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This paper first provides a critic of the implementation of compulsory national assessment protocols internationally, and then nationally through a review of the implementation process used for the introduction of National Standards in New Zealand, and National Testing in Norwegian mainstream schools. It then reviews the impact of these two assessment regimes on indigenous Mãori and Sámi -medium schools in the context of historic policies of marginalisation and assimilation. Finally, it notes the crucial role of each national government in securing funding for the production of culturally responsive National Standards and National Testing in the effort of both indigenous groups to protect their languages and cultures.

In an educational context, local, ecologically valid tests can reflect the use of literacy and thinking tools. These tests present a challenge to central, content-focused, high-stakes testing, and to transmission approaches to teaching. They require teachers to accept knowledge as a verb, and to design assessment protocols that reflect co-constructive ways of teaching. This article reports the outcome of praxis action research with middle and secondary school teachers who incorporated topic-appropriate literacy and thinking tools into their teaching. They also redesigned their local tests linked to high-stakes test protocols to reflect the use of these tools. A thematic analysis of observations and interviews suggests that this process impacted on the structural characteristics (mores) of the schools, and posed affective, cognitive and pedagogical challenges to teachers. (Contains 4 figures.)

Criteria for the design and selection of literacy and thinking tools that allow educators to justify what they do are described within a wider framework of learning theory and research into best practice. Based on a meta-analysis of best practice, results from a three year project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a secondary school literacy initiative in New Zealand, together with recent research from cognitive and neuro-psychologists, it is argued that the design and selection of literacy and thinking tools used in elementary schools should be consistent with (i) teaching focused (ii) learner focused, (iii) thought linked (iv) neurologically consistent, (v) subject specific, (vi) text linked, (vii) developmentally appropriate, and (viii) assessment linked criteria.

Winery wastewater (WW) is a high-volume biowaste and, in the context of Marlborough and New Zealand wineries, there is a growing recognition of the need to improve current WW disposal systems to mitigate negative environmental impacts. The application of WW to land is a low-cost method of disposal, that could significantly reduce the environmental risk associated with WW directly entering surface and groundwater bodies. This study analysed elemental concentrations in WW and soils from three Marlborough vineyards across their annual vintage to determine the loading rates of nutrients into WW and the subsequent accumulation effects of WW irrigation on receiving soils. The findings showed loading rates of approximately 1.8 t ha−1 yr−1 of sodium within WW and a significant increase in soil sodium concentration and pH, attributed to sodium-based cleaning products. A loading rate of approximately 4 t ha−1 yr−1 of total organic carbon was also identified within WW, however, significant losses in soil carbon, nitrogen, magnesium and calcium concentrations were identified. Focusing efforts to retain key nutrients from WW within soils could provide benefits to New Zealand's wine industry, facilitating increased biomass production in irrigation plots, thereby increasing biodiversity and potentially generating incentives for vineyard owners to contribute to increasing biomass carbon stocks and offset agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is known that the consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is declining despite wide-spread national and international policy attempts to increase consumption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of children's consumption of fruits and vegetables so as to facilitate better health education targeting. Design/methodology/approach: In this qualitative descriptive exploratory study, peer group interviews were undertaken with 18 girls and 18 boys, aged 8-11, from schools in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. Findings: The results show that children's consumption of fruits and vegetables is dependent on balancing risk and reward. Children know and understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables; however, the perceived risks are typically the prevailing determinant of consumption. These perceived risks often stem from children's uncertainty about whether the fruits and vegetables will meet the child's sensory preferences. To mitigate the risks perceived in eating fruits and vegetables, children employ a range of avoidance strategies. Originality/value: This study's results indicate that a model of "associated" risk is a valuable tool to explain children's fruit and vegetable consumption and preference behaviour and to assist in the development of future health education intervention campaigns.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which youth have ready access to alcohol and the extent to which immediate family influence affects consumption. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative descriptive exploratory study undertook semi-structured peer-group interviews with 20 participants from four New Zealand high schools. The interviews centred on exploring the "general" experiences of youth related to alcohol access--but with a focus on alcohol access "at home" and the parental role. Findings: The study confirmed that the home unit was the main source of alcohol for most youth and parents were the most common source of provision. Parents provided financial access to alcohol by giving their child money to purchase it themselves through older family members or friends. It was also found that youth used negotiation strategies with their parents to influence their consumer purchases of alcohol. Research limitations/implications: Youth frequently used strategies such as pressure tactics, exchange tactics, ingratiating tactics and consultation tactics to influence their family's decision-making process and to pressure their parents into supplying them with alcohol. Practical implications: It is important to recognise the role that family play as "gatekeepers" for readily allowing access and supplying youth with alcohol--and the reasons for doing so. Social implications: Alcohol plays an important part in many societies. It is important to understand how young people consume and access alcohol--particularly when the family plays a major role in access and consumption. Originality/value: Many studies have been conducted in relation to youth and alcohol consumption. Very few, as far as we can tell, explore the role of the family from the young consumers' perspective and especially from a qualitative narrative perspective.

