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The Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) is an invasive species in New Zealand and a voracious arthropod predator, incorporating a wide range of prey into its diet. We examined the colony survival and prey community composition of these wasps in a protected coastal habitat in New Zealand. Paper wasp colonies at this site were surveyed and monitored weekly over two summers. Our data showed that only ~20% of the monitored colonies each year survived until late summer, with high rates of colony mortality in late spring and early summer. We collected samples of wasp larval guts over a temporal gradient in one nesting season, and via DNA metabarcoding analysis, we identified the prey species consumed. The prey species most frequently identified in larval samples were endemic cicadas and several lepidopteran species. No native arthropod species of known conservation concern were identified in the analysis. However, 63% of the unique taxon sequences retrieved could not be identified by genus or species level, likely due to the absence of reference barcodes. These taxa may represent a group of understudied species, potentially highly endemic or localised. Our analysis indicates that these invasive wasps are opportunistic‐generalist predators with the potential to exert high predation pressure on native arthropods. P. chinensis may be preying on a range of understudied species, especially in remote, natural habitats across New Zealand. We recommend future studies continue to barcode native New Zealand arthropods in order to improve the taxonomic assignments of dietary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this position paper on ventilatory support at home for children is to provide expert consensus from Australia and New Zealand on optimal care for children requiring ventilatory support at home, both non-invasive and invasive. It was compiled by members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Australasian Sleep Association (ASA). This document provides recommendations to support the development of improved services for Australian and New Zealand children who require long-term ventilatory support. Issues relevant to providers of equipment and areas of research need are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct and indirect impacts that invasive predators have on communities within their invaded range are poorly understood, particularly in the early stages of invasion. Through top‐down control of their prey, predators have the capacity to trigger cascading effects on lower trophic levels.We found the recent arrival of the invasive paper wasp Polistes dominula Christ has been associated with substantial declines in local butterfly abundance in New Zealand. One of the butterfly species we observed to be affected is the monarch, Danaus plexippus Linnaeus with densities reduced by 66% at the study site. Field experiments were conducted to examine the strength of the predation pressure exerted by P. dominula on monarch caterpillars and the cascading effects on milkweed (Gomphocarpus physocarpus E. Mey.) fitness.A survival study of monarch caterpillars was conducted across three habitat types (coastal, forest, and suburban). Caterpillar survival in suburban areas was lowest, with only 45% of caterpillars remaining after just 6 h of exposure to wasp foraging. Predation by P. dominula explained 85% of caterpillar deaths within the trial period.The cascading effects of P. dominula presence were quantified through changes in the height, foliage, and reproductive output of milkweed plants. Monarch caterpillar predation by P. dominula was found to have a positive effect on milkweed fitness.This study demonstrates a strong trophic cascade initiated by an invasive predator. These findings highlight the impacts an invasive species can have on local communities beyond their direct predatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spirometry has been established as an essential test for diagnosing and monitoring respiratory disease, particularly asthma and COPD, as well as in occupational health surveillance. In Australia and New Zealand, there is currently no pathway for spirometry operators in community‐based healthcare settings to demonstrate spirometry competence. The Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science (ANZSRS) has identified a need for developing a pathway for operators working in community‐based practices in Australia and New Zealand to demonstrate spirometry competence and certification. Spirometry certification provides evidence to patients, clients, employers and organizations that an individual has participated in an assessment process that qualifies them to perform spirometry to current international spirometry standards set out by the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). This document describes a competence assessment pathway that incorporates a portfolio and practical assessment. The completion of this pathway and the award of certification confer an individual is competent to perform spirometry for 3 years, after which re‐certification is required. The adoption of this competency assessment and certification process by specialist organizations, and the commitment of operators performing spirometry to undergo this process, will enhance spirometry quality and practice in community‐based healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an executive summary of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2020 guideline for pre‐existing diabetes and pregnancy. The summary focuses on the main clinical practice points for the management of women with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes in relation to pregnancy, including preconception, antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care. The full guideline is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13265. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate endodontic paper point tear test ( PPTT) in rabbits and compare changes in corneal touch threshold ( CTT) induced by Schirmer tear test ( STT) and PPTT. Normal corneal sensitivity recovery time after both tear tests was also measured. Also, mean PPTT and STT values were obtained. Methods Tear production of 20 eyes, from 10 rabbits, was evaluated using STT and the PPTT. Central corneal touch threshold was measured by a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer before any tear test was performed (zero time), immediately after the test (1 min), and consecutively at 6, 11, 16, and 26 min. Tests were conducted on three consecutive days: Day 1 - control condition, no tear tests performed only the CTT; Day 2 - CTT before and after PPTT; and Day 3 - CTT before and after STT. CTT values were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Results Corneal touch threshold was significantly increased for at least 16 min after STT, indicating STT causes corneal discomfort. No difference was found between CTT following PPTT and controls, indicating PPTT caused minimal corneal discomfort. The mean (± SD) value for STT was 5.2 ± 1.0 mm/min and for PPTT was 13.8 ± 1.5 mm/min. Discussion The aqueous fraction of rabbit's tears can be successfully measured by PPTT. This report established reference values for PPTT in rabbits. Additionally, the absence of a significant difference in CTT after PPTT compared with controls shows that PPTT is well tolerated by rabbits. Considering the improved comfort (compared with STT), accuracy, and low cost, PPTT is a bona fide method of measuring aqueous tear production in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The cohort of students enrolled in the discipline-specific bioscience paper reflects a structural diversity in that it includes students of multiple ethnicities, varied age groups, differing scholastic and life experiences. These divergent identities of students are known to influence academic performance. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to determine the ability of a set of variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, level of prior education, the place from which prior education was obtained, work experience and prior academic achievement to predict academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., Method: The sample for this study was a purposive sample of all oral health students who had enrolled in the paper at the Auckland University of Technology from 2011 to 2014. The desensitised empirical data of 116 students from the University's database were subject to multivariable regression analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated., Results: Prior academic achievement was a statistically significant predictor variable (P < 0.001) for the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper and was also positively correlated (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) to the grades in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., Conclusion: Prior academic achievement was the only variable that was demonstrated to be correlated to and predictive of the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Workers' compensation (WC) data traditionally provides information to stakeholders on work-related disabling injuries. It is important to complement this with information on serious threat to life (TTL) injury, which is the focus of this paper., Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive epidemiological study, based on New Zealand's WC data linked to hospital discharge data, TTL was measured using the ICD10-based Injury Severity Score (ICISS); ICISS ≤ 0.941 was used to define serious TTL injury., Results: During 2002-2004, there was an average of 368 serious TTL work-related injury cases annually. The distribution of these injuries was very different from those traditionally found using WC data to describe disabling injury. For example, for serious TTL injury the main injury types included traumatic brain injury, whereas for disabling injury it was sprains and dislocations., Conclusions: The method presented provides the opportunity for government agencies to produce a national description of the epidemiology of serious TTL work-related injuries., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The androgenic potential of a New Zealand pulp and paper mill effluent was measured by applying a combination of in vitro and in vivo bioassays with mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). The in vivo method assessed the rate of gonopodial development (masculinization) and alterations from normal reproductive behavior in adult female mosquitofish exposed for 21 d to untreated or secondary-treated pulp mill effluent. A second in vivo mosquitofish exposure tested the effect of glass-fiber (type C) filtration of secondary-treated effluent on rates of expression of the same endpoints. Extractable organics analyses of effluents and extracts thereof were conducted. Mosquitofish demonstrated significant masculinization on exposure to either treated or untreated effluent; the frequency of gonopodial development was reduced with effluent secondary-treatment. Male mating behavior was observed in the masculinized adult females. Glass-fiber (type F) filtration of the treated effluent eliminated the masculinizing effect, suggesting that the bioactive compounds were associated with the suspended solids. The in vitro method measured the binding of compounds within a treated thermomechanical/bleached kraft effluent extract to androgen receptors contained in goldfish testis cytosol. Exposure to extracts of either the particulate (glass-fiber filtered) or the dissolved organic fraction of the effluent produced significant binding (as indicated by the displacement of radiolabeled testosterone) to the androgen receptor in goldfish gonadal tissue. Thus, the dissolved organics extract of the treated effluent contained compounds androgenic to goldfish in vitro but not to mosquitofish in vivo. The combined in vitro and in vivo data suggest that the effluent in question could exert effects on the reproductive physiology of fishes through an androgenic mechanism. The androgenic compounds androstenedione and testosterone were not detected in the extracts used for... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on nutritional topics which include the competition faced by the Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs), challenges for public health nutrition and nutrition support strategies in dementia care.

To determine the geographical variation in serotiny in a common New Zealand shrub as a contemporary indicator of past fire regimes. The distribution of serotiny could then be used to explore factors limiting the spread of fire-dependent vegetation. South Island, New Zealand. Serotiny was assessed as the proportion of closed capsules on a shoot of standard stem diameter for 5–35 plants in 45 widely scattered populations of Leptospermum scoparium. Site characteristics, including locality, altitude, rainfall, habitat type and minimum burnable area were recorded at sampling sites. Serotiny was distributed bimodally within and among populations with capsules either mostly closed or mostly open. There was considerable geographical variation in capsule behaviour, most of which we attribute to variation in fire history. In wetlands and other sites unsuitable for forest growth, populations were all serotinous above a minimum area of 30 km2 and nonserotinous below this threshold. In grassy habitats in the drier eastern areas, most populations were serotinous. The nonserotinous exceptions occurred in areas thought to have been cleared of forests by Polynesian settlers before the arrival of Europeans or in areas with numerous barriers to fire in the form of large rivers, floodplains, glaciers and barren mountain tops. We suggest that serotiny in L. scoparium is a reflection of a long history of fire in the South Island. As such, it provides a contemporary signature of a past fire regime. Landscape barriers to the spread of fire were major obstacles limiting the spread of serotiny and associated fire-dependent vegetation. Rivers, lakes, glaciers, and sparsely vegetated floodplains prevented the spread of fire in high rainfall regions more than the lack of dry weather. People, by igniting fires in small open areas seldom struck by lightning, could radically increase the importance of fire on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand data from the International Adult Literacy Survey were analysed to examine the incidence and correlates of self-reported specific reading learning disability (SRLD). The results showed that 7.7% of New Zealand adults reported having had a learning disability. The ratio of males to females with SRLD was 3:2. Between 40% and 50% of New Zealand adults performed below the minimum level of proficiency required for meeting the complex demands of everyday life in knowledge-based societies. For adults with SRLD, around 80% performed below the minimum level, and the literacy proficiency of adults with SRLD in younger age bands appears to have declined since the early 1960s. Almost 100% of adults with SRLD in the 16–20 years age range performed below the minimum level for document and quantitative literacy and 92% for prose literacy. Compared to non-SRLD adults, those with SRLD were found to leave school earlier, engage more often in manual occupations, are more frequently unemployed, and rely on more state assistance to bring their income levels closer to the levels enjoyed by non-SRLD adults. The results are discussed in terms of SRLD not being officially recognised or provided for in New Zealand, the lack of appropriate remedial provisions for children who experience difficulties with reading, and the effects of a strong whole language orientated approach to literacy instruction in schools that has been in place since 1963. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to identify and evaluate tools and resources used to support the implementation of workplace healthy food and drink policies, primarily in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A scoping grey literature review included searches of government agencies and non‐governmental organisations' websites in six English‐speaking countries, public health nutrition intervention databases and Google search engine queries. Paper‐based and digital tools were included if they were written in English, referred to within a policy or on a policy's website, and primarily targeting supply‐side stakeholders. Tools were evaluated on two domains: 'Features' (summarised descriptively) and 'Usability and Quality' (with inter‐rater reliability scores calculated using an intraclass correlation coefficient). Results: Twenty paper‐based tools were identified relating to Australian (n = 14) and New Zealand (n = 6) policies, and a further six digital tools were identified from Australia (n = 3) and Canada (n = 3). Target audiences included workplace managers, food providers and suppliers. The paper‐based tools focused on general implementation guidance. In contrast, digital tools tended to support specific elements of policy implementation. 