Development of directed global inhibition, competitive inhibition and behavioural inhibition during the transition between infancy and toddlerhood.

Inhibitory control (IC) is a core executive function integral to self-regulation and cognitive control, yet is itself multi-componential. Directed global inhibition entails stopping an action on demand. Competitive inhibition is engaged when an alternative response must also be produced. Related, but not an executive function, is temperamentally-driven wariness of novelty, known as behavioural inhibition. Understanding early development of these components has been hampered by a shortage of suitable measures. We combine established and novel measures to capture directed global inhibition (Toy Prohibition, Touchscreen Prohibition), competitive inhibition (A-not-B, Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task; ECITT) and behavioural inhibition (Touchscreen Approach) in 113 10- and 16-month-olds (73 seen longitudinally). ECITT performance shows good 1-week test-retest reliability at 10-months (r = 0.30-0.60) but little stability to 16-months. Directed global inhibition performance shows developmental progression but little stability of individual differences from 10 to 16 months. Performance on measures targeting similar IC components shows greater coherence at 16-months (r = 0.23-0.59) compared with 10-months (r = 0.09-0.35). Probing of ECITT condition effects indicates toddlers are more able, compared with infants, to override immediate prepotencies; indicative of increasingly flexible control over behaviour. However, exerting IC over cumulative prepotencies appears just as challenging for toddlers as infants. Exploratory analyses show little evidence for cross-sectional or longitudinal associations between behavioural, directed global and competitive inhibition. In combination, these findings indicate that IC is not yet a stable, unidimensional construct during the transition between infancy and toddlerhood, and highlight the need for careful selection of multiple measures for those interested in capturing early variation in IC

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The role of the rural contractor in flexible labour use on South Island sheep and beef farms

Despite its falling profile in agriculture, sheep and beef farming is still an important contributor to the New Zealand economy, exporting $12.5 billion worth of pastoral products to 102 countries (Davidson, 2007). Over the last 50 years there have been considerable changes in the farm labour mixes, particularly on sheep and beef farms. A combination of off-farm work, diversification on the farm and a steady fall in the number of permanent farm workers has resulted in an increasing array of tasks undertaken by rural contractors. There are rural contractors available to carry out almost any imaginable farm chore and their existence allows farmers to have a much more flexible approach to employing labour. Yet little is known about the rural contracting industry and little is also known about why some farmers make extensive use of contractors yet others make minimal use of them. This research project starts to fill this gap by providing an exploratory snapshot of the industry and its relationship to farmers within the South Island sheep and beef farming sector. A mixed methods approach has been used. A survey of members of the Rural Contractors New Zealand, the national organisation and leading advocate for rural contractors, was followed by a case study approach to explore the perceptions of and relationships between rural contractors and sheep and beef farmers. The results have been divided into three sections. One section considers the labour use on farms and the ability of farmers to gain numerical flexibility through the use of casual labour and contractors as there are increasing disincentives for employing permanent workers. Contractors are used for the skills they have gained through specialisation, the machinery and technology they can offer, and as a substitute for other labour. The ageing of farmers, the paucity of skilled farm employees and increasing pluriactivity all indicate that the contracting sector will grow in importance. The second section considers the environment in which contractors work. The availability of suitable labour, weather, competition, financial viability and health and safety are the major short term issues they face while their long term concerns revolve around the profile of their industry, increasing legislative requirements and the state of the economy. The third section considers the relationship between the two parties and finds there is a relatively harmonious relationship based on a development of trust between farmer and contractor. Contractors make a significant contribution to rural communities, by providing off-farm work and casual workers for the farming sector, and contributing to the economic and social health of local areas. Increasing farm productivity, and increasing farm accreditation requirements to meet the changing market demand for credence properties in agricultural products, are likely to require further input from the rural contracting industry in the future

Drone Use in On-Farm Environmental Compliance: An Investigation of Regulators’ Perspectives