Mt. Ruapehu is an active andesitic stratovolcano, consisting of several peaks with the summit plateau at 2,797 m, making it the tallest active volcano in New Zealand. The extent of the volcano spreads 40 km across with a series of complex faults encompassing almost the entire base of the volcano. A series of earthquakes occurring 20 km west of the summit of Mt. Ruapehu, near the small town of Erua, which preceded the 1995/1996 major volcanic eruption sequence has been proposed as a medium-term precursor for eruptions at Mt. Ruapehu. We use unsupervised machine learning clustering algorithms HDBSCAN and DBSCAN to define anomalous earthquake swarms in the region and determine whether the Erua swarm was unique by identifying key characteristics in space, time and magnitude distribution. HDBSCAN found six spatial cluster zones to the west of Mt. Ruapehu, which have temporal seismic bursts of activity between 1994 and 2023. DBSCAN identified the seismic swarm that preceded the 1995/1996 major eruption, along with one other similar cluster in the same region, which did not coincide with any documented magmatic unrest, suggesting distal seismic swarms at Mt. Ruapehu may not serve as a reliable eruption precursor when observed in isolation. We instead found that earthquake swarms are relatively common at Mt. Ruapehu and the temporal evolution of the earthquake clusters west of Mt. Ruapehu share similar characteristics to seismic swarms identified in other settings related to fluid migration, typical of fault-valve models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no quantitative short-term eruption forecasts based on peer-reviewed and validated models that are operational for New Zealand's volcanoes. Specific forecasts produced for work-risk assessments are not generally publicised. During a volcanic crisis, eruption forecasts are demanded under high stress and time-restricted conditions. Many forecasting options exist but none are proven as universally viable, with testing and calibration limited to the hindcasting of specific events. Here, we compare the requirements of six methods with currently available data and monitoring capabilities at each of New Zealand's volcanoes to determine which methods are currently feasible, as well as those options that may be implemented with additional effort or equipment. In New Zealand, the major limiting factor in method selection is the low number of past instrumentally monitored eruptions. This data gap may be filled by carefully selected analogue data from a global volcano set and expert knowledge. Event trees and the failure forecasting method may be set up at most volcanoes with minimal effort, but the latter can only forecast eruption onset time. Expert interpretation is the only method available in New Zealand for any forecast output type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses comprise the largest portion of the healthcare workforce worldwide. However, nurse representation in the leadership of clinical research and research funding is largely unknown. The Australasian Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Trials Network was established to provide a coordinated network, focussed on building research capacity in nursing and midwifery. To support this work, this scoping review of nurse‐led randomised controlled trials was conducted to summarise research activity, as well as highlight future research directions, gaps and resources. Midwife‐led trials will be reported elsewhere. Aim: To quantify number, type and quality of nurse‐led randomised controlled trials registered between 2000–2021. Design: A scoping review of RCTs. Data Sources: Medline, Emcare and Scopus were searched from 2000 to August 2021. ANZCTR, NHMRC, MRFF and HRC (NZ) registries were searched from inception to July 2021. Review Methods: This review was informed by the JBI scoping review framework using the PRISMA‐ScR. Results: Our search yielded 188 nurse‐led publications and 279 registered randomised controlled trials. Multiple trials had the same nurse leaders. There were more registrations than publications. Publications were predominantly of high methodological quality; however, there was a reliance on active controls and blinding was low. Trial registrations indicate that universities and hospital/healthcare organisations were the major sources of funding, while publications indicate that Governments and the National Health and Medical Research Council were the main funding bodies. Conclusion: A small number of high‐quality, large‐scale, nationally funded randomised controlled trials were identified, with a larger number of locally funded small trials. There was a disparity between the number of registered trials and those published. Additional infrastructure, funding and career frameworks are needed to enable nurses to design, conduct and publish clinical trials that inform the health system and improve health outcomes. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Research initiated and led by nurses has the potential to improve the health and well‐being of individuals and communities, and current nurse‐led research is of high methodological quality; however, there were very few nurse‐led RCTs, conducted by a small pool of nurse researchers. This gap highlights the need for support in the design, conduct and publishing of nurse‐led RCTs. Patient or Public Contribution: This is a scoping review; therefore, patient or public contribution is not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Internationally, it is well established that the behaviour, performance, and achievement of schoolchildren is directly linked to the nutritional status of overall diet -- including the contents of their school lunch-boxes. In a previous survey study by the lead authors, primary school children's food consumption behaviour was investigated. Results indicated that most children's lunch-boxes contained an over-representation of "undesirable" food groups and an under-representation of fruit and vegetables. This follow-up study examined children's awareness of healthy food choices and investigated what food groups children would choose if given free choice when constructing a lunch-box. Methods: The data was obtained by surveying 1,184 primary school children from eight different urban primary schools in the Manawatu Region of New Zealand. Food items included in this survey represented the 40 most common foods from the previous study. A series of accompanying food charts were used in combination with the checklists. From these lists the children were asked to construct a hypothetical ideal "dream" lunch-box and a "healthy" lunch-box. Results: Results indicated a significant difference between the fruit and vegetable content between lunch-boxes, demonstrating that children understood fruit and vegetables are healthy -- but that they did not necessarily translate this knowledge into action. Conclusion: The influences on children's choices in fruit and vegetables are as complex as the barriers to them eating. This study offers unique insight into the knowledge and behaviours of schoolchildren when selecting and consuming fruit and vegetables -- especially given a degree of autonomy and choice. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

International research suggests that government policy, institutional culture and learner characteristics influence the attrition rate of first-year tertiary education students. These variables were investigated in relation to a cohort of 21 New Zealand students who failed a core literacy paper. The research utilised questionnaires, interviews with staff and students and observations around a series of workshops designed to review the literacy course. Results align with international findings, but also differ because of site-specific institutional, and student socio-cultural factors. The workshops improved students' course content knowledge, but did not address deep-seated, literacy and culturally-based impediments that contribute to attrition. Principles of social justice and social contract theory described by Rawls (1958) and Sen (2009) are used to critique policy and pedagogical and learner characteristics. Based on this critique, the research concluded that some aspects of policy and institutional, cultural and student behaviour were unjust. (Contains 2 tables.)