'Usability and Quality' scores ranged from 2.9 to 4.5 (out of 5.0) for paper‐based tools, and 3.9 to 4.2 for digital tools, with a moderate agreement between reviewer scores (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.523, p = 0.010). Conclusions: A range of tools have been developed to support the implementation of workplace healthy food and drink policies. Understanding the strengths and limitations of current tools will assist in developing improved aids to support policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New Zealand, after the Second World War, the share of manufacturing in GDP rose relative to the share of agriculture. Although the government lacked a clearly articulated industrial policy, it was increasingly drawn into the promotion and support of firms in manufacturing. The Murupara pulp and paper scheme was the most spectacular instance of state intervention in the first two postwar decades. Tasman, the company set up to operate the pulp and paper mill, was a joint venture between the state, a New Zealand construction firm called Fletchers, and British multinationals. Tasman soon became New Zealand's leading exporter of manufactured products. The need to secure the market for Tasman's newsprint exports was one of the main reasons for the negotiation of a partial free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia in 1965. This article explains the early history of Murupara, and discusses its contribution to industrial development and diversification in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a collection of papers drawn from a session sponsored by the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group at the Annual International Conference of the RGS‐IBG in Cardiff (2018). This subsequent dossier seeks to advance our understanding of the 'absent presence' of marginalised children and young people in the public realm. The idea of an absent presence has permeated many fields of geographical scholarship and generally refers to the influence that is exerted by something that is not physically present (anymore); this can be an idea, object or person. The empty playground visualises such an absent presence in children's geographies. The three papers in this dossier discuss children and young people in public spaces in respectively the Netherlands, New Zealand and the US. The dossier closes with a commentary that reviews the theoretical, conceptual and substantive learning that has emerged across the papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is consensus that some form of avoiding power is required in the context of a bankruptcy or company liquidation, there is little agreement on the means to implement a voidable preference regime. The New Zealand experience of the past eight years illustrates the inherent difficulties in designing a workable voidable preference regime. The New Zealand Companies Act 1993 replaced the debtor's intention with a test premised on the overall effect of the transaction with an exception for transactions in the ordinary course of business. The ordinary course of business exception became the most litigated and controversial aspect of the 1993 reforms and recently the government has announced its intention to abandon the ordinary course safe harbour in the pending round of insolvency reform. The paper examines the origins of the 1993 reforms and offers an explanation for the failure of the effects based regime. The New Zealand regime placed too much power in the hands of the liquidator with the result that creditors bore the cost and burden of justifying why the transaction should be saved. Although Parliament enacted the effects based regime with a view to promoting better equality of treatment amongst creditors the regime failed because it achieved too much equality. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper outlines a multiple method approach used in Wellington as a way of researching issues of distribution channels for tourism in urban areas. The study combines information obtained from interviews with providers and intermediaries, visitor surveys and the analysis of catalogues to present a systematic examination of distribution channels for a range of accommodation and attractions. The results highlight the complexity of distribution channels in Wellington, with variations occurring by market segment and by type of accommodation and attractions. Chain hotels have the most complex channels. Smaller properties and attractions tend to pursue simpler ‘at destination’ distribution strategies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to inform a deeper understanding of the varied experiences of ageing in place for older adults in Australia and New Zealand. Ageing in place involves older adults remaining in their own home or community as they age rather than moving into residential care. Our focus was on how ageing in place relates to older adults' mental health, life satisfaction, wellbeing, and overall ability to adapt well to ageing. This paper followed PRISMA‐ScR guidelines. Of the initial 210 papers identified, 20 met inclusion criteria and were retained. Four key themes related to experiences of ageing in place and the skills and strategies utilised to age in place were extracted from these studies. Themes encompassed older adults' individual characteristics and strategies, their connections to community, their home environment, and the appropriateness of support and services. We conclude that ageing in place should not be considered a "one size fits all" approach to ageing. Policymakers, researchers, and governments should acknowledge that older adults are a diverse group. Future ageing policy should strive to accommodate all older adults regardless of their circumstances or ageing preferences and researchers should include older adults from diverse populations and circumstances. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Academic dermatologists in Australia and New Zealand provide high‐quality and meaningful contributions to the understanding of disease and therapeutic translational research. Concerns have been raised by the Australian Medical Association regarding the decline of clinical academics in Australia as a whole, however, such trends in scholarly output have not previously been analysed for Australasian dermatologists. Methods: A bibliometric analysis of dermatologists in Australia and New Zealand was conducted in January and February 2023. Available Scopus profiles for all dermatologists were used to measure lifetime H index, scholarly output, citation counts and field‐weighted citation impact (FWCI) in the last 5 years (2017–2022). Trends in output over time were measured using non‐parametric tests. Differences in output between subgroups stratified by gender and academic leadership positions (associate professor or professor) were measured using Wilcoxon rank‐sum and one‐way ANOVA tests. The scholarly output of recent College graduates was also analysed as a subgroup, comparing the same bibliographic variables in the 5 years preceding and 5 years following awarding of their fellowships. Results: From the 463 practising dermatologists in Australia and New Zealand, 372 (80%) were successfully matched to Scopus researcher profiles. Of these dermatologists, 167 were male (45%) and 205 (55%) were female, and 31 (8%) held academic leadership positions. Most dermatologists (67%) published at least one paper in the last 5 years. The median lifetime H index was 4, and between 2017 and 2022 median scholarly output was 3, the median citations were 14 and the median FWCI was 0.64. There was a non‐significant trend towards fewer publications per year, however, citation count and FWCI decreased significantly. By subgroups, female dermatologists published significantly more papers between 2017 and 2022, and other bibliographic variables were comparable to male dermatologists. However, women were underrepresented in positions of academic leadership—comprising only 32% of this cohort despite representing 55% of dermatologists. Professors were also significantly more likely to have higher bibliographic outcomes than associate professors. Finally, analysis of recent College graduates highlighted a significant decline in bibliometric outcomes pre‐ and post‐fellowship. Conclusion: Overall, our analysis identifies a trend towards decreased research output by dermatologists in Australia and New Zealand in the last 5 years. Strategies to support dermatologists in research endeavours, particularly women and recent graduates, will be essential in maintaining strong scholarly output among Australasian dermatologists and thereby sustaining optimal evidence‐based patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai (hereafter HTHH) submarine volcano erupted at 04:14:45 UT on 15 January 2022, causing ionospheric disturbances. This paper uses carrier phase observations from GNSS tracking stations in New Zealand and Australia to calculate the vertical total electron content. At 06:10, the ground‐based GNSS tracking station in New Zealand observes a maximum amplitude of 2.26 TECU anomaly caused by a mesoscale traveling ionospheric disturbance (MSTID) with a wavelength of 200–250 km, a period of 6–13 min, and a maximum propagation velocity of 330 m/s. The anomaly developed with time along the north‐south island direction toward the south island and lasted for about three and a half hours, with the ionosphere returning to pre‐eruption levels after 09:50, indicating a correlation