title: How structural and symbolic violence during resettlement impacts the social and mental wellbeing of forced migrant women: the lived experiences of Arabic speaking survivors of IPV resettled in Melbourne, Australia.

authors: Hourani, Jeanine

subjects: Forced migrant

abstract: Forced migrant women experience high levels of violence across their journeys and violence can be characterised as having three overarching forms: structural, symbolic, and interpersonal. It is important to understand the intersecting nature of gendered forms of symbolic, structural and interpersonal violence, and their impact on the mental health of forced migrant women in order to develop holistic IPV and resettlement programs and interventions. This article adopts an ecological framework of violence and qualitative methods with mental health service providers and survivors of IPV to understand the intersections of different forms of violence and their impact on mental health as they relate to the lived experiences of Arabic-speaking forced migrant survivors currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. Our research has three key findings: (1) that forced migrant women living in Melbourne, Australia experience intersecting forms of violence during resettlement (2) Structural and symbolic violence against forced migrant women persists regardless of marital status (3) Autonomy and independence plays a vital role in the mental health and wellbeing of forced migrant women. Our findings reveal that structural and symbolic violence increase the risk of IPV for forced migrant women during resettlement and that even when forced migrant women leave IPV situations, structural and symbolic violence persist and exacerbate mental ill-health. This article also reveals the importance autonomy and independence in both the perpetration of violence and in healing and recovery.

text: How structural and symbolic violence during resettlement impacts the social and mental wellbeing of forced migrant women: the lived experiences of Arabic speaking survivors of IPV resettled in Melbourne, Australia. Forced migrant women experience high levels of violence across their journeys and violence can be characterised as having three overarching forms: structural, symbolic, and interpersonal. It is important to understand the intersecting nature of gendered forms of symbolic, structural and interpersonal violence, and their impact on the mental health of forced migrant women in order to develop holistic IPV and resettlement programs and interventions. This article adopts an ecological framework of violence and qualitative methods with mental health service providers and survivors of IPV to understand the intersections of different forms of violence and their impact on mental health as they relate to the lived experiences of Arabic-speaking forced migrant survivors currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. Our research has three key findings: (1) that forced migrant women living in Melbourne, Australia experience intersecting forms of violence during resettlement (2) Structural and symbolic violence against forced migrant women persists regardless of marital status (3) Autonomy and independence plays a vital role in the mental health and wellbeing of forced migrant women. Our findings reveal that structural and symbolic violence increase the risk of IPV for forced migrant women during resettlement and that even when forced migrant women leave IPV situations, structural and symbolic violence persist and exacerbate mental ill-health. This article also reveals the importance autonomy and independence in both the perpetration of violence and in healing and recovery.

year: 2022-11-11

title: Tubular Carbonate Concretions from North Island, New Zealand: Evidence for Hydrocarbon Migration and the Subsurface Plumbing System of Cold Seeps

authors: Nyman, Stephanie Leigh

subjects: hydrocarbon migration

abstract: Among the cold seep research community, it is now appreciated that tubular carbonate concretions are important indicators of hydrocarbon migration in the subsurface. In the last few years, several publications have documented tubular concretions and interpreted a subsurface seep origin. However, the nature, timing, and relative importance of tubular concretions as records of fluid flux and chemistry over time is yet to be fully appreciated.

In North Island, New Zealand, tubular concretions are geographically widespread but occur in localised clusters in several Cenozoic (especially Miocene) sedimentary formations of the East Coast Basin (Hikurangi Margin) and Taranaki Basin. They formed by precipitation of micritic dolomite and calcite cement within host siliciclastic mudstone and contain 50 to 85% carbonate (dolomite dominated), indicating precipitation in shallow burial (0 to 300 m). Several concretion morphologies occur, especially pipe, bulbous, doughnut, corkscrew, and conical shapes, and they include some of the largest examples known worldwide, ranging up to 10 m or more in length (limited only by exposure) and 0.1 to 1 m in diameter. The concretions typically support near-central conduits, from 1 to 40 cm in diameter, which may be open or variably filled with sediment and/or late cements.

