Broad-spectrum mineral-vitamin treatment to support smoking cessation.

Background: Smoking cessation/quitting smoking is among the most important health-promoting life changes a person can make, and is the most cost-effective disease prevention intervention available. Despite the benefits, many smokers have difficulty quitting using current smoking cessation options and the incidence of smoking relapse is high. Alternative treatments that are safe, effective, relatively inexpensive, and readily available are needed. Broad-spectrum micronutrient (minerals and vitamins) supplements are one such possible alternative. Research on the use of micronutrients in the treatment of substance dependence has existed for half a century. Investigations in to the use of micronutrients to relieve psychological symptoms has grown substantially in the past decade and has now been demonstrated in a number of trials. This thesis presents two randomised control trials to investigate whether a broad spectrum mineral vitamin formula supports smoking cessation. Aim Study One: Study one, a pilot trial, investigated if a broad-spectrum micronutrient formula supports withdrawal, smoking cessation, cigarette/day reduction and associated psychological symptoms. Methods: This pilot study was a single-case multiple-baseline design with replication across participants (n=24), nested within an active treatment-placebo double-blind randomized trial. Following a baseline phase of one to three weeks when smoking history, daily cigarette consumption (cigarettes/day), withdrawal, and nicotine dependence were measured, 24 participants were randomized (12/group) to placebo or micronutrient conditions. A four-week pre-quit phase permitted titration up to 12 capsules/day and ensured the metabolic effects of the capsules were established before quitting. In the smoking cessation phase (12 weeks duration), participants registered with Quitline NZ (not including Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)), read the Quit book, and continued to consume the 12/day micronutrient or placebo capsules while attempting to quit smoking from a target quit day. Participants were counted as having a quit success if they were abstinent for ≥three days after their quit day. Quit success was established through self-report at study waypoints (4, 8, and 12 weeks post quit day). Abstinence was counted if a participant had not relapsed (≥three continuous days smoking) from their quit date to the end of the study waypoint. Daily withdrawal measures were taken at weeks 1-4, 8, and 12 post quit. Monthly withdrawal and psychological measures were completed at each study waypoint. Results: The results showed that median withdrawal scores were higher in the placebo group. Drop-out before making a quit attempt was lower in the micronutrient group (0 vs 4) and those taking micronutrients were more likely to make a quit attempt (11 (91.7%) vs 5 (41.7%); Odds Ratio (OR) = 15.4; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.47, 160.98]) and be successful at quitting (≥ 3 days smoke-free) (10 (83.0)% vs 4 (33.3%); OR = 10.0; 95% CI [1.44,69.26]). The micronutrient group had a higher quit rate at four weeks (58.3%) compared to placebo (25.0%), this was not significant (χ² (1, n= 24) = 2.74, P=0.10), and NNT=13. Aim Study Two: Study two, a fully-blinded randomised placebo-controlled trial was designed to further investigate the use of a broad-spectrum micronutrient formula to assist with quitting smoking, reduction of cigarettes/day, withdrawal symptoms, and associated psychological symptoms. Methods: Following the baseline phase (one to two weeks) when smoking history, daily cigarette consumption (cigarettes/day), withdrawal, and nicotine dependence were measured participants (n=107) were randomised to placebo (n=50) or micronutrient conditions (n=57). A four-week pre-quit phase permitted titration up to 12 capsules/day. During the quit phase participants were registered with a public Quitline (not including NRT), read the Quit book, and attempted to quit smoking on a target quit day while continuing to consume micronutrients or placebo for 12 weeks. Carbon monoxide levels and self-report confirmed continuous abstinence at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-quit. Results: Twenty-two (39%) participants in the micronutrient group and twenty-one (42%) in the placebo group completed the full trial. Micronutrient + Quitline and Placebo + Quitline groups did not differ on the primary outcome of continuous abstinence at 12-weeks post-quit day using intent-to-treat analysis; however, 28% of the micronutrient treated group had quit versus 18% for placebo (OR=1.78, 95%CI [0.71, 4.48]), with NNT=10. Comparison of cigarettes/day between micronutrient and placebo groups showed that those taking micronutrients reported reduced consumption throughout the trial, notably at pre-quit weeks one and four, and at quit phase week four. There were no serious adverse events, masking was successful and there were no substantive group differences in side effects or drop-out rate. Conclusion: The two studies presented are the first RCT’s investigating the impact of micronutrients on smoking reduction, finding that micronutrients support quit attempts, and reduced harm through reduction in number of cigarettes smoked relative to placebo. The small sample sizes and high drop-out rate limits confidence in the conclusions and generalizability of the results; however, micronutrients were shown to be comparable to other smoking cessation treatments but with fewer side effects. Future research using larger and longer trials including cost effectiveness and biomarker measures is encouraged

