bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An Observational Study of Peripherally Inserted Central Cather(PICC)-Related Complications Amongst Oncology Patients
Authors:   , Fairhall Mary 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis reports on a retrospective observational study that examined the complication rate of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) within a regional cancer centre. PICCs are increasingly used for delivery of chemotherapy and other intravenous therapies in oncology patients. A literature review revealed that almost all published research on PICC complications reported on silicone (Groshong(TM)) catheter use, rather than the polyurethane (Arrow(TM)) PICCs used at Christchurch Hospital. Also, much literature referred to PICCs being inserted by non-nurses, whereas the Christchurch service uses specially-trained nurses to insert them. The purpose of the study was to identify the nature, incidence and rates of polyurethane (Arrow(TM)) PICC complications in an adult oncology cohort. Ethics Committee approval was gained to retrospectively follow all PICCs inserted in adult oncology patients at Christchurch Hospital over a 13-month period from 1st March 2006 until 31st March 2007. Data collected were analysed utilising the statistical computer package SPSS. One hundred and sixty-four PICCs were inserted into 156 individual oncology patients over this period. The median dwell time was 68 days (range 6-412, IQR 39-126) for a total of 14,276 catheter-days. Complications occurred in 25 (15%) out of 164 PICC lines, in 22 (15%) of the 156 patients for an overall complication rate of 1.75 per 1000 catheter-days. However, only 16 of the 25 PICCs with complications required early removal (9.75% of the cohort) for a favourably low serious complication rate of 1.12 per 1000 catheter-days. The three commonest complications were infection at 4.3% (7/164) or 0.49 infection complications/1000 PICC-days, PICC migration at 3% (5/164) or 0.35/1000 catheter days, and thrombosis at 2.4% (4/164) or 0.28/1000 catheter days. The median time to complication was 41 days (range 2-160, IQR 25-77). Those with complications were more likely to have a gastro-intestinal or an ovarian cancer diagnosis, and less likely to have colorectal cancer (p=0.001). These findings provide support for the safe and effective use of polyurethane (Arrow(TM)) PICCs for venous access within the adult oncology context. Furthermore, it suggests that cost effective nurse-led (Arrow(TM)) PICC insertions can contribute to a low complication rate. This benchmark study should be followed by further prospective studies examining the relationship of cancer diagnosis to PICC complication rates in oncology patients.</p>
Determining Competency for Entry to Nursing Practice: A Grounded Theory Study
Authors:   , Andersen Patrea Rose 
Published: November 2021

<p>Critical Comparative Nursing Assessment (CCNA) is a theory about how the competence of completing Bachelor of Nursing students in New Zealand is determined. Semi-structured, audio-taped interviews and field notes were used to collect data from twenty-seven nurses with experience in undertaking competency assessment. A Glaserian grounded theory approach was used to guide the data collection and analysis. This utilised the processes of constant comparative analysis, theoretical sampling and saturation to generate a middle range substantive grounded theory. This is presented as a model consisting of four emergent categories that explain how nurses formulate professional judgements about competence. These are a) gathering, which describes the processes used to collect evidence of practice to inform decisions; b) weighing up, which explains how evidence is analysed using the processes of benchmarking and comparative analysis; c) judging brings into focus the tensions inherent in making professional judgements about competence and how nurses formulated these, and d) moderating, which describes the processes nurses use to validate decisions and ensure that professional responsibilities and public safety are upheld. The basic social psychological process of comparing integrates these categories to explain how nurses resolve the tensions associated with making decisions about competence. This research presents a new way of viewing and understanding how nurses assess competence. It identifies where the challengers and tensions related to the assessment of competence lie and suggests strategies that if implemented could further enhance the validity and reliability of assessment outcomes.</p>
Valuing Warm Homes - Exploring New Zealanders' Home Heating Choices
Authors:   , Vujcich Hayley 
Published: November 2021

