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Technology and food
No full textIn contemporary times, food, farming and technology are increasingly interlinked. While historically, humans started using technologies when hunting and gathering, with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, a new logic was developed to food production and consumption. Through cases of mechanisation, chemical inputs, biotechnology, and digitisation, we show the ongoing cultivation of a capitalist and colonial logic of extracting resources for the presumed need to increase food production. This logic is deeply entangled with the development of agrifood technologies and machinery that, in turn, foster a productivist understanding of food production. However, this productivist logic is detrimental to the environment and health. We thus need to consider what kind and how much technology is needed for future food production that is just and sustainable
Migration intentions and influencing factors among clinical radiography students in 14 African countries: A quantitative survey
No full textIntroduction:
Understanding students' intentions regarding migration is crucial, as migration intentions are strongly correlated with future actions. This study aimed to evaluate the migration intentions of radiography students in Africa and assess the push and pull factors influencing their decisions.
Methods:
This quantitative study employed an online cross-sectional survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using Stata 13. For the students who confirmed their desire to migrate, an additional exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using principal component analysis (PCA).
Results:
A total of 614 students drawn from 14 African countries participated in the study, with a significant majority (93 %) expressing a desire to work in another country. The desire to fulfil self-aspirations was the most common push factor identified by students (Agree – 35.2 %, Strongly agree – 43.96 %; Overall - 79.16 %). In the exploratory factor analysis, five factors were identified, explaining 58.84 % of the variation in the data. These factors included social, Health System, economic, Political, and Professional factors. The opportunity to gain better clinical experience was the major pull factor identified, with 56.39 % of students strongly agreeing with this statement.
Conclusion:
The potential emigration of future skilled healthcare professionals poses major ramifications for Africa’s healthcare workforce. Understanding these migration intentions could allow policymakers to develop strategies that improve local opportunities, strengthen healthcare facilities, and foster an environment that retains talent and stimulates career development in the region.
Implication for practice:
Addressing the migration intentions of radiography students in Africa requires a proactive, multifaceted approach. By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, African healthcare systems can more effectively retain future radiography professionals and enhance the sustainability of the workforce
Does telomere length mediate the association between early life adversity and mental health in childhood?
No full textBackgroundEarly-life adversity (ELA) increases the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety. Telomere length, a marker of biological aging, tends to shorten in response to oxidative stress and inflammation, which may play a role in the relationship between ELA and mental health.MethodsGrowing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study data was used to explore ELA, including parental, household, and environmental variables to determine whether child telomere length mediates associations between prenatal and postnatal adversity and offspring mental health (n = 3117, 47.7 % female). ELA measures were collected during pregnancy and when children were nine-months and four years old. Seventeen possible adverse experiences were categorized as low (0-4), moderate (5-7), and high (8+). At age four years, telomere length was measured by qPCR with DNA extracted from saliva. At age eight, children self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms.ResultsELA was positively associated with depression and anxiety symptoms and telomere length. There was a direct effect of ELA on depression (β = 0.25, 95 % CI [0.14-0.37]), anxiety (β = 0.22, 95 % CI [0.07-0.37]), and telomere length (β = 0.03, 95 % CI [0.002-0.067]). There was no direct effect of telomere length on depression (β = 0.09, 95 % CI [-0.04-0.21]) or anxiety (β = 0.08, 95 % CI [-0.09-0.24]) and telomere length did not mediate the adversity-psychosocial relationships.ConclusionELA influences children's mental well-being and telomere length. Surprisingly, telomere length was longer following ELA, which may be a compensatory mechanism to regulate the effects of accelerated telomere attrition in response to adversity. Further research is needed to understand these complex and dynamic relationships across the life-course
A HOME THAT GROWS WITH YOU: Enabling owner-agency through incremental housing in Pakūranga
No full textWhat if urban regeneration began with the resident, not the developer?
This thesis proposes a new model for suburban transformation in Aotearoa, one that gives residents the tools to shape their own homes, neighbourhoods, and futures. It moves beyond fixed, developer driven housing toward an approach grounded in incremental growth, long term adaptability, and collective agency.
