title: The New Zealand Exploration Company and Aroha Gold Mines Ltd: the last introduction of overseas capital to Waiorongomai

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: The Paris and London Rothschilds became involved in mining investments in the late nineteenth century, in 1886 forming the Exploration Company, which subsequently formed subsidiary companies to develop promising fields. Two men were fundamental to the formation of the New Zealand Exploration Company and Aroha Gold Mines: James de Hirsch and Jules George Wilson, and full details of their lives, in particular in New Zealand, are provided. In 1895, as the mining boom started, de Hirsch, encouraged by Wilson, wanted to develop the Thames low levels but soon abandoned this idea and became interested in Waiorongomai. After an Australian expert, Edward John Dunn, produced an optimistic report, a syndicate was formed that negotiated with the vendors.
Full details are provided of the founders, directors, and shareholders (almost all living outside New Zealand) in both companies and of the New Zealand mining properties they acquired. At Waiorongomai, existing mines were further tested and opened up between 1895 and 1898, but because the anticipated high value ore was not found and also because of the costs, a new low level drive through the entire field was commenced. The battery was also reconstructed and an experimental cyanide plant added.
Because of discouraging results along with the deaths of both Wilson and de Hirsch, the companies abandoned the Waiorongomai field. As so often, government policies and taxes were blamed for this outcome, although wiser commentators noted that the companies were not set up to benefit New Zealand rather than their shareholders. The departure of the companies and their capital set the field back significantly.

text: The New Zealand Exploration Company and Aroha Gold Mines Ltd: the last introduction of overseas capital to Waiorongomai The Paris and London Rothschilds became involved in mining investments in the late nineteenth century, in 1886 forming the Exploration Company, which subsequently formed subsidiary companies to develop promising fields. Two men were fundamental to the formation of the New Zealand Exploration Company and Aroha Gold Mines: James de Hirsch and Jules George Wilson, and full details of their lives, in particular in New Zealand, are provided. In 1895, as the mining boom started, de Hirsch, encouraged by Wilson, wanted to develop the Thames low levels but soon abandoned this idea and became interested in Waiorongomai. After an Australian expert, Edward John Dunn, produced an optimistic report, a syndicate was formed that negotiated with the vendors.
Full details are provided of the founders, directors, and shareholders (almost all living outside New Zealand) in both companies and of the New Zealand mining properties they acquired. At Waiorongomai, existing mines were further tested and opened up between 1895 and 1898, but because the anticipated high value ore was not found and also because of the costs, a new low level drive through the entire field was commenced. The battery was also reconstructed and an experimental cyanide plant added.
Because of discouraging results along with the deaths of both Wilson and de Hirsch, the companies abandoned the Waiorongomai field. As so often, government policies and taxes were blamed for this outcome, although wiser commentators noted that the companies were not set up to benefit New Zealand rather than their shareholders. The departure of the companies and their capital set the field back significantly.

year: 2016

title: The utility of single nucleotide DNA variations as predictors of postoperative pain

authors: Jacobson, Gregory M.

subjects: OPRM1

abstract: Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analgesia requirements. A description of the potential predictive power of genetic variants in pain should instruct improvements in pain management postoperatively. We set out to examine whether a set of genetic variants in pain related genes would show any association with actual pain outcomes in a typical surgical population. Methods: A candidate gene study was carried out in 135 surgical patients with 12 DNA variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms or ‘SNPs’) in known or putative pain pathway genes to detect associations with postoperative pain - measured by a verbal rating score (VRS) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) usage rate. Standard PCR based molecular biology approaches were used.
Results: At 20-24h after surgery, patients with the 1032G/1032G variant pair for the A1032G variant of the potassium channel KCNJ6 gene had a slightly higher median VRS than those with 1032A/1032A or 1032A/1032G pairs (p=0.04; dominant genetic model). This small difference was most apparent in the orthopaedic surgery patients where the 1032G/1032G pair associated with VRS (median(interquartile range)) of 5(4-6) vs. 3(0.5-4) in 1032A/1032A or 1032A/1032G groups. For PCA, patients with 3435C/3435C or 3435C/3435T pairs for ATPdependent efflux pump gene ABCB1 variant C3435T used PCA at a considerably higher rate of 0.89(0.07-1.66) mg.h-1 compared with just 0.11 (0-0.52) mg.h-1 for the 3435T/3435T pair (p=0.03; dominant model). A significantly higher usage rate was also detected for opioid receptor OPRM1 variant IVS2-691 with usage of 0.77(0.01-1.56) mg.h-1 for the IVS2C/IVS2C or IVS2C/IVS2G group vs. 0.24(0-1.26) mg.h-1 in the IVS2G/IVS2G group (p=0.04; recessive model).
Conclusion: While this study has identified some significant statistical associations the potential utility of the studied DNA variants in prediction of postoperative pain and patient-controlled opioid analgesia requirements appears to be quite limited at present.