Self-management of diabetes is encouraged; however, it is not an easy task and requires a good understanding of the disease. To determine how to improve the self-management abilities of diabetes in people with an intellectual disability (ID), this study explored the knowledge and understanding of diabetes held by a select group of adults with diabetes. The group was made up of 14 adult New Zealanders (eight males and six females; age range 23-69 years) with type 1 diabetes (n = 6) and type 2 diabetes (n = 8). They and their nominated key informants were interviewed. Blood sugar levels (gained from using hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) tests) were obtained on all participants. HbA1c levels ranged from 5.4% to 12.3%. The participants fell into three categories of understanding diabetes: (1) those who had a good understanding of the disease; (2) those who had some knowledge but their actual understanding was limited; and (3) those who demonstrated only a very basic knowledge. It was found that all of the adults were actively engaged in the self-management process, and all appeared to have some understanding of the role of diet, blood sugar levels, and exercise in the management of their disease. Support from others was important in this process, even for those adults who had a good understanding of the disease. Diabetes significantly impacted the adults' lives, and in some cases, prevented them from living independently. When interviewed, the adults suggested strategies to assist with self-management such as the use of a "buddy" system to encourage exercise. Authors concluded that adults with ID can be engaged in self-management of their diabetes. However, it is important that they continue to receive education and support throughout their lives and that time be spent with each individual to identify how to provide the best education and support. Peer-led education and user-friendly resources are recommended to achieve lifelong education and support.

This article draws on early data from a two-year project (2009-11) being undertaken in the New Zealand context by the authors entitled: "Teachers as Writers: Transforming Professional Identity and Classroom Practice". Based on the National Writing Project in the USA (and in New Zealand in the 1980s) its hypothesis is that when teachers embrace the professional identity of writer, their practices as teachers of writing undergo a transformation that enhances the experience of and performance in the writing of their students. (Contains 4 tables and 7 notes.)

This paper describes some key characteristics of two secondary schools that were able to sustain benefits accrued from funded, externally facilitated literacy professional development intervention, during the year after facilitation had ceased. Characteristics that, together, signal a school with the potential to sustain gains in understanding about learning and literacy included the role of key people in building a critical mass community of practice, the theoretical and learner-focused nature of professional learning sessions built around an inquiry cycle, the use of intellectual resources focused more broadly on learning rather than literacy and the use of literacy data to facilitate evidence-based teaching. (Contains 9 notes.)

There have been various published histories of Australasian universities but none as rich as the two most recent relating to the universities of Sydney (1991) and Melbourne (2003). The latter, in particular, was the catalyst for this exploratory study. How was it that at a time when many major British cities lacked a university institution, towns (one can hardly describe them as cities) in the remote corners of empire were establishing universities? What were the driving motives for the founding of such institutions at a time when most colonies were barely providing even a basic primary schooling for most children? Were there underlying socio-economic and/or cultural pressures at work or was each university a unique case study of individual initiative as was the case of Wentworth in Sydney and MacAndrew at Otago, or group effort as was the case with the Oxford inspired Anglican "Pilgrims" in Christchurch, New Zealand. Whatever the cause, one cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer audacity of those who found both the time and energy to transplant the roots of Britain's intellectual heritage in alien lands far from home. This paper examines the origins of the first university institutions established in nineteenth century Australasia. At first sight it would seem that the founding of each institution was a unique story in its own right--a response by an individual or a small group to a felt need generated by a unique set of circumstances--but it was surely more than that. Many of the founding professors were outstanding British academics. What prompted them to give up the chance of a comfortable existence at home in order to make what often proved to be a long one way sea voyage to the back of beyond? This paper argues that it was not just distance from home, the practical problems of educating the young, or the need for professional expertise in fields like law, medicine, engineering, or accountancy that gave rise to Australasian universities but rather a deeply ingrained desire to reproduce British culture which was itself an expression of the Victorians' confidence in their ability to shape the future.

Eating patterns among school-aged children continue to be highly reliant on frequent consumption of food items that are perceived to have low or poor nutritional value. This has become a serious public health concern. In this New Zealand-based study, primary school children's food consumption behaviour was investigated via two sources: a cross-sectional survey of school foods from 927 lunch-boxes, and the content analysis of unconsumed foods deposited in provided food waste disposal bins. The results indicated that most lunch-boxes contained an over-representation of the food groups high in fat, sodium and sugar, and an under-representation of fruit and vegetables. In this study, the measured high proportions of unconsumed healthy foods (mainly fruit and vegetables), in comparison to unhealthy foods, being thrown away by school-children were of concern. The results indicate that schools and parents should pursue initiatives that support healthy diets for children as best practice. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

This paper outlines the methodological dimensions of the secondary literacy research evaluation that is the focus of this special issue-the New Zealand-based Secondary Schools' Literacy Initiative (SSLI). We argue that these methodological dimensions are an example of the type of contextualised and critical research that might be usefully applied in exploring literacy across the curriculum in other national contexts. A particular concern addressed in the paper is the need to develop a contextualised, rich description of literacy practices in schools, while also addressing a wider policy climate, which is often preoccupied with issues of literacy achievement and, particularly, often-entrenched differential achievement for students across class and ethnicity lines. To achieve this, the researchers adopted a quasi-ethnographic, multi-locale, mixed-methods approach intended to enhance the robustness of the research design and the validity of the results.

