for researcher development and enjoyment
Get PDFThe availability of expert reviewers, essential for academic publishing, is increasingly under threat, due to workload pressures and lack of development pathways. This inquiry, undertaken by the editors of an emergent higher education journal, draws on reviewers’ experiences as articulated in ‘reviewer stories’ and examines key questions around reviewer experiences and development pathways as well as the role of reviewing in the development of research skills and academic identity formation. This article shines a light on the elusive practice of journal reviewing and confirms group-based review as a successful approach for supporting researcher development and bringing enjoyment into academic practice.fals
Dietary patterns influencing the human colonic microbiota from infancy to centenarian age: a narrative review
Get PDFOur dietary choices not only affect our body but also shape the microbial community inhabiting our large intestine. The colonic microbiota strongly influences our physiology, playing a crucial role in both disease prevention and development. Hence, dietary strategies to modulate colonic microbes have gained notable attention. However, most diet-colonic microbiota research has focused on adults, often neglecting other key life stages, such as infancy and older adulthood. In this narrative review, we explore the impact of various dietary patterns on the colonic microbiota from early infancy to centenarian age, aiming to identify age-specific diets promoting health and well-being by nourishing the microbiota. Diversified diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with daily consumption of fermented foods, and moderate amounts of fish and lean meats (two to four times a week), increase colonic microbial diversity, the abundance of saccharolytic taxa, and the production of beneficial microbial metabolites. Most of the current knowledge of diet-microbiota interactions is limited to studies using fecal samples as a proxy. Future directions in colonic microbiota research include personalized in silico simulations to predict the impact of diets on colonic microbes. Complementary to traditional methodologies, modeling has the potential to reduce the costs of colonic microbiota investigations, accelerate our understanding of diet-microbiota interactions, and contribute to the advancement of personalized nutrition across various life stages.fals
Micro Gondwana: soil and litter mesofauna in the subalpine and alpine of North-West Nelson, southern New Zealand
Get PDFAlpine ecosystems are vulnerable to the warming climate, yet alpine soil mesofauna remains the less studied part of NZ biodiversity. Here we present a survey of soil mesofauna communities of three mountain peaks in the Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough regions of the South Island of New Zealand. We assessed changes in abundance, diversity and trophic composition along the elevational gradient from subalpine forests to alpine herb fields (800–1600 m a.s.l.) and analysed the influence of selected environmental factors on mesofauna. Taxon richness was expected to decrease and the proportion of predators to increase in alpine habitats, as has been observed elsewhere. Sub-alpine beech forests harboured a high diversity of soil mesofauna, many of which are Gondwanan relics. There was a decline in abundance and taxonomic richness of mesofauna with increasing elevation. However, no proportional increase in predators with increasing elevation was seen–alpine mesofauna assemblages had lower predator-to-herbivore ratios than upland forests. Several interesting taxa–harpacticoid copepods, moss bugs (Hemiptera: Peloridiidae), unique-headed bugs (Hemiptera: Enicocephalomorpha), micro-spiders, mite harvestmen, Neelidae springtails and acarifauna are discussed in more detail. Baseline data such as these advance the knowledge of native fauna and provide a baseline for ecological monitoring in the alpine zone.fals
Coconut oil body membrane materials and storage proteins as emulsifiers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 7 July 2027.
No full textAs consumer preferences shift towards natural and sustainable food ingredients, plant emulsifiers are emerging as feasible alternatives to synthetic and animal-based options. This PhD thesis aimed to investigate the emulsifying potential of two coconut-derived components: oil body membrane materials (OBMMs) and press cake proteins. The study began with the extraction and characterisation of coconut oil bodies (OBs) from fresh and frozen coconuts (Chapter 4). The objective was to establish an extraction protocol that maximises the OB yield. The interactions between OB membranes and non-OB proteins were also examined through various washing techniques. Findings indicated that OB yield from frozen coconuts exhibited less variability than that from fresh coconuts and revealed considerable amounts of exogenous proteins within the OBM protein fraction. Next, the research focused on optimising the extraction and functionality of OBMMs obtained through churning or freeze–thawing (Chapter 5). The main goal was to identify OBMM composition and improve its emulsification properties via extraction method optimisation. Results showed that freeze–thawing proved more effective than churning for OBMM extraction yield, with an additional freeze–thawing step further improving the functionality of the resulting OBMMs. This project then investigated the extraction and fractionation of coconut oil press cake proteins with the goal of obtaining a fraction with emulsification properties (Chapter 6). Three protein fractions were produced for this purpose: those soluble at pH 7, soluble at pH 4.5, and insoluble at pH 4.5. Findings highlighted that variable costs, particularly raw material expenses, greatly impacted the production cost of pH 4.5 insoluble proteins. Finally, the emulsification properties of coconut press cake protein fractions (obtained in Chapter 6) were evaluated in oil-in-water emulsions (Chapter 7). Results show that pH 4.5 insoluble fraction exhibited the highest emulsification ability and emulsion stability. Additionally, the emulsions with excess proteins (> 1.5% w/w) showed a time-dependent flocculation, which was attributed the slow bridging interactions between adsorbed and unadsorbed proteins. Overall, this study characterises coconut-derived materials (OBMMs and press cake proteins) and determines their emulsifying capabilities to indicate their suitability for emulsion-based food systems. It also highlights that minimally purified plant materials can maintain functional properties, offering natural and sustainable emulsifier alternatives