text: The utility of single nucleotide DNA variations as predictors of postoperative pain Objectives: Genetic variation is an important contributor to postsurgical pain and thereby analgesia requirements. A description of the potential predictive power of genetic variants in pain should instruct improvements in pain management postoperatively. We set out to examine whether a set of genetic variants in pain related genes would show any association with actual pain outcomes in a typical surgical population. Methods: A candidate gene study was carried out in 135 surgical patients with 12 DNA variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms or ‘SNPs’) in known or putative pain pathway genes to detect associations with postoperative pain - measured by a verbal rating score (VRS) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) usage rate. Standard PCR based molecular biology approaches were used.
Results: At 20-24h after surgery, patients with the 1032G/1032G variant pair for the A1032G variant of the potassium channel KCNJ6 gene had a slightly higher median VRS than those with 1032A/1032A or 1032A/1032G pairs (p=0.04; dominant genetic model). This small difference was most apparent in the orthopaedic surgery patients where the 1032G/1032G pair associated with VRS (median(interquartile range)) of 5(4-6) vs. 3(0.5-4) in 1032A/1032A or 1032A/1032G groups. For PCA, patients with 3435C/3435C or 3435C/3435T pairs for ATPdependent efflux pump gene ABCB1 variant C3435T used PCA at a considerably higher rate of 0.89(0.07-1.66) mg.h-1 compared with just 0.11 (0-0.52) mg.h-1 for the 3435T/3435T pair (p=0.03; dominant model). A significantly higher usage rate was also detected for opioid receptor OPRM1 variant IVS2-691 with usage of 0.77(0.01-1.56) mg.h-1 for the IVS2C/IVS2C or IVS2C/IVS2G group vs. 0.24(0-1.26) mg.h-1 in the IVS2G/IVS2G group (p=0.04; recessive model).
Conclusion: While this study has identified some significant statistical associations the potential utility of the studied DNA variants in prediction of postoperative pain and patient-controlled opioid analgesia requirements appears to be quite limited at present.

year: 2014

title: AMS radiocarbon dating of Rattus Exulans bone from the Kokohuia Site (New Zealand)

authors: Higham, Thomas F.G.

abstract: We AMS radiocarbon dated rat bones (Pacific rat (Rattus exulans)) from the archaeological site of Kokohuia, in Northland, New Zealand. An initial series were up to 1200 years too old, but the reason for the offset remained obscure. We considered dietary foodwebs, post-depositional contamination and taphonomy as possible explanations. None provided robust answers. Finally, we identified a laboratory-related error, in which a small amount of old carbon derived from humectants (glycerin) used to moisten ultrafilters prior to the extraction of bone collagen, had become incorporated in the dated collagen. The glycerin humectant was present in amounts averaging 30-40 mg C per ultrafilter, which ordinarily is too small to significantly affect single dates obtained on bone collagen, but was significant in the case of small rat bones. Redating of bones from identical contexts produced a series of results which were within agreement with the age of the site as determined from other materials, including short-lived identified charcoal, and marine and estuarine shell. These results sound a warning for dating very small bone samples, and emphasise the need to consider all possible contaminants derived from laboratory preparation and chemical processing background. In addition, it emphasises the requirement for utilising standard samples of identical type (eg, bone, charcoal, wood etc) which range from young (1-2 half-lives) to background in age, as well as low and high sample mass, as QA laboratory checks on reproducibility (Bronk Ramsey et al., in press).

text: AMS radiocarbon dating of Rattus Exulans bone from the Kokohuia Site (New Zealand) We AMS radiocarbon dated rat bones (Pacific rat (Rattus exulans)) from the archaeological site of Kokohuia, in Northland, New Zealand. An initial series were up to 1200 years too old, but the reason for the offset remained obscure. We considered dietary foodwebs, post-depositional contamination and taphonomy as possible explanations. None provided robust answers. Finally, we identified a laboratory-related error, in which a small amount of old carbon derived from humectants (glycerin) used to moisten ultrafilters prior to the extraction of bone collagen, had become incorporated in the dated collagen. The glycerin humectant was present in amounts averaging 30-40 mg C per ultrafilter, which ordinarily is too small to significantly affect single dates obtained on bone collagen, but was significant in the case of small rat bones. Redating of bones from identical contexts produced a series of results which were within agreement with the age of the site as determined from other materials, including short-lived identified charcoal, and marine and estuarine shell. These results sound a warning for dating very small bone samples, and emphasise the need to consider all possible contaminants derived from laboratory preparation and chemical processing background. In addition, it emphasises the requirement for utilising standard samples of identical type (eg, bone, charcoal, wood etc) which range from young (1-2 half-lives) to background in age, as well as low and high sample mass, as QA laboratory checks on reproducibility (Bronk Ramsey et al., in press).

year: 2004