The present article reports foster carer perceptions of the long‐term effectiveness of a carer‐focussed training intervention – the Fostering Changes (FC) programme. Five foster carers who completed FC at a not‐for‐profit child and family agency in New Zealand were interviewed 13–15 months post‐training about their experiences and perceptions of FC and its subsequent effectiveness. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) informed both data collection and analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified: (1) FC is perceived to be an effective training programme that provides sustained benefits; (2) foster carer training is crucially important; (3) the challenges of fostering continue, irrespective of training; (4) caregiver confidence gained from training wanes over time in the face of persistent challenges; (5) foster carers require ongoing therapeutic interventions and support because of their children's persistent behavioural and relational difficulties. The findings suggest that, while FC provides effective and relevant training, carers simultaneously require ongoing clinical services. Practitioner pointsChildren in out‐of‐home care who have persistent relational and mental health difficulties require ongoing specialised therapeutic supportFoster carer group training (such as Fostering Changes) may help to stabilise children's placements and mental health recovery but does not replace the need for personalised, systemic interventions with caregiversFoster carer group therapeutic training is preferably integrated within ongoing, systemic, multi‐component interventions, rather than offered as discrete, stand‐alone interventions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argues that displaying the transnationalism idea opens the way to exploring the rotation of people and ideas beyond national boundaries. Focuses on educator/lecturer's, Harriet Christian Newcomb and Margaret Emily Hodge, who furthered the enfranchisement of women in Australia and New Zealand and the beginning of the British Dominions Woman Suffrage Union. (KDR)

Introduction. There is considerable variation in the structure and resources of New Zealand (NZ) rural hospitals; however, these have not been recently quantified and their effects on healthcare outcomes are poorly understood. Importantly, there is no standardised description of each rural hospital's catchment boundary and the characteristics of the population living within this area. Aim. To define and describe a catchment population for each of New Zealand's rural hospitals. Methods. An exploratory approach to developing catchments was employed. Geographic Information Systems were used to develop drive-time-based geographic catchments, and administrative health data (National Minimum Data Set and Primary Health Organisation Data Set) informed service utilisation-based catchments. Catchments were defined at both the Statistical Area 2 (SA2) and domicile levels, and linked to census-based population data, the Geographic Classification for Health, and the area-level New Zealand Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (NZDep2018). Results. Our results highlight considerable heterogeneity in the size (max: 57 564, min: 5226) and characteristics of populations served by rural hospitals. Substantial differences in the age structure, ethnic composition, socio-economic profile, 'remoteness' and projected future populations, are noted. Discussion. In providing a standardised description of each rural hospital's catchment boundary and its population characteristics, the considerable heterogeneity of the communities served by rural hospitals, both in size, rurality and socio-demographic characteristics, is highlighted. The findings provide a platform on which to build further research regarding NZ's rural hospitals and inform the delivery of highquality, cost-effective and equitable health care for people living in rural NZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat modification and introduced mammalian predators are linked to global species extinctions and declines, but their relative influences can be uncertain, often making conservation management difficult. Using landscape-scale models, we quantified the relative impacts of habitat modification and mammalian predation on the range contraction of a threatened New Zealand riverine duck. We combined 38 years of whio (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) observations with national-scale environmental data to predict relative likelihood of occurrence (RLO) under two scenarios using bootstrapped boosted regression trees (BRT). Our models used training data from contemporary environments to predict the potential contemporary whio distribution across New Zealand riverscapes in the absence of introduced mammalian predators. Then, using estimates of environments prior to human arrival, we used the same models to hindcast potential pre-human whio distribution prior to widespread land clearance. Comparing RLO differences between potential pre-human, potential contemporary and observed contemporary distributions allowed us to assess the relative impacts of the two main drivers of decline; habitat modification and mammalian predation. Whio have undergone widespread catastrophic declines most likely linked to mammalian predation, with smaller declines due to habitat modification (range contractions of 95% and 37%, respectively). We also identified areas of potential contemporary habitat outside their current range that would be suitable for whio conservation if mammalian predator control could be implemented. Our approach presents a practical technique for estimating the relative importance of global change drivers in species declines and extinctions, as well as providing valuable information to improve conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New Zealand, there are known disparities between the Indigenous Māori and the majority non-Indigenous European populations in access to cancer treatment, with resulting disparities in cancer survival. There is international evidence of ethnic disparities in the distance travelled to access cancer treatment; and as such, the aim of this paper was to examine the distance and time travelled to access surgical care between Māori and European liver and stomach cancer patients. We used national-level data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis to describe the distance travelled by patients to receive their first primary surgery for liver or stomach cancer, as well as the estimated time to travel this distance by road, and the surgical volume of hospitals performing these procedures. All cases of liver (ICD-10-AM 3rd edition code: C22) and stomach (C16) cancer that occurred in New Zealand (2007–2019) were drawn from the New Zealand Cancer Registry (liver cancer: 866 Māori, 2,460 European; stomach cancer: 953 Māori, 3,192 European), and linked to national inpatient hospitalisation records to examine access to surgery. We found that Māori on average travel 120km for liver cancer surgery, compared to around 60km for Europeans, while a substantial minority of both Māori and European liver cancer patients must travel more than 200km for their first primary liver surgery, and this situation appears worse for Māori (36% vs 29%; adj. OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.09–2.01). No such disparities were observed for stomach cancer. This contrast between cancers is likely driven by the centralisation of liver cancer surgery relative to stomach cancer. In order to support Māori to access liver cancer care, we recommend that additional support is provided to Māori patients (including prospective financial support), and that efforts are made to remotely