Search

While ChatGPT has recently become very popular, AI has a long history and philosophy. This paper intends to explore the promises and pitfalls of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) AI and potentially future technologies by adopting a speculative methodology. Speculative future narratives with a specific focus on educational contexts are provided in an attempt to identify emerging themes and discuss their implications for education in the 21st century. Affordances of (using) AI in Education (AIEd) and possible adverse effects are identified and discussed which emerge from the narratives. It is argued that now is the best of times to define human vs AI contribution to education because AI can accomplish more and more educational activities that used to be the prerogative of human educators. Therefore, it is imperative to rethink the respective roles of technology and human educators in education with a future-oriented mindset.

Formative assessment has been long emphasised as a powerful means for enhancing science learning. However, there is still a lack of research to investigate the impacts of formative assessment on both students' motivational beliefs and behaviours in science learning. This study examined such impacts using data from six Western and six East Asian countries/economies in PISA 2015. 96,491 15-year-old students were included. The SEM analysis of overall data showed that (i) formative assessment had both direct effects on students' science learning behaviours and indirect impacts mediated by students' motivational beliefs and (ii) the total effect of teacher feedback on science learning behaviours was greater than adaptive instruction. The comparison between Western and East Asian datasets indicated that (i) the impact of teacher feedback on East Asian students' motivational beliefs was greater than that on their Western counterparts; (ii) the impact of adaptive instruction on Western students' motivational beliefs was greater than that on East Asian counterparts; and (iii) the direct impacts of teacher feedback and adaptive instruction on science learning behaviours were similar for both groups of students. Suggestions were made on how to effectively implement formative assessment to enhance science learning in different cultural contexts.

Science education researchers and curriculum documents have advocated scientific inquiry for more than six decades; however, inconsistent findings concerning its effects on students' learning outcomes have been revealed in recent analyses of large-scale international assessment data (e.g., the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA]). This has evoked considerable concern given the significant role that inquiry plays in science education. To unpack the complex influence of inquiry on science achievement, this study used the PISA 2015 data from eight Western or East Asian regions to explore the effects of inquiry on students' science achievement and the mediation of attitudes toward science. The results indicated that despite the negative effects that the investigation aspect of inquiry had on science achievement, the explanation aspect of inquiry had positive effects on science achievement for the Western, East Asian, and whole samples. When all of the effects of both the investigation and explanation aspects were integrated, the overall influence of inquiry on students' science achievement was found to be positive for the whole and East Asian samples and slightly negative for the Western sample. This study highlights the necessity of considering different facets of inquiry and different types of effects when investigating the effects of inquiry on science achievement and achieving a better balance between the investigation and explanation processes when implementing inquiry in school classrooms.

This is the first study to investigate the effects of test methods (while-listening performance and post-listening performance) and gender on measured listening ability and brain activation under test conditions. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to examine three brain regions associated with listening comprehension: the inferior frontal gyrus and posterior middle temporal gyrus, which subserve bottom-up processing in comprehension, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which mediates top-down processing. A Rasch model reliability analysis showed that listeners were homogeneous in their listening ability. Additionally, there were no significant differences in test scores across test methods and genders. The fNIRS data, however, revealed significantly different activation of the investigated brain regions across test methods, genders, and listening abilities. Together, these findings indicated that the listening test was not sensitive to differences in the neurocognitive processes underlying listening comprehension under test conditions. The implications of these findings for assessing listening and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of adding Modified Zhizhu Powder to diet on the growth performance, blood routine examination, serum biochemical indexes, and intestinal digestive enzymes of weaned rabbits. Ninety 35-day-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits with similar weight were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates in each group and three rabbits in each replicate. The rabbits in the control group were fed with basal diet, while the experimental group was fed with 2‰ enrofloxacin powder and 1‰, 3‰, and 5‰ Modified Zhizhu Powder, respectively. The pre-test period was seven days, and the formal test period was 14 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the average daily gain of weaned rabbits in the Modified Zhizhu Powder group increased significantly (P<0.05), the diarrhea rate decreased significantly, and there was no death of rabbits. Compared with the control group, the immune organ index of weaned rabbits in the Modified Zhizhu Powder group increased significantly (P<0.05), and it was dose-dependent. Compared with the control group, the number of white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in the Modified Zhizhu Powder group decreased significantly (P<0.05). The content of immunoglobulin in 5‰ Modified Zhizhu Powder group increased significantly (P<0.05). Modified Zhizhu Powder can enhance the secretion of lipase, α-amylase, cellulase, and trypsin in small intestine, and promote the absorption of energy in intestinal tract of young rabbits by up-regulating the gene expression level of glucose transporter in small intestine. The study indicates that the addition of Modified Zhizhu Powder in the diet of weaned rabbits can improve the growth performance, enhance the immune function, reduce the inflammatory level of the body, and improve the digestion and absorption capacity of intestinal tract. The suitable addition level of Modified Zhizhu Powder in diet is 3‰~5‰. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although flow diverter device (FDD) has brought revolutionized advances in endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms, it also presents considerable drawbacks as well, as the innovation for novel device has never stopped. This preclinical research aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a newly developed FDD, the EMBOPIPE, through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Methods: Aneurysms were induced in 20 New Zealand white rabbits which were randomized to three follow-up groups according to the time elapsed after EMBOPIPE implantation (28, 90, and 180 days). Additional EMBOPIPEs were implanted in the abdominal aorta to cover the renal artery in nine rabbits. Angiography was performed immediately after device placement in all groups. Aneurysm occlusion, patency of renal arteries, and pathological outcomes were assessed. For the in vitro experiments, we measured the thrombogenic potential of EMBOPIPEs (n = 5) compared with bare stents (n = 5) using the Chandler loop model. Evaluation indicators were the platelet counts, macroscopic observations and scanning electron microscopy. Results: EMBOPIPEs were successfully deployed in 19 of 20 rabbit aneurysms (95.0%). The rates of complete or near-complete aneurysm occlusion were 73.3%, 83.3%, and 100% in the 28-, 90-, and 180-day groups, respectively. All renal arteries covered by EMBOPIPEs remained patent, and the mean difference in renal artery diameter before and after the device placement in the three groups was 0.07 mm, 0.10 mm, and 0.10 mm, respectively (p = 0.77). Renal pathology was normal in all cases. The pathological findings of the aneurysms were as follows: thickened and adequate neointimal coverage at the aneurysm neck, minimal inflammatory response, near-complete smooth muscle cell layer, and endothelialization along the device. In vitro experiments showed that the platelet counts were significantly higher in EMBOPIPE blood samples than in bare stent samples and that platelet adhesion to the device was lower in the EMBOPIPE stent struts compared with bare stent struts through macroscopic observations and scanning electron microscopy. Conclusions: The EMBOPIPE can achieve high rates of aneurysm occlusion while maintaining excellent branch artery patency. It exhibited wonderful pathological results. This novel device with phosphorylcholine surface modification could reduce platelet thrombus attached to the stent struts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online self-testing as part of the online learning environment (OLE) provides practice questions on key concepts with immediate feedback--in a "no-risk" environment. OLE activity was analysed for 471 on-site and distance students enrolled in health science courses to determine total activity on the OLE and usage of online self-tests. The study also aimed to determine whether utilisation of self-tests differed by final grade, particularly between students who just pass (C grades and Restricted pass) and those who fail (D and E grades). Results indicated that on-site students were significantly more active on the OLE compared to distance students. However, these groups engaged similarly with self-tests and achieved a similar distribution of grades. A significant positive relationship was found between final grade achieved and percentage of self-tests attempted. This relationship was significant regardless of study status (on-site or distance), course studied or total activity logged. A more targeted analysis of C + R vs. D + E students showed that although these two groups were similar on overall usage of the OLE, C + R students utilised self-tests to a significantly greater extent. Recommendations from this study are that students (particularly those struggling to achieve academic success) should be directed towards online self-tests.