PELATIHAN TWO WAY ANOVA MENGGUNAKAN SOFTWARE R (Studi Kasus Pertumbuhan Panjang Hipokotil Tanaman Kedelai)

Dosen memiliki kewajiban untuk melaksakan Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi UUD 12 Tahun 2012.Berdasarkan UU Guru dan Dosen pasal 20 menjelaskan bahwa Dosen tidak hanya bertugas untukmendidik, juga diharapkan melakukan penelitian. Keterampilan penggunaan software untuk analisissangat dibutuhkan guna melancarkan proses pembuatan penelitian. Pengetahuan metode dan penggunaansoftware terkadang menjadi permasalahan bagi seorang peneliti. Sasaran dari kegiatan ini adalah peneliti,dosen, dan masyarakat umum di luar lingkup Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya yang diharapkanmampu memahami statistika dan fungsinya dalam analisis data. Oleh karena itu, dosen prodi statistikaUniversitas PGRI Adi Buana melakukan pelatihan secara daring. Pelatihan ini terdiri dari tiga tahapanyaitu, penjelasan materi (ceramah) , workshop, dan simulasi. Pelaksanaan pelatihan program pengabdianini sudah mampu memberikan dan mengajarkan pengolahan data mentah menjadi data yang memberikanberbagai informasi khususnya pada metode Two Way dan deskriptif yaitu pembuatan boxplot sebagai awaldugaan hasil penelitian. Dengan adanya pelatihan ini sudah merubah keterampilan analisis data bagipeneliti yang semula belum dapat menganalisis data menggunakan open source yaitu shoftware R, saat inisudah dapat mengoprasikan. Pengaruh yang diberikan oleh narasumber terbukti dengan keaktifan pesertadan antusias saat menerima materi dan simulasi.Kata kunci: Two Way Anova, Software R, Panjang Hipokotil, Kedela