provide those clinical services that can be decentralised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has highlighted that a high prevalence of young adults who have various forms of neurodivergence come into contact with the criminal justice system. Currently, many courts are not designed to respond to neurological differences often seen in young people who engage with them. The aim of this study was to identify ways to make locality courts more accessible, engaging, and ultimately more responsive to neurodivergence. A panel of neurodivergence specialists reviewed the general district courtroom environment of a new specialised young adult list court in Aotearoa New Zealand to identify potential barriers to accessibility and to highlight areas for improvement. The methodology involved naturalistic observation of a typical morning in the courtroom. We identified a series of recommendations with the potential to improve the court experience and increase access to justice for neurodivergent young adults. This study identified specific need for neurodiversity education and screening within the court environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shoulder and neck pain (SNP) is common in office workers and represents a serious public health problem given its detrimental impact on quality of life, physical functioning, personal finances, employers, and the health care system. Management with painkillers has adverse implications such as tolerance, addiction, and opioid abuse. Safe, sustainable, cost-effective, and evidence-based solutions are urgently needed. The non-invasive, painless, non-infectious, and safe modality of low-level laser acupuncture (LLLA) has shown promise for SNP management. Objective: The overarching aim of this study is to provide evidence of the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of LLLA for office workers with SNP. Methods: This is a pilot, single-blind, double-armed, randomised controlled trial on the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of a two-week LLLA therapy for office workers with SNP, aged 18 to 65 years. Each of the two study groups will contain 35 participants: the intervention group will receive LLLA from a licensed acupuncturist at the researchers' university clinic (10–20 min/session, 3 sessions/week) for two weeks; the control group will receive usual care without painkillers. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, throughout the two-week intervention, and at trial end. Surveys including open-ended questions will be completed. The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a two-week LLLA therapy for office workers with SNP, as measured by recruitment and completion rates, patient safety, and treatment adherence and compliance. Participants' attitudes, motivation, and challenges to participation, intervention non-compliance, and experience of participating in the trial will be investigated via qualitative data. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of LLLA on SNP using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ); the work productivity and activity assessment (WPAI:SHP); 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) for quality of life assessment; and the past 3-month out-of-pocket (OOP) cost for prescription and non-prescription SNP therapy, which is an indicative of the economic burden of SNP on patients and health care systems. This study was approved by Edith Cowan University's Human Research Ethics Committee (No. 2021-02225-WANG). Results: Data collection will commence in December 2021 with anticipated completion by December 2022. Conclusions: Safe, sustainable, cost-effective, evidence-based interventions are needed to minimise the negative implications of SNP in office workers. LLLA is a promising modality in managing SNP. However, more consolidated evidence is required to provide insight regarding the effectiveness of LLLA. This study is expected to contribute to the challenging work of reducing the burden of SNP in office workers. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12621000426886p; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12621000426886p.aspx [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine potential indicators of health need for primary care in spatial equity research, and evidence of the Inverse Care Law in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Methods: A cross‐sectional analysis of 7 health need indicators (ambulatory sensitive hospitalizations; cancer rate; mortality rate; New Zealand index of multiple deprivation‐health domain; age; New Zealand index of deprivation; smoking rate) that were identified through a systematic review was carried out. Values of indicators were mapped and analyzed using geographic information systems (GIS). Spearman's correlations were calculated between indicators, and clusters of high need were identified through spatial autocorrelation. The impact of incorporating indicator‐based weightings into an accessibility model was tested using analysis of variance and Spearman's correlations. General practice service spatial equity was assessed by comparing clusters of high access versus need, and quantified through the Gini coefficient. Findings: Ambulatory sensitive hospitalization (ASH) rates were significantly correlated with all indicators. Health needs were significantly clustered, but incorporating indicator weightings into the spatial accessibility analysis did not impact accessibility scores. A misalignment of access and need, and a Gini coefficient of 0.281 suggest that services are not equitably distributed. Conclusion: ASH rates seem a robust indicator of health need. However, data access issues may restrict their use. Area‐level socioeconomic deprivation measures incorporate some social determinants of health, and they have potential for wider use. High need clusters vary spatially according to the indicator used. GIS techniques can identify "hot‐spots" of need, but these can be masked in accessibility models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand motivators, facilitators and challenges to dietary change amongst a diverse sample of New Zealanders with prediabetes participating in a primary care nurse-led individualised dietary intervention. Design: A qualitative study involving semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with a stratified sample of adults with prediabetes and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, purposefully selected from a larger 2-year primary care-based prediabetes dietary intervention study. Thematic analysis was undertaken. A socio-ecological model guided interpretation. Setting: Hawke's Bay, Aotearoa/New Zealand, April 2018–March 2020. Participants: Fifty-eight people aged 28–69 years, with similar numbers of men and women, indigenous Māori and non-Māori, and those who had and had not regressed to normoglycaemia at 6 months. Results: Motivators for wanting to make dietary changes were determination not to progress to diabetes; wanting to be healthy and contribute to others and encouragement by others. Facilitators for adopting and maintaining changes were a strong desire to be healthy; personal determination and feeling supported. Challenges were compromised control over life and environmental factors; feeling unsupported by others; social occasions; financial constraints and living with other health conditions. Developing their own strategies to overcome challenges was empowering, enabling a sense of control. These factors were similar across demographic and glycaemic outcome groups. Conclusions: Influences on dietary change involved personal, interpersonal, organisational, environmental and policy factors. Although findings appeared similar