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The integration of Te Ao Māori in marketing: Perspectives from Māori marketing practitioners
No full textCombining culture and business in a way that is inherently Māori not only creates opportunities for Māori to give back to their communities; it is also good for business itself (Ka'ai, Smith, Haar, & Ravenswood, 2019; UniServices, 2022). Marketers are increasingly using Māori cultural elements in their practices; consider Whittaker’s special edition Miraka Kirīmi (creamy milk) chocolate to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) (Whittaker’s, 2023). Consequently, it is of interest to explore: What are Māori marketing practitioners’ perspectives and experiences of using Māori cultural elements in their practice? Exploratory interviews with six Māori marketing practitioners were conducted kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (in person) or virtually. The research employed kaupapa Māori (Māori ideology) principles and a wānanga approach adapted from Mahuika & Mahuika (2020) through interactive kōrerorero (conversations). This included karakia (prayers), pepeha (Māori introductions), whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building), and kai (food) (kanohi-ki-te-kanohi only). Interviews were transcribed and analysed for common themes. When defining Māori cultural elements, most participants used Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview) as their guiding framework. “For me, it's everything…It’s stepping back and viewing Te Ao Māori as a whole”. All participants embraced Te Ao Māori in their own practice and employed a consultation process, often with kaumātua (respected elders). The importance of relationships and whakapapa (genealogy) was emphasised. In terms of use by non-Māori, many participants were broadly comfortable with it, if those using it were also considerate of Te Ao Māori and tikanga.“I will always support and embrace anyone that using multicultural elements if they also have been through that [Te Ao Māori and tikanga] journey themselves”. Personal cultural journeys affected the level to which participants were comfortable with the integration of Māori cultural elements in their practice. All participants seeking further education opted for Te Reo Māori (Māori language) and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), as opposed to marketing. The widespread use of Māori culture, when done well, benefits Māori communities (Roskruge, Morrison, & Maxwell, 2017). In recent years, more non-Māori organisations, like Whittaker’s, have sought to incorporate Māori cultural elements into their branding and external communications. The key to protecting this cultural taonga (treasure) is recognising efforts that support Māori, while calling out misuse. This research adds to the literature by contributing Māori marketing practitioners' perspectives on the use of Māori culture in practice, and supports rangatiratanga (sovereignty) by encouraging commercial efforts to revitalise, and preserve, Māori culture
Investigating biomarkers, biochemical changes and metabolomic features associated with high ph lamb meat
No full textThe quality of red meat is impacted by several livestock factors, including age, sex, feed type, nutrition, and exposure stressors. The primary predictive measure for meat processors is the pH at 24 hours post-mortem (ultimate pH). When the pH is high, the meat has not undergone the proper muscle-to-meat conversion and associated with undesirable meat quality traits. Lincoln University has developed a reproducible in vivo sheep model where moderate pre-slaughter farmyard stress, exercise in the presence of dogs, is associated with high meat pH This model has been used to investigate potential meat quality biomarkers (Lee et al., 2023).
Li et al. (2018) identified four glycolytic enzymes which have shown potential as biomarkers for lamb meat with high pH. We investigated these enzymes using the exercise stress sheep model. Changes in the amount of these enzymes were measured in four different muscles, Longissimus lumborum (LL), Gracilis (G), Semimembranosus (SM), Supraspinatus (SS), using western blotting. Glyceraldehyde 3-phopshate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as the reference protein and the blots analysed using Bio-Rad software (Image Lab 6.1®). Statistical differences were determined using 2-sample t-tests (Mintab21®).
Pyruvate kinase (PKM2) was significantly lower in meat from animals subjected to exercise stress compared to control animals in the LL, SM, and SS muscle types but the differences were not significant in G. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) was significantly greater following exercise stress in the SM muscle, while there were no differences under exercise in the other muscle types (LL, G, SS) The remaining enzymes, Phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1), and Beta enolase (ENO3), are currently under investigation.
Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) is a form of ambient ionisation mass spectrometry, resulting in a detailed mass spectral fingerprint of a sample aerosol, largely based on metabolites and lipids. REIMS been recently applied to many areas of meat science, including meat quality and origin. REIMS data from two trials using the exercise stress model is currently under investigation, with the aim to provide a machine learning model (using TensorFlow) which will offer a rapid assessment tool predicting meat quality for the meat industry.
Current results suggest that there are alternative biomarkers to meat pH for predicting meat quality, although these may need to be tailored for individual muscles. Further work in this area will aid in efforts to improve speed and frequency of meat quality monitoring withing meat processing plants
Effect of ultrasonic-pretreatment on soaking kinetics, nutritional, anti-nutritional, and functional properties of guar seeds
No full textThe study aimed to understand how varying the amplitude (25, 50, and 75%) and duration (15, and 30 min) of ultrasonic (US) pretreatment affected the soaking kinetics, nutritional, anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), in-vitro protein digestibility, and functional properties of guar seeds (GS). The GS required ∼1080 min to hydrate and absorbed ∼4.66 times higher moisture content. The US pretreatment reduced ∼55.55% of soaking duration compared to control. Soluble protein and fat content was significantly (p < 0.05) varied with US-treatment conditions. The water absorption capacity and foaming capacity of GSF samples gradually improved. Expect 75% amplitude, bioactive compounds in GSF begin to rise with longer duration and amplitude than control. Noticeable reduction of ANFs was observed in US-pretreated soaked GSF samples. As observed from FTIR and XRD analysis, US pretreatment might have reorganized structure orientation. Meanwhile, in-vitro protein digestibility gradually increased with US amplitude and duration. From multivariant analysis, 75% amplitude-15 min of US pretreatment may be a better option for shorter soaking time, and lesser ANFs. Therefore, US pretreatment could be helpful in increasing the protein extraction yield of GS. Furthermore, US-pretreated soaked GS might be useful to formulate bakery items
Promoting mental health through campus landscape design: Insights from New Zealand universities
No full textMental health challenges among university students and staff are a pressing concern globally and in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Despite adopting frameworks like the Okanagan Charter to promote health and well-being, there is a lack of empirical research on how campus landscapes contribute to mental health promotion. This study investigates the role of campus landscapes in supporting relaxation and internal recovery through everyday activities. We conducted a comparative multi-case study involving 66 participants from the University of Auckland, Lincoln University, and the University of Otago, exploring how they use and prefer campus landscapes for relaxation. Our findings show that 'enjoying nature' is the most preferred relaxation activity, with participants engaging both actively and passively with various spaces such as gardens, open lawns, and forested areas. Additionally, in campus settings, the proximity of relaxation spaces turned out to be more important than design quality because of the limited time during working hours, which points to the importance of thoughtful campus planning. The study also found that university staff are often overlooked in discussions about healthy universities, despite their significant role in the campus setting. Overall, this study highlights the importance of biophilic design principles in creating health-promoting campus environments and offers insights for integrating natural elements into campus planning to enhance mental health and well-being
The effects of soil acidity and aluminium on the root systems and shoot growth of Lotus pedunculatus and Lupinus polyphyllus
No full textLotus pedunculatus (lotus) and Lupinus polyphyllus (Russell lupin) persist in the upland grasslands of New Zealand, where soil acidity and associated aluminium (Al) toxicity impede conventional pasture legumes. This experiment investigated the response of lotus and Russell lupin to soil acidity and Al. The species were sown in 20 cm tall 1.2 L pots of acidic upland soil. A mass of 4.5 or 6.7 g lime (CaCO₃)/L was added to either the top or bottom or both soil horizons (0–9 cm and 9–18 cm), resulting in six treatments across six randomised blocks in a glasshouse. The soil pH was 4.4, 4.9, and 5.4; the exchangeable Al concentrations were 24, 2.5, and 1.5 mg/kg for 0, 4.5, and 6.7 g lime/L. At 16 weeks post-sowing, the plants were divided into shoots and roots at 0–9 cm and 9–18 cm. Root morphology, shoot and root dry matter (DM), shoot nitrogen (N), and nodulation were measured. The total plant DM and shoot-to-root DM ratio were higher, and the shoot %N was lower for the lotus plants than the Russell lupin plants for the various lime rates (13.2 vs. 2.9 g plant‾¹, 5.6 vs. 1.6, and 2.4 vs. 3.3%, p 0.05). Root morphology adjustments in response to acidity between soil horizons were not observed. The results indicated that lotus and Russell lupin are tolerant to high soil acidity (pH 4.4–5.4) and exchangeable Al (1.5–24 mg kg‾¹), highlighting their considerable adaptation to grasslands with acidic soils