between ionospheric activity and volcanic eruption. An ionospheric anomaly caused by an MSTID was also observed off the east coast of Australia around 08:11, with a maximum amplitude of 3.17 TECU and a maximum propagation velocity of 356 m/s. The ionospheric anomaly in Australia spreads out in a plane. In the process of propagation, it continuously impacts the area it passes through, and the entire anomaly process lasts for more than 7 hr. Still, the anomalous propagation velocities are more significant than in New Zealand, indicating that the Lamb waves excited by the eruption of the HTHH submarine volcano are directional in propagation speed; westward travels faster than southward. This finding will provide more references for scholars to study the mechanism and characteristics of anomaly propagation. Plain Language Summary: This paper reports on the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcanic eruption event at Tonga on 15 January 2022, which caused air pressure waves in the form of Lamb waves to propagate to ionospheric heights and caused traveling ionospheric disturbances. Analysis of the filtered total electron content in the ionosphere using dense GNSS tracking stations in Australia and New Zealand revealed large‐scale, intense ionospheric disturbances. The propagation of the anomaly is also directional, with the New Zealand ionospheric anomaly initially propagating from north to south in a ripple pattern with a maximum mesoscale traveling ionospheric disturbance (MSTID) propagation velocity of ∼330 m/s. The impact of Lamb waves on the ionosphere in Australia is more pronounced, with the disturbance unfolding in a faceted pattern from east to west for up to 7 hr, during which the maximum MSTID propagation velocity is ∼356 m/s. In addition, the anomaly is affected by small‐amplitude gravity waves and excites multiple ionospheric disturbance phenomena during its propagation in both locations. This result confirms the natural phenomenon of ionospheric disturbances induced by extreme natural hazards and shows that severe explosive events can have a lasting and far‐reaching impact on the ionosphere. Key Points: Evidence of widespread traveling ionospheric disturbances caused by volcanic eruptionsThe propagation of the anomaly is directional, propagating westward at a greater rate than southwardSmall‐scale gravity waves have caused multiple transient ionospheric disturbances in both New Zealand and Australia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is now widely recognised that engaging consumers in research activities can enhance the quality, equity and relevance of the research. Much of the commentary about consumer engagement in research focuses on research processes and implementation, rather than dissemination in conference settings. This article offers reflections and learnings from consumers, researchers and conference organisers on the 12th Health Services Research Conference, a biennial conference hosted by the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ). Method: We were awarded funds via a competitive application process by Bellberry Limited, a national not‐for‐profit agency with a focus on improving research quality, to incorporate consumer engagement strategies in conference processes and evaluate their impact. Findings: Strategies included consumer scholarships, a buddy system, designated quiet space and consumer session co‐chairs; the reflections explored in this paper were collected in the funded, independent evaluation. Our insights suggest a need for more structured consumer involvement in conference planning and design, as well as the development of specific engagement strategies. Conclusion: To move toward active partnership in scientific conference settings, our experience reinforces the need to engage consumers as members in designing and conducting research and in presenting research and planning conference content and processes. Public Contribution: Consumer engagement in research dissemination at conferences is the focus of this viewpoint article. Consumers were involved in the conception of this article and have contributed to authorship at all stages of revisions and edits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the detriment of liberal democracy, governments have struggled to prevent the exploitation of personal data for voter manipulation in the digital era. Laws pertaining to political microtargeting are often piecemeal and tend to derive from a combination of laws on electoral advertising and privacy. Evidence indicates that this approach is insufficient to curtail microtargeting. However, little is known about the regulation of microtargeting outside of the European and US contexts within which the bulk of anti‐microtargeting research has been undertaken. Accordingly, this paper aims to shed light on the preparedness of the law in Australia and New Zealand to mitigate the potential harms of political microtargeting. A comparative analysis of legislation pertaining to microtargeting is therefore undertaken using a blended approach of comparative law and content analysis. This paper: (1) identifies current legislation relevant to microtargeting in Australia and New Zealand; (2) assesses patterns of similarity and difference between each country's laws in relation to microtargeting; and (3) evaluates the preparedness of current legislation to curtail microtargeting in an evolving social media landscape. It finds that in both countries, legislation is sufficiently robust to mitigate microtargeting in some limited circumstances, but a cohesive regulatory approach is needed to constrain the most insidious microtargeting operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a keen interest to develop research systems and increase research output in the 14 Pacific Island Forum Countries ( PIFC) to support development of policies and practice based on locally relevant research evidence. Aims To assess the quantity and characteristics of reproductive health research output by each country (14 PIFC) from 2000 to 2011 using New Zealand's reproductive research outputs as the reference. Methods A systematic search of the literature using a broad definition of reproductive health. Results There were 174 papers published in the PIFC from 2000 to 2011 compared with 628 papers published in New Zealand ( NZ). Most (57%) of the PIFC papers were from Papua New Guinea ( PNG), although Samoa had the most papers by population (10/100 000). Five of the countries did not have a single publication. The majority of papers from both the PIFC and NZ were observational studies (72 vs 36%). Authors from Australia were responsible for 34% of PIFC publications followed by 25% from PNG. Sixty-three per cent of papers by PIFC sole and first authors were published in local journals, whereas 86% of non- PIFC authors published in international journals. Conclusion There is a need for reproductive research in PIFC. PNG had the most publications on the back of a well-funded dedicated research institute and a significant collaboration with Australian researchers. The large number of papers in PIFC countries without PIFC authors raises the question about the need to require non- PIFC researchers to enter into genuine research partnerships in order to build research capacity in the PIFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determining an individual's medicines information preferences and needs could enable health professionals to deliver more effective medicines information and help build patients' health literacy and ability to self‐manage their health. Aim: This descriptive, cross‐sectional study aimed to test a new information needs assessment tool, the Medicine Information Needs for Individuals – Questionnaire (MINI‐Q), which elicits what individuals want to know about their medicines. This study aimed to explore the face validity, acceptability, and feasibility of using the tool in a hospital inpatient setting. Method: Ethical approval was obtained from Health and Disability Ethics Committees (Reference no: 18/NTA/137). Following ethical approval, adult hospital inpatients from two service divisions in one large urban hospital in New Zealand were invited to self‐assess their medicines information needs using the 23‐item MINI‐Q via a tablet or on paper. Descriptive statistics were generated from the quantitative data and responses to a free‐text question were inductively analysed. Results: The MINI‐Q was completed by 228 inpatients, 137 (60%) of whom used a tablet. Participants requested information on 80.6% of the possible topics. The most common topic that participants wanted information about was possible side effects (92%). No additional topics to include in the MINI‐Q were identified from the free‐text responses. The median completion time of the tablet version was 9.2 min (interquartile range 6.7–14.6). Conclusion: The MINI‐Q shows