across groups, dietary interventions need to address the specific ways motivators, facilitators and challenges manifest for individuals and social groups and be tailored accordingly within the context of the wider obesogenic and socio-economic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rural‐urban health inequities, exacerbated by deprivation and ethnicity, have been clearly described in the international literature. To date, the same inequities have not been as clearly demonstrated in Aotearoa New Zealand despite the lower socioeconomic status and higher proportion of Māori living in rural towns. This is ascribed by many health practitioners, academics and other informed stakeholders to be the result of the definitions of 'rural' used to produce statistics. Aims: To outline a protocol to produce a 'fit‐for‐health purpose' rural‐urban classification for analysing national health data. The classification will be designed to determine the magnitude of health inequities that have been obscured by use of inappropriate rural‐urban taxonomies. Methods: This protocol paper outlines our proposed mixed‐methods approach to developing a novel Geographic Classification for Health. In phase 1, an agreed set of community attributes will be used to modify the new Statistics New Zealand Urban Accessibility Classification into a more appropriate classification of rurality for health contexts. The Geographic Classification for Health will then be further developed in an iterative process with stakeholders including rural health researchers and members of the National Rural Health Advisory Group, who have a comprehensive 'on the ground' understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand's rural communities and their attendant health services. This protocol also proposes validating the Geographic Classification for Health using general practice enrolment data. In phase 2, the resulting Geographic Classification for Health will be applied to routinely collected data from the Ministry of Health. This will enable current levels of rural‐urban inequity in health service access and outcomes to be accurately assessed and give an indication of the extent to which older classifications were masking inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming may be exacerbated if rising temperatures stimulate losses of soil carbon to the atmosphere. The direction and magnitude of this carbon‐climate feedback are uncertain, largely due to lack of knowledge of the thermal adaptation of the physiology and composition of soil microbial communities. Here, we applied the macromolecular rate theory (MMRT) to describe the temperature response of the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) in a natural long‐term warming experiment in a geothermally active area in New Zealand. Our objective was to test whether microbial communities adapt to long‐term warming with a shift in their composition and their temperature response that are consistent with evolutionary theory of trade‐offs between enzyme structure and function. We characterized the microbial community composition (using metabarcoding) and the temperature response of microbial decomposition of SOM (using MMRT) of soils sampled along transects of increasing distance from a geothermally active zone comprising two biomes (a shrubland and a grassland) and sampled at two depths (0–50 and 50–100 mm), such that ambient soil temperature and soil carbon concentration varied widely and independently. We found that the different environments were hosting microbial communities with distinct compositions, with thermophile and thermotolerant genera increasing in relative abundance with increasing ambient temperature. However, the ambient temperature had no detectable influence on the MMRT parameters or the relative temperature sensitivity of decomposition (Q10). MMRT parameters were, however, strongly correlated with soil carbon concentration and carbon:nitrogen ratio. Our findings suggest that, while long‐term warming selects for warm‐adapted taxa, substrate quality and quantity exert a stronger influence than temperature in selecting for distinct thermal traits. The results have major implications for our understanding of the role of soil microbial processes in the long‐term effects of climate warming on soil carbon dynamics and will help increase confidence in carbon‐climate feedback projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freshwater diatom Lindavia intermedia is believed to have been recently introduced to New Zealand lakes. Mucilage ("lake snow") produced by L. intermedia can block water intakes and/or degrade recreational values. Because nuisance L. intermedia proliferations and lake snow occur rarely in lakes overseas, the species was not initially recognised as invasive and knowledge of its ecology and threat to New Zealand lakes remains sparse. We combined distribution data from several sources with an existing dataset of environmental variables linked to ~ 3800 New Zealand lakes (area > 1 ha) and used a boosted regression trees modelling approach to: (a) describe the environmental niche occupied by L. intermedia; and (b) predict its potential distribution. The effect of human-mediated spread was incorporated using a binary predictor (road200) indicating the presence or absence of vehicle access. "Niche" models were developed using absences (non-detections based on a sensitive molecular method) only in lakes with road access, and "spread" models using all absences and including road200 as a predictor. Lindavia intermedia was observed in 38 lakes, from central North Island to southern South Island, in oligotrophic conditions (total phosphorus < 0.011 mg L-1, total nitrogen < 0.3 mg L-1) with cool temperatures (mean annual temperature < 11 °C). All 38 lakes had road access. Likelihood of presence predicted from the combined niche models was lower in North Island lakes (< 1% assessed as vulnerable) than in the South Island (~ 12.5% vulnerable), highlighting that many additional South Island lakes may be environmentally suitable for L. intermedia. However, using the spread models, only 46 lakes were assessed as vulnerable nationwide reflecting a lack of road access to most lakes. Lindavia intermedia was already present in 22 (48%) of the most environmentally suitable lakes with road access. The dataset and models thus implicated humans as important (but not the only) vectors of this diatom within New Zealand, emphasising the critical role of current New Zealand biosecurity policy for reducing the spread of freshwater pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a method to predict the susceptibility of New Zealand estuaries to eutrophication. This method predicts macroalgae and phytoplankton responses to potential nutrient concentrations and flushing times, obtained nationally from simple dilution models, a GIS land-use model and physical estuary properties. Macroalgal response was based on an empirically derived relationship between potential nitrogen concentrations and an established macroalgal index (EQR) and phytoplankton response using an analytical growth model. Intertidal area was used to determine which primary producer was likely to lead to eutrophic conditions within estuaries. We calculated the eutrophication susceptibility of 399 New Zealand estuaries and assigned them to susceptibility bands A (lowest expected impact) to D (highest expected impact). Twenty-seven percent of New Zealand estuaries have high or very high eutrophication susceptibilities (band C or D), mostly (63% of band C and D) due to macroalgae. The physical properties of estuaries strongly influence susceptibility to macroalgae or phytoplankton blooms, and estuaries with similar physical properties cluster