As well as diverse morphologic types, the tubular concretions also show, within limits, variable mineralogic, petrographic, and geochemical characteristics. Additionally, some examples display association with slope instability, fault control on fluid migration, and stratigraphic placement directly below ancient seafloor seep carbonates. δ13C values of the cement forming the concretions range from -52 to +13 PDB and are interpreted to reflect carbonate precipitation from the onset of methane migration to the end of a major fluid migration event. A trend from strongly negative to strongly positive δ13C values reflects either a mixing of methane and methanogenic CO2 and/or the extensive anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) as supported by lipid biomarkers. δ18O values range from −3 to +5 PDB suggesting an evolved fluid source influenced by cycles of methane hydrate formation and dissociation.

The tubular carbonate concretions are interpreted to represent the subsurface plumbing pathways of methane expulsion in ancient hydrocarbon seep systems in North Island. Additionally, they suggest that gas hydrates may have been forming and dissociating along the Hikurangi Margin off eastern North Island for the past 23 Ma. The diverse geologic characteristics of the tubular concretions provide a unique opportunity to construct a comprehensive 4-D model of the subsurface development of such a system. The resulting schematic model of tubular concretion formation is an analogue for the subsurface fluid migration system of hydrocarbon seeps along the modern Hikurangi Margin, and possibly for many modern and ancient hydrocarbon seep systems in general.

text: Tubular Carbonate Concretions from North Island, New Zealand: Evidence for Hydrocarbon Migration and the Subsurface Plumbing System of Cold Seeps Among the cold seep research community, it is now appreciated that tubular carbonate concretions are important indicators of hydrocarbon migration in the subsurface. In the last few years, several publications have documented tubular concretions and interpreted a subsurface seep origin. However, the nature, timing, and relative importance of tubular concretions as records of fluid flux and chemistry over time is yet to be fully appreciated.

In North Island, New Zealand, tubular concretions are geographically widespread but occur in localised clusters in several Cenozoic (especially Miocene) sedimentary formations of the East Coast Basin (Hikurangi Margin) and Taranaki Basin. They formed by precipitation of micritic dolomite and calcite cement within host siliciclastic mudstone and contain 50 to 85% carbonate (dolomite dominated), indicating precipitation in shallow burial (0 to 300 m). Several concretion morphologies occur, especially pipe, bulbous, doughnut, corkscrew, and conical shapes, and they include some of the largest examples known worldwide, ranging up to 10 m or more in length (limited only by exposure) and 0.1 to 1 m in diameter. The concretions typically support near-central conduits, from 1 to 40 cm in diameter, which may be open or variably filled with sediment and/or late cements.

As well as diverse morphologic types, the tubular concretions also show, within limits, variable mineralogic, petrographic, and geochemical characteristics. Additionally, some examples display association with slope instability, fault control on fluid migration, and stratigraphic placement directly below ancient seafloor seep carbonates. δ13C values of the cement forming the concretions range from -52 to +13 PDB and are interpreted to reflect carbonate precipitation from the onset of methane migration to the end of a major fluid migration event. A trend from strongly negative to strongly positive δ13C values reflects either a mixing of methane and methanogenic CO2 and/or the extensive anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) as supported by lipid biomarkers. δ18O values range from −3 to +5 PDB suggesting an evolved fluid source influenced by cycles of methane hydrate formation and dissociation.

The tubular carbonate concretions are interpreted to represent the subsurface plumbing pathways of methane expulsion in ancient hydrocarbon seep systems in North Island. Additionally, they suggest that gas hydrates may have been forming and dissociating along the Hikurangi Margin off eastern North Island for the past 23 Ma. The diverse geologic characteristics of the tubular concretions provide a unique opportunity to construct a comprehensive 4-D model of the subsurface development of such a system. The resulting schematic model of tubular concretion formation is an analogue for the subsurface fluid migration system of hydrocarbon seeps along the modern Hikurangi Margin, and possibly for many modern and ancient hydrocarbon seep systems in general.

year: 2009

title: Epidemiological evidence that can help to improve timely diagnosis of colorectal cancer in New Zealand.

authors: Hirsz, Malgorzata

subjects: Colorectal cancer

abstract: Incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) in New Zealand (NZ) are among the highest in the world. The long-term survival rates in NZ are poor, which has partially been attributed to late diagnosis. Considering that CRC is a curable disease if diagnosed early, conducting research targeted at the improvement of early diagnosis is therefore important. This thesis provides statistical models for the calculation of CRC incidence rates in the entire NZ population and population strata defined by age, gender, ethnicity and diabetes status, and a model for CRC risk in individual patients referred to the secondary care. The models presented here could assist health professionals in the selection of patients for further investigation to facilitate earlier diagnosis. The empirical part consists of three independent observational studies, briefly described below.