Freshwater resources around the world are under increasing pressure from agricultural activities. As a result, regulatory frameworks around on-farm environmental compliance have become more complex. Consequently, farm plans which have been used in New Zealand to identify risks to and develop mitigation strategies for freshwater quality can be time consuming and costly to develop and monitor. Using semi-structured interviews, this study investigated the views of the regulators working in environmental policy and implementation on the use of drones to increase the efficiency of on-farm environmental compliance. Results show that drones can improve process robustness by providing an aerial view, and that they are quicker and safer to use on steeper contoured farms. However, there is confusion around the permissions required in order to capture footage, its ownership and storage, and who has access rights to the footage. This ambiguity in the implementation of environmental regulations can lead to uncertainty on the part of policy implementors around how to integrate drones in on-farm environmental compliance. In addition, positive relationships between farmers and compliance officers are needed in order for the benefits of drone use to be realised for on-farm environmental compliance purposes

Vanuatu Nambawan Buluk Project: Market analysis and access plan

Project objective: The Market Analysis & Access Plan aims to assess the market opportunities for Vanuatu beef and how this may contribute to improving the profitability of the beef industry. The research focuses on hotel, restaurant and resort customers. The market analysis identifies domestic and tourist market opportunities, market requirements, an evaluation of marketing channels and pricing structures. The results of this project will inform the decision to proceed with the other phases of the project that aim to improve the productivity and quality of beef farmers. Introduction: Vanuatu has had a domestic beef industry for many years and has been exporting beef from the late 1960s. However, stock numbers have fallen and beef is being imported from Australia and New Zealand for use by some restaurants and resorts. This project looks at the beef value chain to understand the problem better and to investigate the demand side. The literature review sets the scene and then the project follows the value chain from the farmer side through the middlemen of the abattoirs and butchers to the demand side of the consumers

Irish workers experiences in dairy employment in Canterbury

Through an arrangement with University College, Dublin (UCD), a group of 24 Irish agricultural students came to Canterbury, New Zealand, to carry out their degrees' practical dairy work of approximately four months over the summer/autumn of 2011. Lincoln University researchers had been carrying out a dairy employee survey of AglTO students across New Zealand at this time. The availability of the Irish students presented an opportunity to use the survey to gauge their impressions of employment in New Zealand's dairy industry compared to equivalent work in Ireland. The results from their responses to the questionnaire are compared to the results from the 33 respondents from the mid-Canterbury block survey and the 40 mid-Canterbury AglTO respondents

mHealth Interventions for Self-Harm: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: Self-harm is a growing issue with increasing prevalence rates; however, individuals who self-harm do not often receive treatment. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are a possible solution to some of the barriers that individuals face when seeking support, and they have also been found to be effective in improving mental health. Thus far, reviews of mHealth interventions for self-harm have been limited by study type. Therefore, we determined that a broader scoping review will provide a more exhaustive understanding of mHealth interventions for self-harm. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to identify mHealth interventions for self-harm within the literature, understand the types and features of interventions that have been developed and evaluated, highlight research findings around mHealth interventions for self-harm, and determine what outcomes are typically used to assess the efficacy of interventions. METHODS: A search was conducted using Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Studies were included if they described an mHealth intervention designed to have a direct (ie, if the intervention was designed for self-harm or for people who self-harm) or indirect (ie, if self-harm was measured as an outcome) treatment effect and if the paper was available in English. There were no exclusion criteria based on the study design. RESULTS: A total of 36 papers were included in the review, and most of them were randomized controlled trials published within the last 4 years. The interventions were mostly smartphone apps and calling or texting services, with 62% (21/34) having underlying therapeutic models to inform the intervention content. They were generally shown to be promising and appealing, but only 5 were widely available for use. Outcomes focused on a reduction of self-harm and suicidality, mood, and the users’ experiences of the intervention. Samples were typically nondiverse, and there was limited variety in the study designs and in the measurements of self-harm recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Promising and appealing mHealth interventions have been developed but are not widely available. Research could benefit from greater diversity as well as a broader and more nuanced understanding of recovery from self-harm