spatially around New Zealand's coasts. As a result, regional patterns in susceptibility are apparent due to a combination of estuary types and land use patterns. The few areas in New Zealand with consistently low estuary eutrophication susceptibilities are either undeveloped or have estuaries with short flushing times, low intertidal area and/or minimal tidal influx. Estuaries with conditions favourable for macroalgae are most at risk. Our approach provides estuary-integrated susceptibility scores likely to be of use as a regional or national screening tool to prioritise more in-depth estuary assessments, to evaluate likely responses to altered nutrient loading regimes and assist in developing management strategies for estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is concern about the deteriorating nutrient status of aquatic receiving environments in New Zealand. We estimated the amount by which current nitrogen (N) concentrations and loads exceed criteria in rivers, lakes and estuaries nationally. Criteria corresponded to national 'bottom-line' (i.e. minimal) environmental objectives set by government policy. Three metrics were evaluated: (1) degree of compliance describes the current TN loads in receiving environments relative to criteria; (2) catchment N status describes the acceptability of catchment N loads compared to criteria; and (3) excess load indicates the amount by which the N load exceeds the maximum allowable load (kg yr−1). Non-compliance with N criteria was broadly distributed nationally particularly in low-elevation catchments. Catchments with unacceptable N status constituted at least 31% of New Zealand's land area, which corresponds to at least 43% of the country's agricultural land. The national excess load was estimated to be at least 19.1 Gg yr−1. We are 97.5% confident that estimated excess loads exceed zero for nine of 15 regions and for the nation as a whole. The analyses provide a strategic assessment of where reductions in N emissions are required to achieve the minimal national objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability and the long-term wellbeing of Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) are interdependent and degradation of landscapes risks the progressive degradation of Māori wellbeing. The present study developed an analysis framework based on Ki Uta Ki Tai (holistic-mountains to the sea- management philosophy advocated by Ngāi Tahu) for exploring relationships between landcover and Māori values to enable predictions of cultural values through space and time. We used this framework to predict how two Māori values (Overall Health and Cultural Land Use) have been altered as a result of landcover change between 2001–2012 in three Canterbury catchments. The area of native vegetation declined while exotic pasture increased between 2001–2012, and there were corresponding declines in both cultural health scores. These results suggest that the change in landcover has reduced the ability of the landscape to support Māori values. This framework for assessing changes in Māori values with respect to changing environmental conditions may identify opportunities for Māori to better engage in land use management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National assessments have highlighted that urban streams have some of the poorest water quality in New Zealand, yet there has been no analysis focussing on these streams. In this study we defined urban streams as >15% catchment urban land cover and used monitoring data to assess several indicators of water quality including dissolved metals, nutrients, bacteria and the macroinvertebrate community index. We investigated associations between the indicators and urban land cover, imperviousness and geographic location. Water quality was highly variable, within and between monitored sites; and invariably poor when compared to water quality criteria. Dissolved zinc was positively related to the proportion of urban land cover and imperviousness in the upstream catchment. There were significant differences in ammoniacal-N, nitrate-N, turbidity, MCI, dissolved zinc and E. coli between geographic locations. The analysis indicates that if urban development continues in its current form, increases in urban land cover around New Zealand can be expected to result in further declines in water quality and a reduced likelihood that water quality objectives will be achieved at impacted locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global emphasis on stakeholder engagement in protected area management has increased over the last three decades. Here we present key values of statutory and non-statutory stakeholder groups as they relate to their relationship with the former Te Urewera National Park (NP), New Zealand, which is now recognised as "a legal entity" with "all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person." Non-statutory stakeholders conveyed a close, personal connection to Te Urewera NP in terms of heritage and legacy, which include both consumptive (e.g., hunting; fishing) and non-consumptive use (e.g., sight-seeing, hiking, boating). In contrast, statutory stakeholders expressed a more distant and procedural relationship with the park. Both stakeholder groups perceived the possible transfer of ownership or governance of Te Urewera NP to Tūhoe (the Indigenous Māori peoples of the Te Urewera region) favourably and expressed a desire to be engaged in the future stewardship of the NP. Stakeholders considered the fostering of relations with Tūhoe and other stakeholder groups as important to nurturing and maintaining their links with the area in future. Importantly, common interests that emerge from these relationships can increase mutual understanding between cultures and willingness to collaborate. Moreover, we posit that the legal personhood status for protected areas will be a powerful tool for reconciling pluralistic values and enable deliberative processes and flexible modes of collaboration between Indigenous peoples and non-indigenous stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management of prediabetes in the community setting is a global priority. We evaluated the feasibility of a 6-month multilevel practice nurse-led prediabetes dietary intervention which involved goal setting. The aim of this paper is to explore the weight loss goals and strategies reported by participants to achieve their weight loss goals as recorded by practice nurses, and report on factors that influenced dietary behaviours. Methods: This study used a convergent mixed-methods design. A six-month pragmatic non-randomised pilot study with a qualitative process evaluation was conducted in two neighbouring provincial cities in New Zealand. A structured dietary intervention delivered by practice nurses was implemented in four practices in 2014–2016. Content analysis of the text and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: One hundred and fifty seven people with prediabetes were enrolled (85 intervention, 72 control). The intervention group lost a mean 1.3 kg more than the control group (p <.0.001). The majority of the intervention group indicated either a high level of readiness (n = 42, 53%) or some readiness (n = 31, 39%) to make food changes. The majority of weight loss goals aligned with clinical guidelines (between 5 and 10% of body weight). While just over half (n = 47, 55%) demonstrated weight loss at the end of the six month period, the majority of participants did not achieve their predetermined weight loss goal (n = 78, 83%). Gender, ethnicity and budget were not related to weight loss at six months. Readiness to change and reported challenges to making dietary changes were related to weight loss at six months. Negative