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Brews and blooms: Development of a novel seaweed biostimulant supporting sustainable primary industry practices
No full textWith a growing global population and increasing needs for environmentally friendly food production, novel technologies and products are required to increase food production sustainably. In this regard, seaweed biostimulants are an innovative tool to improve crop growth and yield. However, seaweed biomass is typically obtained through wild harvest or collection of beach cast, with challenges around the consistency of quality and reliability of supply. Furthermore, common manufacturing methods can have issues with high chemical input, loss of potentially important compounds, and cost. Therefore, this thesis aims to develop a seaweed biostimulant utilising the cultivated seaweed Ulva stenophylloides and a novel low-input fermentation method. This research covers optimisation of fermentation parameters and detailed compositional characterisation of the resulting products (Chapter 2), and the quantification of the effect of selected ferments on growth and yield in plants in hydroponics systems (Chapter 3) and in potted soil (Chapter 4).
The fermentation parameters: biomass loading, sucrose input, and incubation temperature were optimised. The initial sucrose input had the largest impact on fermentation progression and success, and was the main driver in resulting glucose content, total dissolved solids, pH, and pellicle yield. Excluding treatments with low biomass loadings, treatments with low and medium sucrose inputs reached completion and treatments with high sucrose inputs did not. As indicated by residual glucose, high biomass loadings provided valuable nutrients for microbial growth and high incubation temperatures were optimal for microbial growth. A range of nutrients were extracted from the seaweed biomass, but concentrations were insufficient as a sole nutrient source for plants based on chemical analyses. High biomass loadings were the main driver in the yield of protein and the sulfated polysaccharide ulvan, which both may modulate gene expression and induce metabolic changes in plants. High incubation temperature was the main driver for the yield of the auxin phenylacetic acid and indicates the production of other possible plant growth stimulating microbial biochemicals at high temperatures.
Of the four ferments selected for further testing by ferment progression and chemical composition, ferment four (high biomass loading, mid-range sucrose loading, and high incubation temperature) was the best performing biostimulant tested on mung bean seedlings in hydroponics; at a 1 % (v/v) dose, plant fresh and dry weight were increased by 15 and 16 %, respectively, and the most root growth was generated. An auxin-like effect was not detected at any biostimulant dose. At a 1 % dose, an interactive effect with fertiliser was demonstrated in tomato seedling root number. A 2 % dose of biostimulant had adverse impacts on root growth over multiple root growth assays. When applied to potted tomato plants, inconclusive results were obtained in growth and yield due to sub-optimal application volumes and growing conditions that require further method development and retesting.
Overall, this thesis advances knowledge in seaweed biostimulant manufacturing utilising U. stenophylloides with a fermentation production method. These results warrant further investigation into refinement of plant assays and growing conditions, the composition of the ferments through metabolomics and microbial identification, and the biostimulant effects on soil
Exploring the possibility of an intergenerational right to return to earth
No full textIf human civilisation realises its grand ambitions to establish extraterrestrial human settlements on Mars in the not-so-distant future, how will human rights apply and be enforced? Rather than States, it is thought that space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and the Sierra Nevada Corporation will be the first to establish extraterrestrial settlements. Rapid technological developments over the last decade mean that these ambitions are no longer science fiction. This article considers the scope of the right to freedom of movement in outer space, especially the right to return to Earth. Due to the perilous nature of the journey from Earth to Mars and the harsh environment in which the first settlements will be established, this article considers whether there are any legitimate and, indeed, permissible circumstances where the right to return to Earth will be restricted. The final part of this article will explore the possibility that future descendants of the first wave of settlers to Mars will have an intergenerational right to return to Earth despite having been born on the Red Planet
Alum dosing effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates: Utuhina Stream 2021-2023
No full textTo reduce external phosphorus loading to Lake Rotorua, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has been granted resource consent to dose the Utuhina Stream with alum (aluminium sulphate). Aluminium binds phosphorus, preventing its uptake by phytoplankton and thereby inhibiting growth. Aluminium forms monomeric species outside of circum-neutral pH (pH 6-8), and these species can disrupt osmoregulation and respiration of aquatic organisms. The alum dose rate to the Utuhina Stream is dependent on discharge, with a maximum application rate of 1 ppm aluminium. This report presents the results of an on-going assessment of the fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the Utuhina Stream for 2021–2023
Positive effects of blue light on motor coordination in older adults: A pilot study
No full textPurpose: Falls are a risk factor for mortality in older adults. Lighting interventions can improve cognitive and motor task performance, but the effect on postural control with relevance to falling is unknown. Methods: Sixteen older adults participated in an intervention study with blue-enriched light delivered visually and/or transcranially for 12 min. Postural control in three conditions (60s eyes-open, dual-task, and eyes-closed), lower-limb motor coordination, and cognitive function were assessed. Results: Relative to placebo, visual blue-enriched light improved reaction time in the motor coordination task by 0.073 ± 0.035s (d = 0.77 ± 0.39; p = 0.003). Visual exposure decreased Area of Sway relative to the combined (d = 0.38 ± 0.26; p = 0.020) and placebo interventions (d = 0.47 ± 0.42; p = 0.067), with no significant effect on cognition. Conclusion: Blue-enriched lighting demonstrates a novel approach to positively impact postural control and motor coordination in older adults. By impacting metrics associated with fall risk, light interventions may provide a clinical countermeasure to decrease the human costs of falls