Lateral roots, including adventitious roots, are the main component of rapeseed roots with support, absorb, and synthesis functions and their morphological parameters directly affecting the plant's aboveground growth and yield. Root biomass, as a material base for lateral root growth, can be used as a link between plant phenotypes and their physiological processes, as well as to enhance root 3D growth model mechanisms and accuracy. To quantify the relationships between lateral root morphological indices and the corresponding organ biomass for rapeseed, we used two cultivars, NY 22 (conventional) and NZ 1818 (hybrid), and conducted cultivar and fertilizing cylindrical tube experiments during the 2016–2019, with two fertilizer levels, no fertilizer, and 180 kg N ha−1 fertilizer. The lateral root biomass and morphological parameters were determined during the whole growth period. The biomass‐based lateral root morphological parameter models were developed by analyzing the quantitative relationship between the lateral root morphological indices and their corresponding biomass, and the descriptive models were verified with independent experimental data. The results showed that the correlation (r) of simulated and observed values for the lateral root morphological parameters are all greater than 0.9 with significant levels at p < 0.001. The absolute values of the average absolute difference (da) of simulated and observed values for the lateral root length (LLR), lateral root average diameter (ADLR), lateral root surface area (SALR), and lateral root volume (VLR) are −30.408 cm, −0.003 mm, 12.902 cm2, and 0.039 cm3, respectively. The RMSE values are 175.183 cm, 0.010 mm, 59.710 cm2, and 1.513 cm3, respectively. The ratio of da to the average observed values (dap) for the LLR and VLR are all less than 5%, and the ADLR and SALR are all <6%. The models developed in this paper have good performance and reliability for predicting lateral root morphological parameters of rapeseed. The study provides a mechanistic method for linking the rapeseed growth model with the morphological model using corresponding organic biomass and laying a good foundation for establishing a 3D morphological model for rapeseed root system based on biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mechanical ventilation can cause acute atrophy and injury in the diaphragm, which are related to adverse clinical results. However, the underlying mechanisms of ventilation-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD) have not been well elucidated. The current study aimed to explore the role of cellular senescence in VIDD. Methods: A total of twelve New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups: (1) spontaneously breathing anaesthetized animals (the CON group) and (2) mechanically ventilated animals (for 48 h) in V-ACV mode (the MV group). Respiratory parameters were collected during ventilation. Diaphragm were collected for further analyses. Results: Compared to those in the CON group, the percentage and density of sarcomere disruption in the MV group were much higher (p < 0.001, both). The mRNA expression of MAFbx and MuRF1 was upregulated in the MV group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006, respectively). Compared to that in the CON group, the expression of MAFbx and MuRF1 detected by western blotting was also upregulated (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Moreover, RNA-seq showed that genes associated with senescence were remarkably enriched in the MV group. The mRNA expression of related genes was further verified by q-PCR (Pai1: p = 0.009; MMP9: p = 0.008). Transverse cross-sections of diaphragm myofibrils in the MV group showed more intensive positive staining of SA-βGal than those in the CON group. p53-p21 axis signalling was elevated in the MV group. The mRNA expression of p53 and p21 was significantly upregulated (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively). The western blot results also showed upregulation of p53 and p21 protein expression (p = 0.03 and p = 0.05, respectively). Moreover, the p21-positive staining in immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry in the MV group was much more intense than that in the CON group (p < 0.001, both). Conclusions: In a rabbit model, we demonstrated that mechanical ventilation in A/C mode for 48 h can still significantly induce ultrastructural damage and atrophy of the diaphragm. Moreover, p53-dependent senescence might play a role in mechanical ventilation-induced dysfunction. These findings might provide novel therapeutic targets for VIDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supervision capacity is becoming an issue that may restrict the ability of universities to meet eligible students' needs. Although there has been considerable research into the methods of supervision and the supervisor-student relationship, at this time there is little specific research into reasons why qualified academics choose or otherwise to put their names forward to be doctoral supervisors. This research explores the facilitating factors and barriers to supervision as viewed by academics in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland. The research was carried out via face-to-face semi-structured interviews with academics eligible to supervise doctoral candidates. Four themes were identified from the interview data, namely workload agreements, time pressures, quality of students and recognition of the supervisor's contribution. The results provide a platform for more research into this area as well as identify possible ways to enhance the facilitators and alleviate the barriers.

