Success factors in new land-based industries

Part of the changing structure of New Zealand agriculture and horticulture includes a move from traditional land uses to new land uses. Not all new land uses, however, become established industries. The research objective of this study was to focus on a wide range of new land-based industries and address the question of why some new industries succeed and why others do not. The research also introduces a relatively new method, the Qualitative Comparative Analysis method, which identifies critical factors in industry success in a way that combines the richness of case studies with the rigour of comparative analysis. Results will be of interest to primary producers seeking to learn from recent experience of new industries, and to policy-makers interested in promoting new land-based industries.Funding for this research was provided by the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology, via Crop and Food Research under Contract No. C02810 and entitled New Crops

Induction of cell cycle changes and modulation of apoptogenic/anti-apoptotic and extracellular signaling regulatory protein expression by water extracts of I'm-Yunity™ (PSP)

BACKGROUND: I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) is a mushroom extract derived from deep-layer cultivated mycelia of the patented Cov-1 strain of Coriolus versicolor (CV), which contains as its main bioactive ingredient a family of polysaccharo-peptide with heterogeneous charge properties and molecular sizes. I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) is used as a dietary supplement by cancer patients and by individuals diagnosed with various chronic diseases. Laboratory studies have shown that I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) enhances immune functions and also modulates cellular responses to external challenges. Recently, I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) was also reported to exert potent anti-tumorigenic effects, evident by suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in malignant cells. We investigate the mechanisms by which I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) elicits these effects. METHODS: Human leukemia HL-60 and U-937 cells were incubated with increasing doses of aqueous extracts of I'm-Yunity™ (PSP). Control and treated cells were harvested at various times and analyzed for changes in: (1) cell proliferation and viability, (2) cell cycle phase transition, (3) induction of apoptosis, (4) expression of cell cycle, apoptogenic/anti-apoptotic, and extracellular regulatory proteins. RESULTS: Aqueous extracts of I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HL-60 and U-937 cells, accompanied by a cell type-dependent disruption of the G(1)/S and G(2)/M phases of cell cycle progression. A more pronounced growth suppression was observed in treated HL-60 cells, which was correlated with time- and dose-dependent down regulation of the retinoblastoma protein Rb, diminution in the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins bcl-2 and survivin, increase in apoptogenic proteins bax and cytochrome c, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) from its native 112-kDa form to the 89-kDa truncated product. Moreover, I'm-Yunity™ (PSP)-treated HL-60 cells also showed a substantial decrease in p65 and to a lesser degree p50 forms of transcription factor NF-κB, which was accompanied by a reduction in the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) also elicited an increase in STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) and correspondingly, decrease in the expression of activated form of ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase). CONCLUSION: Aqueous extracts of I'm-Yunity™ (PSP) induces cell cycle arrest and alterations in the expression of apoptogenic/anti-apoptotic and extracellular signaling regulatory proteins in human leukemia cells, the net result being suppression of proliferation and increase in apoptosis. These findings may contribute to the reported clinical and overall health effects of I'm-Yunity™ (PSP)

A comparison of the employment generated by forestry and agriculture in New Zealand

The objective of the research reported here was to assess land use change in forestry and agriculture in both New Zealand as a whole and the main regions, with a focus on the relationship of land use to employment. This report presents these results and provides an understanding of the general patterns. It provides a context to the case study of the East Coast region which examines a broad range of socio-economic data associated with land use change

Forestry and agriculture on the New Zealand East Coast: socio-economic characteristics associated with land use change

The topics of land use, and issues associated with land use change, have been a major theme of research in the AERU since its inception in 1962. In earlier years the research focused on pastoral land uses, reflecting the dominance that pastoralism had in New Zealand's primary production history. In recent decades, forestry has become more important both in terms of land use and contribution to the economy. However, the ascendancy of forestry has not been without contention. In the recent past there has been vigorous debate about planning regulations as they relate to forest development. Now, much debate is heard about the effect of forest sector development on the rural community. This research report is one of two related reports that address the second of the issues above. One report focuses on national and regional data on employment generated by farming and forestry and the other focuses on the North Island East Coast and focuses on employment and other socio-economic variables. This report has the East Coast perspective. Both reports are intended to contribute to policy debates about forestry and its role in regional development. Rural people, planners, councillors and sector representatives will find this report provides a basis for an improved understanding of the consequences of land use change from farming to forestry

Child poverty, food insecurity, and respiratory health during the COVID-19 pandemic

The eradication of poverty and hunger are the top sustainable development goals, adopted by UN Member States in 2015. Yet the World Food Programme estimates that, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, acute food insecurity could double from 135 to 265 million people worldwide. In the absence of mitigating policies, poverty leading to food insecurity will damage the respiratory health of a generation of children. Inequalities in lifelong respiratory health originate in childhood, when adequate nutrition is essential. The respiratory system starts to develop 3 weeks after conception, and grows until adolescence, with the lungs maturing most rapidly in size and intricacy in the first three years of life. Disruption to this development in childhood contributes considerably to the early onset of adult illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This disruption can be driven by many of the consequences of living in poverty, including malnutrition. Even in cystic fibrosis, an inherited genetic disease, health inequalities can be seen: social disadvantages can disrupt respiratory development, influencing survival in people with the condition