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Examining language learners’ GenAI-assisted writing self-efficacy profiles and the relationship with their writing self-regulated learning strategies
No full textGenerative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as an effective scaffolding tool for facilitating English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ writing performance. Nevertheless, most studies have investigated the impacts of GenAI on learners’ final written outputs instead of their writing processes. To fill this research gap, we examined EFL learners’ self-efficacy and writing self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies, which were essential motivational constructs underlying GenAI-assisted writing processes. Our person-centered latent profile analysis of 193 EFL learners revealed four groups of students with diverse GenAI-assisted writing self-efficacy levels: highly confident all-rounders, practical assistance seekers, interaction-oriented communicators, and unconfident less-adaptable users. These four profiles were found to be closely tied to their writing SRL strategy use. Furthermore, years of English learning experience and perceived English proficiency seemed to be significant antecedents of EFL learners’ GenAI-assisted writing self-efficacy profiles. These findings could chart new ways for EFL writing syllabus design in the GenAI context
Older adults with blunt chest trauma at Auckland City Hospital: Prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of timely injury identification
No full textBackground: Rapid identification of chest injury is important to activate early treatment protocols, shown to successfully decrease rates of complications (Curtis et al., 2016). Age is an independent risk factor in predicting mortality in chest trauma (Battle et al., 2023a). Older adults most at risk of late identification of chest injury, and the prevalence of this population in Auckland is not currently established.
Objectives: To determine the timeliness of blunt chest injury identification in older adults (aged ≥55 years) presenting to Auckland City Hospital (ACH) and identify characteristics associated with late injury identification.
To describe the total population prevalence of blunt chest injuries in all ≥55s, presenting to ACH within 2023.
Methods: Data from the Auckland Trauma Registry (ATR) identified all patients ≥55 years admitted to ACH diagnosed with blunt chest injuries (n=190). Independent case note reviews established if chest injuries were identified early (≤1 hour) or late (≥1 hour) from admission to ACH. Logistic regression analysis determined characteristics significantly associated with late identification after accounting for age, ethnicity and sex.
Population descriptions and prevalence of all ≥55s with blunt chest trauma was established for the Auckland Health Region utilising combined data from the ATR and the ACH National Minimum Dataset (NMDS).
Results: Identification times were determined for 153 events. Univariate analysis showed 20.9% of chest injuries were identified late, with late identification significantly associated with mechanism of injury (p=0.001) and mode of transport to hospital (p=0.006). Logistic regression analysis found the odds for late identification to be 6.9 times higher in those injured by 'other' mechanisms (OR 6.93, 95% CI 2.17 to 22.12) and 4.7 times higher in those self-presenting (OR 4.72, 95% CI 1.62 to 13.75).
Age-standardised population prevalence for blunt chest injuries in those aged ≥55 in the Auckland Health Region was 545 in 100,000 people.
Conclusion: The majority of blunt chest injuries were identified early in the reviewed older adult population. Those with atypical mechanisms of injury and without pre-hospital care may be at the highest risk of late identification. Prevalence of blunt chest injuries in older adults is high, particularly when inclusive of NMDS records
Effects of suspended sediment on survival, growth, and nutritional condition of green-lipped mussel spat (Perna canaliculus, Gmelin, 1791)
No full textSuspended sediment is a significant current threat to coastal ecosystems in many parts of the world. Sediment
runoff into the ocean is increasing due to numerous human activities, such as agriculture, deforestation, construction, and mining. Additionally, climate change is impacting local weather patterns, with many regions
experiencing marked changes in the frequency and extent of precipitation. Extreme weather events, such as
cyclones, can increase suspended sediment (SS) in coastal waters by up to 100-fold. This rapid change in SS can
negatively affect filter-feeding bivalves by diminishing their feeding efficiency, often preventing feeding until the
sediment settles. In New Zealand, juveniles of the green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) have rudimentary
structures for capturing and sorting food particles from the seston, which are prone to clogging and damage. In
this study, the effects of a range of SS concentrations (0–1250 mg L− 1
) on the survival, growth, and nutritional
condition of juvenile green-lipped mussels (1–2 mm SL) were determined over two time scales (5 and 30 days) in
controlled laboratory experiments. Neither mortality nor nutritional condition were impacted by SS. However,
the presence of SS positively affected growth (p < 0.05) and mussel settlement location (p < 0.01) at both time
scales. The results show that, under these conditions, SS levels ≤1250 mg L− 1 are not apparently harmful to
P. canaliculus spat and may even be advantageous
Trends and disparities in locoregional treatment of programme-detected ductal carcinoma in situ in New Zealand women, 1999–2022
No full textPurpose:
Ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist in treatment of invasive breast cancer in New Zealand. This study investigated trends and disparities in locoregional treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) detected by BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA), the national breast screening programme.
