title: Nursing students’ experiences of learning numeracy for professional practice

authors: Marks, Rachael

subjects: numeracy

abstract: This paper examines nursing students’ experiences of the teaching and assessment of numeracy for nursing. Data from interviews with eight student nurses at a large school of nursing in the United Kingdom are analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore their perceptions of any disjunctures between the ways in which numeracy is taught and assessed in universities and the broader context in which calculations are carried out by nurses in practice. The paper considers how these disjunctures may arise and proposes a change to the focus of numeracy courses which may begin to resolve some of these tensions.

text: Nursing students’ experiences of learning numeracy for professional practice This paper examines nursing students’ experiences of the teaching and assessment of numeracy for nursing. Data from interviews with eight student nurses at a large school of nursing in the United Kingdom are analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore their perceptions of any disjunctures between the ways in which numeracy is taught and assessed in universities and the broader context in which calculations are carried out by nurses in practice. The paper considers how these disjunctures may arise and proposes a change to the focus of numeracy courses which may begin to resolve some of these tensions.

year: 2016

title: Characterising the Physiological Responses of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Subjected to Heat and Oxygen Stress.

authors: Marcoli, Roberta

subjects: Chinook salmon

abstract: In New Zealand, during the hottest periods of the year, some salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds reach water temperatures above the optimal range for Chinook salmon. High levels of mortality are recorded during these periods, emphasising the importance of understanding thermal stress in this species. In this study, the responses of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to chronic, long-term changes in temperature and dissolved oxygen were investigated. This is a unique investigation due to the duration of the stress events the fish were exposed to. Health and haematological parameters were analysed alongside gene expression results to determine the effects of thermal stress on Chinook salmon. Six copies of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) were discovered and characterised: HSP90AA1.1a, HSP90AA1.2a, HSP90AA1.1b, HSP90AA1.2b, HSP90AB1a and HSP90AB1b, as well as two copies of SOD1, named SOD1a and SOD1b. The amino acid sequences contained features similar to those found in other vertebrate HSP90 and SOD1 sequences, and the phylogenetic tree and synteny analysis provided conclusive evidence of their relationship to other vertebrate HSP90 and SOD1 genes. Primers were designed for qPCR to enable the expression of all copies of HSP90 and SOD1 to be analysed. The expression studies showed that HSP90 and SOD1 were downregulated in the liver and spleen in response to longer term exposure to high temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen. HSP90 was also downregulated in the gill; however, the results for SOD1 expression in the gill were not conclusive. This study provides important insights into the physiological and genetic responses of Chinook salmon to temperature and oxygen stress, which are critical for developing sustainable fish aquaculture in an era of changing global climates.

text: Characterising the Physiological Responses of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Subjected to Heat and Oxygen Stress. In New Zealand, during the hottest periods of the year, some salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds reach water temperatures above the optimal range for Chinook salmon. High levels of mortality are recorded during these periods, emphasising the importance of understanding thermal stress in this species. In this study, the responses of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to chronic, long-term changes in temperature and dissolved oxygen were investigated. This is a unique investigation due to the duration of the stress events the fish were exposed to. Health and haematological parameters were analysed alongside gene expression results to determine the effects of thermal stress on Chinook salmon. Six copies of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) were discovered and characterised: HSP90AA1.1a, HSP90AA1.2a, HSP90AA1.1b, HSP90AA1.2b, HSP90AB1a and HSP90AB1b, as well as two copies of SOD1, named SOD1a and SOD1b. The amino acid sequences contained features similar to those found in other vertebrate HSP90 and SOD1 sequences, and the phylogenetic tree and synteny analysis provided conclusive evidence of their relationship to other vertebrate HSP90 and SOD1 genes. Primers were designed for qPCR to enable the expression of all copies of HSP90 and SOD1 to be analysed. The expression studies showed that HSP90 and SOD1 were downregulated in the liver and spleen in response to longer term exposure to high temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen. HSP90 was also downregulated in the gill; however, the results for SOD1 expression in the gill were not conclusive. This study provides important insights into the physiological and genetic responses of Chinook salmon to temperature and oxygen stress, which are critical for developing sustainable fish aquaculture in an era of changing global climates.

year: 2023-10-17

title: Child poverty and mental health: A literature review (Commissioned for New Zealand Psychological Society and Child Poverty Action Group)

authors: Gibson, Kerry

abstract: Large numbers of children in New Zealand suffer from mental health problems, and large numbers of children suffer from poverty and hardship. This literature review provides information on the relationship between poverty experienced during childhood and the impact that poverty may have on the mental health of a child or young person, or later in their adulthood. It was found that:
• There is an accepted relationship between poverty experienced in childhood and a greater likelihood of mental health problems through the life span.
• Child poverty and its associated problems such as poor nutrition, inadequate housing, increased likelihood of adverse events and living in poor neighbourhoods put children at higher risk of having mental health problems.
• The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health conditions among children and adolescents can be reduced by addressing severe and persistent poverty, particularly during the early years of a child’s life.
• Intervention to address poverty and the effects of poverty on children is likely to prevent the perpetuation of inter-generational cycles of poverty and poor mental health.
• The prevalence of child poverty and mental health issues is likely to be higher for Māori and Pasifika than for other children and young people.
• While many Māori and Pasifika children are subject to inequities in material and socio-economic circumstances as well as institutional racism, they also experience the benefits of a rich cultural life and sense of belonging that is seldom accounted for in research reports that focus on deprivation.
The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health problems throughout the lifespan could be reduced through addressing the causes of child poverty and associated factors. Any mental health strategy for children should sit alongside a comprehensive programme to alleviate poverty.
Strategies aimed at addressing child poverty in Māori and Pasifika communities are more likely to be effective if these are well-resourced at an early stage and developed in a genuine partnership with local communities.

text: Child poverty and mental health: A literature review (Commissioned for New Zealand Psychological Society and Child Poverty Action Group) Large numbers of children in New Zealand suffer from mental health problems, and large numbers of children suffer from poverty and hardship. This literature review provides information on the relationship between poverty experienced during childhood and the impact that poverty may have on the mental health of a child or young person, or later in their adulthood. It was found that:
• There is an accepted relationship between poverty experienced in childhood and a greater likelihood of mental health problems through the life span.
• Child poverty and its associated problems such as poor nutrition, inadequate housing, increased likelihood of adverse events and living in poor neighbourhoods put children at higher risk of having mental health problems.
• The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health conditions among children and adolescents can be reduced by addressing severe and persistent poverty, particularly during the early years of a child’s life.
• Intervention to address poverty and the effects of poverty on children is likely to prevent the perpetuation of inter-generational cycles of poverty and poor mental health.
• The prevalence of child poverty and mental health issues is likely to be higher for Māori and Pasifika than for other children and young people.
• While many Māori and Pasifika children are subject to inequities in material and socio-economic circumstances as well as institutional racism, they also experience the benefits of a rich cultural life and sense of belonging that is seldom accounted for in research reports that focus on deprivation.
The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health problems throughout the lifespan could be reduced through addressing the causes of child poverty and associated factors. Any mental health strategy for children should sit alongside a comprehensive programme to alleviate poverty.
Strategies aimed at addressing child poverty in Māori and Pasifika communities are more likely to be effective if these are well-resourced at an early stage and developed in a genuine partnership with local communities.

year: 2017