title: Pregnancy gone wrong: Women's experiences of care in relation to coping with a medical complication in pregnancy

authors: Currie, Jane Christina Helen

subjects: pregnancy

abstract: Objective: To understand the experiences of twelve New Zealand women with medical complications in pregnancy.
Method: Inductive, semantic, qualitative analysis was employed to obtain an in-depth insight into the experience of having a medical complication during pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with twelve women. Six had been hospitalised during their pregnancy, while a further six were recruited from outpatient settings.
Findings: Five themes were identified: pregnancy distressing and overshadowed by complications; unpredictability and the need for control; importance of the relationship with midwives; disempowerment in hospital; and lessons learnt on the importance of support.
Key conclusions: Medical complications during pregnancy can be extremely stressful and women feel particularly vulnerable during this time. Midwives play a key role in supporting women through the process of coping with a pregnancy marked by illness and uncertainty.
Implications for practice: Midwives can play a unique role in translating medical jargon and providing emotional guidance and support. A midwife who is engaged and responsive to a woman’s needs has the ability to lower distress at this critical juncture in the development of a woman and her family.

text: Pregnancy gone wrong: Women's experiences of care in relation to coping with a medical complication in pregnancy Objective: To understand the experiences of twelve New Zealand women with medical complications in pregnancy.
Method: Inductive, semantic, qualitative analysis was employed to obtain an in-depth insight into the experience of having a medical complication during pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with twelve women. Six had been hospitalised during their pregnancy, while a further six were recruited from outpatient settings.
Findings: Five themes were identified: pregnancy distressing and overshadowed by complications; unpredictability and the need for control; importance of the relationship with midwives; disempowerment in hospital; and lessons learnt on the importance of support.
Key conclusions: Medical complications during pregnancy can be extremely stressful and women feel particularly vulnerable during this time. Midwives play a key role in supporting women through the process of coping with a pregnancy marked by illness and uncertainty.
Implications for practice: Midwives can play a unique role in translating medical jargon and providing emotional guidance and support. A midwife who is engaged and responsive to a woman’s needs has the ability to lower distress at this critical juncture in the development of a woman and her family.

year: 2016

title: Effect of Bloodmeal Hydrolysate and Hydrolysate Modified Clay Bloodmeal-Based Thermoplastic Mechanical Properties

authors: Lay, Mark C.

abstract: Novotein thermoplastic (NTP) is a bloodmeal based plastic developed by the University of Waikato by mixing bloodmeal with water, additives and tri-ethylene glycol (TEG - a plasticiser and petroleum based product) so it can be extruded and injection moulded. In this research, bloodmeal was hydrolysed with alcalase, trypsin and pepsin. The hydrolysates were used in NTP as a substitute for TEG at four different concentrations. Tensile strength, modulus and glass transition temperature decreased with increasing hydrolysate, and also decreased with each subsequent hydrolysis step (Alcalase, then trypsin, then pepsin), consistent with a “plasticising” effect and the shorter chain lengths of the hydrolysate. While these trends were promising, the resulting material required a higher specific mechanical energy to extrude at higher hydrolysate contents and was very brittle. The effect of salt content in the hydrolysate and order of operations in preparing the material for extruding on specific mechanical energy would need to be explored further. Future work could look at fractionating the hydrolysate to recover the lower molecular weight peptides, or to increase extent of hydrolysis without increasing salt content in the hydrolysate.

text: Effect of Bloodmeal Hydrolysate and Hydrolysate Modified Clay Bloodmeal-Based Thermoplastic Mechanical Properties Novotein thermoplastic (NTP) is a bloodmeal based plastic developed by the University of Waikato by mixing bloodmeal with water, additives and tri-ethylene glycol (TEG - a plasticiser and petroleum based product) so it can be extruded and injection moulded. In this research, bloodmeal was hydrolysed with alcalase, trypsin and pepsin. The hydrolysates were used in NTP as a substitute for TEG at four different concentrations. Tensile strength, modulus and glass transition temperature decreased with increasing hydrolysate, and also decreased with each subsequent hydrolysis step (Alcalase, then trypsin, then pepsin), consistent with a “plasticising” effect and the shorter chain lengths of the hydrolysate. While these trends were promising, the resulting material required a higher specific mechanical energy to extrude at higher hydrolysate contents and was very brittle. The effect of salt content in the hydrolysate and order of operations in preparing the material for extruding on specific mechanical energy would need to be explored further. Future work could look at fractionating the hydrolysate to recover the lower molecular weight peptides, or to increase extent of hydrolysis without increasing salt content in the hydrolysate.

year: 2014

title: From Darkness to dawn? A Forum for Kāpō Māori

authors: Te Momo, Ivan Prentus

subjects: Kāpō Māori

abstract: This thesis researches Kāpō Māori (Māori who are blind or sight impaired) and their pursuit of Te Reo Māori.  Te Reo Māori is a very significant cultural marker for Kāpō Māori to identify themselves as Māori.  Kāpō Māori face many challenges, challenges that are unknown to the mainstream.  The thesis surveys the fortunes of Te Reo Māori as it struggles to survive and find acceptance in Aotearoa/New Zealand, outlines attitudes towards disabled persons, who suffer discrimination and marginalisation, and summarises the story of the Blind in Aotearoa/New Zealand, especially through the history of The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, to provide context for the challenges faced by Kāpō Māori. For Kāpō Māori, discrimination and marginalisation is increased because all Māori suffer the disabilities that are a result of colonisation. The thesis sets out a methodology for field research, and draws from interviews with research participants to present the experiences of Kāpō Māori. This thesis provides an insight into the issues Kāpō Māori encounter when trying to engage Kāpō Māori , and draws those issues forward from darkness, where they are unknown, into the world of light by providing Kāpō Māori with a forum for discussion of these issues.

text: From Darkness to dawn? A Forum for Kāpō Māori This thesis researches Kāpō Māori (Māori who are blind or sight impaired) and their pursuit of Te Reo Māori.  Te Reo Māori is a very significant cultural marker for Kāpō Māori to identify themselves as Māori.  Kāpō Māori face many challenges, challenges that are unknown to the mainstream.  The thesis surveys the fortunes of Te Reo Māori as it struggles to survive and find acceptance in Aotearoa/New Zealand, outlines attitudes towards disabled persons, who suffer discrimination and marginalisation, and summarises the story of the Blind in Aotearoa/New Zealand, especially through the history of The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, to provide context for the challenges faced by Kāpō Māori. For Kāpō Māori, discrimination and marginalisation is increased because all Māori suffer the disabilities that are a result of colonisation. The thesis sets out a methodology for field research, and draws from interviews with research participants to present the experiences of Kāpō Māori. This thesis provides an insight into the issues Kāpō Māori encounter when trying to engage Kāpō Māori , and draws those issues forward from darkness, where they are unknown, into the world of light by providing Kāpō Māori with a forum for discussion of these issues.

year: 2007