promise to efficiently identify an individual's medicines information needs in an inpatient setting. The findings reinforce that most people want to know all the basic information about their medicines, with side effects being particularly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of domestic and wild animals is an integral part of conservation and is often based on how an animal is categorised. For example, feral cats are often killed, while valued companion cats and native wildcats are protected.Drawing on qualitative research and using the concept of boundary‐work, this paper examines the complex categorisation and management of cats within conservation in Britain and Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ). We examine how, both in theory and in practice, valued companion and wildcats are distinguished from unprotected feral cats, and in‐between categories of stray and hybrid cats.We demonstrate that stakeholders draw boundaries between cat categories differently. These differences in boundary‐drawing reflect the inherent blurriness of category boundaries, practical challenges and, importantly, differences in values, in particular whether priority is placed on the life of the cat or the cat's potential victim, particularly native or game birds. This can mean that laws outlining protections for specific categories of animals have limited effect if, in practice, those encountering cats draw boundaries differently.This paper also reports on important differences between the two case studies. In NZ, even cat advocates support the humane killing of unambiguously feral cats while this is less true in Britain. Furthermore, due to the nature of the contexts, conservationists in NZ are more inclined to assume that ambiguous cats are feral whereas conservationists in Britain are more inclined to assume that they are wildcats.This paper demonstrates that values not only shape people's perceptions and treatment of animals but also how they draw boundaries between them. This finding may have important implications for understanding other controversies in conservation and animal management. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐determination and dignity are guaranteed rights for disabled persons under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, such rights have been slow to eventuate for Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). This paper brings together systematic fashion publications that currently exist regarding blindness and Māori, centring throughout Māori understandings of disability and blindness. We employed a structured approach alongside PRISMA protocols and reflexive dialogue. Included publications were quantitative data reviews, surveys, qualitative studies, literature reviews and works of fiction. For our analysis, we formulated a matrix that drew from Kaupapa Māori, applied community psychology and disability rights literature. This meant we made explicit where research practices included—and excluded—self‐determination, democratic participation and inclusion of both disabled and Māori. Our review highlights inconsistency across disciplines regarding self‐determination and democratic participation by both Māori and disabled key stakeholders. Our approach can be utilised across disciplines as a tool for considering the ways in which researchers uphold Indigenous self‐determination, disability rights and data sovereignty. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An international systematic review concluded that individuals with poor social health (social isolation, lack of social support or loneliness) are 30% more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. Notably, the two included Australian papers reported no association between social health and CHD or stroke. Objective: We undertook a systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigate the association between social isolation, lack of social support and loneliness and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence among people living in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: Four electronic databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies published until June 2020. Two reviewers undertook title/abstract screen and one reviewer undertook full‐text screen and data extraction. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle – Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Results: Of the 725 unique records retrieved, five papers met our inclusion criteria. These papers reported data from three Australian longitudinal datasets, with a total of 2137 CHD and 590 stroke events recorded over follow‐up periods ranging from 3 to 16 years. Reports of two CHD and two stroke outcomes were suitable for meta‐analysis. The included papers reported no association between social health and incidence of CVD in all fully adjusted models and most unadjusted models. Conclusions: Our systematic review is inconclusive as it identified only a few studies, which relied heavily on self‐reported CVD. Further studies using medical diagnosis of CVD, and assessing the potential influence of residential remoteness, are needed to better understand the relationship between social health and CVD incidence in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of capitalising operating leases on the financial ratios for New Zealand councils (local government). It finds that required financial management and leverage ratios significantly worsen, but by an immaterial amount. In contrast, return on assets significantly increases by a material amount. This extends the constructive lease capitalisation literature to public benefit entities. This paper also discusses the role of councils as both lessees and lessors and that any change to lessor accounting for operating leases would have a greater impact on councils, although likely still immaterial. As a recent exposure draft suggests the convergence of International Public Sector Accounting Standard lease accounting with International Financial Reporting Standard 16, this paper provides timely evidence to standard‐setters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Report from the Editor as I start a second term. I outline success and otherwise in the first term and encourage authors to engage in the local research conversation when they are writing their papers. I point out that all methodological approaches are welcome including qualitative, survey, systematic literature reviews and experiments. I point out the hot points that Editors now are looking for so that you can pay particular attention to them in advance of submission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large geomagnetic storms are a space weather hazard to power transmission networks due to the effects of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs). GIC can negatively impact power transmission systems through the generation of even‐order current and voltage harmonics due to half‐cycle transformer saturation. This study investigates a decade of even‐order voltage total harmonic distortion (hereon referred to as Even‐Order Total Harmonic Distortion (ETHD)) observations provided by Transpower New Zealand Ltd., the national system operator. We make use of ETHD measurements at 139 locations throughout New Zealand, monitored at 377 separate circuit breakers, focusing on 10 large geomagnetic disturbances during the period 2013–2023. Analysis identified 5 key substations, which appeared to act as sources of ETHD. The majority of these substations include single phase transformer banks, and evidence of significant GIC magnitudes. The ETHD from the source substations was found to propagate into the surrounding network, with the percentage distortion typically decaying away over distances of 150–200 km locally, that is, at a rate of −0.0043 %km−1. During the study period some significant changes occurred in the power network, that is, removal of the Halfway Bush (HWB) single phase bank transformer T4 in November 2017, and decommissioning of the New Plymouth substation in December 2019. Decommissioning of these two assets resulted in less ETHD occurring in the surrounding regions during subsequent geomagnetic storms. However, ETHD still increased at HWB with increasing levels of GIC, indicating that three phase transformer units were still susceptible to saturation, albeit with about 1/3 of the ETHD percentage exhibited by single phase transformers. Plain Language Summary: Space weather, triggered by solar storms, can lead to significant variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic variations are termed geomagnetic disturbances. Changing magnetic fields induce electric fields at the Earth's surface, causing unwanted currents to flow in electrical power transmission networks. These Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs), pose a hazard to network operations as they