Regenerative management effects on pasture production: Initial data from a dryland farmlet experiment
No full textData comparing pasture production in sheep farmlets subject to regenerative or conventional management and high or low soil fertility were collected in the first 1.5 years of a dryland experiment at Lincoln University. The data were retrieved from eight replicates of a 20-replicate design. In those replicates, the regenerative management combined diverse pastures and rotational grazing at high stock densities and frequent shifts. The conventional management combined lucerne pastures rotationally grazed at lower densities and frequencies. The high and low fertility treatments received 64 and 4 kg/ha P fertiliser respectively before sowing in December 2021. For July 2022–June 2023, regenerative management resulted in greater average pasture mass (2.6 versus 1.7 t DM/ha) of different botanical composition (5% prairie grass, 19% tall fescue and meadow fescue, 21% lucerne, 7% chicory, 7% plantain, a total of 10% cocksfoot, timothy, phalaris, white, red and sub clovers, 4% weed and 27% dead versus 70% lucerne, 11% weed and 19% dead) but lower annual pasture yield (8.7 versus 11.5 t DM/ha). Reducing P neither decreased pasture and legume yields nor increased weed. The two managements did not differ in their ability to produce pasture with less P. These initial results provide quantified evidence for farmers making decisions about regenerative agriculture
A retrospective analysis of climate impacts on Pinot noir wine quality – A New Zealand case study : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Wine and Viticulture
No full textThe quality of Pinot noir is intricately linked to climatic conditions experienced in season, and in particular the influence of temperature within phenological stages. Many studies have modelled the impact of climatic parameters, including temperature, on wine quality with wine score often used as proxy. However, these approaches are limited to regional spatial resolution, with a single climate dataset applied to all vineyards.
The aim of this research was to model the relationship between temperature-base climatic indicators to phenological stages and phases, creating a set of ecoclimatic indicators,and assessing Pinot noir quality at the single-vineyard scale against these indices. Utilising modelled temperature-related climate parameters, derived through thin-plate spline interpolation, for individually mapped vineyards in New Zealand, a climate record was constructed for Pinot noir vineyards for the vintages 2015 to 2022. This climate record was used to simulate phenological timing of flowering, veraison, and time to target sugar concentration as a proxy of ‘ripening’(defined as 210g/L), then to determine the influence of frosts, incidence of hot days and stress days (maximum temperature >25oC and >30oC respectively), and diurnal temperature range on Pinot noir quality using scores (100point scale) using individual linear, then multiple linear regression models.
Both an increasing incidence of hot days and increasing diurnal temperature ranges were positively and significantly related to Pinot noir quality between both flowering and veraison and veraison to ripening. Conversely, the relationship between frosts and Pinot noir quality was convoluted by covariance with a regional effect leading to an inability to determine its influence on wine quality. This research has provided a novel platform for assessing at a very high spatial resolution the impacts of ecoclimatic indicators on the quality of Pinot noir. Potential applications of this research include modelling how future climate scenarios may impact wine quality, simulating potential impacts and phenological timing under climate change scenarios, and applications in training neural network models to predict potential quality based on weather data inputs
Exercise with weight vest plus chicken protein supplementation delayed muscle and bone loss in older female adults
No full text[Purpose] This study examined the effects of moderate-to-heavy exercise training combined with weighted vest and chicken protein supplementation in older adult females.
