title: Water resource management in New Zealand: Jobs or algal blooms?

authors: Marsh, Dan

subjects: water quality

abstract: New Zealand faces a choice between environmental improvement and dairy industry profitability and employment, since improved water quality in lakes and rivers may require measures that will reduce net farm profit. Environmental valuation studies often consider preferences for employment but rarely focus specifically on the effect of job losses on respondent preferences for environmental improvement. A choice experiment was used to investigate people's willingness to pay for water quality improvements in a typical dairy catchment in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It was found that respondents would be willing to pay for water that is safer for swimming with improvements in clarity and ecological health, but are concerned about job losses, even when they do not expect to be directly affected. This may be explained by the concept of sociality, whereby the influence of direct interpersonal interaction on human behaviour, affects choice behaviour. Findings from this study and ongoing research should allow decision makers to consider both the costs and the benefits of different levels of water quality improvements, so allowing policy makers to identify the most cost effective options for achieving any given improvement in water quality.

text: Water resource management in New Zealand: Jobs or algal blooms? New Zealand faces a choice between environmental improvement and dairy industry profitability and employment, since improved water quality in lakes and rivers may require measures that will reduce net farm profit. Environmental valuation studies often consider preferences for employment but rarely focus specifically on the effect of job losses on respondent preferences for environmental improvement. A choice experiment was used to investigate people's willingness to pay for water quality improvements in a typical dairy catchment in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It was found that respondents would be willing to pay for water that is safer for swimming with improvements in clarity and ecological health, but are concerned about job losses, even when they do not expect to be directly affected. This may be explained by the concept of sociality, whereby the influence of direct interpersonal interaction on human behaviour, affects choice behaviour. Findings from this study and ongoing research should allow decision makers to consider both the costs and the benefits of different levels of water quality improvements, so allowing policy makers to identify the most cost effective options for achieving any given improvement in water quality.

year: 2012-10

title: Reprocessing of wood fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. Part II: Hygrothermal ageing and its effects

authors: Beg, Mohammad Dalour Hossen

subjects: A. Natural fibre composites

abstract: In this paper, hygrothermal ageing behaviour of virgin and reprocessed composites based on radiata pine (Pinus Radiata) wood fibre with a polypropylene (PP) matrix were investigated. Composites were produced with 40 wt% fibre and 4 wt% maleated polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent using extrusion followed by injection moulding. Composites reprocessing was carried out using repeated pelletising and injection moulding for up to eight times. Hygrothermal ageing was carried out by immersing specimens in distilled water at 50 °C over a 9 month period. The diffusion coefficient of moisture absorption was obtained for composites by measuring water uptake of specimens at regular time intervals. It was found that the diffusion coefficient and the equilibrium moisture contents of composites decreased with increased number of times the materials were reprocessed. After hygrothermal ageing, tensile strength (TS), Young’s modulus (YM) and hardness of both virgin and reprocessed composites were found to decrease, but impact strength (IS) and failure strain (FS) increased. The thermal stability of both virgin and reprocessed composites was found to decrease after hygrothermal ageing.

text: Reprocessing of wood fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. Part II: Hygrothermal ageing and its effects In this paper, hygrothermal ageing behaviour of virgin and reprocessed composites based on radiata pine (Pinus Radiata) wood fibre with a polypropylene (PP) matrix were investigated. Composites were produced with 40 wt% fibre and 4 wt% maleated polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent using extrusion followed by injection moulding. Composites reprocessing was carried out using repeated pelletising and injection moulding for up to eight times. Hygrothermal ageing was carried out by immersing specimens in distilled water at 50 °C over a 9 month period. The diffusion coefficient of moisture absorption was obtained for composites by measuring water uptake of specimens at regular time intervals. It was found that the diffusion coefficient and the equilibrium moisture contents of composites decreased with increased number of times the materials were reprocessed. After hygrothermal ageing, tensile strength (TS), Young’s modulus (YM) and hardness of both virgin and reprocessed composites were found to decrease, but impact strength (IS) and failure strain (FS) increased. The thermal stability of both virgin and reprocessed composites was found to decrease after hygrothermal ageing.