can cause networks to become destabilized, leading to blackouts and damage to transformers. One negative impact of GIC in a power network is the production of harmonics of the power transmission frequency (typically 50 or 60 Hz); such harmonics contributed to the blackout of the Québec power system in March 1989. In our paper we study harmonic distortion occurrence in the New Zealand power grid using measurements from 139 substations across the country during 10 geomagnetic storms. Analysis identified 5 key substations, which appeared to act as sources of harmonic distortion. The majority of these substations include a particular transformer design which is known to be more susceptible to GIC issues, as well as evidence of significant GIC. Key Points: A decade of even‐order harmonic distortion data are used to investigate the impact of space weather on a power networkIn New Zealand four key substations containing single phase transformers act as sources of enhanced harmonic distortionThe harmonic distortion is found to propagate into the nearby power network over 150–200 km distances, decaying at a rate of −0.0043 %km−1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ways in which the affective and material dimensions of the commons come together to produce commoner subjectivities. Threats of enclosure can draw attention to the ways in which subjectivity reproduction is dependent on an environment which enables embodied acts of care. Using the example of the East Otago Taiāpure and Waikouaiti Mātaitai, a form of customary fisheries management in New Zealand, this paper illustrates the limitations of the institutionalised commons in its capacity to create an effective caring and protective space. Historical colonial transformation of the landscape and contemporary industrial activities have resulted in an "ecological enclosure" of the area, threatening the health of the ecosystem and its ability to encourage Māori subjectivities, specifically, kaitiakitanga, a relational responsibility to care for the physical and social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Written reflective practice (WRP) is a teaching tool used across speech–language therapy (SLT) clinical education programmes. The process aims to support the development of reflective skills required for the workplace (e.g., problem‐solving and self‐evaluation). Aims: This cross‐sectional and repeated‐measures study design investigated students' demonstration of breadth of WRP across the clinical education programme. Methods & Procedures: The participants were 77 undergraduate SLT students in their first, second or final professional year of the clinical programme. Participants wrote critical reflections following an interaction with a client/s as part of their clinical education experiences. Formative feedback was provided after each written reflection (WR). In total four WRs per participant were coded for breadth of WRP using a modification of Plack et al.'s coding schema from 2005. This was completed for each of the four time points across the academic year for each professional year. Outcomes & Results: There was a statistically significant association between time (i.e., professional year of the programme) and likelihood of demonstration of breadth of reflection for the lower level reflective element of 'attend' and higher level reflective element of 're‐evaluate'. A positive trend between time and likelihood of demonstration of breadth of reflection was seen for the lower level element of 'reflection‐for‐action'. Final‐professional‐year students exhibited significant enhancements in the higher level elements (e.g., 'premise') compared with first‐ and second‐professional‐year students. Conclusions & Implications: This group of SLT students exhibited significant change in breadth of WRP across the degree programme. This finding has positive implications for facilitating WRP with students and using the current coding framework in clinical programmes. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: WRP is one form of reflective practice (RP) used in SLT, allied health, medical and nursing clinical education programmes. Researchers have suggested that RP skills develop over time for students. Previously, studies examining WRP have focused on one off assessment of skill or over a timeframe of 6–10 weeks. Here, we examine SLT students' WRP skills across the degree programme. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: SLT students exhibited significant positive change in breadth of WRP across the degree programme as their clinical experience increased. Our results provide quantitative information in support of using RP as a learning tool throughout clinical education programmes for SLT. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This study offers support for educators of SLT students; for example, how educators can assess WRP, and how educators can foster SLT student skill development with formative feedback and reflective questioning. This study also offers support for student SLT, for example, describing how WRP can be part of their individualized learning approach and provide a purposeful examination of self and clinical skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I describe how the New Zealand External Reporting Board (XRB) and its sub‐boards, the New Zealand Accounting Standards Board (NZASB) and the New Zealand Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (NZAuASB), use research in setting accounting and assurance standards. The XRB came into existence on 1 July 2011. In the early years (2011–2014) the focus was on getting the Accounting Standards Framework in place. Research into (financial statement) user‐needs became a major strategy in 2014 and continues to be a key component of the boards' due process. In this paper I describe how the New Zealand External Reporting Board uses research in setting accounting and assurance standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Yet behind these obvious and immediate hopes and fears there lies a deeper meaning, known only to the mountain itself. Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of a wolf' (Aldo Leopold. (1949/1989). A Sand county almanac, p. 129). How do we think about rivers and waterways? In this paper I meditate on the notion of 'thinking like a river', to ask questions about how rivers and other waterways are conceptualised in the human imaginary, and in relation to peoples, place and ecology. The paper speculates on an ontology and phenomenology of watery places; to explore alternative ways of seeing and thinking. It poses the possibility that alternative epistemologies of nature can facilitate a deeper thinking that embraces connectivity ‐ the idea that rivers and waterways are intrinsically connected with place, peoples and landscape. I draw on three rivers and bodies of water, two in Australia and one in Aotearoa, New Zealand, to explore how these are being re‐imagined in more holistic ways, embracing Indigenous First Law, cosmologies and epistemologies, and framing them in discourses of Earth laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses export development in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s with reference to the long‐running literature about the sustainability of natural resource‐based growth, export diversification, and the role of state regulation and encouragement. Since 1970 New Zealand's export commodity mix has diversified. Pastoral exports, once dominant, are complemented by seafood, wine, fruit, vegetables, forest products and a range of manufactured goods. Diversification of export markets and commodities was a priority for policymakers from the mid‐1950s, and more so from the mid‐1970s. Export incentives were a chosen instrument. Seafood and kiwifruit were among the most significant examples of primary sector diversification. The paper finds that the circumstances of each industry required different government policies, and that entrepreneurship and innovation were significant alongside government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how directors of New Zealand institutional investor entities perceive the role of audit committees in their investee firms. We find that perceptions of audit committee mechanisms by directors of New Zealand institutional investor entities are distinct in terms of: (1) the directors' knowledge of audit committee mechanisms; (2) directors' evaluation of the governance role of audit committees; and (3) whether and how audit committees in investee firms affect the investment decisions of institutional investors. We argue that the identities of directors and contextualising events may have contributed to the discrete views taken by the directors of New Zealand institutional investor entities. We use institutional theory and discourse analysis to design and analyse the interviews. Our paper presents evidence