<p>New Zealand homes have a record of being poorly heated and inadequately energy efficient. While policy makers increasingly recognise the many benefits associated with energy efficient warm homes, there is currently a lack of understanding of how New Zealanders make choices about space heating. This thesis takes a mixed method approach in order to 1) understand how New Zealanders value energy efficient heating and 2) further explore how people make decisions about home heating. Capturing the economic value of the range of benefits associated with home heating is investigated through analysing a contingent valuation study undertaken by the Housing, Heating and Health Study (University of Otago). Participants show 'willingness to pay' and related values below heater market prices. It is argued that there is some indication of split incentives issues and income constraint, and increased familiarisation with space heaters may increase willingness to pay. Evidence from focus group research suggests that while attitudes and norms are conducive to efficiently heated homes, other market and non-market factors impede pro-environmental choices. The widely recognised Kiwi stoicism of living in cold homes is not evidenced; choosing to go cold in the home may instead be rationalised as mitigating the environmental impacts associated with heating. This analysis sheds light on how intervention and how provision of information to fill the 'energy efficiency gap' could move outside the 'rational person' model of how New Zealanders make home heating choices.</p>
Unintended Consequences: the Montessori Story of the Early Childhood Education Qualification Requirement - 2000-2007
Authors:   , Freeman Sola 
Published: November 2021

<p>In 2002, the Ministry of Education in New Zealand released Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki. This 10year strategic plan for early childhood education was the culmination of years of advocacy, research and consultation within the early childhood sector. A key component of the plan is a staged requirement for teachers in early childhood centres to have a Diploma of Teaching ECE or equivalent qualification. The study analyses the impact on the Montessori early childhood sector of the requirement that teachers in a centre be qualified with a Diploma or equivalent. This thesis draws on the results of a qualitative study involving interviews with key policy informants and focus groups of teachers and the story that emerges describes the complexities, frustrations and positive outcomes for centres and their teachers. The story points to a need for support, intervention and creative strategies to ensure no part of the early childhood sector is left behind, and diversity within early childhood education in New Zealand is maintained. The final outcome of the study raises the dilemma faced by the Montessori community; how can the approach accommodate the current ideas of early childhood education brought to centres through the policy requirement and remain identifiably Montessori?</p>
Evaluating Safe Patient Handling Systems: Is There a Better Way?
Authors:   , Borner Heidi Elizabeth 
Published: November 2021

<p>The literature presented here shows that injuries suffered by staff and patients due to patient handling are preventable but patient handling injuries to health care workers and patients remain a costly problem to health care organizations in many countries. "No Lifting" patient handling policies have been adopted yet health care organizations currently sit amongst the top three worst performing industries in terms of disabling injuries to their employees. A factor that contributes to this situation is the lack of tools for evaluating patient handling systems including workplace culture and climate. This observational study analyzes the responses of 38 nurses from two similar units that use different patient handling systems to test the reliability and validity of the Safe Patient Handling Survey (TM) SPH Survey(TM), a perception survey and improvement tool for employees and employers. The survey contains 55 questions divided into 6 clusters, staff and patient injury and violence questions, and picture questions depicting unsafe techniques. The data were analyzed to see how the SPH Survey(TM) scores correlate with incidents, and its ability to detect differences between the two units. The results of the Pearson and Cronbach(TM) alpha tests show strong reliability, validity and consistency of the SPH Survey(TM). ANOVA comparison of means and Spearman(TM) rho tests shows that higher (better) scores on the SPH Survey(TM) clusters correlate with lower numbers of patient injuries, lower reports of verbal and physical violence episodes, and lower staff injuries. Differences were detected between the units with Unit 2 scoring higher than Unit 1 in all SPH Survey(TM) clusters and scoring lower in staff and patient injuries and violence incidents. Although the analysis was limited by the small sample size, the study has created a sound basis for further investigation. Health care organizations, unions, government bodies, insurers, educational institutions, and researchers must continue to reduce patient handling risk for both health care workers and for patients. The SPH Survey(TM) is shown to be an easy way to reliably evaluate patient handling systems and workplace culture, target improvement initiatives, and continually monitor the level of patient handling risk in the workplace. Low-risk patient handling gives health care providers the means to focus on delivering high quality patient care, without endangering their own health and well-being.</p>
Effective Aid Coordination: A Case Study of Lao People's Democratic Republic
Authors:   , Silaphet Soudalie 
Published: November 2021

<p>The purpose of this research is to find what is "effective aid coordination" particularly drawing from the case study of Lao People's Democratic Republic and lessons from Vietnam and Timor Leste. The study proposes that a solution to the problem of poor delivery of ODA is that the development industry must improve its ODA spending systems and incorporate aid budgets into the national budget and development plans. It is vital to encourage national governments to lead their own development agenda and support development according to local priorities. The results suggest that it is not just a matter of coordinating aid effectively, but the aid industry needs the right capacity and people to be involved. Capacity building is much needed within the recipient national offices as well as many of the international donor agencies. This would allow the local government to take the lead and prioritise the commitments signed in the Paris Declaration, the Vientiane Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals. It is recommended by many practitioners that the number of agencies working in decision making processes in the aid effectiveness agenda in Laos should be limited to reduce transaction costs and promote clear communication within the development community. However different environments such as Timor Leste, suggests that civil society should be involved more and that donor agencies should not take the lead in aid delivery.</p>
Evaluating Biological Change in New Zealand Marine Reserves
Authors:   , Pande Anjali 
Published: November 2021