Aim: We have previously reported that polyfunctional T cell responses can be induced to the cancer testis antigen NY-ESO-1 in melanoma patients injected with mature autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with long NY-ESO-1-derived peptides together with α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), an agonist for type 1 Natural Killer T (NKT) cells. Objective: To assess whether inclusion of α-GalCer in autologous NY-ESO-1 long peptide-pulsed DC vaccines (DCV + α-GalCer) improves T cell responses when compared to peptide-pulsed DC vaccines without α-GalCer (DCV). Design, setting and participants: Single-centre blinded randomised controlled trial in patients ≥ 18 years old with histologically confirmed, fully resected stage II–IV malignant cutaneous melanoma, conducted between July 2015 and June 2018 at the Wellington Blood and Cancer Centre of the Capital and Coast District Health Board. Interventions: Stage I. Patients were randomised to two cycles of DCV or DCV + α-GalCer (intravenous dose of 10 × 106 cells, interval of 28 days). Stage II. Patients assigned to DCV + α-GalCer were randomised to two further cycles of DCV + α-GalCer or observation, while patients initially assigned to DCV crossed over to two cycles of DCV + α-GalCer. Outcome measures: Primary: Area under the curve (AUC) of mean NY-ESO-1-specific T cell count detected by ex vivo IFN-γ ELISpot in pre- and post-treatment blood samples, compared between treatment arms at Stage I. Secondary: Proportion of responders in each arm at Stage I; NKT cell count in each arm at Stage I; serum cytokine levels at Stage I; adverse events Stage I; T cell count for DCV + α-GalCer versus observation at Stage II, T cell count before versus after cross-over. Results: Thirty-eight patients gave written informed consent; 5 were excluded before randomisation due to progressive disease or incomplete leukapheresis, 17 were assigned to DCV, and 16 to DCV + α-GalCer. The vaccines were well tolerated and associated with increases in mean total T cell count, predominantly CD4+ T cells, but the difference between the treatment arms was not statistically significant (difference − 6.85, 95% confidence interval, − 21.65 to 7.92; P = 0.36). No significant improvements in T cell response were associated with DCV + α-GalCer with increased dosing, or in the cross-over. However, the NKT cell response to α-GalCer-loaded vaccines was limited compared to previous studies, with mean circulating NKT cell levels not significantly increased in the DCV + α-GalCer arm and no significant differences in cytokine response between the treatment arms. Conclusions: A high population coverage of NY-ESO-1-specific T cell responses was achieved with a good safety profile, but we failed to demonstrate that loading with α-GalCer provided an additional advantage to the T cell response with this cellular vaccine design. Clinical trial registration: ACTRN12612001101875. Funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has increased steadily over the past few decades. Elucidating its global burden will facilitate more effective disease management and improve patient outcomes. We explored the disease burden, risk factors, and trends in incidence and mortality in NHL globally. Methods: The up-to-date data on age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of NHL were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN 2020, CI5 volumes I-XI, WHO mortality database, and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019, focusing on geographic disparities worldwide. We reported incidence and mortality by sex and age, along with corresponding age-standardized rates (ASRs), the average annual percentage change (AAPC), and future burden estimates to 2040. Results: In 2020, there were an estimated 545,000 new cases and 260,000 deaths of NHL globally. In addition, NHL resulted in 8,650,352 age-standardized DALYs in 2019 worldwide. The age-specific incidence rates varied drastically across world areas, at least 10-fold in both sexes, with the most pronounced increase trend found in Australia and New Zealand. By contrast, North African countries faced a more significant mortality burden (ASR, 3.7 per 100,000) than highly developed countries. In the past decades, the pace of increase in incidence and mortality accelerated, with the highest AAPC of 4.9 (95%CI: 3.6-6.2) and 6.8 (95%CI: 4.3-9.2) in the elderly population, respectively. Considering risk factors, obesity was positively correlated with age-standardized incidence rates (P< 0.001). And North America was the high-risk region for DALYs due to the high body mass index in 2019. Regarding demographic change, NHL incident cases are projected to rise to approximately 778,000 by 2040. Conclusion: In this pooled analysis, we provided evidence for the growing incidence trends in NHL, particularly among women, older adults, obese populations, and HIV-infected people. And the marked increase in the older population is still a public health issue that requires more attention. Future efforts should be directed at cultivating health awareness and formulating effective and locally tailored cancer prevention strategies, especially in most developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to culturally safe health services is a basic human right, however through the lasting effects of colonisation, oppression, and systemic racism, the individual and community health of Indigenous peoples in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have been severely impacted. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency, and the Standards of Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand, recognise the importance of access to safe health care for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori patients, which encompasses both clinical competency and cultural safety. Universities have an ongoing responsibility to ensure their learning and teaching activities result in graduates being able to provide culturally safe practice. This article highlights the emergence of culturally safe practices in the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand optometry curricula over the last five years incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing into the curricula, understanding the local Indigenous histories and contexts, the adoption of online cultural education modules, and clinical placement partnerships with local Indigenous communities. Whilst there is still much work to do to achieve the goal of graduating culturally safe optometrists, this paper focuses on features that enable or impede progress in the development of culturally safe practices within the optometry programmes to improve eye health equity for Indigenous recognise the diversity of Indigenous cultures across Australia and NZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employed the mechanical effect from 40 kHz ultrasound (US) to improve the delivery of riboflavin into corneal stroma for collagen crosslinking, which can benefit the treatment of keratoconus and other corneal ectasias. Experiments were conducted, first with porcine corneas ex vivo and then with New Zealand white rabbits in vivo, at varying mechanical index (MI) and sonication time. Results showed that 15 min of US applied on the cornea at MI = 0.8 in the presence of 0.5% of riboflavin solution enabled its delivery to deeper corneal stroma. Excessive heat was removed