from New Zealand, where the adoption of audit committees has been largely driven by regulatory changes overseas. Findings from this paper may be of interest to regulators, researchers and practitioners to make informed comparisons with observations from other countries in examining the function of audit committees and in evaluating the implications of corporate governance regulatory changes. Regulators and other corporate governance stakeholders may benefit from this paper by reflecting on the reciprocal influence between an audit committee and the institutionalisation of governance practices. This qualitative study reports on interviews with directors of New Zealand institutional investor entities, to identify how they perceive the role of audit committees in their investee firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Online knowledge translation (KT) approaches are becoming increasingly prevalent within healthcare due to their accessibility and facilitation of international support networks. Online platforms enable timely and far‐reaching dissemination of current evidence and best‐practice recommendations. Although there is potential to improve the uptake of rehabilitation guidelines, it is essential to consider the acceptability of online approaches to healthcare professionals to ensure their successful integration within everyday clinical settings. Aims: To establish the prospective acceptability of a theoretically informed online intervention for speech pathologists, Aphasia Nexus: Connecting Evidence to Practice, that aims to facilitate the implementation of aphasia best practice. Methods & Procedures: A mixed‐methods multinational electronic survey based on the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) completed by aphasia researchers and clinicians. Outcomes & Results: A total of 43 participants completed the survey with 91% (n = 39) indicating that they would use Aphasia Nexus. Understanding the intervention and how it works (intervention coherence as per the TFA) was the key factor influencing the likelihood of integration within everyday clinical practice. Participants identified potential areas where the intervention could influence service change and also recommended further design and content changes to improve the intervention. Conclusions & Implications: Aphasia Nexus is an acceptable platform for further feasibility testing in the form of a pilot trial within an Australian‐based health service. The study progresses the theory of TFA as it was a valuable framework facilitating the identification of prominent factors influencing acceptability. The study also informs further intervention refinements in preparation for the next stage of research. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Online strategies have the potential to enhance KT and promote the uptake of rehabilitation guidelines. An online intervention, however, can only be effective if implemented well. For this reason, it is essential to establish the acceptability of online interventions to the intended recipients and therefore increase the likelihood of successful implementation. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study used a theoretically based framework to establish the acceptability of an online implementation intervention, Aphasia Nexus, to multinational aphasia clinicians and researchers. It demonstrated the value in identifying the prominent factors influencing acceptability to inform further intervention refinements and warrant continuing research. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Speech pathologists should use online platforms to drive the implementation of best practice on an international scale. It is important for clinicians to have an in‐depth understanding of online interventions and how they work to enhance their successful uptake into routine clinical practice. Aphasia Nexus is an acceptable online platform for implementing best practice in aphasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper undertakes a census of how the New Zealand university economics profession changed over a decade. It shows that this small academics economics community has become more professionalised. It also explores whether the profession has become more internationalised in the new millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abstract to publication ratio (APR) is a measure of the quality of scientific meetings. The aim of the present study was to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at annual Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) conferences, and to identify the publishing journals. All free paper research abstracts (oral or poster) presented by RANZCR radiologists, radiation oncologists and trainees at the four consecutive meetings between 1996 and 1999 were identified retrospectively from conference programmes. The PubMed database ( ) was searched to determine whether or not the abstract had been published as a full paper. Of the 480 free paper research abstracts, 168 (35%) had been published as full articles. The overall abstract to publication ratio for radiology was 29% and for radiation oncology was 41%. Papers were published in a variety of journals but Australasian Radiology accounted for 27%. The mean time between presentation and publication was 16.5 months (median 17 months). These overall abstract to publication ratios are lower than those reported for overseas-based meetings in each respective area. Guidelines to scientific committees could increase the APR by more rigorous selection of abstracts. Future research should look at barriers to the publication of research findings, and identify ways to assist the publication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue that the rapid expansion of exports as a share of global wine production is strongly related to the invention of flexitanks for wine transportation and the concurrent exponential growth of the bulk wine industry. Bulk wine fundamentally changes wine production, from the organisation of grape growing to the commercialisation of the final product, as it enables companies to assemble wine across the globe by establishing new connections between distant rural regions. Building on ethnographic fieldwork with New Zealand and Chilean bulk wine producers and German large‐scale wineries which specialise in bulk wine blending and bottling, our aim in this paper is to investigate how these new connections are forged and sustained. Drawing on the work of Çalışkan and Callon, we consider marketisation processes to be composed of different types of framing, and we analyse three of them in respect of the bulk wine market: objectification of goods, marketising agencies, and market encounters. Through detailed analysis of one market encounter that we have called "wine design sessions," we show that German retailers align the other bulk wine agencies in a way that means they are well placed to decide on the final composition of the wines in a highly flexible accumulation scheme. It is through these wine design sessions and the practices of tasting, comparing, designing, analysing, and controlling wines that they organise the assembling and objectification of bulk wines from Chile and New Zealand (and from other countries around the globe) according to their specifications. Hence, rather than through top‐down pressure, coordination in the bulk wine market is accomplished through mundane practices and mechanisms which allow for action at a distance and which connect (and sometimes disconnect) rural regions on a global stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Almost 20 000 people undergo an emergency laparotomy each year in New Zealand and Australia. Common indications include small and large bowel obstruction, and intestinal perforation. Considered a high‐risk procedure, emergency laparotomy is associated with significantly high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this review was to identify and compare 30‐day, 90‐day and 1‐year mortality rates following emergency laparotomy in New Zealand and Australia. Methods: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Electronic searches were performed in Medline, Embase, PubMed and Scopus in April 2020. Results: Thirty‐three papers met the inclusion criteria. Studies ranged in size from 58 to 75 280 patients. Weighted mean 30‐day mortality was 8.40% (8.39–8.41). Mortality rates increased with longer postoperative follow up with 90‐day weighted mortality rate of 14.14% (14.13–14.15) and the weighted mortality rate at 1 year of 24.60% (24.56–24.66). There was significant variability in mortality rates between countries. Conclusion: There is a wide variability of 30‐day, 90‐day and 1‐year mortality rates internationally. Lowering postoperative mortality rates following emergency laparotomy through quality improvement initiatives could result in up to 120 lives in New Zealand and over 250 lives in Australia being saved each year. The continued work of the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit – Quality Improvement is crucial to improving emergency laparotomy mortality rates further in New Zealand and Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) New Zealand's engagement with regional and local development has been a rather modest undertaking reflected more in political pronouncement than in significant intervention and policy support on the scale which characterised post-war Britain and the European Union over recent decades (see Barca, McCann, & Rodgriguez-Pose, [1]; Pike, Rodriguez-Pose, & Tomaney, [10]; McNeill, [5]). The papers which follow in this special issue provide insight into the post-1980s experience of local and regional development in New Zealand (NZ), paying particular attention to the regions that is, the smaller towns, rural areas and administrative regions which make up non-metropolitan NZ. [Extracted from the article]

