ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to outline the impact Coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 has had on health research in New Zealand. We used data from the University of Otago, Christchurch, a research intensive satellite campus of the University of Otago with a large number of research only grant funded staff to highlight challenges and opportunities. All non-COVID-19 related laboratory and clinical research

ABSTRACT Nitrogen pollution of surface water systems is becoming a global problem, especially within river networks that receive run-off from agricultural land. Methods such as riparian buffering and the construction of artificial wetlands have proven effective when the conversion of land is achievable. An alternate approach is to consider in-stream remediation methods that capture and process incoming

ABSTRACT Over forty-nine days of Level 4 and Level 3 lockdown, residents of Aotearoa New Zealand were subject to ‘stay home’ regulations that restricted physical contact to members of the same social ‘bubble’. This article examines their moral decision-making and affective experiences of lockdown, especially when faced with competing responsibilities to adhere to public health regulations, but also

ABSTRACT Foredunes play an important role in protecting coastal communities and their assets. The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate wind flow over foredunes has great potential because it can enable three-dimensional visualisations of the flow field, critical to predicting sediment pathways. Generalised conceptual models of foredune evolution and maintenance can then be built and

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has forced us to think critically about alternative global and local response strategies to the unprecedented devastation. Some of the most infected groups are Pacific communities and this has raised concern about the need to seriously address the issue of health and socio-economic inequality. One way of doing this is through social protection. The paper critically examines some of

ABSTRACT Taramea is the prized resinous exudate obtained from native Aciphylla plants (speargrass) identified as a taonga by Ngāi Tahu Māori in their Treaty of Waitangi tribunal claim Settlement. Ngāi Tahu recognised two types of Aciphylla, the larger was known as taramea and used as a fragrance, while the tap root of the smaller type, called papaī, was eaten but not used as kakara (fragrance). The

ABSTRACT New genetic tools can potentially mitigate the decline of biodiversity. Democratisation of science mandates public opinion be considered while new technologies are in development. We conducted eleven focus groups in New Zealand to explore three questions about novel technologies (gene drive and two others for comparison of pest control tools): (1) what are the risks/benefits? (2) how do they

(2021). Cognitive and affective neuroscience: approaches and applications. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT The pioneering works of E. Rutherford related to radioactivity and nuclear science were contributions to physics, but they also had important implications for chemistry. Thus, in his early study of the ‘emanation’ liberated from thorium and radium Rutherford showed that it was a new element (radon). His theory of radioactive decay sounded the death knell over the old chemical dogma of the

ABSTRACT Ernest Rutherford is known almost universally as the discoverer of the structure of the atom. He is less well known for his discovery of the proton. Even less well known is a set of hypotheses on the structure of matter that was proposed by Newton 300 years ago. Here Newton’s hypotheses and Rutherford’s observations are described and compared with today’s Standard Model of particle physics

ABSTRACT Kaumātua have key leadership responsibilities within their communities and are crucial in curbing the spread of COVID-19. Yet kaumātua are also among the most vulnerable to the disease, given compromised health, living situations and reliance on whānau and others for care. Our study explored kaumātua concerns and reactions to COVID-19. We aimed to understand how kaumātua understand the tapu

ABSTRACT Rutherford’s studies of radioactivity and the structure of atoms led after his death to the discovery of nuclear fission, and subsequently the rapid development of reactors and nuclear weapons. Historic proposals for research and power reactors in New Zealand and safety assessments of nuclear-powered ships are reviewed. Atmospheric weapons tests gave rise to contaminated sites and dispersed

ABSTRACT The first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand resulted in disruptions to everyday life, including changes in grocery shopping, cooking and eating. This study aimed to capture changes in behaviours and perceptions of grocery shopping and food preparation during the lockdown, and the extent to which dietary patterns changed during this period. Data were collected in an online

ABSTRACT We are conscious beings: Somehow, the activity of our brains and nervous systems gives rise to states in which we have subjective experiences; and when we are in such states, we are aware of specific content. Researchers are only beginning to develop an understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Much of the research in the last few decades has focussed on discerning

ABSTRACT During the nineteenth century, New Zealand was promoted as a land of plenty, promising a ‘better life’, to encourage families to settle and develop the growing colony. This paper characterises the life-course of early settlers to New Zealand through historical epidemiological and osteological analyses of the St John’s burial ground in Milton, Otago. These people represent some of the first