Set within the context of Pakūranga Town Centre, the project responds to the social fragmentation and commercial decline brought about by large scale infrastructure upgrades. Through the integration of incremental, modular housing typologies and a responsive master plan, it offers a framework that enables community led regeneration over time.
While not a return to the past, the project draws from the values often associated with the Kiwi quarter acre dream, autonomy, pride in place, and the ability to shape one’s environment. These ideals are reinterpreted within a denser urban context, where flexibility and participation replace uniformity and control. In doing so, the thesis positions housing as an open ended process that grows with its people
Copper‐Catalyzed Cascade Phosphorodithiolation/Cyclization of β‐Ketodinitriles: Organic Transformation of P4S10
No full textAn innovative approach to synthesizing pyrrole-functionalized phosphorodithioates via a copper-catalyzed cascade phosphorodithiolation/cyclization of β-ketodinitriles is disclosed. This method employs tetraphosphorus decasulfide (P4S10) as a phosphorus source, activated by alcohols under mild conditions. A wide range of β-ketodinitriles and alcohols are well-tolerated, affording the desired products with good to excellent yields, underscoring broad functional group compatibility. Notably, this process eschews the need for noble metal catalysts, aligning with green chemistry principles by enabling a direct and sustainable transformation from inorganic to organic phosphorus. Furthermore, the synthesized pyrrole-functionalized phosphorodithioates demonstrate potent antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus
The Antidiabetic Effects of Kawakawa: A Mechanistic Approach
No full textThesis embargoed until 10/2026
Ecological approaches informing marine conservation for seafloor ecosystem restoration
No full textConservation is no longer about preserving intact environments but restoring degraded ones, due to the far-reaching impacts of human influence. This is particularly true in coastal soft sediment ecosystems that have been transformed by fishing pressure, land use impacts and climate change. Marine Protected Area’s (MPA’s) are a useful tool for conservation as they change disturbance regimes, which can help to support recovery. However, one of the major challenges is determining where to protect to maximise restoration efforts. The heterogenous nature of coastal soft sediment ecosystems, coupled with a lack of historic baseline data and unimpacted comparative sites, has resulted in assessments of environmental degradation and recovery being omitted from conservation planning for these environments. This thesis explores how limited data can be collected and interpreted to support conservation in places with limited or no baseline data.
This thesis uses the subtidal soft sediment macrofaunal communities at Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Hauturu) in Aotearoa New Zealand as a case study to explore how different sources of ecological information can be used to inform conservation for restoration. After a general history of conservation and situating my research in the place (Chapter 1), I provide an overview of the growing need for ecological approaches in conservation, and the risks if they are not applied (Chapter 2). I then use biological traits analysis on benthic macrofauna data and general environmental characteristics, including coarse data on dredging effort and natural disturbance, to investigate the impact of disturbance and recovery potential (Chapter 3). Following this, I use measures of beta-diversity to explore the successional changes in communities following disturbance to reveal patterns of ecological connectivity and discuss the usefulness of this information in conservation (Chapter 4). Finally, I use an assessment of multiple functions related to carbon cycling in coastal soft sediment environments to demonstrate how marine protection can support the conservation of biodiversity and enhance blue carbon (Chapter 5).
Collectively the research shows that by adapting our existing ecological toolkit to generate place-based data that informs us of recovery potential, we can identify sites that should be prioritised for conservation to support the goals of ecological restoration
Uterine Rhythms: Imaging, Mapping, and Modelling the Uterus Across the Estrus Cycle
No full textThe uterus remains understudied in its normal function. Hormonal fluctuations, driven by the menstrual cycle (humans) or estrus cycle (non-menstruating mammals), significantly influence uterine activity. This thesis combines experimental data and mathematical modelling to describe changes in uterine anatomy and electrophysiology throughout the estrus cycle in rats.
High-resolution micro-computed tomography (CT) was used to capture rat uterine muscle anatomy at different cycle stages. Muscle thickness, normalised to animal weight, did not vary with cycle stage or along the length of the horn, with an average value of 1.13 ± 0.16 mm mg−1 . However, the radius of the horn was thickest in proestrus (4.78 ± 0.45 mm mg−1 ) and thinnest in diestrus (2.87 ± 0.13 mm mg−1 , p = 0.007). Fibre orientations were extracted from the CT data using structure tensors and showed similar anatomical patterns to those observed in previous studies. Anatomically realistic computational meshes were then created from this data.