Space weather can have major impacts on electrical infrastructure. Multiple instances of transformer damage have been attributed to geomagnetic storms in recent decades, for example, the Hydro Quebec incident of 1989 and the November 2001 storm in New Zealand. While many studies exist on the impacts of geomagnetic storms on power transformers in New Zealand, no studies exist that employ Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) techniques to relate geomagnetic storms to transformer gassing. A relationship has been reported between geomagnetic activity and DGA for South Africa, while none was found in a recent study in Great Britain. This paper attempts to examine this research question by examining dissolved gas data across eight power transformers in different substations in New Zealand from 2016 to 2019. Case studies were conducted which analyzed the DGA readings of each transformer alongside horizontal magnetic field component rate of change measurements at Eyrewell across six geomagnetic storms. These case studies were then augmented with an analysis of the entire data set where magnetic field measurements were compared with individual gas rates to establish a correlation between gas production and geomagnetic activity. Analysis of the results of this study concluded that no link had been found between the production of combustible gasses in a transformer and geomagnetic activity during the observation period. However, we note our dissolved gas analysis was largely in a geomagnetically quieter period, which may limit our analysis. The production of combustible gasses is not correlated to geomagnetic storms for the time period and transformers analyzed. Plain Language Summary: Space weather (changes in the Earth's magnetic field due to changes in the suns atmosphere) is well known to have major impacts on electrical infrastructure. Multiple incidents have been observed over recent decades which have been directly linked to space weather events, for example, the Hydro Quebec incident of 1989 and the November 2001 storm in New Zealand. In this study the impacts of space weather on power station transformers in New Zealand was analyzed. Data on transformer health for eight different transformers was compared to magnetic field activity from 2016 to 2019 to look for evidence of transformer damage due to solar storms. Case studies were analyzed across six different storms using dissolved gas analysis, which looks at the gas levels inside a transformer to determine its condition. Following the case studies general trends in the data were analyzed. From our analysis we concluded that no link had been found between space weather and transformer damage during the observation period. This was likely due to the quiet nature of the sun's atmosphere at the time. Key Points: Gas data from eight NZ transformers from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed to relate geomagnetic activity with the production of combustible gassesA statistical investigation was conducted analyzing gas records alongside magnetic field and current measurements over the same periodNo link found between combustible gas production in these transformers and geomagnetic activity for this time period [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights a disjunct between geomorphic concepts of braided riverbed lateral boundaries and legal definitions used to decide these boundaries in New Zealand—a country that hosts over 150 gravel‐bed braided rivers. These powerful morphodynamic systems are prone to recurrent bar reworking and channel shift. When parts of the riverbed are temporarily abandoned by active channels, they are vulnerable to land use intensification. Associated flood protection measures that often follow intensification constrict the rivers' capacity to adjust to ever‐changing flows of water and sediment. Despite the rivers' vulnerability and constriction, New Zealand law defines braided rivers in a way that limits local councils' authority to manage land use within the braidplain. This paper explores the relationship between the law and science of braided rivers, demonstrating how legislative reforms underway in 2023 express the ways in which particular social processes play out in the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This survey aimed to assess the use of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) within New Zealand (NZ) and evaluate the quality of IGRT delivery.Method: All nine centres in NZ were invited to participate in an online survey in November 2015. Questions were asked on type of IGRT technologies available, IGRT use by tumour site and frequency of imaging. In addition, questions were asked in reference to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) White Paper recommendations on safe practice of IGRT.Results: Seven of the nine centres (78%) responded. Kilovoltage cone-beam CT (CBCT), kilovoltage planar imaging and megavoltage electronic portal imaging were the most commonly used IGRT technologies. CBCT was most frequently used in gynaecology (100%), genitourinary (86%) and head and neck (86%) sites. Despite the availability of similar IGRT technologies, there was significant variation in their application between centres. All centres used online IGRT; however, the frequency of imaging varied across the tumour sites and individual centres. Daily online IGRT use ranged from 43% to 86% across the tumour sites. Overall, there was good compliance by the NZ centres to the White Paper recommendations, with at least 71% reached for each element. However, the compliance rates for the individual centres ranged between 50% and 100%. The most commonly identified barrier to IGRT use was lack of guidelines/education (43%).Conclusion: Image-guided radiotherapy is widely used in NZ; however, there is a wide variation in its application between centres. Detailed tumour site-specific, imaging modality-specific national guidelines will allow standardization of IGRT practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper produces aggregate and industry estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) for New Zealand. TFP is estimated based on constant elasticity of substitution (CES) production functions that permit varying assumptions about factor augmentation and that allow for industry‐specific values of the elasticity of substitution between inputs. The CES approach simultaneously explains changes in labour share and output over time, and provides estimates of the contribution of capital and labour to productivity in New Zealand. The results suggest that negative capital‐augmenting technical change in several industries has weighed on productivity in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the behaviour and design of duplex stainless steel stub columns with a circular hollow cross‐section (CHS) at elevated temperature. A numerical model is developed to supplement the limited number of test results available in the literature. Following validation, the numerical approach is employed to gain an understanding of the critical behavioural characteristics which have not previously been studied. In addition, the paper considers and extends the continuous strength method (CSM) to include duplex stainless steel for CHS stub columns in fire. This approach employs a base curve linking the cross‐sectional resistance to the deformation capacity and is implemented herein using an elastic, linear hardening material model. The cross‐sectional resistances obtained from the CSM are compared with those from the numerical analysis, as well as with the standardised procedures in the European, American and Australia/New Zealand design standards. It is demonstrated that the proposed design method can lead to more accurate and less scattered strength predictions compared with current design codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]