ABSTRACT We aimed to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from New Zealand donors. These lines are the first to be generated in New Zealand. Human dermal fibroblasts were collected from two individual donors and reprogrammed with the human OSKM transcription factors using the Sendai virus system. Emerging iPSC colonies were picked, expanded and karyotyped. Clones with normal karyotype

ABSTRACT Global elimination of HBV is feasible thanks to the availability of a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine. However, this will not help almost 300 million adults living with chronic HBV infection. Current therapy can reduce complications but is administered life-long and is associated with risk of breakthrough and potential cumulative toxicity. There is therefore great interest in developing

ABSTRACT Aneurysms are common vascular diseases which affect normal haemodynamics in the aorta. Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) using stent-grafts is a common treatment that excludes the aneurysm from the circulation, preventing further growth and eventual rupture. However, complications such as endoleak, dislocation or limb occlusion have been reported after EVAR. This study hypothesized that the

ABSTRACT Bottom friction causes a vertical shear in the water column resulting in secondary circulation causing a helical flow pattern around curved open channels. Secondary circulation has cross-stream and vertical components. Current models for secondary circulation include ‘non-linear’ advection terms in the momentum equations. Advection due to secondary circulation deforms the vertical profile

ABSTRACT Phase Doppler measurement devices have established themselves as an alternative to laser diffraction-based measurements for recording spray drop size distributions. In addition, phase Doppler devices also provide droplet velocities and volume flux. One limitation of the phase Doppler systems that is not discussed often in the literature is their sensitivity to the amplification voltage used

The conical diffuser is one of the oldest and most versatile hydraulic devices, however its performance is often less than optimal. This is because boundary layer separation and instabilities in the flow lead to energy losses through internal friction. Boundary layer suction offers a method for controlling and improving this flow, and some experimental studies have shown this to be effective – though

A simple diagnostic narrow channel shallow water model for the cross-channel distribution of the depth average velocity is developed. It is diagnostic, because the slope of the stream-wise free surface is specified and it models the cross-channel distribution of the depth average velocity without any knowledge of the velocity field. A non-dimensional parameter that encapsulates the channel dimensions

This study investigates the use of a nonlinear model based on the penalisation approach to couple fluid flow and porous media flow. The problem is formulated using a unified Brinkman equation on the domain with a nonlinear permeability which is given a function of porosity, which in turn is governed by an advection equation. The permeability is assumed to be governed by the Kozeny–Carman equation which

In this narrative review article, by critically appraising the Global Burden of Disease 1990–2017 data on stroke and currently used primary stroke prevention strategies, we show that the global burden of stroke will continue to rise unless new primary stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention strategies are urgently implemented. We provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantagesof

ABSTRACT This article provides insights into the ethnicity of people employed in Aotearoa New Zealand’s publicly-funded scientific workforce, with a particular focus on Māori and Pasifika scientists. We show that between 2008 and 2018, Māori and Pasifika scientists were severely under-represented in Aotearoa New Zealand’s universities and crown-research institutes. Despite espousals by these institutions

The body and brain work together to ensure that we evaluate and respond to environmental challenges in adaptive ways. Psychophysiology is the discipline that unites body and mind, by describing the relationship between psychological and physiological domains. In this tutorial review, we consider the physiological systems and psychophysiological methods that are most useful in understanding human emotional

One of the most fundamental features of the mammalian brain is its ability to encode, store and retrieve a large amount of information. The neurobiology of this ability has been studied for decades, and many brain areas and mechanisms have now been linked to the storage of a broad range of memory types. Even though there are still ongoing uncertainties about where and how memories are stored, one cellular

Forensic Neuroscience can be misused in the individual assessment context, but it actually has a much more important contribution to make for criminal behaviour and the law. Using neuroscientific methods to understand the underlying pathways of criminal and violent behaviour on a broader level can be fruitful in determining targets for prevention and intervention. This review makes some suggestions

Human cognition is supported by diverse brain networks that undergo change throughout adulthood and can be impacted by brain disease. This review summarises some of the significant progress made by cognitive neuroscientists in elucidating the impact of adult aging and age-related brain diseases on these complex cognitive networks, which are now known to also be affected by lifestyle choices. In combination

Long-term potentiation (LTP) at synapses within neural networks is the most likely candidate mechanism for learning and memory. LTP has been extensively studied in laboratory animals, but inquiry into the functional significance of LTP had, until the mid-2000s, been compromised by the lack of a human model. In this brief review, we describe the results of paradigms developed in our laboratory for inducing

