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Changes in global mean sea level are a clear indicator of a warming climate, but local factors including land subsidence or uplift, cause changes in relative sea level that drive shoreline shifts. These local changes and their impact on coastal hazards matter to coastal communities. NZ SeaRise produced relative sea level projections for Aotearoa to include the latest global climate and Antarctic Ice Sheet research and estimates of vertical land movement at high spatial resolution. Research-informed communication to the public and planners included a web-based projections tool supplemented by written and visual narratives, and a media engagement plan. This communication, and analysis of media impact, provided a case study for audience-relevant information on sea-level rise. Information regarding shoreline change and evolving hazards, required for risk assessment, was not included in the NZ SeaRise projections. New research is needed to reduce uncertainty in future Antarctic Ice Sheet contribution to sea level, link changes in sea surface height to our dynamic land surface and enhance communication approaches. Several examples of the required research are presented here but ongoing efforts must refine the timing and magnitude of coastline change, better define coastal hazards and risks, and develop appropriate adaptation strategies for unavoidable climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding is one of the most frequent and costliest natural hazards around the world. Traditionally, flood risk management has relied on building protective structures such as levees and dams to protect assets based on historical data (e.g., 1% AEP flood), which encourages development on floodplains, provides a potentially false sense of security to communities, particularly in the context of climate change, and increases residual flood risk (the risk remaining after implementing risk reduction measures). This article aims to contribute to the management of residual risk by drawing on empirical findings from a survey carried out with flood risk practitioners from the public and private sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Findings indicate fundamental concerns relating to how to best manage residual flood risk, despite its long profile and integration in current policy and practice. Other issues revolve around the use of outdated information to guide decisions and the lack of regulatory power to restrict developments in flood‐prone areas protected by hard defense structures. Identified barriers to improving current practice include the lack of national guidance and support, financial resources, public awareness, and some technical constraints such as uncertainties in flood modeling, staff expertise, and data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the concept of managed coastal retreat is now familiar to many, the future for rural coastal lowlands has received less attention. Planned processes of coastal realignment can create opportunities, including carbon sequestration, nature-based transformation of coastal interfaces, and evolution of increasingly unproductive farmland towards other beneficial activities. Our present planning system provides high-level policy support for these changes but is mired in detail and short on recognition that the coastal edge will advance inland. While the challenges are being addressed positively in some areas, including by, or in partnership with, iwi/hapū, there is a national lack of leadership in integrated management across the changing land-sea interface, land ownership remains problematic, and funding requirements remain unresolved. New legislation promises improved approaches and is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on stationarity, which assumes the probabilistic characteristics of hazard extremes and risk that can be extrapolated from observational records. Topics include examines that the growing inland reach of coastal processes, such as salinization, groundwater rise, and flood hazards affected by climate change and sea-level rise.

The inverse relation between serotonin and human aggression is often portrayed as "reliable," "strong," and "well established" despite decades of conflicting reports and widely recognized methodological limitations. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluate the evidence for and against the serotonin deficiency hypothesis of human aggression across 4 methods of assessing serotonin: (a) cerebrospinal fluid levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (CSF 5-HIAA), (b) acute tryptophan depletion, (c) pharmacological challenge, and (d) endocrine challenge. Results across 175 independent samples and over 6,500 total participants were heterogeneous, but, in aggregate, revealed a small, inverse correlation between serotonin functioning and aggression, anger, and hostility (r = −.12). Pharmacological challenge studies had the largest mean weighted effect size (r = −.21), and CSF 5-HIAA studies had the smallest (r = −.06). Potential methodological and demographic moderators largely failed to account for variability in study outcomes. Notable exceptions included year of publication (effect sizes tended to diminish with time) and self- versus other-reported aggression (other-reported aggression was positively correlated to serotonin functioning). We discuss 4 possible explanations for the pattern of findings: unreliable measures, ambient correlational noise, an unidentified higher order interaction, and a selective serotonergic effect. Finally, we provide 4 recommendations for bringing much needed clarity to this important area of research: acknowledge contradictory findings and avoid selective reporting practices; focus on improving the reliability and validity of serotonin and aggression measures; test for interactions involving personality and/or environmental moderators; and revise the serotonin deficiency hypothesis to account for serotonin's functional complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effects of administering selective 5-HT antagonists and agonists to rats tested in the elevated zero-maze (EZM) model of anxiety. The EZM paradigm has advantages over the elevated plus-maze (EPM) paradigm with respect to measuring anxiety, yet has been utilized less frequently. Three experiments were conducted each with a diazepam control (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg). In the first experiment, we administered the 5-HT2C antagonist RS 102221 (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT2C agonist MK-212 (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg); in the second experiment, we administered the 5-HT3 antagonist Y-25130 (0.1, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT3 agonist SR 57227A (0.1, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg), and in the third experiment, we administered the 5-HT4 antagonist RS 39604 (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT4 agonist RS 67333 (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg). The administration of 5-HT2/3/4 subtype antagonists all generated behavioral profiles indicative of anxiolytic-like effects in the EZM, which was apparent from examination of both traditional and ethological measures. While little effect was observed from 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 agonists, the 5-HT4 agonist RS 67333 was found to produce a paradoxical anxiolytic-like effect similar to that produced by the 5-HT4 antagonist RS 39604. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New Zealand, climate change impacts have already been observed, and will increase in future decades. Average air temperature is predicted to warm by 2.1°C by 2090 for a mid-range IPCC scenario (AIB), with larger increases possible for some IPCC scenarios with higher rates of future emissions. Sea-level rise projections range between 0.18 - 0.59 m by 2100, based on six IPCC future emission scenarios excluding future rapid dynamical changes in polar ice-sheet flow. Global surface ocean pH is predicted to decrease by an additional 0.14 - 0.35 units by 2100, with a similar decrease expected in New Zealand waters. Rainfall is predicted to change significantly, with increased precipitation in the west, and reduced precipitation in the east, and more intense rainfall events. Increasing temperature is likely to result in species range shifts southward and upward, and mortality during extreme heat events. Ocean acidification is expected to cause declines in carbonate communities, with cold water communities predicted to decline first due to a lower aragonite saturation horizon in cold waters. Sea-level rise is likely to impact on coastal biota, reducing coastal habitats, changing inundation patterns, and increasing vulnerability to storm surges and tides. Changes in storm and rainfall intensity are predicted to increase disturbance to terrestrial and aquatic communities. Areas with increased precipitation will amplify rates of disturbance, erosion and sedimentation into aquatic, estuarine and coastal ecosystems, while areas with low precipitation will experience increased fire risk. In New Zealand, climate change projections are being integrated into management, including increasing protection and improving management of coastal habitats. Contributing to a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, New Zealand is the first country to include forestry in their Emissions Trading Scheme, already positively affecting biodiversity by reducing deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnitude 9.5 earthquake on 22 May 1960 in southern Chile was the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the 20th century. It generated a tsunami that swept the shores of Chile and radiated out across the Pacific, with the major loss of life in Chile and, despite warnings being issued, in both Hawai'i and Japan. The absence of a Pacific-wide tsunami warning system at the time meant that the tsunami struck New Zealand without an official warning being issued. Fortunately, there was no loss of life despite widespread damage to coastal facilities. A large aftershock occurred in Chile 3 days later (25 may) and fears about a tsunami from this event resulted in the broadcasting of a nationwide warning on radio in New Zealand. Newspapers of the day reported that thousands of people around the country were evacuated, making this the largest and most widespread evacuation in New Zealand's history. Almost the entire population of Whitianga, Waihi Beach, Whakatane, Ohope, and Opotiki were moved to high ground for several hours and, in many other communities, people self-evacuated from coastal fringes. After the event, there was much discussion in the newspapers of the need to improve both warnings and public awareness of the hazard, and of the appropriate response to warnings. Over the 40 years from 1960 up to the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean tsunami, public awareness of New Zealand's tsunami risk and preparedness had waned. Since 2004, the renewed focus on tsunami has built on a range of improvements in emergency management policies and practices, and the lessons identified from the event paved the way for a number of new initiatives to get underway to enhance the New Zealand's tsunami warning capacity and capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: To compare patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with controls on sub-types of aggression and explore the role of social desirability.Design: Quasi-experimental, matched-participants design.Methods and procedures: Sixty-nine participants were included in the study. The sample comprised a TBI group (n = 24), a spinal cord injury (SCI) group (n = 21) and an uninjured (UI) group of matched healthy volunteers (n = 24). Participants were given self-report measures of aggression, social desirability and impulsivity. Sixty-one independent ‘other-raters’ were nominated, who rated participant pre-morbid and post-morbid aggression.Main outcomes and results: Using standardized norms, 25–39% of participants with TBI were classified as high average–very high on anger and 35–38% as high average–very high on verbal aggression. Other-raters rated participants with TBI as significantly higher on verbal aggression than SCI and UI participants. There were no differences between the groups on physical aggression. The TBI group also had higher levels of impulsivity than SCI and UI groups. Social desirability was a highly significant predictor of self-reported aggression for the entire sample.Conclusions: Impulsive verbal aggression and anger are the principal aggressive traits after brain injury. Physical aggression may present in extreme cases after TBI, but appears less prominent overall in this population. Social desirability, previously overlooked in research examining TBI aggression, emerged as an influential variable that should be considered in future TBI research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundLittle is known about the processes people use to find health-related information on the Internet or the individual characteristics that shape selection of information-seeking approaches. ObjectiveOur aim was to describe the processes by which users navigate the Internet for information about a hypothetical acute illness and to identify individual characteristics predictive of their information-seeking strategies. MethodsStudy participants were recruited from public settings and agencies. Interested individuals were screened for eligibility using an online questionnaire. Participants listened to one of two clinical scenarios—consistent with influenza or bacterial meningitis—and then conducted an Internet search. Screen-capture video software captured Internet search mouse clicks and keystrokes. Each step of the search was coded as hypothesis testing (etiology), evidence gathering (symptoms), or action/treatment seeking (behavior). The coded steps were used to form a step-by-step pattern of each participant’s information-seeking process. A total of 78 Internet health information seekers ranging from 21-35 years of age and who experienced barriers to accessing health care services participated. ResultsWe identified 27 unique patterns of information seeking, which were grouped into four overarching classifications based on the number of steps taken during the search, whether a pattern consisted of developing a hypothesis and exploring symptoms before ending the search or searching an action/treatment, and whether a pattern ended with action/treatment seeking. Applying dual-processing theory, we categorized the four overarching pattern classifications as either System 1 (41%, 32/78), unconscious, rapid, automatic, and high capacity processing; or System 2 (59%, 46/78), conscious, slow, and deliberative processing. Using multivariate regression, we found that System 2 processing was associated with higher education and younger age. ConclusionsWe identified and classified two approaches to processing Internet health information. System 2 processing, a methodical approach, most resembles the strategies for information processing that have been found in other studies to be associated with higher-quality decisions. We conclude that the quality of Internet health-information seeking could be improved through consumer education on methodical Internet navigation strategies and the incorporation of decision aids into health information websites.

