Looking beyond limitations: Electric vehicle use in New Zealand holidays

EVs are often described as inadequate for long distance holiday trips, and yet increasing numbers of drivers are travelling on holiday in EVs. We talked to 34 New Zealand EV drivers about their experiences of taking an EV on holiday. Although participants did talk about some of the widely reported difficulties or limitations of EV travel (including range, charging, towing, and access to the backcountry), we focus here on less widely reported experiences of actual (and usually successful) holiday trips. A feeling of being adventurous or pioneering, the freedoms associated with driving an EV, and the different sensations, feelings, and driving styles involved in EV travel all feature in this engaging summary of what we found

Geogastronomy in the Waitaki Whitestone aspiring Geopark: A snapshot of sector perspectives on opportunities and challenges

The Waitaki Whitestone Geopark aspires to be New Zealand’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. Many Geoparks around the world include ‘geotrails’ that integrate the different attractions and activities in an area. The proposed Waitaki Whitestone Geopark has been focusing on establishing a ‘Geogastronomy trail’ that will invite visitors to engage with the Geopark through experiencing its food and drink. This research sought to explore the perspectives of stakeholders on the proposed Geopark and its associated geogastronomy trail. This document primarily reports on the data collected through 17 interviews with 20 representatives of the Waitaki geogastronomy sector

Lime and the La-z-Boy: A story of the social integration of transport technology into urban life

The integration of transport technology into social life is not always straightforward. This presentation focuses on how we can explore some of the likely, but complex, implications of use of new technologies. It uses data on e-scooter use as a case study and particularly explores equity questions that are emerging around the use and non-use of e-scooters

Will driverless cars be good for us? Now is the time for public health to act together with urban and transport planning

A new “drug” currently undergoing development could treat at least two persistent global health conditions: • mortality and morbidity from road traffic collisions, • loneliness and exclusion for less mobile individuals. This drug is widely known as the “driverless car”. Unfortunately, side effects may be substantial and there is risk of dependency, as with the private car. Claims that driverless cars will considerably reduce transport related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injury are prevalent and compelling. Road crashes are the eighth leading cause of death globally and result in 1.35 million deaths per year. Up to 90% of traffic collisions are attributed to driver error, which could be eliminated by vehicle automation. Additionally, experiences of social isolation, exclusion, and loneliness – that can occur as a result of limited transport options – pose mortality risks comparable to smoking. Driverless cars may enhance the mobility of non-drivers, thus facilitating social connection and well-being, especially in ageing populations. The health sector should, therefore, be interested in the potential of the driverless car ‘drug’ to address some global health concerns

Mindsets set in concrete? Exploring the perspectives of domestic travellers on New Zealand's (auto-)mobility culture

Tourism trips in New Zealand are strongly car-dominated. Research suggests that such car use practices do not only emerge from purely rational economic considerations but also result from symbolic and affective motives, institutionalized mobility cultures, and habitualized mobility practices that have developed and materialized in spatial structures over decades. This paper explores the notion of automobility and its influence on the domestic tourism mobilities of Christchurch residents. It does so by applying Q methodology, an inherently mixed method that involves participants structuring statements by their level of agreement, followed by a range of qualitative post-sorting questions. The statements draw on insights from the study of tourism mobilities, mobility cultures and classical mode choice research, allowing this study to provide novel insights into the under-researched field of urban-rural tourism mobility. The juxtaposition of quantitative Q and the qualitative interview results reveals influential factors at the personal, interpersonal, societal/political and infrastructural level. The results then feed into a conceptualisation of influential factors of tourism mobility choices using an embedded, interlinked structure that captures the dynamics of social interactions (i.e., feedback-loops). Policy implications are discussed with regards to possible sustainability pathways in line with New Zealand's decarbonisation strategy

Yield associated with different tourist types

The programme “Enhancing Financial and Economic Yield in Tourism” has completed a range of investigations into various dimensions of private sector yield of tourism businesses, as well as public sector yield of tourism at local and national levels. Results from the earlier studies raised the question whether different types of tourists would differ with respect to their yield generated in the private sector and their costs posed to the public sector. Yield in this report is understood as net benefit – financial, economic, environmental or social. For the private sector yield, the measures of Value Added, Free Financial Cash Flow and Economic Value Added will be used, and for public sector yield the ratios between costs and revenue will be derived as a yield measure. The research objectives were to: 1. Understand tourist activity patterns in relation to impacts on the private and public sectors; 2. Derive yields for different types of visitors; and 3. Assess visitor satisfaction as one aspect of (social) yield

Randomized phase 2 study of carboplatin and bevacizumab in recurrent glioblastoma

Background. The optimal use of bevacizumab in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), including the choice of monotherapy or combination therapy, remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare combination therapy with bevacizumab monotherapy. Methods. This was a 2-part randomized phase 2 study. Eligibility criteria included recurrent GBM after radiotherapy and temozolomide, no other chemotherapy for GBM, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2. The primary objective (Part 1) was to determine the effect of bevacizumab plus carboplatin versus bevacizumab monotherapy on progression-free survival (PFS) using modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. Bevacizumab was given every 2 weeks, 10 mg/kg; and carboplatin every 4 weeks, (AUC 5). On progression, patients able to continue were randomized to continue or cease bevacizumab (Part 2). Secondary endpoints included objective radiological response rate (ORR), quality of life, toxicity, and overall survival (OS). Results. One hundred twenty-two patients (median age, 55y) were enrolled to Part 1 from 18 Australian sites. Median follow-up was 32 months, and median on-treatment time was 3.3 months. Median PFS was 3.5 months for each arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.64-1.33, P =. 66). ORR was 14% (combination) versus 6% (monotherapy) (P =. 18). Median OS was 6.9 (combination) versus 7.5 months (monotherapy) (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.82-1.69, P =. 38). The incidence of bevacizumab-related adverse events was similar to prior literature, with no new toxicity signals. Toxicities were higher in the combination arm. Part 2 data (n = 48) will be reported separately. Conclusions. Adding carboplatin resulted in more toxicity without additional clinical benefit. Clinical outcomes in patients with recurrent GBM treated with bevacizumab were inferior to those in previously reported studies

National Diet and Nutrition Survey : UK food consumption and nutrient intakes from the first year of the rolling programme and comparisons with previous surveys

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is a cross-sectional survey designed to gather data representative of the UK population on food consumption, nutrient intakes and nutritional status. The objectives of the present paper were to identify and describe food consumption and nutrient intakes in the UK from the first year of the NDNS rolling programme (2008-09) and compare these with the 2000-01 NDNS of adults aged 19-64 years and the 1997 NDNS of young people aged 4-18 years. Differences in median daily food consumption and nutrient intakes between the surveys were compared by sex and age group (4-10 years, 11-18 years and 19-64 years). There were no changes in energy, total fat or carbohydrate intakes between the surveys. Children aged 4-10 years had significantly lower consumption of soft drinks (not low calorie), crisps and savoury snacks and chocolate confectionery in 2008-09 than in 1997 (all P Peer reviewe