title: Disentangling the impacts of anxiety, stress and depression on immunity

authors: Catherine, Breeze

abstract: While immunity and psychological distress are strongly associated, studies seldom consider how different types of distress relate to immune functioning. The literature tends to emphasis the impact of stress on immunity. The present study estimated the unique contributions of stress, depression and anxiety on immune function in culturally diverse samples of adults from Italy, New Zealand and India. The participants were Italian (n = 1061), New Zealand (n = 1037), and Indian (n = 384) volunteers. Stepwise multiple linear regression and dominance analysis were used to analyse differences in immunity uniquely explained by anxiety, depression, and stress, with immune functioning defined by physical symptoms. While samples from the three countries differed significantly, anxiety consistently explained the greatest proportion of differences in immunity. After accounting for the effect of anxiety, stress and depression explained only small portion of variation in immune functioning, differing between countries. The association of anxiety with immune functioning was consistent across three different countries and the unique impact was further confirmed by the results of dominance analysis. These findings suggest a clear link between anxiety and immunity, when disentangling between distress types. This challenges the prevailing stress- disease model and calls for further research into the impact of anxiety on immunity. If future research supports a causal link where anxiety precedes immunity deficiency, interventions to reduce anxiety may improve immune functioning and health outcomes in the general population.

text: Disentangling the impacts of anxiety, stress and depression on immunity While immunity and psychological distress are strongly associated, studies seldom consider how different types of distress relate to immune functioning. The literature tends to emphasis the impact of stress on immunity. The present study estimated the unique contributions of stress, depression and anxiety on immune function in culturally diverse samples of adults from Italy, New Zealand and India. The participants were Italian (n = 1061), New Zealand (n = 1037), and Indian (n = 384) volunteers. Stepwise multiple linear regression and dominance analysis were used to analyse differences in immunity uniquely explained by anxiety, depression, and stress, with immune functioning defined by physical symptoms. While samples from the three countries differed significantly, anxiety consistently explained the greatest proportion of differences in immunity. After accounting for the effect of anxiety, stress and depression explained only small portion of variation in immune functioning, differing between countries. The association of anxiety with immune functioning was consistent across three different countries and the unique impact was further confirmed by the results of dominance analysis. These findings suggest a clear link between anxiety and immunity, when disentangling between distress types. This challenges the prevailing stress- disease model and calls for further research into the impact of anxiety on immunity. If future research supports a causal link where anxiety precedes immunity deficiency, interventions to reduce anxiety may improve immune functioning and health outcomes in the general population.

year: 2024-04-28

title: The evolution of productivity performance on China's dairy farms in the new millennium

authors: Ma, Hengyun

subjects: China

abstract: China's dairy farm structure has experienced fundamental changes across farm types. As the number of backyard farms has dramatically declined, the share of dairy cows from backyard farms has decreased by 22.4% from 2003 to 2008. However, the herd numbers of larger dairy farms have increased. In particular, the share of dairy cows has risen by 18.8% on small farms, by 22.2% on medium farms, and by 80.8% on large farms over the same period. Total factor productivity was decomposed into technical efficiency and technological change on China's dairy farms using the stochastic production frontier framework. The estimated results indicate that patterns of productivity growth appear to have shifted in the 2000s compared with the 1990s, from generally driven by technological change to exclusively driven by technological change on backyard and small farms and uniquely driven by the improvement of technical efficiency on large farms. Tests of the econometric assumption indicate that the variations in total factor productivity growth patterns across farm types and regions are likely caused by the feed input biases and cropping production practice.

text: The evolution of productivity performance on China's dairy farms in the new millennium China's dairy farm structure has experienced fundamental changes across farm types. As the number of backyard farms has dramatically declined, the share of dairy cows from backyard farms has decreased by 22.4% from 2003 to 2008. However, the herd numbers of larger dairy farms have increased. In particular, the share of dairy cows has risen by 18.8% on small farms, by 22.2% on medium farms, and by 80.8% on large farms over the same period. Total factor productivity was decomposed into technical efficiency and technological change on China's dairy farms using the stochastic production frontier framework. The estimated results indicate that patterns of productivity growth appear to have shifted in the 2000s compared with the 1990s, from generally driven by technological change to exclusively driven by technological change on backyard and small farms and uniquely driven by the improvement of technical efficiency on large farms. Tests of the econometric assumption indicate that the variations in total factor productivity growth patterns across farm types and regions are likely caused by the feed input biases and cropping production practice.

year: 2012

title: Akoranga whakarei: Learning about inclusion from four kura rumaki

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: Special education

abstract: In 2004 the New Zealand Ministry of Education proposed two research projects to understand how learning, social and cultural outcomes were being promoted for tamariki and rangatahi Māori with special educational needs in both kura auraki (English-medium schools) and kura rumaki (Māori-medium schools). 1hey also wanted to understand how this played out for other whānau members. At the time, a description of the services being promoted for Māori with special education needs acknowledged the philosophy that "tamariki and rangatahi with special needs and their whānau learn effectively through the provision of culturally competent services, which will ensure mana and tikanga are upheld" (Ministry of Education, 2003, p. 56). 
This chapter will briefly describe how this research was undertaken in kura rumaki and then discuss the findings that emerged. Perhaps not surprisingly, it will show that the staff from the kura who participated in this study, as with all of their students and whānau, had a very holistic and inclusive view of educating all tamariki and rangatahi, especially those with identified special education needs. The conclusion will consider some of the implications of these findings for others and propose that these research outcomes maintain relevance in 2014, a decade later.

text: Akoranga whakarei: Learning about inclusion from four kura rumaki In 2004 the New Zealand Ministry of Education proposed two research projects to understand how learning, social and cultural outcomes were being promoted for tamariki and rangatahi Māori with special educational needs in both kura auraki (English-medium schools) and kura rumaki (Māori-medium schools). 1hey also wanted to understand how this played out for other whānau members. At the time, a description of the services being promoted for Māori with special education needs acknowledged the philosophy that "tamariki and rangatahi with special needs and their whānau learn effectively through the provision of culturally competent services, which will ensure mana and tikanga are upheld" (Ministry of Education, 2003, p. 56). 
This chapter will briefly describe how this research was undertaken in kura rumaki and then discuss the findings that emerged. Perhaps not surprisingly, it will show that the staff from the kura who participated in this study, as with all of their students and whānau, had a very holistic and inclusive view of educating all tamariki and rangatahi, especially those with identified special education needs. The conclusion will consider some of the implications of these findings for others and propose that these research outcomes maintain relevance in 2014, a decade later.

year: 2015