<p>This study illustrates the importance of baseline surveys, why they are necessary and how best to conduct them. A proposed marine reserve site (the south coast of Wellington) was monitored for three years to establish a comprehensive baseline study. The results were used to recommend appropriate methodology for sampling in this area and also to establish which species are the best to use as indicator species to detect any possible change occurring in this area due to future reservation status. The 11 km stretch of coast surveyed, which included future reserve and control sites, was tested for heterogeneity, to prevent any future differences in sites being attributed to reservation status as opposed to natural variation. It was determined that an environmental gradient exists along the south coast, from east to west, most likely due to increasing wave exposure and increasingly strong tides and currents towards the west. An established marine reserve (Kapiti Marine Reserve) was also monitored over the same period of time to establish what differences existed in size and abundance of key species between reserve and control sites. The data collected in this investigation were also compared to data collected immediately prior to reserve establishment to determine what changes had occurred over time. Results showed that sites inside the marine reserve supported a greater species abundance, and in some cases, larger size classes. There was some evidence for a general shift in the community structure particularly in algal plants. However, these results may have been confounded by the effect of one site that appeared to have a very high natural species diversity and abundance (even before reservation status). It was concluded that the one-off survey conducted before establishment of this reserve was inadequate to use as a baseline against which to detect changes. No changes were found between the present study and the preliminary survey, although specific data analysis indicated a reserve effect. Continued sampling methodology for Kapiti Marine Reserve area was suggested. Raw data, on two key species (blue cod and rock lobster) from six marine reserves in New Zealand were investigated in an attempt to perform a statistical "meta-analysis" of the effects of marine reserves in New Zealand. A meta-analysis is different from a narrative review as it uses statistical methods to compare results across studies. This methodology has not been applied to studies of marine reserves before. The meta analysis conducted in the present investigation showed that generally marine reserves in New Zealand are having a positive effect, in terms of increasing size and abundance of individual species, as compared to control areas. There is some evidence for a latitudinal trend influencing the "effect size" (a statistical term indicating the magnitude of the treatment tested - in this case, reservation) of the reserves.</p>
Chromosomes, Nuclear Genes and the Phylogenetic Placement Within the Reptilia of Sphenodon (Tuatara)
Authors:   , Norris Thomas Bruce 
Published: November 2021

<p>Chromosomes were examined from five populations of Sphenodon (tuatara) using giemsa, Ag-NOR, C-, G- and RE- banding. There were no differences between species, populations or sexes, although one animal had a structural heteromorphism. Chromosome morphology homology to Testudines (turtles), Aves (birds) and to a lesser extent Crocodylia (crocodiles) allowed reconstruction ofa Reptilian proto-karyotype, dated to 300 million years ago. DNA sequence was isolated from the WT1, AMH, DMRT1, FoxG1 and 28S. No variation was present in Sphenodon 28S, FoxG1 or AMH sequence. 28S could be dated to a common ancestor with Testudines, similar to the archaic karyotype. FoxG1 and AMH reflect an Oligocene divergence, WT1 divides north-eastern North Island and Cook Strait, and can be dated to the Pleistocene or the Pliocene, and DMRT1appears a recent post- pliocene divergence. FISH localised DIG-labelled probes of AMH to chromosome 11 and WT1 to chromosome 13 or 14. Human telomeric probes localised to Sphenodon telomeric regions demonstrating the highly conserved nature of telomeric sequences. Comparative genomic hybridisation with chicken chromosomes did not produce any regions of homology, implying significant chromosomal and DNA changes since the Orders shared a common ancestor, although macrochromosome morphology has remained similar. Sphenodon chromosomal and nuclear DNA analyses demonstrate evolutionary decoupling, supporting recent mtDNA work.</p>
An Integrated Knowledge Management Model for Community Enterprises: A Case Study of a Rural Community Enterprise in Thailand
Authors:   , Jonjoubsong Lanthom 
Published: November 2021