by a cooling setup to negate the thermal effect. The corneal absorption amount and penetration of riboflavin through cornea as detected by fluorotron, as well as the enhancement of corneal stiffness as measured by Young's modulus, were comparable to the conventional approach that requires complete corneal epithelium debridement. Histological analysis revealed minor exfoliation of superficial cell layers of corneal epithelium and loss of ZO‐1 tight junctions immediately after US. Full recovery of the corneal epithelium and restoration of tight junctions occurred in 3–4 days. The study shows that low‐intensity low‐frequency ultrasound (LILF US) is a less invasive alternative to the conventional epithelium‐off method for delivering riboflavin into the corneal stroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture is an important industry in New Zealand (NZ). Mussel farmers often manually check the state of the buoys that are required to support the crop, which is labour-intensive. Artificial intelligence (AI) can provide automatic and intelligent solutions to many problems but has seldom been applied to mussel farming. In this paper, a new AI-based approach is developed to automatically detect buoys from mussel farm images taken from a farm in the South Island of NZ. The overall approach consists of four steps, i.e. data collection and preprocessing, image segmentation, keypoint detection and feature extraction, and classification. A convolutional neural network (CNN) method is applied to perform image segmentation. A new genetic programming (GP) method with a new representation, a new function set and a new terminal set is developed to automatically evolve descriptors for extracting features from keypoints. The new approach is applied to seven subsets and one full dataset containing images of buoys over different backgrounds and compared to three baseline methods. The new approach achieves better performance than the compared methods. Further analysis of the parameters and the evolved solutions provides more insights into the performance of the new approach to buoy detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies differences in educational and occupational aspirations of 108 New Zealand-born Chinese high school students and 203 European counterparts. School Certificate grades were similar for both samples. Aspirations were consistent with parental expectations, but parental pressure appeared to have a negative effect on Chinese students' perception of their abilities. (SLD)

The willingness to support (or denigrate) high‐profile individuals online was examined across cultures using the Tall Poppy Scale. A sample of 106 Chinese and 164 New Zealand Europeans answered an online questionnaire addressing their preference for high achievers to be rewarded or fail. Participants were asked whether they would vote to support reality TV contestants, and offered further information (about success or failure) on a debrief page. The Favour Reward scale predicted willingness to vote and support others. The Favour Fall subscale tended to predict time spent viewing achievement‐related information on a debrief page. The Chinese sample did not prefer reward of high achievers, instead favoring their fall, but spent less time per click on the debrief page, suggesting they disliked recognizing individual achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Excellent metabolic improvement following one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) remains compromised by the risk of esophageal bile reflux and theoretical carcinogenic potential. No 'gold standard' investigation exists for esophageal bile reflux, with diverse methods employed in the few studies evaluating it post-obesity surgery. As such, data on the incidence and severity of esophageal bile reflux is limited, with comparative studies lacking. This study aims to use specifically tailored biliary scintigraphy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy protocols to evaluate esophageal bile reflux after OAGB, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Methods: Fifty-eight participants underwent OAGB (20), SG (15) or RYGB (23) between November 2018 and July 2020. Pre-operative reflux symptom assessment and gastroscopy were performed and repeated post-operatively at 6 months along with biliary scintigraphy. Results: Gastric reflux of bile was identified by biliary scintigraphy in 14 OAGB (70%), one RYGB (5%) and four SG participants (31%), with a mean of 2.9% (SD 1.5) reflux (% of total radioactivity). One participant (OAGB) demonstrated esophageal bile reflux. De novo macro- or microscopic gastroesophagitis occurred in 11 OAGB (58%), 8 SG (57%) and 7 RYGB (30%) participants. Thirteen participants had worsened reflux symptoms post-operatively (OAGB, 4; SG, 7; RYGB, 2). Scintigraphic esophageal bile reflux bore no statistical association with de novo gastroesophagitis or reflux symptoms. Conclusion: Despite high incidence of gastric bile reflux post-OAGB, esophageal bile reflux is rare. With scarce literature of tumour development post-OAGB, frequent low-volume gastric bile reflux likely bears little clinical consequence; however, longer-term studies are needed. Clinical Trial Registry: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number ACTRN12618000806268. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of the vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor conbercept (KH902) on corneal neovascularization and wound healing following penetrating keratoplasty in rabbits. Methods: Conbercept was administered to New Zealand white rabbits through topical and subconjunctival routes. Corneal neovascularization and wound healing were examined by slit-lamp photography and histological analyses. The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, α-smooth muscle actin, and keratocan in the corneal grafts were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: The anterior segment photographs demonstrated that corneal neovascularization started in the 2nd week. In the 4th week, histologically, the superficial corneal stroma layer showed disordered arrangement, and there were large numbers of dense inflammatory cells and blood vessels in the stroma layer. Vascular endothelial growth factor in the experimental groups was significantly decreased at all time points compared with the control group (both P = 0.001). Expression of α-smooth muscle actin in corneal grafts demonstrated an increase in time even it was lower in experimental groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (P equaled to 0.507 and 0.723, respectively). There were no significant differences with the expression of keratocan in all groups except that it significantly declined at the 4th week as to the second week in all groups and P values were 0.022, 0.020 and 0.014 in control (C), topical (E1), and subconjunctival (E2) group, respectively. Conclusion: The study found that conbercept inhibited the formation of corneal neovascularization without affecting keratocan-mediated corneal wound healing and there were no significant differences between topical administration of different doses of conbercept on the rabbit corneal neovascularization after penetrating keratoplasty in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on iodine status of postpartum women and their infants aged 3, 6 and 12 months and Mother and Infant Nutrition Investigation (MINI).