Methods:
Women with programme-detected DCIS from 1999 to 2022 were identified from BSA records linked to the national cancer registry and hospital discharge records. Logistic regression identified associated factors.
Results:
Of the 6087 cases identified, 39.7 % received breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiotherapy (RT), 31.5 % had mastectomy and 28.8 % had BCS alone. BCS with RT increased from 27.6 % in 1999 to 41.1 % in 2006, followed by a modest increase to 46.7 % in 2022, while mastectomy decreased from 33.3 % in 1999 to 25.4 % in 2022. The post-BCS RT use was less common among Pacific women. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) increased from 6.2 % in 2004 (when it was implemented nationwide) to 26.0 % in 2007, then reached 37.1 % in 2013, before declining to 24.5 % in 2022. Pacific and Asian women who had mastectomy were more likely to have SLNB. Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after a mastectomy increased from 11.4 % in 1999 to 39.8 % in 2009, then underwent a modest decline to 22.7 % in 2022. Māori, older women, and those living in the deprived or rural areas were less likely to receive IBR.
Conclusion:
Locoregional treatment for programme-detected DCIS has improved over time; however, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities persist, underscoring the need to improve equity of cancer care in New Zealand
Modelling social mobility disruptions and recovery during disasters: A mobile phone data approach
No full textDisasters fundamentally alter human mobility patterns, yet traditional modelling approaches fail to capture the complex temporal dynamics and interdependencies that characterise these disruptions. This paper introduces the Disaster-aware Hawkes process, a novel temporal point process framework specifically designed to model human mobility during and after disasters. Our approach extends standard self-exciting Hawkes processes through five key innovations: a regime-switching baseline intensity function, category-specific excitation parameters, heterogeneous recovery rates across location categories, and post-disaster bounce-back parameters. We apply our model to a comprehensive mobile device dataset from Auckland, New Zealand during Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, comprising 5.85 million mobility records from 111,539 devices. The Disaster-aware Hawkes process achieves a 25.68% overall improvement in prediction accuracy compared to standard approaches, with an 80.00% improvement during the disaster period. Beyond enhanced prediction, our model enables novel analyses of cascade effects, revealing how disruptions propagate through mobility networks and identifying critical dependencies invisible to traditional methods. We demonstrate that optimised temporal distribution of recovery interventions can improve system outcomes by 45.8% compared to conventional simultaneous deployment strategies. These findings provide valuable insights for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery planning, while the methodological framework offers a powerful new approach for analysing the complex dynamics of human mobility under disruption
Understanding unmet need and addressing access to eye health services in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textBackground
The leading causes of vision impairment have effective interventions, but differential access to eye health services mean some population groups experience worse eye health. Inequity in eye health has historically received little attention in New Zealand.
Aim
The overarching aim was to assess vision impairment and access to eye health services in New Zealand.
Methods
Four complementary mixed-methods studies were undertaken. First, a systematic scoping review summarised the extent of evidence on vision impairment and access to eye health services in New Zealand. The remaining studies were within a project that provided cost-subsidised eye examinations and treatment to adults from an underserved community. The second study explored eye health and previous eye health service use of this cohort. The third evaluated the impact of spectacle correction on vision related quality of life at three and 12-months after spectacle correction. Lastly, a qualitative study explored barriers and facilitators of accessing eye care.
