Preference and thermal comfort of a menthol mouth swill of differing concentrations in both temperate and hot environments: a randomised cross-over trial.

Background: Menthol mouth swilling is a nutritional intervention that improves performance across different modes of exercise. A range of menthol concentrations are currently used because a preferred concentration has not yet been established; whether or not preference changes between differing thermal environments is also unknown. Objective: To determine the preferred concentration of a menthol solution and which concentration offers the most thermal comfort at rest in temperate and hot environments. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the preference of menthol solutions for those who use mouthwash compared to those who do not. Design: A randomised cross-over trial involving 50 consenting male and female participants was conducted in two different thermal environments, temperate (21 °C ) and hot (33 °C). In each trial, six menthol solutions (0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.08 and 0.10% concentration) were swilled and individually rated for nine preference characteristics on a 100mm scale. Thermal comfort was rated before and after the swilling of each solution. Anthropometrical measurements were taken and participants’ habitual menthol use and liking of the taste of mint were determined. Results: A variation in preference was evident for menthol solutions between thermal environments. Significant dislike for all menthol concentrations was evident in the temperate environment in terms of overall pleasantness, however the most significant dislike was evident among 0.03, 0.08 and 0.10% menthol concentrations; the mean difference (95% CI) for 0.03% menthol concentrations was -13 (-20, -7), whilst both 0.08 and 0.10% menthol concentrations had the same mean difference (95% CI) of -13 (-19, -6). In the hot environment, only a significant dislike for the strongest concentration in terms of overall pleasantness was observed; the mean difference (95% CI) for 0.10% menthol concentration was -7 (-14, 0). Those who reported to use mouthwash demonstrated a significantly greater overall liking for the strongest menthol concentration (0.10%) compared to non-users, irrespective of temperature. However, menthol concentrations of 0.05% and 0.10% were most preferred in the temperate and hot environment, respectively; mean differences (95% CI) were 14.3 (4.7, 23.9) and 12.6 (2.4, 22.9). The menthol concentration of 0.08% provided a significant reduction in thermal comfort in both thermal environments; the mean difference (95% CI) in the temperate and hot environment was -0.4 (-0.7, -0.1) and -0.03 (-0.06, 0.0), respectively. Conclusion: No clear preference for a menthol concentration could be determined. The results from this study indicate that the thermal environment and habitual menthol use influence preference for menthol concentrations. These are important considerations for future researchers who are aiming to determine the most preferable menthol concentration in a sports and exercise setting

When my parents tell their stories: The investigation of vicarious memories in the family context

Stories that have not been personally experienced by children and are only told by their parents are called vicarious family stories (e.g., Pillemer et al., 2015). A burgeoning body of literature has shown that vicarious family stories are an important part of children’s narrative ecology (e.g., Fivush & Merrill, 2016; Merrill & Fivush, 2016). However, to date, only a handful of studies have examined the role of vicarious family stories in adulthood years. The primary aim of the present thesis was to extend the boundaries of research by examining the role of individual, familial, and cultural characteristics in vicarious family stories of young, middle-aged, and older adults. In the first study, we investigated the characteristics of vicarious family stories in the Turkish cultural context. Seventy-two Turkish families including three generations of women and men from different samples of families were recruited. Results can be described in three main sections: a) intrafamilial similarities; b) gender differences; and c) cross-generational differences. For intrafamilial similarities, members of the same family showed similarities in terms of the volume and number of other-related words. For gender differences, women focused more on social interactions, used more other-related words and subjective perspective terms, and made more identity connections between others and parents than men. When describing their parents’ reasons for telling family stories, women were also less likely to report development and teaching reasons and more likely to report emotional reasons compared to men. For cross-generational differences, the oldest generation’s stories were less coherent than the youngest and middle generations’, and less voluminous than the middle generation’s. Additionally, the youngest generation reported entertainment reasons more often than the oldest generation. Emotional reasons were more common for the middle generation than for the youngest and oldest generations. In the second study, we examined whether vicarious family stories are linked to family climate and well-being among young, middle-aged, and older adults across two different samples from Turkey. In total, there were 168 triads of Turkish families (N = 504). Across Sample 1 (written narratives) and Sample 2 (spoken narratives), we found a significant link between family climate and well-being. In addition, participants from Sample 2 who experienced a more positive family climate narrated more coherent family stories. The results also revealed that participants from Sample 1 who rated their stories as more emotionally positive and participants from Sample 2 who included more identity connections in their stories reported higher levels of well-being. In the third study, we examined the characteristics of vicarious family stories about mothers across Turkish and New Zealand (NZ) cultures and investigated individual variations in cultures with regards to the internalisation of cultural orientations (i.e., self-construals). There were 108 Turkish and 79 NZ women in this study. We found that Turkish women’s stories were more thematically coherent and included more social interactions and other-related words than NZ women’s. In addition, when reporting reasons for why they think family members told stories, didactic purposes and expressing emotions were more common reasons for Turkish women, whereas sharing family history and entertainment were more common reasons for NZ women. However, Turkish and NZ women’s vicarious stories were similar in terms of identity connections and affective tone. Counter to our expectations, we did not find a significant role of individuals’ self-construals in the link between culture and vicarious stories about mothers. Overall, the present thesis: a) contributes to the growing area of research on family narratives by examining the elements of narrative identity in family stories across three generations; b) emphasises the links to well-being for family climate and family stories, and highlights the importance of capturing different characteristics of vicarious stories (elicited via different methods) across generations; c) extends our knowledge by showing the commonalities and differences in the construction of vicarious family stories across cultures; and d) supports the ecological system approach to family narratives (see Fivush & Merrill, 2016) by demonstrating that vicarious family stories are heard and internalised by younger generations (see also Reese, Fivush, et al., 2017; Zaman & Fivush, 2011)