Changes in global mean sea level are a clear indicator of a warming climate, but local factors including land subsidence or uplift, cause changes in relative sea level that drive shoreline shifts. These local changes and their impact on coastal hazards matter to coastal communities. NZ SeaRise produced relative sea level projections for Aotearoa to include the latest global climate and Antarctic Ice Sheet research and estimates of vertical land movement at high spatial resolution. Research-informed communication to the public and planners included a web-based projections tool supplemented by written and visual narratives, and a media engagement plan. This communication, and analysis of media impact, provided a case study for audience-relevant information on sea-level rise. Information regarding shoreline change and evolving hazards, required for risk assessment, was not included in the NZ SeaRise projections. New research is needed to reduce uncertainty in future Antarctic Ice Sheet contribution to sea level, link changes in sea surface height to our dynamic land surface and enhance communication approaches. Several examples of the required research are presented here but ongoing efforts must refine the timing and magnitude of coastline change, better define coastal hazards and risks, and develop appropriate adaptation strategies for unavoidable climate change impacts., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2023 GNS Science. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

The present study examined the effects of administering selective 5-HT antagonists and agonists to rats tested in the elevated zero-maze (EZM) model of anxiety. The EZM paradigm has advantages over the elevated plus-maze (EPM) paradigm with respect to measuring anxiety, yet has been utilized less frequently. Three experiments were conducted each with a diazepam control (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg). In the first experiment, we administered the 5-HT2C antagonist RS 102221 (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT2C agonist MK-212 (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg); in the second experiment, we administered the 5-HT3 antagonist Y-25130 (0.1, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT3 agonist SR 57227A (0.1, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg), and in the third experiment, we administered the 5-HT4 antagonist RS 39604 (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 mg/kg) and 5-HT4 agonist RS 67333 (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg). The administration of 5-HT2/3/4 subtype antagonists all generated behavioral profiles indicative of anxiolytic-like effects in the EZM, which was apparent from examination of both traditional and ethological measures. While little effect was observed from 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 agonists, the 5-HT4 agonist RS 67333 was found to produce a paradoxical anxiolytic-like effect similar to that produced by the 5-HT4 antagonist RS 39604. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings.

Cardiolipin is a class of mitochondrial specific phospholipid, which is intricately involved in mitochondrial functionality. Differences in cardiolipin species exist in a variety of tissues and diseases. It has been demonstrated that the cardiolipin profile is a key modulator of the functions of many mitochondrial proteins. However, the chemical mechanism(s) leading to normal and/or pathological distribution of cardiolipin species remain elusive. Herein, we describe a novel approach for investigating the molecular mechanism of cardiolipin remodeling through a dynamic simulation. This approach applied data from shotgun lipidomic analyses of the heart, liver, brain, and lung mitochondrial lipidomes to model cardiolipin remodeling, including relative content, regiospecificity, and isomeric composition of cardiolipin species. Generated cardiolipin profiles were nearly identical to those determined by shotgun lipidomics. Importantly, the simulated isomeric compositions of cardiolipin species were further substantiated through product ion analysis. Finally, unique enzymatic activities involved in cardiolipin remodeling were assessed from the parameters used in the dynamic simulation of cardiolipin profiles. Collectively, we described, verified, and demonstrated a novel approach by integrating both lipidomic analysis and dynamic simulation to study cardiolipin biology. We believe this study provides a foundation to investigate cardiolipin metabolism and bioenergetic homeostasis in normal and disease states.