Sub-study 1. The objectives were, first, to describe trends in CRC incidence in the NZ population and, second, to investigate whether there are any strata defined by gender and ethnicity with especially increased incidence rates of CRC. To address these objectives, I analysed data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry (years 1994–2018) using an age- period-cohort (APC) model. The overall CRC incidence rates in NZ decreased between 1994 and 2018 by an average of 1.31% per year. However, the decrease was observed only in patients 50 years and older. In those 30-<50 years old, the incidence rates increased between 1994 and 2018 regardless of gender and ethnicity. The increase was similar for proximal, distal and rectal cancers. The APC analyses revealed very strong cohort effects that could explain nearly the entire trends in CRC incidence, pointing out generations born in the 1970s and 80s being affected by the increased incidence rates, rather than individuals 30-<50 years old. The cohort effects were different in Ma ̄ori and non-Ma ̄ori populations. In non-Ma ̄ori born between approximately 1939 and 1955, incidence rates decreased sharply. By contrast, those Ma ̄ori generations have not benefitted from the sharp decrease in rates. However, CRC incidence increased substantially in both M ̄aori and non-M ̄aori groups born in the 1970s and 80s.

Sub-study 2. The objective was to estimate the IRR for CRC in patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes, with relation to diabetes duration and use of insulin for diabetes control. Registration in the Virtual Diabetes Register (VDR) in the years 2014–2018 was used as a marker of a diabetes diagnosis. Tables with counts of the entire NZ population stratified by age, gender, and ethnicity were obtained from Statistics NZ. In total, data from 310,710 patients with diabetes, corresponding to 1,277,284 person- years and 2512 incident CRC cases were analysed using a Poisson regression model. Diabetes was associated with an overall increased CRC incidence of 13% compared to non-diabetes [IRR=1.13 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.18)]. The IRR was especially high in the first three months after diabetes diagnosis [IRR=2.55 (95% CI 2.02, 3.21)], likely due to detection bias. The association was equally strong in males and females. However, in the analysis by ethnicity, the incidence of CRC was increased only in non-Ma ̄ori patients and restricted only to those younger than 75 years.

Sub-study 3. The objective was to develop a predictive model for CRC risk in individual patients referred to secondary care. To develop such a model, I extracted information from free text included in e-referrals from GPs’ to the Gastroenterology and General Surgery departments in the Waikato Hospital from 2015-2018, including: symptoms; test results; and family history of CRC. The reference test was a full colonoscopy with visualisation of the cecum. Data from 3015 patients, 20-<90 years old were analysed using a logistic regression model. The final model included the following predictors associated with increased CRC risk: anaemia, rectal bleeding, palpable mass in abdomen or rectum, weight loss, age and gender, and a decreased CRC risk: family history of CRC, abdominal pain, and inflammatory bowel disease. The model discriminates patients with low CRC risk well. According to the final cross-validated model, around 20% of patients from our cohort had performed colonoscopy despite a very low CRC risk (less than 1.5%).

In conclusion, the APC analysis revealed an alarming pattern. According to the fitted APC model, the combination of increasing age and cohort effect in generations born in the 1970s and 80s will bring a wave of CRC diagnoses in the near future when the young generations with high CRC incidence rates will replace the old generations with low CRC incidence. The results from this study could therefore help policy-makers to plan the needs for gastroenterology services.
Secondly, CRC incidence rates in diabetes have been found to be slightly increased com- pared to non-diabetes but only in non-Ma ̄ori individuals younger than 75 years.
Third, the results suggest that males underutilise health services. As shown in sub- study 3, males underwent fewer colonoscopies than females, despite having a higher risk of CRC. The higher detection bias in males than in females (sub-study 2) could also suggest underuse of health services by males, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Finally, based on the fitted models for CRC incidence in sub-studies 1 and 2, population- wide CRC screening for Ma ̄ori and patients with diabetes, based on the incidence, instead of age alone, would be proposed to start at age 57.5 years if the screening in the general population starts at age 60 years.

text: Epidemiological evidence that can help to improve timely diagnosis of colorectal cancer in New Zealand. Incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) in New Zealand (NZ) are among the highest in the world. The long-term survival rates in NZ are poor, which has partially been attributed to late diagnosis. Considering that CRC is a curable disease if diagnosed early, conducting research targeted at the improvement of early diagnosis is therefore important. This thesis provides statistical models for the calculation of CRC incidence rates in the entire NZ population and population strata defined by age, gender, ethnicity and diabetes status, and a model for CRC risk in individual patients referred to the secondary care. The models presented here could assist health professionals in the selection of patients for further investigation to facilitate earlier diagnosis. The empirical part consists of three independent observational studies, briefly described below.