Results
The scoping review highlighted that most evidence on access to eye health services in New Zealand focused on cataract or diabetic retinopathy, with Māori and Pacific people consistently underserved; few studies focused on uncorrected refractive error. A total of 242 adults (63% female, median age 64 years) participated in the community-based study (60% Pacific people, 25% Māori), most of whom had distance or near vision impairment and half of whom (53%) reported never previously accessing optometry care. Most vision impairment was caused by uncorrected refractive error (85%), yet three-quarters of participants reported never having had custom-made spectacles (73%). Among the 207 people dispensed spectacles, quality of life was significantly higher at three-months, and this was maintained at 12-months. Cost was a major barrier to accessing eye care, while patient-provider communication was an important facilitator.
Conclusion
Ethnic disparity in access to eye care is evident in New Zealand. This research uncovered considerable unmet need for refractive error correction in an underserved community, largely due to prohibitive cost of seeking care, while correcting this refractive error significantly improved quality of life. Equity-focused strategies are required to achieve universal health coverage for eye health, including financial protection for those unable to access eye care
From the collection: An unexpected 60th birthday surprise: MOTAT’s quilt collections
No full textIn October 2024, the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) celebrated its 60th anniversary, offering a unique opportunity to explore its collections and delve into its rich history. This article provides a summary of the museum’s historical background before examining an underexplored and intriguing collection within the institution.
MOTAT houses a collection of 31 traditional European and American-style bed quilts. The MOTAT quilt collection dates from the 1860s to the 1960s, though many have unknown makers and dates
Examining the multifaceted influences of school climate, teacher enthusiasm, and metacognition on work engagement in the EFL context: a mixed-methods approach with digital ethnography
No full textThis mixed-methods study investigates the multifaceted relationships between school climate, teacher enthusiasm, metacognition and teacher work engagement in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Employing a sequential explanatory design, the study first utilized a cross-sectional survey of 474 EFL teachers to examine the direct and indirect associations between these factors through structural equation modeling (SEM). Subsequently, a digital ethnography phase was conducted to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of EFL teachers within online professional communities, providing deeper insights into the quantitative findings. The results revealed significant direct associations of school climate, teacher enthusiasm, and teacher metacognition with work engagement. Additionally, school climate demonstrated an indirect association with work engagement through teacher enthusiasm, and both school climate and teaching enthusiasm showed indirect associations with work engagement through teacher metacognition. The qualitative data further illuminated the complexities of teacher enthusiasm, the importance of collegial connection, the challenges of metacognitive practice, and the supportive role of online communities. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive approaches to foster positive school climates, nurture teacher enthusiasm, and promote metacognitive practices to be associated with enhanced teacher work engagement in EFL contexts
Assessing the political purpose doctrine and the perennial problem of charities and politics
No full textJane Calderwood Norton and Matthew Harding offer an assessment of the “political purpose doctrine,” which excludes organizations whose main purpose is political from charitable status, and examine how jurisdictions across the common law world have responded to it, based on their recent article in Legal Studies, “Charities and Politics: Where Did We Go Wrong?
Chasse-Step and One-Step Footwork Reported Different Biomechanical Profiles in Elite Table Tennis Athletes.
No full textTable tennis athletes are required to execute appropriate footwork moving to the best position to hit the ball, while the chasse-step and one-step are typically employed in table tennis. This study aims to examine the difference in joint angles, joint moments, joint contact forces, and activation of lower limb muscles during the stance of chasse-step and one-step. Eighteen male table tennis athletes volunteered to perform topspin forehand with chasse-step and one-step. An eight-camera motion capture system and instrumented force plate were used to record makers' trajectories and ground reaction force, which was then used to calculate the kinematics and kinetics with Inverse Kinematics and Inverse Dynamics in OpenSim. Surface electromyography signals were measured to validate the musculoskeletal OpenSim modeling. Hip flexion angle and moment increased in the backward swing phase during the stance of one-step. Knee extension of the chasse-step increased more during the forward swing phase. Hip contact force increased in the anterior-posterior direction of one-step and the chasse-step in the medial-lateral direction. Key findings suggest that the chasse-step may increase the quality of footwork performance and prepare the next step but shows higher injury risk in knee joints. While the one-step may have faster performance for scoring and high injury risk in hip joint. The information may provide implications for athletes and coaches to improve athletic performance and develop specific footwork training schemes to prevent potential injuries