[Methods] Fifty-two female participants, 60–79 years old, were randomly divided into three groups: control (non-exercise) (CON), exercise with weighted vest (WV), and exercise with weighted vest and protein supplementation (3 g of protein daily; WVP).All participants performed brisk walking and strengthening exercises for 50 min/day, three times/week, for 8 weeks. Muscle mass, bone mineral content, T-score, and physical performance were measured.
[Results}The WVP group demonstrated a substantial increase in thoracic spine bone mineral content (8.4 ± 7.7 g, p = 0.001), and total body lean mass (0.2 ± 1.0 kg) compared with that in the other two groups. The CON and WV groups showed a decrease in thoracic spine bone mineral content (CON= -1.8 ± 1.8, WV= -3.9 ± 0.1 g) and total body lean mass (CON= -0.7 ± 0.9, WV= -0.8 ± 0.9 kg) compared with those in the WVP group. The WVP and WV groups had increased T-score (WVP= 0.01 ± 0.16, WV= 0.02 ± 0.18) when compared with that of the CON group (-0.19 ± 0.12). Both the WV and WVP groups displayed improved physical performance compared with that of the CON group.
[Conclusion] Combined exercise with either a weighted vest or protein supplementation proved to be effective in protecting against trunk bone and muscle mass loss, and improving physical fitness in older female adults
The governance of indigenous supply chains in the modern Western world
No full textThere is continuing interest in how organisations develop supply chain governance to deliver value (Shamsollahi, et al., 2021). Some authors have focused on governance in terms of supply chain structure and management approaches (Brito et al., 2017). Others have explored the question of how to balance contractual and relational approaches (Bai et al., 2016). Yet, others have considered the merits of different theoretical lenses, including transaction costs economics, resource dependence theory, network theory and principle agent theory, to comprehend dyadic and network governance (Halldörsson et al, 2015). However, for indigenous people many of the governance insights provided are based on a modernist perspective where nature does not have agency and is viewed as passive. Recently, the role and importance of the planet and nature in governance has begun to evolve in the supply chain literature (Mirzabiki and Aitken, 2023). In contrast, the core of the Māori governance is the interconnectedness of all living things highlighting that “the relationships humans have with the nonhuman entities are reciprocal and contextual rather than unidirectional and contextual” (Reid and Rout, 2016: 429). The purpose of this research is to understand how governance based Māori nature interconnectedness is structured and operates. Through comprehending how supply chains can be governed through harmonious connections to the plane, the paper contributes to the governance and sustainability literature
Stacking mitigations to reduce N losses at farmlet scale: Year one results of farm performance in a dairy systems comparison in Canterbury
No full textTo meet regulatory targets for nitrogen (N) losses, farmers may need to adopt multiple mitigations. Here, we describe the first lactation season (2023-24) of a multi-year farmlet trial that evaluates the effects of ‘stacked’ complementary mitigations on milk production, N leaching, and profitability in a Canterbury farm system. The farmlet trial involved two non-replicated ~12 ha milking platforms and consisted of a 'Control' farmlet following current best practice, and a 'Stacked' farmlet incorporating a multi-species pasture, reduced N fertiliser, and lower stocking rate. Farm physical results were modelled in FARMAX Dairy and OverseerFM to evaluate financial and environmental performance. Milksolids per cow were similar, but production per hectare was 7% lower for the Stacked farmlet relative to the Control farmlet. The Stacked farmlet produced 5% less total pasture (t DM/ha) and differed in seasonal growth. Predicted N leaching (kg/ha) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (kg CO₂e/ha) were 39% and 12% lower, respectively, for the Stacked farmlet, but it also had 8% less profit per hectare due to lower milk revenue and higher costs for pasture conservation and regrassing. Opportunities to improve profitability while maintaining environmental benefits for the Stacked farmlet are discussed