Electrical activity was recorded in vivo using high-resolution electrode arrays. The frequency, duration, and propagation properties of spontaneous electrical events were determined. The time between events changed significantly with the cycle stage. The longest periods of inactivity were in metestrus (60.2 ± 1.5 s) and the shortest in diestrus (38.3 ± 2.1 s, p < 0.001). Multiple propagation patterns were identified, and significant differences in propagation velocities were recorded with rapid propagation in metestrus ii(0.95 ± 0.25 mm s−1 ) and slower velocities in diestrus (0.59 ± 0.08 mm s−1 , p = 0.021) and proestrus (0.58 ± 0.07 mm s−1 , p = 0.018).
A mathematical model of the non-pregnant rat uterine smooth muscle cell was developed from an existing pregnant model, including new progesterone and estrogen components. The model reproduced 10 s bursts of activity observed experimentally in all estrus stages. The cell model was then embedded in a continuum model of whole organ function. Idealised and CT-derived geometries were utilised, and mesh shape alone was shown to have a minor influence on simulated membrane potential (mean Van Rossum distance = 3.1 ± 0.9 mV) and propagation velocity (mean = 2.59 ± 0.02 cm s−1 ). Including fibre orientation reduced the propagation velocity to 1.52 ± 0.08 cm s−1 .
This work provides novel methods for anatomical assessment of the uterus, high-resolution mapping of uterine electrical activity, and mathematical modelling of the electrophysiology of the non-pregnant rat uterus
Understanding the Process of Fostering Digital Resilience in Response to Disasters: Crowd, Community and Organizational Perspectives
No full textIn response to the escalating severity and frequency of disasters, digital resilience has emerged as a pivotal topic in the field of Information Systems (IS). Digital resilience refers to the capacities of digital technologies to enable different entities to recover from disasters. As a collective endeavor, the process of how various actors interact to foster digital resilience during disasters is under-explored. This thesis aims to address this gap by elucidating the interaction patterns of diverse actors, who collaboratively foster digital resilience amidst an unfolding disaster.
The thesis first focuses on the perspective of the crowd, which comprises individuals or organized groups who spontaneously participate or are mobilized to engage in specific tasks. Given the lack of a clear conceptualization of the role of crowd actors in disasters, a conceptual study was conducted to review the literature at the intersection of IS and disaster management in order to understand the current state of research on crowdsourcing in disasters. This literature review laid the foundation for the subsequent empirical investigation encompassing two case studies. The first case study, set in China, explored community practices in 15 provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigated how crowd actors spanned multiple boundaries with other actors, including government and the general public, to foster digital resilience for communities. The second case study was conducted on organizational practices during Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit New Zealand in early 2023. This study illustrates the process by which organizational actors foster digital resilience that has both temporal and spatial aspects through a set of coordinative actions.
Overall, this thesis contributes to the theoretical discourse on digital resilience by 1) conceptualizing the role of crowd actors in disaster relief and digital resilience, 2) unpacking the process of fostering digital resilience through interactions among actors, and 3) examining the temporal and spatial aspects of digital resilience. It also offers practical insights for governments, crowd actors, and business organizations on ways to contribute effectively to digital resilience
Asians in Aotearoa: Visibilising and Dismantling Their Oppression in Psychology
No full textThis review critically discusses the oppression of Asian psychologies in Aotearoa, New Zealand, driven by the dominance of Eurocentric perspectives privileged within the discipline. First, we unpack the social positioning of Asians as a racialised group within Aotearoa and the related experiences we (as part of the Asian communities) navigate in life. Next, we posit several key assumptions that enable Asian psychologies to be denied, silenced, or assimilated by Eurocentric psychology paradigms. We conclude by offering ten recommendations on how psychologists and institutional psychological bodies can make efforts to incorporate more Asian psychologies within psychological research, education, and practice in Aotearoa