Cognitive flexibility refers to the mental processes that allow us to adapt our behaviour as environmental circumstances change. In this paper, we describe various procedures that are commonly used to measure cognitive flexibility in humans. We then provide evidence of a relationship between cognitive inflexibility and various psychiatric disorders. In laboratory animals, behavioural flexibility is

This paper responds to an earlier one about mātauranga Māori by Dan Hikuroa [2017. Mātauranga Māori—the ūkaipō of knowledge in New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 47(1):5–10], in a spirit of koha (contribution) towards keeping alive this important discussion about the relationship between science and Māori knowledge. Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) has been discussed for many

Approximately half the world’s population can speak more than one language. In this selective review, we consider whether there is an advantage to bilingualism and whether the bilingual brain is different in terms of both executive functioning and lexical decision-making. We focus on two functional MRI studies from our lab where task performance and brain activation from late proficient bilinguals

Migration is a key social determinant of health affecting children’s life chances and health outcomes. Yet, relatively little is known about young migrants’ own health experiences. This paper reports findings from a systematic review examining the health experiences of children who migrated in the Western Pacific region. A systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature from 2007–17 was conducted

Background/purpose: Among certain academic disciplines there is a tendency to focus on underlying human attributes as primary contributors to resilience. In contrast, the concept of community resilience extends well beyond the capacities of the individual alone. This research aimed to offer diverse perspectives about resilience enhancement, including those concerned with broader socio-ecological circumstances;

The utilisation of solar resources has become of utmost importance for the transition of the global, carbon intensive economy. In New Zealand the uptake of solar energy has increased substantially, but the relative contribution to the overall energy mix is still small. Previous research efforts on the solar resource across the country are revisited with improved satellite-modelled data from Solargis

(2020). The intestinal microbiota in health and disease. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand: Vol. 50, Special issue: How the intestinal microbiota contributes to human health and disease. Guest Editors: Andrew Day, Gerald Tannock and Jacqueline Keenan, pp. 367-370.

ABSTRACT The majority of New Zealanders (approximately 80%) born in the 1970s report using cannabis at least once, despite its illegal status. Four-10% of past-year users were at risk of developing a cannabis dependence syndrome that impaired psychological, social and/or occupational functioning. There were negative psychiatric consequences for a subset of the population who began using cannabis in

Scientific research involves a statement involving quantities and their values with respect to three different conceptual spaces. There is theoretical space, containing explanatory statements involving non-observable quantities and values. On the whole, theoretical space is concerned with why things happen. There is methodological space, containing statements about what must be done. While methodological

Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by progressive mental deterioration, related to ageing and senility. Thirty methanol and ethyl acetate extracts from 15 native New Zealand trees and bushes were produced and tested for the inhibition of three enzymes related to neurotransmission: acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and beta-secretase (BACE). In addition the IC50 for the antioxidant

A perspective is given on human-induced climate change, contrasting two complementary approaches. The first is the conventional approach of using climate models as a means for developing understanding of the climate system variations and for projections of the future. Climate models have improved enormously, but even with the biggest supercomputers, models cannot resolve scales needed to depict many

(2020). Dental research in New Zealand, past, present, and future. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand: Vol. 50, Special issue: The future of dental research in New Zealand: Challenges, progress, and new technologies. Guest Editors: Jonathan Broadbent and Carolina Loch, pp. 1-3.

Motility of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is governed by a number of physiological mechanisms, including the bioelectrical slow-wave generated by the interstitial cells of Cajal, and innervation provided by the enteric nerves. Multi-channel mapping techniques involve the recording of both the temporal and spatial profiles of the physiological activities of the GI tract. The techniques have generated

Malignant tumour cells, including malignant keratinocytes of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), exist in conjunction with other functional cells and it is well recognised that interaction between these groups of cells is important in tumour progression. In addition to cells (tumour cells, immune/inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, adipocytes) the tumour microenvironment

Epichloë fungal endophytes that systemically colonise cool-season grasses have become an internationally well-researched symbiosis. While sexual species of Epichloë can cause choke disease of grass seed heads, asexual forms are symptomless endophytes that colonise embryos to become seed transmitted. In mutualistic associations, the grass benefits through greater tolerance of abiotic and biotic stresses