Using te reo Māori and ta re Moriori in taxonomy

AUHEKE Ko ngā ingoa Linnaean ka noho hei pou mō te pārongo e pā ana ki ngā momo koiora. He mea nui rawa kia mārama, kia ahurei hoki ngā ingoa pūnaha whakarōpū. Me pēnei kia taea ai te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ā-pūtaiao nei. Nā tēnā kua āta whakatakotohia ētahi ture, tohu ārahi hoki hei whakahaere i ngā whakamārama pūnaha whakarōpū. Kua whakamanahia ēnei kia noho hei tikanga mō te ao pūnaha whakarōpū. Heoi, arā noa atu ngā hua o te tukanga waihanga ingoa Linnaean mō ngā momo koiora i tua atu i te tautohu noa i ngā momo koiora. Ko tētahi o aua hua ko te whakarau: (1) i te mātauranga o ngā iwi takatake, (2) i te kōrero rānei mai i te iwi o te rohe, (3) i ngā kōrero pūrākau rānei mō te wāhi whenua. Kei te piki haere tēnei āhua whakamahinga hei āwhina kia whakamanahia ngā iwi taketake i roto i te mahi pūnaha whakarōpū. Nā tēnā ka whakamanawahia te iwi i runga i tōna mōhio he hoa-rangapū ia i roto i te mahi whiriwhiri ingoa kōrero pūrākau. Kua roa noa atu a Aotearoa e whakamahi ana i te reo taketake o Aotearoa / Rēkohu rānei i roto i te mahi whakamārama pūnaha whakarōpū. Engari ahakoa tērā, kāore i te pērā rawa te kaha o te ao pūnaha whakarōpū ki te whakapiri mai ki ngā iwi taketake i roto i tēnei tukanga. Kei roto i te rangahau nei i arotakengia ngā tau ki muri, me te aha, ko tōna kitenga e pēnei na: mai i tau 1830, neke atu i te 1,288 ngā wā kua whakamahia te reo Māori, te reo Moriori rānei i roto i te pūnaha whakarōpū. Kei te piki haere hoki tēnei tatauranga. Ko tētahi kitenga o te arotake nei, ko te tohu atu i ētahi āhuatanga whakamahi i te reo Māori, reo Moriori hoki. Hei tauira: (1) ngā momo whakarerekētanga whakamahi o ngā kupu “Māori, Moriori” rānei hei tohu atu tērā i ahu mai tēnā momo koiora mai i Aotearoa. (2) ngā ingoa kōrero pūrākau Māori / Moriori mō ngā momo koiora; (3) ngā ingoa whenua Māori / Moriori hoki e whai hononga ana ki ngā momo koiora (4) ētahi ingoa whakamārama i hangaia mai i ngā kupu Māori / Moriori hoki me (5) ētahi ingoa hou kua whakaarahia e te iwi e mahi ngātahi nei ki te taha o ngā kaipūnaha whakarōpū. Ko tā mātou nei, he arotahi he tautoko hoki i te tuarima o ēnei āhuatanga. He pūnaha mahi ngātahi tēnei hei whakamārama i ngā momo koiora. Ka pēnei mā te āta titiro ki ētahi tauira. Ko ēnei tauira ka whakamiramira i ngā huanga me ngā uauatanga o tēnei pūnaha mahi ngātahi hei whakamārama i ngā momo koiora. Ka tuku āwhina hoki mātou hei ārahi i ngā kaipūnaha whakarōpū kia pai ake te whakapiri atu ki te iwi mō te whakamārama momo koiora. Ka mātua matapakihia ngā take e pā ana ki te “whakarōmahanga” o ētahi kupu Māori, te whakamahinga o te tohutō, me te hiranga hoki kia whakapiri atu ki te iwi mā te roanga atu o te tukanga whakaingoa. Ko tā mātou hoki e tohutohu nei kia kohia katoatia ngā ingoa reo Māori, reo Moriori hoki kia noho hei rārangi tohutoro mō te wā anamata hei ārahi i te whakamahinga, hei hanga pātengi raraunga hoki mō Aotearoa. Ko tēnei pātengi raraunga me māmā te tomo atu, me wātea hoki hei rauemi whakamahi mā te kaiarangahau. ABSTRACT Linnaean names are an anchor for biological information about a species, and having clear, unique, taxonomic names is vital for scientific communication. Accordingly, there are specific rules and guidelines enshrined in codes that govern nomenclature and taxonomic description. The process of creating Linnean names for species can however provide multiple functions beyond identification, including the incorporation of cultural knowledge, vernacular and place names as epithets. Increasingly this usage helps engage and empower Indigenous cultures in taxonomic work through a shared sense of ownership over the species and the choice of epithet. Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of using both the indigenous Maori language – te reo, and the Indigenous language of Rekohu (the Chatham Islands) – ta re Moriori, in taxonomic description, but not necessarily one of engaging Maori and Moriori in this process. Here we review this history, finding that since its first use in 1830, te reo and ta re have been incorporated over 1288 times within taxonomic nomenclature, and that this usage is increasing. We identify five central ways in which te reo and ta re have been incorporated, including the use of (1) variations of the words “Maori” and “Moriori” to designate Aotearoa New Zealand origins, (2) Maori / Moriori vernacular names for species, (3) Maori / Moriori place names associated with species, (4) novel descriptive names created from Māori and Moriori words, (5) novel names suggested by Maori in collaboration with taxonomists. We focus on and promote this last, collaborative system for species description through case studies that highlighting the advantages and the potential challenges of this process, and we provide guidance for taxonomists to better engage with iwi / imi in species description. Specifically, we discuss issues relating to the Latinisation of Maori words, the use of macrons, and the need for engagement of iwi / imi throughout the naming process. We also recommend creation of a central depository to log te reo and ta re names to act as a reference for future usage and provide a readily accessible electronic database for Aotearoa New Zealand people and researchers to use

Seen but unheard: navigating turbulent waters as Māori and Pacific postgraduate students in STEM

The experiences of Māori and Pacific postgraduate students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) offer insights into how universities, particularly science faculties, currently underserve Māori and Pacific people. This article shares the experiences of 43 current or past postgraduate students at New Zealand universities. Collectively, our stories offer insight into how representation, the white imprint, space invaders/stranger making, and institutional habits, specifically operate to exclude and devalue Māori and Pacific postgraduates in STEM. We provide new understandings of the white imprint (rewarding and incentivising white behaviour), where Māori and Pacific postgraduates were prevented from being their authentic selves. Importantly, this research documents how Māori and Pacific postgraduates experience excess labour because of institutional habits. This research also provides insight into how the science funding system results in superficial and unethical inclusion of Māori and Pacific postgraduates. Our stories provide persuasive evidence that the under-representation of Māori and Pacific in STEM will not be addressed by simply bolstering university enrolments. Instead, our stories highlight the urgent requirement for universities to change the STEM learning environment which continues to be violent and culturally unsafe for Māori and Pacific postgraduates.fals