Obesity Management in Rural New Zealand General Practice from Healthcare Professional and Client Perspectives
Get PDFObesity is a health issue which currently affects over 34% of New Zealand (NZ) adults. Obesity, if left unchecked, leads to further physical and psychosocial health complications and an overall poor quality of life. People living in rural communities, high deprivation areas, as well as Indigenous Māori and Pacific Island populations in NZ, experience significant obesity health inequities and have a high-risk of developing obesity. General practice clinicians are positioned to be ‘best suited’ to deliver effective obesity healthcare in their practice, however, despite weight management intervention options being available through general practice, the obesity rates have continued to rise in the last 30 years. This suggests that there are potentially barriers to achieving a healthy weight in this context.
The aim of this research thesis is to understand the experiences with, and barriers to, effective obesity management in general practice from clinician and client perspectives to identify areas of improvement in the future.
This research thesis examines obesity healthcare in NZ general practice using a sequential explanatory mixed method research design in three parts. Firstly, a literature review study was conducted as a baseline point to identify the efficacy of any weight management interventions that are available in general practice. Secondly, a quantitative exploratory survey was conducted with Waikato region general practitioners (GP’s). Lastly, interviews with rural clinicians (GPs, nurses, and Indigenous Māori health professionals) and clients (patients engaging with rural general practice) were then conducted to understand the more in-depth perspectives of any barriers experienced with delivering, or engaging with, obesity management in general practice.
The experiences of both clinicians and clients were found to be complex and nuanced, with each participant having a unique experience with obesity management. Concepts such as effective yet inaccessible weight management interventions, interventions not suitable for sociocultural health needs, conflicting nutritional guidelines, lack of rural general practice systemic support, the unique and time consuming nature of obesity ‘treatment’, complications with the role of a clinician in obesity management, stigma or power imbalances in the general practice context, social determinants of health, the obesogenic environment, privatised weight management programmes and the individualised nature of sociocultural norms were found to be significant to effective obesity management.
This research thesis identified that the positioning of general practitioners as ‘best suited’ for delivering effective obesity healthcare in their practice was questionable. Potentially, the clinician role is better suited as a supportive one to an obesity health specialist who can meet the more holistic needs of a client when it comes to weight management. The current health model generates difficulties for clinicians to deliver comprehensive healthcare for such a complex and individualised health issue. Future research should look to develop weight management options that are suitable for rural and indigenous health needs to improve quality of life for clients and reduce health inequities. In addition, wider critical reflection on the current obesity healthcare model and the feasibility of a more specialist service outside general practice is warranted
A genus in the bacterial phylum Aquificota appears to be endemic to Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Get PDFAllopatric speciation has been difficult to examine among microorganisms, with prior reports of endemism restricted to sub-genus level taxa. Previous microbial community analysis via 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 925 geothermal springs from the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ), Aotearoa-New Zealand, revealed widespread distribution and abundance of a single bacterial genus across 686 of these ecosystems (pH 1.2-9.6 and 17.4-99.8 °C). Here, we present evidence to suggest that this genus, Venenivibrio (phylum Aquificota), is endemic to Aotearoa-New Zealand. A specific environmental niche that increases habitat isolation was identified, with maximal read abundance of Venenivibrio occurring at pH 4-6, 50-70 °C, and low oxidation-reduction potentials. This was further highlighted by genomic and culture-based analyses of the only characterised species for the genus, Venenivibrio stagnispumantis CP.B2T, which confirmed a chemolithoautotrophic metabolism dependent on hydrogen oxidation. While similarity between Venenivibrio populations illustrated that dispersal is not limited across the TVZ, extensive amplicon, metagenomic, and phylogenomic analyses of global microbial communities from DNA sequence databases indicates Venenivibrio is geographically restricted to the Aotearoa-New Zealand archipelago. We conclude that geographic isolation, complemented by physicochemical constraints, has resulted in the establishment of an endemic bacterial genus
Empowering Energy Innovation in the Communities of Aotearoa
Get PDFSince the electricity grid began connecting more and more areas of Aotearoa New Zealand, we have been relying on technology that was fit for purpose for a 1980s future. In the last ten years, the New Zealand power system has seen an increase in non-dispatchable generation and an accelerated rate of electrification, creating supply and demand volatility. Aotearoa New Zealand uses more electricity in homes, cars, factories, and devices than ever, yet the generation currently installed around the country is not increasing at the rate of usage or predicted usage. As a result, the national grid operator, Transpower, runs closer to constraint limits on cold evenings every year, has recently been fined over handling a low-generation event in 2021, and subsequently has been issuing more Customer Advisory Notices (CAN) than ever before.