Determining potential cost savings associated with avoided medical utilisation due to National Poisons Centre self management of suspected poisonings, and identifying factors associated with awareness and utilisation of the service.

The New Zealand National Poisons Centre (NZNPC) provides a range of services contributing to the prevention and mitigation of harm to New Zealanders from poisoning. Each year the NZNPC’s Poisons Line handles around 23,000 calls from the public requiring advice on suspected poisonings. Of this around 70% of callers do not require medical treatment but are instead advised on how to manage the incident themselves. Poisoning exposures in children under the age of 5 years’ account for over half of the calls to the NZNPC. Callers to the Poisons Line over a two-week period who were advised to self-manage were surveyed about their alternate actions in the absence of the Poisons Line. Costs associated with those alternate actions were then estimated and multiplied by the annual number of NZNPC patients advised to self-manage. The value of medical costs borne by healthcare purchasers avoided as a result of self-managed facilitated by the NZNPC was estimated to be in the range of NZ$64.70 to NZ$446.94 per patient advised to self-manage, resulting in an annual saving of at least NZ$1.1 million. The number of calls to the NZNPC Poisons Line depends on both the need for advice (e.g. rates of poisoning incidents) and the decision to call the NPC (e.g. awareness of the NPC; attractiveness of other sources of advice). A survey of demographic characteristics, approaches to poisoning management and awareness of the NZNPC was distributed to caregivers of children under the age of 5 years through Dunedin early learning centres. Respondents generally showed a good awareness of poisoning management, with 77% of respondents were aware of the NZNPC. Possible associations between awareness levels and ethnicity, income and education merit further investigation. The findings, when considered with records of poisoning harm and NZNPC call rates by ethnicity, provide preliminary evidence that targeted efforts to increase awareness of the NZNPC's Poison Line could create further savings in medical utilisation as well as associated benefits of reduced poisoning harm and non-medical cost savings

Double Vision: Comparing Community Aspirations to Council Objectives for the Future of New Plymouth

This thesis explores the alignment of community aspirations for long-term built environment objectives with the vision set out by Council officers through district planning documents. It looks in detail at the aspects of city centres, growth and housing for the city of New Plymouth, and how the aspirations of the Council and the community coalesce or diverge. In the context of a shifting urban atmosphere, the ongoing impacts on the COVID-19 pandemic, online retailing, national policy statements and the climate crisis must all be considered when looking to the future of cities. The particular challenge of aligning community expectations with expert planning measures is at the core of consultation efforts in the formal planning process. A qualitative questionnaire (community survey) and key informant interviews were used to gauge community aspirations and a policy analysis and interviews to establish the Council vision. The results of the community survey show the diversity of views within even a small city like New Plymouth. Strong interest in a wider range of housing types, including medium density apartments and one- or two-bedroom dwellings currently lacking in the city, are juxtaposed with a continuing desire for rural lifestyle living. The low-key urban lifestyle offered by New Plymouth city appeals in contrast to larger urban centres like Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland. However, the expected growth of the city boundary to accommodate further single-family dwellings has put the character of the ‘small city’ into question. Council continues to face pressures to unlock land for residential development. The ailing city centre, in no way unique to New Plymouth, was the focus of several suggested solutions, from evolution to revolution. New Plymouth locals expressed a variety of expectations, though overall aspirations are for increased social capacity and green space in the city centre. These findings are expected to be of use to New Plymouth District Council and related agencies in providing a greater understanding of community perspectives on the expectations and challenges for the future of New Plymouth’s urban form