It is being debated whether prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening effectively reduces prostate cancer mortality. Some of the uncertainty could be related to deficiencies in the age-based PSA cut-off thresholds used in screening. Current study considered 2779 men with prostate cancer and 1606 men without a cancer diagnosis, recruited for various studies in New Zealand, US, and Taiwan. Association of PSA with demographic, lifestyle, clinical characteristics (for cases), and the aldo–keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) rs12529 genetic polymorphisms were analysed using multiple linear regression and univariate modelling. Pooled multivariable analysis of cases showed that PSA was significantly associated with demographic, lifestyle, and clinical data with an interaction between ethnicity and age further modifying the association. Pooled multivariable analysis of controls data also showed that demographic and lifestyle are significantly associated with PSA level. Independent case and control analyses indicated that factors associated with PSA were specific for each cohort. Univariate analyses showed a significant age and PSA correlation among all cases and controls except for the US-European cases while genetic stratification in cases showed variability of correlation. Data suggests that unique PSA cut-off thresholds factorized with demographics, lifestyle and genetics may be more appropriate for prostate cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivering memorable experiences is the essence of the tourism industry and has been regarded as a core aspect of competitiveness for destinations under the experiential marketing paradigm. However, knowledge remains scarce regarding how memorability can be generated and how it shapes tourist behavior. Taking rural tourism as the research context, this study proposes a theoretical model in which memorability is generated through ordinary experiences (perceived quality and satisfaction) and extraordinary experiences (perceived novelty and delight), which go on to influence word of mouth. This model was tested using two data sets gathered from Chinese tourists visiting rural destinations in China (n = 873) and in New Zealand (n = 500), respectively. Findings from the two groups are compared and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Revisions are mainly caused by wear debris-induced aseptic loosening. How to effectively suppress debris-induced periprosthetic osteolysis has become an urgent problem. Both zoledronic acid and teriparatide can increase the bone mass around prostheses and increase the stability of prostheses. A hypothesis was proposed: the combination of the two drugs may have a better treatment effect than the use of either drug alone.Methods: We created a rabbit model to study the effect and mechanism of the combination of zoledronic acid and teriparatide in the treatment of aseptic loosening. Thirty-two adult male New Zealand white rabbits were selected and treated with TKA surgery, and a titanium rod prosthesis coated evenly with micrometre-sized titanium debris was implanted into the right femoral medullary cavity. All rabbits were randomized into four groups (control group = 8, zoledronic acid group = 8, teriparatide group = 8, and zoledronic acid + teriparatide group = 8). All the animals were sacrificed in the 12th week, and X-ray analyses, H&E staining, Goldner-Masson trichrome staining, von Kossa staining, and RT-PCR and Western blotting of the mRNA and protein of OCN, OPG, RANKL and TRAP5b in the interface membrane tissues around the prostheses were immediately carried out.Results: The results shown that both zoledronic acid and teriparatide could inhibit debris-induced peri-prosthetic osteolysis and promote new bone formation. Zoledronic acid was more capable of inhibiting osteoclast activation and peri-prosthetic osteolysis, while teriparatide was more capable of promoting osteoblast function and peri-prosthetic bone integration.Conclusion: This research confirmed that the combination of zoledronic acid and teriparatide could prevent and treat aseptic loosening of the prosthesis more effectively. However, the safety of this combination and the feasibility of long-term application have not been ensured, and the clinical application requires further experiments and clinical research support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor. The authors have copied figures and text verbatim from another manuscript published by the first author and others in Med Ultrason, 18 (2016) 339–344; doi:10.11152/mu.2013.2066.183.qia. We apologize to readers of the journal for this incident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While coformulated ledipasvir (90 mg)/sofosbuvir (400 mg) (LDV/SOF) is approved for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 (GT2) infection in Taiwan, Japan, and New Zealand, data regarding its use for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)-positive patients infected with HCV GT2 are sparse. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of LDV/SOF for HIV-positive patients with HCV GT2 coinfection. Methods: From January 2019 to July 2020, consecutive HIV-positive Taiwanese patients infected with HCV GT2 who received LDV/SOF were retrospectively included for analysis. The effectiveness was determined by sustained virologic response 12 weeks off-therapy (SVR12). Results: Of the 114 patients (mean age, 38.6 years) initiating LDV/SOF during the study period, 0.9% had liver cirrhosis and 4.4% were HCV treatment-experienced. All patients had estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 and were receiving antiretroviral therapy with 98.2% having CD4 counts ≥ 200 cells/mm3 and 93.9% plasma HIV RNA load < 50 copies/ml. Antiretrovirals prescribed included tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine in 42.1%, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine 18.4%, other nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) 39.5%, non-NRTIs 12.3%, protease inhibitors 13.2%, and integrase inhibitors 74.6%. All patients had undetectable plasma HCV RNA load at the end of treatment, and 96.5% achieved SVR12 in intention-to-treat analysis. The on-treatment eGFR decline was more pronounced in those receiving TDF-containing antiretroviral therapy (mean change, − 8.33 ml/min/1.73 m2), which was reversible after discontinuation of LDV/SOF. None of the patients interrupted LDV/SOF during the 12-week treatment course. Conclusion: Similar to the response observed among HIV-negative patients, LDV/SOF is effective for HIV-positive patients coinfected with HCV GT2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] This study was conducted to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the gene expression levels of neuromedin B (NMB) and its receptor (NMBR) in the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis of male rabbits. [Methods] Forty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into an experimental group injected with LPS and a control group. At 0, 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 h after LPS injection, four rabbits in each group were sacrificed, and the hypothalamus, pituitary and testicular tissues were collected. RT-PCR was carried out to detect the expression of rabbit NMB and NMBR mRNA in the HPT axis. [Results] NMB and NMBR mRNA were expressed in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and testis of rabbits, and there was a certain time effect, indicating that the NMB/NMBR system is involved in the activities of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis. At 1.5 h after LPS stimulation, the expression of NMB mRNA in the hypothalamus increased significantly, and showed an extremely significant difference from the control group (P<0. 01), while the expression of NMBR mRNA in the hypothalamus increased, but was not significantly different from the control group (P > 0. 05). The expression levels of NMB and NMBR mRNA in the pituitary and testis tissues in the HPT axis at different time after the LPS treatment were not significantly different from those in the control group (P > 0. 