Sub-study 1. The objectives were, first, to describe trends in CRC incidence in the NZ population and, second, to investigate whether there are any strata defined by gender and ethnicity with especially increased incidence rates of CRC. To address these objectives, I analysed data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry (years 1994–2018) using an age- period-cohort (APC) model. The overall CRC incidence rates in NZ decreased between 1994 and 2018 by an average of 1.31% per year. However, the decrease was observed only in patients 50 years and older. In those 30-<50 years old, the incidence rates increased between 1994 and 2018 regardless of gender and ethnicity. The increase was similar for proximal, distal and rectal cancers. The APC analyses revealed very strong cohort effects that could explain nearly the entire trends in CRC incidence, pointing out generations born in the 1970s and 80s being affected by the increased incidence rates, rather than individuals 30-<50 years old. The cohort effects were different in Ma ̄ori and non-Ma ̄ori populations. In non-Ma ̄ori born between approximately 1939 and 1955, incidence rates decreased sharply. By contrast, those Ma ̄ori generations have not benefitted from the sharp decrease in rates. However, CRC incidence increased substantially in both M ̄aori and non-M ̄aori groups born in the 1970s and 80s.

Sub-study 2. The objective was to estimate the IRR for CRC in patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes, with relation to diabetes duration and use of insulin for diabetes control. Registration in the Virtual Diabetes Register (VDR) in the years 2014–2018 was used as a marker of a diabetes diagnosis. Tables with counts of the entire NZ population stratified by age, gender, and ethnicity were obtained from Statistics NZ. In total, data from 310,710 patients with diabetes, corresponding to 1,277,284 person- years and 2512 incident CRC cases were analysed using a Poisson regression model. Diabetes was associated with an overall increased CRC incidence of 13% compared to non-diabetes [IRR=1.13 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.18)]. The IRR was especially high in the first three months after diabetes diagnosis [IRR=2.55 (95% CI 2.02, 3.21)], likely due to detection bias. The association was equally strong in males and females. However, in the analysis by ethnicity, the incidence of CRC was increased only in non-Ma ̄ori patients and restricted only to those younger than 75 years.

Sub-study 3. The objective was to develop a predictive model for CRC risk in individual patients referred to secondary care. To develop such a model, I extracted information from free text included in e-referrals from GPs’ to the Gastroenterology and General Surgery departments in the Waikato Hospital from 2015-2018, including: symptoms; test results; and family history of CRC. The reference test was a full colonoscopy with visualisation of the cecum. Data from 3015 patients, 20-<90 years old were analysed using a logistic regression model. The final model included the following predictors associated with increased CRC risk: anaemia, rectal bleeding, palpable mass in abdomen or rectum, weight loss, age and gender, and a decreased CRC risk: family history of CRC, abdominal pain, and inflammatory bowel disease. The model discriminates patients with low CRC risk well. According to the final cross-validated model, around 20% of patients from our cohort had performed colonoscopy despite a very low CRC risk (less than 1.5%).

In conclusion, the APC analysis revealed an alarming pattern. According to the fitted APC model, the combination of increasing age and cohort effect in generations born in the 1970s and 80s will bring a wave of CRC diagnoses in the near future when the young generations with high CRC incidence rates will replace the old generations with low CRC incidence. The results from this study could therefore help policy-makers to plan the needs for gastroenterology services.
Secondly, CRC incidence rates in diabetes have been found to be slightly increased com- pared to non-diabetes but only in non-Ma ̄ori individuals younger than 75 years.
Third, the results suggest that males underutilise health services. As shown in sub- study 3, males underwent fewer colonoscopies than females, despite having a higher risk of CRC. The higher detection bias in males than in females (sub-study 2) could also suggest underuse of health services by males, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Finally, based on the fitted models for CRC incidence in sub-studies 1 and 2, population- wide CRC screening for Ma ̄ori and patients with diabetes, based on the incidence, instead of age alone, would be proposed to start at age 57.5 years if the screening in the general population starts at age 60 years.

year: 2021