Standardisation and Data Augmentation in Genetic Programming

Under review at IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary ComputationGenetic programming (GP) is a common method for performing symbolic regression that relies on the use of ephemeral random constants in order to adequately scale predictions. Suitable values for these constants must be drawn from appropriate, but typically unknown, distributions for the problem being modelled. While rarely used with GP, Z-score standardisation of feature and response spaces often significantly improves the predictive performance of GP by removing scale issues and reducing error due to bias. However, in some cases it is also associated with erratic error due to variance. This paper demonstrates that this variance component increases in the presence of gaps at the boundaries of the training data explanatory variable intervals. An initial solution to this problem is proposed that augments training data with pseudo instances located at the boundaries of the intervals. When applied to benchmark problems, particularly with small training samples, this solution reduces error due to variance and therefore total error. Augmentation is shown to also stabilise error in larger problems, however results suggest that standardised GP works well on such problems with little need for training data augmentation

The Effects of Activin B and Activin C on the Growth and Migration of Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most diagnosed cancer in New Zealand men and is one of the leading causes of male cancer related death globally. Current diagnostic and prognostic tools for PCa are unable to differentiate between aggressive or non-aggressive forms of PCa, or to predict whether tumours will metastasize. Additionally, a lack of non-invasive treatment options for lower grade PCa leads to overtreatment of the disease and subsequent unnecessary harm and long-term negative side effects from invasive treatments. Little is known about the regulation of the healthy prostate, or factors leading to the development and progression of prostate tumours. This thesis aimed to further the understanding of healthy prostate development, disease progression, as well as to present new prognostic and diagnostic markers to validate and improve prostate cancer outcomes. This research studied activin B and activin C and tested the hypotheses that these activins alter growth and migration in the healthy and cancerous prostate. Additionally, it sought to elucidate the signalling pathways that these activins act through, showing the first activin C prostate signalling data to date. To test these hypotheses; healthy and cancerous prostate cells were stably transfected to overexpress activin B and activin C. Growth, migration and signalling assays were performed using stably transfected cells to measure how activins affect the normal and cancerous prostate. These results have shown activin B promotes proliferation (fold change = 1.17, p < 0.0001) and migration (fold change = 1.65, p < 0.0001) of PC3 cells. Additionally, this research showed for the first time that activin C promotes PNT1A cell growth (fold change = 1.14, p < 0.001), inhibits PC3 cell growth (fold change = 0.90, p < 0.05), and increased PC3 cell migration (fold change = 1.64, p < 0.0001). This research highlighted new data to further the understanding of healthy and cancerous prostate growth and development, as well as showing new prognostic and diagnostic markers that may have important clinical value