05). Therefore, LPS stimulation still has a certain effect on the expression of NMB and its receptor mRNA in the HPT axis. [Conclusions]This study is of great significance for the in-depth study on the mechanism of damage caused by immune stress to livestock and poultry reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In gout, autoinflammatory responses to urate crystals promote acute arthritis flares, but the pathogeneses of tophi, chronic synovitis, and erosion are less well understood. Defining the pathways of epigenomic immunity training can reveal novel pathogenetic factors and biomarkers. The present study was undertaken to seminally probe differential DNA methylation patterns utilizing epigenome‐wide analyses in patients with gout. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from a San Diego cohort of patients with gout (n = 16) and individually matched healthy controls (n = 14). PBMC methylome data were processed with ChAMP package in R. ENCODE data and Taiji data analysis software were used to analyze transcription factor (TF)–gene networks. As an independent validation cohort, whole blood DNA samples from New Zealand Māori subjects (n = 13 patients with gout, n = 16 control subjects without gout) were analyzed. Results: Differentially methylated loci clearly separated gout patients from controls, as determined by hierarchical clustering and principal components analyses. IL23R, which mediates granuloma formation and cell invasion, was identified as one of the multiple differentially methylated gout risk genes. Epigenome‐wide analyses revealed differential methylome pathway enrichment for B and T cell receptor signaling, Th17 cell differentiation and interleukin‐17 signaling, convergent longevity regulation, circadian entrainment, and AMP‐activated protein kinase signaling, which are pathways that impact inflammation via insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt, NF‐κB, mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling, and autophagy. The gout cohorts overlapped for 37 (52.9%) of the 70 TFs with hypomethylated sequence enrichment and for 30 (78.9%) of the 38 enriched KEGG pathways identified via TFs. Evidence of shared differentially methylated gout TF‐gene networks, including the NF‐κB activation–limiting TFs MEF2C and NFATC2, pointed to osteoclast differentiation as the most strongly weighted differentially methylated pathway that overlapped in both gout cohorts. Conclusion: These findings of differential DNA methylation of networked signaling, transcriptional, innate and adaptive immunity, and osteoclastogenesis genes and pathways suggest that they could serve as novel therapeutic targets in the management of flares, tophi, chronic synovitis, and bone erosion in patients with gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Relative search volume for losing weight progressively increased from 2004 to 2018. • The UK had the largest average increment speed for a search query of losing weight. • There is a seasonality of losing weight with a peak in the spring months. • A spike of relative search volume was observed in all countries in 2017. This study sought to examine the variation trends and seasonality of losing weight by using the data from Google Trends tool. According to the search term of [lose weight + weight loss], Google Trends data were obtained. Search activity was conducted within the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand from January 01, 2004, to December 31, 2018, utilizing the health category. Dynamic series analysis and the plot of seasonal decomposition of time series show that relative search volume of [lose weight + weight loss] increased from 2004 to 2018 at both national and hemispherical levels. Statistically significant seasonal variations in relative search volume for the term [lose weight + weight loss] were observed using cosinor analyses in the USA (p < 0.001), the UK (p < 0.001), Canada (p < 0.001), Ireland (p < 0.001), Australia (p < 0.001), and New Zealand (p < 0.001), peaking in the spring months and reaching the lowest level in the autumn months. The highest level in spring and the lowest level in autumn were reversed by 6 months in both hemisphere countries, consistent with a seasonal pattern. Our results indicate that Internet search queries for losing weight increased within the timeframe of 2004 to 2018, likely reflecting the rising global public interest. In addition, the present research provided preliminary evidence that there is a seasonality of losing weight with a peak in the spring months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is general acknowledgement of the importance of early diagnosis of dementia, yet there are still high rates of undetected dementia internationally. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics associated with possible undetected dementia in a large sample of community-dwelling older New Zealanders. The sample consisted of older people (age ≥ 65) who had received the homecare version of the international Residential Home Care Assessment version 9.1 over a two-year period and who were screened positive for possible dementia on the international Residential Assessment's Cognitive Performance Scale. People with possible alternative explanations for impaired cognitive performance such as depression and other neurological conditions were excluded from analysis. The 5202 eligible individuals were categorized into two groups: (1) those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia (64%) and (2) those without a recorded diagnosis of dementia (i.e. possible undetected dementia group) (36%). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between individual characteristics and possible undetected dementia. Significant risk factors for being in the possible undetected dementia group included Asian ethnicity, living alone, not having participated in long-standing social activities recently, major life stressors, and limited accessibility of their house. The knowledge gained from this study could enable targeting of services and resources for the groups at risk of undetected dementia to have a more equitable access to early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: We aim to develop a rabbit model system for studies on uterus transplantation.Methods: Six sexually mature female New Zealand white rabbits of proven fertility were used for harvesting the uterine allograft with an aortic-caval macrovascular patch (including the aorta, inferior vena cava, common and internal iliacs, and uterine arterial and venous tree). The patches were transplanted in the six recipients orthotopically using aorta and cava anastomoses. Tacrolimus (0.5 mg twice daily, p.o.) was administered postoperatively for immunosuppression.Results: Surgical survival was 100% (n = 6), and the graft survival rate was 83.3% (n = 5). No rabbits died intraoperatively, but only one achieved short-term survival (for 8 days). Four rabbits (#1, #2, #3 and #4) died within the first 24 h as a result of veno-vena anastomosis breakdown, bradycardia, intestinal necrosis, and respiratory failure, respectively. Rabbits #5 (30 h) and #6 (8 days) died from intestinal obstruction and pneumonia, respectively. Uterine morphology was normal in rabbit #6, and rejection was not observed in the grafted uterus, which was further verified by H&E and immunohistochemistry.Conclusions: Aorta and cava anastomoses can be used to ensure a viable transplanted uterus by reconstructing an adequate blood supply to the transplanted uterine graft in a rabbit model. We have demonstrated the feasibility of tacrolimus monotherapy in suppressing the rejection of an allotransplanted uterus in a rabbit model. However, UTx in a rabbit model seems difficult to achieve long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: New Zealand health policy encourages patient access to their electronic medical records via portals. AIM: To discover patient and general practitioner (GP) perspectives of access to electronic medical records and e-messaging in the early portal implementation phase. METHODS: In 2014, Auckland primary health organisations and an Accident & Medical organisation were asked to invite their GPs to complete an online survey and consent for a researcher to attend their waiting room and invite patients to complete a survey. RESULTS: In total, 421 patients (13% Māori, 18% Pacific, 7% Asian, 53% NZ European/Other) participated from 13 general practices. Most (77%) knew they were entitled to see their medical records and 90% were interested in viewing them. Over two-thirds thought that viewing their records online and e-messaging their practice was a good idea. Over 80% disagreed that they would be worried, confused or