factors or set-backs included sporadic adherence to diet due to other health problems, change in context or environment and coping with ill health, most notably stress and low mood. Conclusions: The data relating to weight loss and dietary goals provided insight into the challenges that people faced in making dietary changes for weight loss across a six month period. Simplifying goal setting to those goals with the greatest potential clinical impact or the greatest significance to the person, in a socially supportive environment, may increase the success of goal achievement. Trial registration: ANZCTR ACTRN1261500080656. Registered 3 August 2015 (Retrospectively registered). https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=366560&isReview=true [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fetuses affected by placental insufficiency do not receive adequate nutrients and oxygenation, become growth restricted and acidemic, and can demise. Preterm fetal growth restriction is a severe form of placental insufficiency with a high risk of stillbirth. We set out to identify maternal circulating mRNA transcripts that are differentially expressed in preterm pregnancies complicated by very severe placental insufficiency, in utero fetal acidemia, and are at very high risk of stillbirth.Methods: We performed a cohort study across six hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, prospectively collecting blood from 128 pregnancies complicated by preterm fetal growth restriction (delivery < 34 weeks' gestation) and 42 controls. RNA-sequencing was done on all samples to discover circulating mRNAs associated with preterm fetal growth restriction and fetal acidemia in utero. We used RT-PCR to validate the associations between five lead candidate biomarkers of placental insufficiency in an independent cohort from Europe (46 with preterm fetal growth restriction) and in a third cohort of pregnancies ending in stillbirth.Results: In the Australia and New Zealand cohort, we identified five mRNAs that were highly differentially expressed among pregnancies with preterm fetal growth restriction: NR4A2, EMP1, PGM5, SKIL, and UGT2B1. Combining three yielded an area under the receiver operative curve (AUC) of 0.95. Circulating NR4A2 and RCBTB2 in the maternal blood were dysregulated in the presence of fetal acidemia in utero. We validated the association between preterm fetal growth restriction and circulating EMP1, NR4A2, and PGM5 mRNA in a cohort from Europe. Combining EMP1 and PGM5 identified fetal growth restriction with an AUC of 0.92. Several of these genes were differentially expressed in the presence of ultrasound parameters that reflect placental insufficiency. Circulating NR4A2, EMP1, and RCBTB2 mRNA were differentially regulated in another cohort destined for stillbirth, compared to ongoing pregnancies. EMP1 mRNA appeared to have the most consistent association with placental insufficiency in all cohorts.Conclusions: Measuring circulating mRNA offers potential as a test to identify pregnancies with severe placental insufficiency and at very high risk of stillbirth. Circulating mRNA EMP1 may be promising as a biomarker of severe placental insufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific surface area can be a strong predictor of organic carbon (SOC) contents in soils. Specific surface area can be estimated reliably and cost‐effectively from water adsorption by air‐dry soil samples, but SOC itself can also adsorb water. For estimating the mineral component of specific surface area, it is, therefore, necessary to exclude water‐adsorption by SOC. Here, we refer to "apparent specific surface area" for measurements that include water adsorption by both mineral soil and SOC. We used a mathematical approach to estimate water adsorption by SOC so that this component can be subtracted from measurements of apparent specific surface area. We used a dataset of apparent specific surface area and soil carbon at seven depths from 50 soil cores collected from a research farm in the Manawatu region in New Zealand. Both apparent specific surface area and SOC content decreased with soil depth with very high correlation (r2 = 0.98). We estimated the SOC contribution to apparent specific surface area from the slope of the relationship between changes in apparent specific surface area and SOC content. For our soils, the SOC contribution to apparent specific surface area was estimated as 0.43 ± 0.02 m2 mgC−1. This parameter allows apparent specific surface area measurements to be corrected for the water adsorption by SOC to calculate the functionally relevant mineral specific surface area. Highlights: Soil surface area can be estimated from the H2O content of air‐dry soil but SOC also adsorbs H2O.We developed a mathematical approach to estimate water adsorption by SOC.We estimated the contribution of SOC to apparent specific surface area as 0.43 ± 0.02 m2 mgC−1.Mineral specific surface area can be inferred by subtracting SOC‐based H2O adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common land and water management task is to determine where and by how much source loadings need to change to meet water quality limits in receiving environments. This paper addresses the problem of quantifying changes in loading when limits are specified in many locations in a large and spatially heterogeneous catchment, accounting for cumulative downstream impacts. Current approaches to this problem tend to use either scenario analysis or optimization, which suffer from difficulties of generating scenarios that meet the limits, or high complexity of optimization approaches. In contrast, we present a novel method in which simple catchment models, load limits, upstream/downstream spatial relationships and spatial allocation rules are combined to arrive at source load changes. The process iteratively establishes the critical location (river segment or lake) where the limits are most constraining, and then adjusts sources upstream of the critical location to meet the limit at that location. The method is demonstrated with application to New Zealand (268,000 km2) for nutrients and the microbial indicator E. coli, which was conducted to support policy development regarding water quality limits. The model provided useful insights, such as a source load excess (the need for source load reduction) even after mitigation measures are introduced in order to comply with E. coli limits. On the other hand, there was headroom (ability to increase source loading) for nutrients. The method enables assessment of the necessary source load reductions to achieve water quality limits over broad areas such as large catchments or whole regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As significant stakeholders in the marine estate, Māori will play a central role in the proposed transition to a blue economy. While te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) aligns well with the blue economy, due to the consequences of colonisation and the specific circumstances caused by the Quota Management System and resulting Treaty of Waitangi settlement legislation addressing historic Māori grievances regarding fishing rights, Māori also face a number of extra constraints regarding this transition. This paper examines these constraints, arguing that these they are largely due to the current legal framework. • As significant stakeholders in marine estate, Māori are vital to blue economy shift. • However, Māori must overcome fragmentation, commodification, and centralisation. • These constraints are largely a product of the current institutional framework. • A range of institutional, organisational, and operational changes are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]