Through a combination of technology-driven development and energy infrastructure, the energy sector has the potential to find new ways to access more electricity through the use of existing generation, or through infrastructure predicted to exist, in more innovative and efficient ways. While companies are working on specific solutions, many of these are required to have an economic benefit for the company by bringing in revenue, as opposed to providing relief to the communities these companies operate in and have been supported. Technology-driven change should support these communities.
This research focuses on how technology driving change in the energy space can be used more effectively to provide security of supply to communities that have yet to be considered when energy policy was written.
The first phase of this research analysed small-scale and medium-heat processes in a beverage factory with solar panels to understand and show how solar generation can be used to offset a factory’s electricity load from the grid. Case Study One analysed how this approach could reduce demand and reliance on the grid by allowing electricity to go where it is required on cold evenings. A monitoring system was custom created for Chia Sisters as a way to provide a deeper understanding of their electricity and solar usage. The system has been available as an open-source project on GitHub for use by other companies in a similar position to Chia Sisters.
The second phase of this research simulated the electricity storage potential in electric buses by applying Vehicle to Grid technology advancements to school buses in the Wellington region through Case Study Two. This simulation took advantage of stationary school buses, which sit idle during school hours and evenings. Nationally, school buses are changing and are required to become electric in the next decade, with electric school buses expected to be a part of the transport system by 2035.
By combining these two community-centred approaches to improving ex- isting infrastructure, smaller communities have potential to gain generation opportunities through a deployable system that would monitor microgrids and monitoring systems. The theorised Community Energy Management System (CEMS) looks at all the inputs (generation and electric vehicles), usage times, and electricity usage trends in remote, rural, or isolated communities to allow electricity to be used more effectively in our communities. These communities often need to be at the forefront of legislation planning. Such a system shows how supply and demand has the potential to change in communities across New Zealand over time by using a community management system. Approaches such as the CEMS theorised have been seen in emergency climate response situations already in New Zealand, so by applying these more resilient microgrid systems with generation stemming from factory roof solar, storage from school buses, and being used in communities, this overall process could become a crucial part of our energy future
Lessons learned from the MV Rena: Reimagining maritime and resource management law
Get PDFThe main research question in this thesis is what lessons can Aotearoa New Zealand learn from the MV Rena grounding accident? This research is an historical account of the legal framework existing at the time of the MV Rena grounding. In addition, the thesis will outline the surrounding marine environment to examine the relevant regulatory system.
In the early morning of 5th October 2011, the MV Rena vessel struck Ōtāiti (Astrolabe Reef). Initially, the accident concerned a response to the safety of the crew on board the MV Rena. However, the seriousness of the damage to the hull with part of Ōtāiti reef protruding through the keel, presented issues concerning the recovery strategy for the vessel and cargo from the coastal marine area. The MV Rena grounding released oil, cargo, and equipment into the surrounding marine environment of Ōtāiti. The oil, cargo and equipment travelled by the ocean currents, spreading across large areas of the ocean. This caused environmental effects across the coastal marine area in the Bay of Plenty region. The grounding was the “worst maritime environmental disaster” Aotearoa New Zealand had ever seen.
The government of the day and the MV Rena owner are committed to international obligations for preparing and responding to maritime disasters and marine pollution. However, the government of Aotearoa New Zealand was not a party to international obligations addressing groundings relative to bunker oil. In addition, when responding to environmental effects from the grounding the legal processes regulating the maritime and resource management system, caused distress to the local community in the Bay of Plenty region. Specifically, the people of Motiti Island (“Motiti”), relative to preserving and protecting their cultural and spiritual relationship with Ōtāiti and Motiti.