<p>This research seeks to explore the characteristics, organisational culture and current knowledge management (KM) practice in a community enterprise (CE). Prae Pun - a hand weaving CE in the northeast rural area of Thailand - has typical CE characteristics - self-employed and collaborative management, and a home-based production system utilising local resources and knowledge. This research used a qualitative method. Data were collected through narrative inquiry, participant observation and document analysis. The 18 respondents were Prae Pun members, committee members, an advisory committee member and office staff members. The data were analysed through theme analysis. The findings of this research reveal that, although community members would not be aware of doing so, Prae Pun managed its knowledge through informal educational activities - learning by doing and observation - and work processes concerned with collaboration and informality. The current KM practice of Prae Pun entails three processes: basic skill development, competence building and new knowledge creation through creation, capture, sharing, transferring, verification, utilisation and codification. Significantly for this study, KM of Prae Pun focuses on organisational knowledge creation and indigenous knowledge systems. The current KM of Prae Pun also has four other components. Its knowledge resources come from members, other villagers, other hand weaving groups, support organisations and markets. Most of the knowledge is tacit and indigenous. The operation and management systems determine the knowledge processes and provide supportive and incentive systems. The organisational culture and resources, including funding, social capital and appropriate technologies, also provide supportive and incentive systems. The resources are also the tools that facilitate the knowledge processes. The knowledge assets encompass actual assets - products, cloth designs, techniques, and operation and management systems - and competencies including members' skills and abilities, social capital, and shared values, which are not registered as intellectual properties but are in the forms of organisational memories. The traditional KM practice of Prae Pun can be possibly strengthened by integrating modern KM concepts, including knowledge resources from academic and government agencies, appropriate technologies to facilitate knowledge codification and knowledge transfer, extrinsic reward and incentive systems, and facilitators or consultants to enhance members' communities of practice (CoPs). The findings of this study and the KM model contribute to both CE development and further research on KM in a CE context and indigenous KM.</p>
The Total Synthesis of Aigialomycin D and Analogues
Authors:   , Baird Lynton James 
Published: November 2021

<p>In 2002 a new family of 14-membered resorcylic macrolides, the aigialomycins, were isolated from the mangrove fungus Aigialus parvus BCC 5311. Subsequent biological testing of these new natural products found aigialomycin D (Am D) to be the most biologically active member of the family, exhibiting moderate activity against malaria (Plasmodium falciparum K1, IC50 19.7 Mu) and modest cytotoxicity towards certain cancer cells (KB cells: IC50 9.0 Mu and BC-1 cells: 53.8 Mu). More recently, Am D has been shown to inhibit the kinases CDK1/5 and GSK at low Mu concentrations. At the onset of this research project, with only one total synthesis of Am D reported in the literature, there remained a need for an efficient synthesis of Am D that would be amenable to the synthesis of a range of analogues. This thesis reports two synthetic approaches to Am D that differ primarily in the chemistry utilised to install the (E)-olefins at C1'-C2' and C7'-C8': a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) strategy and a Ramberg-Backlund (RB) strategy. The Ramberg-Backlund strategy ultimately proved to be successful, providing Am D in 16 steps with 9% overall yield. A retrosynthetic analysis of Am D disconnects the molecule into three major fragments: an aromatic fragment, a C2'-C7' carbohydrate-derived fragment and a C8'-C11' alcohol fragment. The synthesis of the three fragments for each strategy is described and the attempts made to couple the fragments together, first with HWE methodology and then successfully with ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and RB reactions, are discussed. The synthesis of several Am D analogues and their preliminary biological testing is also described.</p>
Interaction Design and Agile Development: a Real World Perspective
Authors:   , Ferreira Jennifer 
Published: November 2021

<p>Although both agile development methods and interaction design aim to build quality software that meets the user's needs, each approaches development from a different perspective. Agile development methods describe activities addressing the coding (and in some cases the process management) part of software development, whereas interaction design methods describe activities for developing that aspect of the software that will be perceived by the user. Agile development and interaction design each have little to say about the other, despite the reality that both approaches are combined in practice. There has been little investigation into how the two processes work together, and the issues that arise. To aim for a better understanding of practice, we conducted grounded theory research about real-world software teams who combine interaction design and agile development. The results provided insights into interaction design being done up front (before implementation begins), the structure of the development iterations, the effect of incorporating interaction design techniques into the agile development iterations, as well as the role of the interaction designer on agile teams. The analysis also highlighted areas that may benefit from further research.</p>