year: 2008

title: Māori medical student and physician exposure to racism, discrimination, harassment, and bullying

authors: Cormack, Donna

abstract: IMPORTANCE: Discrimination, bullying, and harassment in medicine have been reported internationally, but exposures for Indigenous medical students and physicians, and for racism
specifically, remain less examined.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment for Māori medical students and physicians in New Zealand and associations with demographic and clinical
characteristics.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from an anonymous national survey of Māori medical students and physicians in New Zealand in late 2021 and early 2022.
Data were analyzed from March 2022 to April 2024.
EXPOSURES: Age, gender, marginalized status (ie, in addition to being Māori, belonging to other groups traditionally marginalized or underrepresented in medicine), year of medical school, year of
graduation, and main work role.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Direct and witnessed racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment were measured as any experience in the last year and ever. Any exposure to negative
comments about social groups and witnessing discriminatory treatment toward Māori patients or whānau (extended family). Considering leaving medicine, including because of mistreatment, was
measured.
RESULTS: Overall, 205 Māori medical students (median [IQR] age, 23.1 [21.6-24.3] years; 137 [67.2%] women) and 200 physicians (median [IQR] age, 36.6 [30.1-45.3] years; 123 [62.8%] women)
responded. Direct and witnessed exposure to racism (184 students [91.5%]; 176 physicians [90.7%]) and discrimination (176 students [85.9%]; 179 physicians [89.5%]) ever in medical education,
training, or work environments was common. Ever exposure to witnessed and direct bullying (123 students [66.5%]; 150 physicians [89.3%]) and harassment (73 students [39.5%]; 112 physicians
[66.7%]) was also common. Most respondents reported witnessing Māori patients or their whānau being treated badly in clinical settings, in direct interactions (67 students [57.8%]; 112 physicians
[58.9%]) or behind their backs (87 students [75.0%]; 138 physicians [72.6%]). One-quarter of Māori medical students (45 students), and 37.0%of physicians (61 physicians) had considered leaving or taken a break from medicine because of these experiences. Additional marginalized statuses were significantly associated with any direct experience of mistreatment in the last year for students and physicians. Exposure to some forms of mistreatment were also significantly associated with higher likelihood of thinking about leaving or taking a break from medicine for physicians.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, Māori medical students and physicians reported high exposure to multiple forms of racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment in medical
education, training, and work environments, requiring an urgent response from medical institutions.

text: Māori medical student and physician exposure to racism, discrimination, harassment, and bullying IMPORTANCE: Discrimination, bullying, and harassment in medicine have been reported internationally, but exposures for Indigenous medical students and physicians, and for racism
specifically, remain less examined.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment for Māori medical students and physicians in New Zealand and associations with demographic and clinical
characteristics.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from an anonymous national survey of Māori medical students and physicians in New Zealand in late 2021 and early 2022.
Data were analyzed from March 2022 to April 2024.
EXPOSURES: Age, gender, marginalized status (ie, in addition to being Māori, belonging to other groups traditionally marginalized or underrepresented in medicine), year of medical school, year of
graduation, and main work role.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Direct and witnessed racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment were measured as any experience in the last year and ever. Any exposure to negative
comments about social groups and witnessing discriminatory treatment toward Māori patients or whānau (extended family). Considering leaving medicine, including because of mistreatment, was
measured.
RESULTS: Overall, 205 Māori medical students (median [IQR] age, 23.1 [21.6-24.3] years; 137 [67.2%] women) and 200 physicians (median [IQR] age, 36.6 [30.1-45.3] years; 123 [62.8%] women)
responded. Direct and witnessed exposure to racism (184 students [91.5%]; 176 physicians [90.7%]) and discrimination (176 students [85.9%]; 179 physicians [89.5%]) ever in medical education,
training, or work environments was common. Ever exposure to witnessed and direct bullying (123 students [66.5%]; 150 physicians [89.3%]) and harassment (73 students [39.5%]; 112 physicians
[66.7%]) was also common. Most respondents reported witnessing Māori patients or their whānau being treated badly in clinical settings, in direct interactions (67 students [57.8%]; 112 physicians
[58.9%]) or behind their backs (87 students [75.0%]; 138 physicians [72.6%]). One-quarter of Māori medical students (45 students), and 37.0%of physicians (61 physicians) had considered leaving or taken a break from medicine because of these experiences. Additional marginalized statuses were significantly associated with any direct experience of mistreatment in the last year for students and physicians. Exposure to some forms of mistreatment were also significantly associated with higher likelihood of thinking about leaving or taking a break from medicine for physicians.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, Māori medical students and physicians reported high exposure to multiple forms of racism, discrimination, bullying, and harassment in medical
education, training, and work environments, requiring an urgent response from medical institutions.

year: 0202-07-01