An analysis of maritime and resource management law at the international level and domestic level is explored in this thesis. Such as, marine pollution, and indigenous peoples’ rights (iwi Māori) in connection with the Maritime Transport Act 1994, the Resource Management Act 1991, the Waitangi Tribunal process and related planning and policy instruments. The research concludes that, had the government of the day ratified relevant conventions prior to the MV Rena grounding incident, the outcome of the location of the ship may have been a completely different result, such as a full wreck removal, without opposition. Additionally, the research concludes that the gap in the laws regulating marine environments did not equip iwi Māori with protecting their interests, resulting in a spiritual injustice to the people of Motiti. This research reveals that maritime and resource management law still has a long way to go with supporting the indigenous people’s voice in Aotearoa New Zealand for sustainable marine solutions. This thesis conclude with recommendations directed at better maritime and resource management regulations and indigenous peoples’ involvement
Network of mindfulness and difficulties in regulating emotions in firefighters
No full textObjectives: Growing evidence supports the role of mindfulness in regulating emotions in the general population. However, the interactive network of mindfulness facets and difficulties in regulating emotions is not well understood, which is specifically important for individuals involved in high-risk professions, such as first responders. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactive relations between mindfulness facets (acting with awareness, non-judging, describing, observing, and non-reacting), ability to regulate emotions and alcohol use in a sample of firefighters, including military veterans. Method: A sample of 685 career firefighters, of whom 154 (22.5%) are military veterans, completed measures of mindfulness and difficulties in regulating emotions. The dataset was subjected to network analysis. Results: The mindfulness facet non-judging was negatively related to emotion-regulation challenges, such as nonaccepting attitudes and lack of clarity, and positively related to deficits in goal-directed behaviour. Acting with awareness was negatively related to goal-directed behaviour deficits and impulsivity. Alcohol use was positively linked to impulsivity and negatively linked to describing. Overall, emotion-regulation difficulties were positively linked together, and positive links were found between most mindfulness facets. Directed network analysis found non-judging and emotion-regulation strategy as primary predictors. Non-judging acted as a protective factor, supporting other mindfulness facets, while emotion-regulation strategy exacerbated emotion-regulation challenges acted as a risk factor. Conclusions: This network analysis demonstrated that acting with awareness and a non-judgmental attitude, facets of mindfulness, are linked to better emotion-regulation and may play protective role against impulsivity and alcohol use
Architects of our own experience: The structure of human freedom
No full textThe picture of a deterministic universe is difficult to reconcile with the phenomenology of agency, deliberation, and choice. While everyday conceptions of individual freedom and responsibility depend on the pre-theoretical assumption that we have meaningful control over our decisions and volitional actions, if determinism is true, the outcome of any deliberative process is always the only outcome available; the inevitable result of a reasoning sequence that could not have proceeded any other way. However compelling our ordinary sense of agency and control is, determinism gives us reason to doubt that we have the kind of freedom that we intuitively take ourselves to have.
The debate over whether free will is compatible with determinism is a long-running one, traditionally motivated by, and entangled in further disputes about what kind of freedom or control is required for moral responsibility. In a promising and refreshing turn, recent work by philosopher of physics, Jennan Ismael, has significantly advanced the debate. Leaving aside questions about moral responsibility, Ismael’s naturalistic account shows that the freedom we ordinarily take ourselves to have is not threatened by deterministic physics; when determinism is understood on its own terms, stripped of imposed notions of compulsion and necessity, the purported tension between freedom and determinism is resolved. Furthermore, Ismael argues, biological systems with the capacity for representational thought have evolved unified, emergent ‘selves’, and the capacity for self-governance, behavioural flexibility and deliberative control.
Following Ismael’s methodology of naturalistic pragmatism, I aim to enrich her contextualised picture of human agency with a precise, unified account of the nature of agency itself, and to further develop this integrated account of freedom and the structures that underpin freedom. Building on Ismael’s account of the self-governing free agent, I aim to fill out some of the details of the cognitive structures that underpin our first-person experiences of choice and endogenous control of action, and discuss how those structures arise in the natural order. Using the predictive processing framework to explore the structures of agency, choice, and autonomy that underpin self-governance, I argue that our potential for freedom – freedom in its most fully developed manifestation – lies in our capacity for autonomy, which is realized when we act deliberately to modify our own cognitive processes and transform our own minds