Acceptability and efficacy of a menthol mouth swill amongst elite rugby players

Background: Many sporting events take place in hot and humid environments such as the Tokyo Olympics 2021, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022, and Super Rugby in New Zealand and Australia during late summer. Such conditions challenge the body’s ability to thermoregulate, often resulting in compromised performance. Therefore, it is common practice for athletes to implement cooling strategies as means of attenuating the rise in core temperature and prolonging the onset of fatigue. The cooling properties of menthol have shown to be effective in reducing thermal sensation and enhancing performance during exercise in hot climates, however, there is little work that explores the efficacy of menthol in elite athletes during high-intensity team-based sport. Objective: To explore the effect of a 0.1% menthol mouth swill on thermal sensation and measures of fluid balance in elite rugby union players during training in the heat. To assess the acceptability of a 0.1% menthol mouth swill in elite rugby players. Design: A randomised cross-over design involving 27 participants (24.5 years ± 3.1) from a Super Rugby franchise in New Zealand. Participants were randomly assigned a 0.1% menthol mouth swill, or a placebo (water) mouth swill, which was swilled a total of four times during blocks of high-intensity, rugby-specific training drills in an outdoor environment during summer. Both thermal sensation and acceptability were assessed using spoken questionnaires. Thermal sensation was measured using a nine-point scale ranging from “very cold” to “very hot”. Acceptability was assessed using a questionnaire that prompted participants to rank taste, flavour, sensation, aftertaste, and overall pleasantness on a Likert scale from “dislike extremely” to “like extremely”. Performance was measured using Global Positioning System (GPS) metrics. Anthropometric measurements and fluid intakes were also assessed, which were used to calculate measures of fluid balance. Results: Presented as mean ± standard deviation, there was no significant difference in fluid intake (1522.2 ± 609.8 mL and 1429.5 ± 581.5 mL for menthol and placebo respectively, p = 0.24), nor percentage of dehydration (1.2 ± 0.6% compared to 1.1 ± 0.6% for menthol and placebo respectively, p = 0.21). Thermal sensation scores were significantly lower at the end of the training session following the menthol intervention (1.6 ± 1.8 compared to 2.4 ± 1.4 for menthol and placebo respectively, p = 0.02). This did not translate to any improvements in performance. The sensation of the menthol mouth swill was rated more favourable compared to the placebo, both before and after the trials (p < 0.01, and p = 0.03 respectively). Other acceptability indices did not differ significantly. Conclusion: A 0.1% menthol mouth swill is well accepted among elite rugby players and has no meaningful influence on fluid balance. Furthermore, it is effective in reducing thermal sensation at the completion of exercise yet produces no improvements in rugby performance. Individual variation among the results warrants an individualised approach when considering menthol application in rugby. Additional research in menthol application at the individual level is required to further understand the acceptability and efficacy of a menthol mouth swill

Midwives, Medicalization and Testing for Down Syndrome

This qualitative study is based on interviews with eighteen Aotearoa New Zealand based midwives conducted during 2014 on the topic of how they incorporated providing information about genetic testing for Down syndrome into their professional practice. Following a hiatus from 2015 to 2020 when I was myself busy with childbirth and parenting, I then returned to the project to update literature and conduct the analysis of these interviews. I did this with an awareness of slight changes in genetic testing availability and form over this period of time, but also in the recognition that much remained the same for the midwives I had first spoken to in 2014. My key findings are that midwives struggle to balance their professional practice against a press of several issues which push them towards more medicalized forms of care. The provision of information about genetic screening and testing for Down syndrome is one significant element of this pressure. Compared to studies of other midwives around the world, the New Zealand midwives in this study were generally better informed about genetic testing than their international counterparts and confident of their ability to impart this information to their clients; but for the most part, they were concerned that the amount of time it took to do so, the timing of the discussion and the inevitable sway that a health professional held in discussing such matters might force a more medicalized view of pregnancy onto their clients than what is embedded within the New Zealand midwifery model of care

The facilitators and barriers for young adults to consume plant-based protein in New Zealand.

Background: Little is known about consumer attitudes to plant-based diets and the consumption of plant-based protein in New Zealand. Young adults are more likely to consider reducing their meat consumption and adopt plant-based diets because they are more receptive to change. Furthermore, university students are typically eager to learn about issues such as the environment, public and individual health, and animal welfare. Determining the facilitators and barriers for a student to consume plant-based protein may help to benefit population health and the environment. Objective: The aim of this project was to identify the facilitators and barriers for young adults to consume plant-based protein in New Zealand. Design: This mixed-methods study obtained both quantitative data using a survey and qualitative data via focus groups. The survey was completed online by University of Otago students aged between 18 and 22 years. Students who completed the survey and indicated an interest, were invited to take part in a focus group. Focus group participants were categorised as: ‘vegetarian’ (i.e. those who do not currently consume meat and/or animal products); ‘willing omnivores’ (i.e. those willing to replace some meat with plant-based protein); ‘unwilling omnivores’ (i.e. those unwilling to replace any meat with plant-based protein. The survey informed the questioning route for the focus groups. The recorded discussions were transcribed and uploaded to NVivo 12, in order to conduct a thematic analysis. Results: Four people participated in the ‘vegetarian’ focus group including two vegans, four people in the ‘willing omnivores’ group, and there were no participants in the ‘unwilling omnivores’ group. Six overarching themes were identified using thematic analysis: surrounding influence, socialisation, nutritional concerns, preference, convenience, and guilt. A lack of nutrition knowledge about plant-based sources of protein, iron, and vitamin B12 suggests that education is needed to motivate ‘willing omnivores’ to consume plant-based protein. Conclusion: This research indicates that affordable, tasty, convenient, and nutritious plant-based protein alternatives are potential facilitators for young adults to adopt a plant-based diet. Informing the food industry of these facilitators when designing new products will increase the willingness of consumers to try their plant-based options. Additionally, providing knowledge to consumers will support ‘willing omnivores’ to become confident that their transition towards a plant-based diet is nutritionally adequate