Migrant workers and the growth of dairy farming in Southland, New Zealand

The New Zealand dairy industry has undergone a substantial period of growth over the last ten years, as more sheep, beef, and crop farms have been converted to dairy farming. A major problem for dairy farm employers is sourcing quality and skilled New Zealanders to work on their farms. Migrant labour has been used to mitigate these labour shortages, but little is known about this increasingly vital component of the dairy industry. Four researchers went to Southland in April 2012 to explore and understand the implications of migrant dairy farm employee labour force for New Zealand dairy farms and rural communities. The study highlighted Immigration New Zealand was the greatest problem facing dairy farm employers and migrant dairy farm employees, exercising the power to 'change the rules' at any time to replace skilled migrants with unskilled and unemployed New Zealanders. On farm training and induction practices have changed as greater numbers of migrant dairy farm employees are drawn to Southland, but effective communication between employers and migrants and proper training to use farm equipment, are areas of challenge for migrants'. There is a New Zealand wide perception that rural communities are welcoming, but the Southland community needs to be more accepting and open to the positives that migrant dairy farm employees are bringing to their communities. This research contributes to the understanding of the developing picture of a migrant dairy farm employee labour force in the New Zealand dairy industry, but more research needs to be completed to develop a comprehensive understanding of this area

'Decent dairying' - Findings from a Change Laboratory process to reduce fatigue on New Zealand dairy farms

New Zealand dairy farming has been contemplating adopting a ‘decent work’ model as a response to excess levels of fatigue. Fatigue at work can kill or cause serious injury or impairment of cognitive powers. Dairy workers are disadvantaged by their remoteness from the enforcement of labour standards, together with reluctantly compliant small employers. Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Finnish Developmental Work Research (DWR) tools, our research addresses fatigue and stress with plans to support cultural change. Initial ethnographic fieldwork is complete and workshops to explore long term, practical solutions to the problems of overwork, fatigue and stress are underway. A farmer-led approach to establish ‘decent dairy farming’ practices, based on what a ‘decent’ dairy farm has, what a ‘decent’ dairy farm does, and what characterises a ‘decent’ dairy farm employee is promising. Precise implications of this work for farming systems extension and research are still evolving

Pilot study of a Mobile Milking System: An investigation of its potential use in New Zealand

The purpose of this project was to investigate whether there was a place in the New Zealand dairy industry for a mobile milking system (MMS). In a mobile milking system a movable milking shed is taken to the cows instead of the cows being milked in a permanent centrally-sited milking shed. Such systems are used overseas. It was believed that there could be a niche market within New Zealand, but it was also recognised that there are special challenges associated with the use of such a system. The aim of the project was to garner the impressions of such a system from potential stakeholders within New Zealand, as well as the experiences and ideas from a wider dairying community. The project consisted of designing an information pack describing how the MMS operates and some of its possible uses, plus a comparative budget that proposed that a MMS system could return 14 per cent return on asset utilising leased land, while a “conventional” milking system, utilising owned land, returned 8.3 per cent for the targeted 200 herd size. The information pack is in Appendix A; the information it contains is not repeated in this report. This pack was then used to gain feedback regarding the following three areas: a) the perceived need for a mobile milking system; b) perceptions of its advantages, disadvantages and impacts; c) and the management issues that may arise from the use of such a system. Once the information pack was designed, five informants provided feedback on the pack prior to finalising and distributing 120 survey packs. An on-line survey was developed resulting in 66 responses. A further six interviews were carried out with farmers and regulatory bodies, including Fonterra, in order to gain greater in-depth knowledge of the issues surrounding the use of a Mobile Milking System.DairyNZ, Ministry for Primary Industrie