The human skeletal remains buried in the cave of Rima Rau on the island of Atiu, have long been a subject of speculation as to their origins. Oral histories of a massacre, battle, famine and cannibal feast surround the sacred site. The local Atiuan community invited a group of bioarchaeologists from the University of Otago to help shed light on the people buried in the cave. We examined nearly 600

In Aotearoa/New Zealand, tāngata whaiora (Māori mental health patients) have substantial unmet dental treatment needs. The study aim was to investigate the impact of a restored dentition on the oral health-related quality of life of a sample of tāngata whaiora. The participants who were recruited in a stable community setting in Tauranga. The Northern Y Ethics Committee gave ethical approval. The Oral

Inflammatory bowel disease is the umbrella term for a group of diseases whose incidence has been increasing over the past century. Although initial literature analyses had suggested a small number of genes, perhaps between 10 and 20, responsible for disease susceptibility, subsequent national and international collaborations have significantly modified those estimations to greater than 240, with more

Human infants are born with sparse microflora in their gastrointestinal tracts. Acquisition of pioneer bacteria and their initial colonisation are affected by a number of factors, including mode of birth, feeding practices, exposure to antibiotics, and environmental conditions. Subsequent diversification and development of the microbiota continues dynamically until it reaches maturity when the infant

Recovery after major disaster poses a unique set of challenges for the older population, including disruption of medical care for pre-existing conditions, functional limitations that impede recovery, and social isolation following involuntary resettlement. In this review, we summarise the lessons about disaster resilience that have been learned (so far) from a unique ongoing field study based in a

Longitudinal research is needed to better understand the natural history of oral conditions and long-term health and social outcomes. Oral health data has been collected periodically in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study for over 40 years. To date, 70+ peer-review articles on the Study’s oral health-related findings have been published, providing insight into the natural history

The process of microbiota acquisition and microbiome development is complex and the perinatal period is key in both microbiome and immune development. In addition, the intestinal microbiome is increasingly being linked with later life morbidity and diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). It is pertinent to investigate whether perinatal events may influence intestinal microbiome development

Cataract is the most common, reversible cause of visual impairment and blindness in the world. Cataract surgery in primitive form has been around for millennia but the last 50 years have witnessed a monumental revolution in cataract surgery making it the most common, and one of the most successful, operations world-wide. Major advances have included the development of phacoemulsification techniques

High-speed imaging of water drop impacts on a polymer surface have been used alongside two-dimensional Lattice Boltzmann simulations to investigate the conditions under which a spreading lamella submerges a small surface ridge. Three basic outcomes have been observed when the lamella comes into contact with the ridge: pinning, wetting and splashing. The effects of Weber number and the dimensionless

The 14th November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake was one of the most complex crustal earthquakes recorded in the modern era. The rupture propagated northward for more than 170 km along both mapped and unmapped faults causing widespread damage across central New Zealand. Field, Satellite Radar and GPS observations revealed ground displacements of up to 6 m (fault offsets of ∼12 m), extensive coastal uplift

Recent evidence indicates a slight decline in the overall prevalence of obesity in New Zealand children (including Māori), but it is unknown whether this pattern is reflected across all iwi. We examined obesity prevalence (body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile) among 4-year-old children of Ngāti Whātua descent (n = 2031) enrolled in the B4 School Check from 2010 to 2016. Possible differences according

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common, chronic and distressing functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) which is currently considered a dysregulation of the brain-gut axis (BGA). Multiple biological systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology of IBS, however there is currently no reliable biomarkers for this disorder and no cure. Observations that the gut microbiota of IBS patients

Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in New Zealand and while the overall incidence of CRC is declining, the changing population demographics means that the prevalence is increasing. Most of these cancers are considered sporadic and current thinking is that their development is driven by an environmental and/or lifestyle factor(s) that promotes chronic inflammation and/or

(2019). Rethinking our shared futures. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand: Vol. 49, HE ĀPITI SUPPLEMENT: Ngā Ahua o te Ao Hurihuri - Rethinking our shared futures, pp. 1-3.

The advent of DNA profiling in the 1980s has revolutionised forensic science. Forensic DNA profiling is a powerful tool that is used to both exonerate and implicate persons of interest in criminal cases. The technologies used to recover and detect DNA from crime scene stains have evolved over time. Whereas 30 years ago most forensic profiles were generated from visible stains such as blood or semen