The Impact of Tidal Forcing on the Oceanography of the Northern Continental Shelf of New Zealand

The northern continental shelf is a unique region of the Aotearoa New Zealand shelf seas. The shelf ( 2.0 m s-1) and despite lying adjacent to warm, poleward flows of the East Auckland Current, the shelf is often enveloped by a large (>1000 km2) relatively cold pool of water. To date, the processes that generate this cold pool have not been fully resolved, with “upwelling” of the East Auckland Current onto the shelf previously put forward as a likely mechanism. However, the presence of strong tidal currents moving over shallow bathymetry on the shelf led to an alternative hypothesis that the cold pool may be the result of vertical mixing of the water column driven by the regional tidal circulation. The current study uses a combination of a regional tidal solution, high-resolution satellite ocean temperature data, and a regional ocean circulation model, to investigate the role that tidal forcing plays in generating and modulating this cold- water pool. Analysis of a regional tidal solution shows that the M2, N2, and S2 are the three largest tidal constituents over the northern continental shelf. As the largest constituent, the characteristics of the M2 tide (amplitude, phase, velocity, and tidal ellipses) were examined in more detail. The amplitude of the M2 tidal velocity was also used to calculate a contoured map of the Simpson-Hunter (SH) parameter, as a proxy for the strength of stratification over the shelf. This map revealed low SH values (e.g. weak stratification) around the Three Kings Islands, Cape Maria van Diemen, above King Bank, and above Middlesex Bank. The SH values in these areas were similar to those found in other regions within New Zealand and globally that experience cool, well-mixed conditions due to tidal stirring. Charts of an adjusted SH parameter were also calculated at peak spring and neap tide, but these showed little change, due to the relatively small amplitude of the S2 relative to the M2 tidal constituent in this area. A seasonal composite analysis of satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data revealed three distinct cold-water pools over the northern continental shelf. These are located around the Three Kings Islands (inner pool), Cape Maria van Diemen (cape pool), and over the remainder of the shelf (outer pool). All three pools are visible during summer, but only the inner pool was visible during winter. Compositing of satellite SST data over the spring-neap and semi-diurnal cycle was then used to quantify the variability of the cold pools at tidal frequencies. The inner pool cooled (warmed) significantly during spring (neap) tides and this change became more evident when the cooling (heating) lagged peaked spring (neap) tides by two to four days. The edges of both the inner and cape cold-water pools were also found to advect horizontally consistent with the pattern expected from the strength and direction of the M2 tidal ellipse on the shelf. Analysis of output from a regional ocean circulation model that included tidal forcing revealed similar patterns to the satellite observations on seasonal and spring-neap time scales. However, a model run without tidal forcing lacked any cold-water pool on the shelf. This highlights the dominant role played by tidal processes in generating the shelf cold pool. Full-depth transects extracted across the shelf showed significantly cooler waters in the upper and lower water column at spring compared to neap tides. Bottom water temperature on the shelf edge also appears to fluctuate at a semi-diurnal frequency consistent with forcing by the M2 tide and is suggestive of cold water being pumped onto and off the shelf by the internal tide. Collectively, these analyses suggest that the cold-water pools observed on the northern continental shelf of New Zealand are primarily generated by tidal forcing. A dominant process appears to be tidal mixing, where strong tidal currents vertically mix the water column above the shallow bathymetry. Several other processes, including horizontal advection by tidal currents, mesoscale eddies, boundary currents, and subsurface processes associated with the internal tide likely play an important role in controlling the cold pools' position and temperature. Distinguishing the processes driving and modulating these cold pools allows insight into the underlying biogeochemistry on the shelf. The nature of tidal mixing regimes can increase nutrient concentrations within the photic zone, increasing primary production. However, the patchy distribution of these nutrients and the pools' distribution across the shelf may cause high variability in primary productivity, both spatially and temporally