embarrassed by seeing their records, with 59% expecting portals to facilitate understanding of their medical conditions. Internet security and privacy concerned 40% of patients. Among 83 GPs who completed the survey, six (7%) had already implemented portals. Few were comfortable to open up the whole health record, especially visit notes. While GPs thought that portal access may help patients better understand their plan of care, their main concerns related to causing confusion and worry. Portal implementation was expected to change GP documentation and increase practice workload and costs without demonstrable benefit to practices. DISCUSSION: At the beginning of portal adoption, patients were interested. GPs were more reticent, unsure whether the benefits would outweigh the downsides for their patients and practice workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically analyze the current status of outcomes reporting in clinical trials on treating stasis acute mastitis with Traditional Chinese Medicine breast massage. We searched CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane library, JBI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Clinical Trials Registry Platform portal, Clinical Trials Registry, Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, Center Watch Registry from inception to May IS, 2022 to find randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, case series and cohort studies which reported the outcomes of stasis acute mastitis managed with Traditional Chinese Medicine breast massage, with search terms of mastitis, acute mastitis, lactation mastitis, puerperal mastitis, breast problem, breast engorgement, milk stasis, blocked ducked, breast pain, breast massage, and acupoint massage. Outcomes and the measurement schemes (measurement methods, timing of assessing outcome, frequency of assessing outcome, measurers) were extracted from the included studies. We used the Management of Otitis Media with Effusion in Children with Cleft Palate (MOMENT) to assess the quality of each study, then categorized outcomes derived from the included studies into different domains according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Arthritis Clinic Trials (OMERACT) Filter 2.1 framework. We identified 85 clinical trials, in which 54 different outcomes were reported. A total of 81.2% (69/85) of studies were assessed as medium quality with a mean score of 2.6, and 18.8% (16/85) as low quality with a mean score of 0.9. These outcomes were organized in three core areas. Lump size (89.4%, 76/85) was the most frequently reported outcome, followed by breast pain (69.4%, 59/85) and milk excretion (68.2%, 58/85). Five methods were used to assess lump size and four methods to assess breast pain. The outcomes reported in clinical trials regarding stasis acute mastitis treated by Traditional Chinese Medicine breast massage are heterogeneous. Developing a core outcome set to achieve consistent standards for reporting outcomes and modalities for validation of the outcomes is clearly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify features associated with increased mortality risk in traumatic C2 fractures in the elderly, including measures of comorbidity and frailty. Overview of Literature: C2 fractures in the elderly are of increasing relevance in the setting of an aging global population and have a high mortality rate. Previous analyzes of risk factors for mortality have not included the measures of comorbidity and/or frailty, and no local data have been reported to date. Methods: This study comprises a retrospective review of 70 patients of age >65 years at Waikato Hospital, New Zealand with traumatic C2 fractures identified on computed tomography between 2010 and 2016. Demographic details, medical history, laboratory results on admission, mechanism of injury, and neurological status on presentation were recorded. Medical comorbidities were also detailed allowing calculation of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the modified Frailty Index (mFI). Results: The most common mechanism of injury was a fall from standing height (n=52, 74.3%). Mortality rates were 14.3% (n=10) at day 30, and 35.7% (n=25) at 1 year. Bivariate analysis showed that both CCI and mFI correlated with 1-year mortality rates. Reduced albumin and hemoglobin levels were also associated with 30-day and 1-year mortality rates. Forward stepwise logistic regression models determined CCI and low hemoglobin as predictors of mortality within 30 days, whereas CCI, low albumin, increased age, and female gender predicted mortality at 1 year. Conclusions: The CCI was a useful tool for predicting mortality at 1 year in the patient cohort. Other variables, including common laboratory markers, can also be used for risk stratification, to initiate timely multidisciplinary management, and prognostic counseling for patients and family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual and/or gender minority young people who are also members of an ethnic minority can experience unique challenges. Limited research draws directly on the mental health experiences of these 'double minority' youth. This study focused on Chinese sexual/gender minority youth in New Zealand. It sought to explore features they found challenging for, or supportive of, their mental health and wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Chinese sexual/gender minority participants aged between 19 and 29 years old and residing in Auckland, New Zealand. An inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used. Two major domains of findings emerged. Firstly, participants described mental health challenges linked to racism, sexism, cis-heteronormativity and challenges in relation to intersecting identities. Secondly, Chinese culture and community connections, family and peer support and role models seemed to facilitate resiliency. However, the fear of 'losing face', unwillingness to disclose distress when unwell and mental health service providers' lack of cultural and linguistic competency were described as barriers to effective mental health support. In conclusion, Chinese and sexual/gender minority identities were integral parts of participants' sense of self, and this was associated with their mental health and wellbeing. Further research is required to explore ways to reduce barriers and promote resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of presbyopia and cataract is closely related to changes in the mechanical properties of the crystalline lens. There are no established methods so far for in vivo assessment. By introducing ultrasound elastography, we proposed group velocity (V g) of an induced shear wave as a new biomarker to characterize the mechanical properties of the lens in our previous study. Here, we investigated the effect of the ultrasound frequency on measurement accuracy and validated the results with a conventional ex vivo compression testing. We also demonstrated a change trend in V g and its correlation with age in a rabbit model. Eight New Zealand white rabbits were fed normally from the fourth to seventh month. An ultrasound elastography system was developed to measure V g in vivo on every eye once per month. The performances when using a high-frequency (L22-11v) and low-frequency (L11-4v) probe were compared. Rabbits were sacrificed after in vivo measurements by the end of the seventh month and this was followed by ex vivo ultrasound measurements and conventional compression tests on the extracted lenses. The results demonstrated that there were no significance differences in V g between measurements with high-frequency (USE-HF) and low-frequency (USE-LF) probes in the same month-age group. The mean V g and the standard deviation of four rabbits that were 7 months old were 2.37 ± 0.24 m/s, 2.36 ± 0.25 m/s, 2.43 ± 0.26 m/s and 2.44 ± 0.38 m/s, with USE-HF for ex vivo and in vivo measurements and USE-LF for ex vivo and in vivo measurements, respectively. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) and they were all in agreement with the results of compression tests, which was 16.16 ± 1.84 kPa in Young's modulus. The results also showed that V g increased with age. In combination with the results of our previous study, V g showed a relatively sharp increase from 2 to 5 months, while it had a slight increase from 5 to 7 months. The USE-HF and USE-LF has comparable accuracy in V g measurements while USE-HF had an advantage regarding better spatial resolution. The change trend of V g was in accord with the growth phase of New Zealand white rabbits, which usually results in sexual maturity at 5 months old. This implies that V g can be used as a biomarker parameter for evaluating the mechanical properties of the lens undergoing physiological changes. • We introduced ultrasound elastography to evaluate mechanical properties of the lens in our previous study. • We proposed the shear wave group velocity as a new biomarker of lens' stiffness. • This study was performed on rabbits that were fed normally from the fourth to seventh month. • Probes of high and low frequency have similar accuracy on group velocity measurement. • Both ex vivo and in vivo measurements with ultrasound elastography are in agreement with the results of conventional mechanical test. • Group velocities increased with age, and the trend in changes was consistent with the normal growth phase of the rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) emphasises the creation of intelligent machines/systems that function like humans. AI has been applied to many real-world applications. Machine learning is a branch of AI based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify hidden patterns, and make decisions with little/minimal human intervention. Evolutionary computation is an umbrella of population-based intelligent/learning algorithms inspired by nature, where New Zealand has a good international reputation. This paper provides a review on evolutionary machine learning, i.e. evolutionary computation techniques for major machine learning tasks such as classification, regression and clustering, and emerging topics including combinatorial optimisation, computer vision, deep learning, transfer learning, and ensemble learning. The paper also provides a brief review of evolutionary learning applications, such as supply chain and manufacturing for milk/dairy, wine and seafood industries, which are important to New Zealand. Finally, the paper presents current issues with future perspectives in evolutionary machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A growing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are investigating the potential health benefits of high-dose vitamin D supplementation. However, there are limited RCT data on the safety of calcium-related adverse effects. Objective We investigated the incidence of kidney stone and hypercalcemia events in a large, population-based RCT of vitamin D supplementation. Design The Vitamin D Assessment (ViDA) study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in 5110 participants in Auckland, New Zealand. This trial investigated the impact of monthly 100,000 IU vitamin D3 supplementation over several years on cardiovascular events, respiratory infections, and falls/fractures. Participants provided information about recent kidney stone events in regular questionnaires sent to them with study capsules. Hospitalization data for kidney stones were collected from health authorities. Serum calcium was measured in an 8% subsample of participants who returned annually for blood tests. HRs of time to the first kidney stone event were calculated by Cox regression. Results During a median follow-up of 3.3 y, 158 participants reported a kidney stone event (76 vitamin D, 82 placebo). The HR of reporting the first kidney stone event was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.66, 1.23; P  = 0.51) for participants in the vitamin D arm compared with the placebo arm. There were 18 urolithiasis events in the hospitalization records: 7 in the vitamin D arm and 11 from the placebo arm. The HR to the first hospitalization urolithiasis event was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.24, 1.26; P  = 0.30) in the vitamin D arm compared with the placebo arm. From the subsample annual blood test, there was no case of hypercalcemia in the vitamin D arm, compared with 1 in the placebo arm. Conclusion Over a median of 3.3 y, monthly supplementation with 100,000 IU vitamin D3 did not affect the incidence rate of kidney stone events, or hypercalcemia. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as ACTRN12611000402943. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language barriers can negatively affect Chinese outbound tourists’ overseas travel experiences, highlighting the significance of language facilitation during overseas traveling. With survey data of 256 Chinese guests in two New Zealand upscale hotels, this study performed importance-performance and gap analyses on 19 language facilitation attributes. Results revealed that when resources are limited, priority should be given to improving Chinese language facilitation in room safety and security, in-room entertainment, and tourism information. Furthermore, this study reveals that the relationship between tourists’ perceived language barrier and hotel-stay satisfaction varies across socio-demographic characteristic, English language proficiency, and preferences for accommodation standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Little is known about how to best meet the mental health needs of sexual and/or gender (SG) minority young people who are also an ethnic minority (i.e., double minority youth). We aimed to explore the views of mental health providers (hereafter ‘therapists’ for brevity) on the needs of Chinese SG minority youth in a Western nation (New Zealand) and the therapeutic approaches to best address these needs. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight therapists (including medical practitioners, counsellors, a psychotherapist, and a social worker). All were providers of talking therapies or counselling, experienced in working with Chinese and/or SG minority youth. A general inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes. Results Four categories of mental health needs emerged. These were needs for love and acceptance; migration and Chinese cultural needs; managing cis-heteronormativity and coming-out needs; and intersectional needs of ‘double rejection’. A ‘double-minority-specific’ therapeutic process was identified. This process suggests therapists successfully engage young people through three phases of therapeutic engagement: from exploration of a SG minority orientation; via segmentation of identity and cautious coming out practice; to a sense of accepted and managed, but often discrete identities. Dimensions of therapy to support Chinese SG minority youth prioritized relational, individual-tailored, holistic approaches that attend to potential barriers. Conclusion The results suggest that therapists perceive intersectional challenges for Chinese SG minority youth in a Western context. Tailored therapeutic approaches are advocated to support double minority young people. Highlights • Chinese sexual and/or gender minority (SG) youth face various mental health needs • ‘Double-minority-specific’ therapies from exploration to discrete identity emerged • Therapists should prioritize relational, individually-tailored, holistic approaches [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how the associations between tavern proximity, tavern density and area unit socio-economic status with assault occurrence vary in a temporal sense. Using New Zealand Police data specifying the day, time and location of assaults in 2016 and Ministry of Justice data specifying the location of on-licenced taverns, we construct logistic regression models to determine how well tavern proximity, tavern density and socio-economic status predict the occurrence of assaults at peak (Fri 22:00-Sat 03:00 and Sat 22:00-Sun 03:00) and off-peak times. An equal-sized sample of traffic generators (public venues whose primary function is not the sale of alcohol) is constructed and similar procedures applied. We find that tavern proximity and tavern density are stronger predictors of assault occurrence at peak, compared to off-peak, times. Conversely, socio-economic status is a better predictor of assault occurrence at off-peak times. We also find that whilst tavern proximity and density are stronger predictors of assault occurrence relative to traffic generator proximity and density at peak times, the opposite is true at off-peak times. These results suggest that in order to minimise alcohol-related harm, there is a need for policy-makers to take into account the temporal nature of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]