title: The Identification, Isolation and Partial Characterisation of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids in Rhodococcus equi found in New Zealand.

authors: Singh, Niharika

subjects: Rhodococcus equi

abstract: This thesis describes the identification, isolation and partial characterisation of VapA-encoded virulence plasmids present in Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) found in foals in New Zealand. R. equi infection associated with the presence of virulence plasmids causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and, if left untreated, it can be lethal. Foals are thought to be infected when they ingest or breathe in bacteria present in soil, dust and faecal particles after which the bacteria multiply inside macrophages and cause pneumonia. Studies have shown that virulence is associated with the presence of the vapA gene in a plasmid that encodes a VapA protein. Twelve different types of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids have been described so far. Epidemiological studies of America, Australia, Korea, Japan and some parts of Europe have revealed that more than one subtype can exist in a farm or even a country. The aim of the study was to investigate if more than one subtype of VapA-encoded plasmids exists in a farm in New Zealand.
Nasal swabs for the analysis were obtained from the Auckland Veterinary Centre in Papakura. Based on colony morphology and 16S primers, successful identification of R. equi was possible, VapA primers assisted with distinguishing bacteria that carried VapA-encoded plasmids. Since success with plasmid isolations was modest, characterization of plasmids was conducted by sequence analysis of an approximately 1-kb variable region present in VapA-encoded plasmids. Sequence analysis and restriction digestion patterns revealed two distinct patterns of sequences from the variable region which were divided into two groups: PI and PII.
Results indicated that PI sequences were significantly similar to published 85-kb type I plasmids and must also be from 85-kb type I plasmids but more detailed analysis of other regions is required to confirm the results. PII sequences on the other hand were distinctly different from PI sequences and displayed poor matches with published plasmid sequences. This is the first attempt at characterising VapA-encoded virulence plasmids from R. equi isolates in New Zealand. This work will contribute towards increasing our knowledge regarding the unique characteristics of the VapA-encoding plasmids, which could define transmission characteristics, possible sources of infection in disease outbreaks and vaccine development.

text: The Identification, Isolation and Partial Characterisation of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids in Rhodococcus equi found in New Zealand. This thesis describes the identification, isolation and partial characterisation of VapA-encoded virulence plasmids present in Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) found in foals in New Zealand. R. equi infection associated with the presence of virulence plasmids causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and, if left untreated, it can be lethal. Foals are thought to be infected when they ingest or breathe in bacteria present in soil, dust and faecal particles after which the bacteria multiply inside macrophages and cause pneumonia. Studies have shown that virulence is associated with the presence of the vapA gene in a plasmid that encodes a VapA protein. Twelve different types of VapA-encoding virulence plasmids have been described so far. Epidemiological studies of America, Australia, Korea, Japan and some parts of Europe have revealed that more than one subtype can exist in a farm or even a country. The aim of the study was to investigate if more than one subtype of VapA-encoded plasmids exists in a farm in New Zealand.
Nasal swabs for the analysis were obtained from the Auckland Veterinary Centre in Papakura. Based on colony morphology and 16S primers, successful identification of R. equi was possible, VapA primers assisted with distinguishing bacteria that carried VapA-encoded plasmids. Since success with plasmid isolations was modest, characterization of plasmids was conducted by sequence analysis of an approximately 1-kb variable region present in VapA-encoded plasmids. Sequence analysis and restriction digestion patterns revealed two distinct patterns of sequences from the variable region which were divided into two groups: PI and PII.
Results indicated that PI sequences were significantly similar to published 85-kb type I plasmids and must also be from 85-kb type I plasmids but more detailed analysis of other regions is required to confirm the results. PII sequences on the other hand were distinctly different from PI sequences and displayed poor matches with published plasmid sequences. This is the first attempt at characterising VapA-encoded virulence plasmids from R. equi isolates in New Zealand. This work will contribute towards increasing our knowledge regarding the unique characteristics of the VapA-encoding plasmids, which could define transmission characteristics, possible sources of infection in disease outbreaks and vaccine development.

year: 2010

title: Communication for Poverty Alleviation: How Aid and Development Agencies in New Zealand View the Relationships Between Communication and Development

authors: Campbell, Michelle

subjects: international development

abstract: A highly debated topic of the last few decades has centred on the idea of communication as a means for poverty reduction. With two-thirds of the world's population living in poverty, there is a dire need to understand why global poverty and inequality continue to increase, and what role communication can, and is playing in the fight against poverty. This study therefore seeks to understand how three aid and development agencies in New Zealand, New Zealand Aid (NZAID), Oxfam New Zealand (NZ), and Christian World Service (CWS), construct poverty in the context of international development. Additionally it seeks to establish how these three organisations view relationships between communication and poverty. Eleven semi-structured, in-depth interviews with key informants were conducted, transcribed, and analysed in order to extract information surrounding the issues of poverty and international development. From this analysis, it is evident that these three organisations recognise official and unofficial definitions of poverty. It is also apparent that these definitions of poverty affect the ways in which these organisations view the causes of poverty, as well as their outlook on international development. Furthermore, three topics emerged when examining relationships between communication and poverty: communication with local people and local organisations, communication about local people and local organisations, and dealing with communication issues through accountability, transparency, and legitimacy. Implications on communication and development theory as well as theory on the discursive constructions of poverty are addressed. Finally, this study addresses practical implications for aid and development agency practice, and offers recommendations for further study in the area development communication.

text: Communication for Poverty Alleviation: How Aid and Development Agencies in New Zealand View the Relationships Between Communication and Development A highly debated topic of the last few decades has centred on the idea of communication as a means for poverty reduction. With two-thirds of the world's population living in poverty, there is a dire need to understand why global poverty and inequality continue to increase, and what role communication can, and is playing in the fight against poverty. This study therefore seeks to understand how three aid and development agencies in New Zealand, New Zealand Aid (NZAID), Oxfam New Zealand (NZ), and Christian World Service (CWS), construct poverty in the context of international development. Additionally it seeks to establish how these three organisations view relationships between communication and poverty. Eleven semi-structured, in-depth interviews with key informants were conducted, transcribed, and analysed in order to extract information surrounding the issues of poverty and international development. From this analysis, it is evident that these three organisations recognise official and unofficial definitions of poverty. It is also apparent that these definitions of poverty affect the ways in which these organisations view the causes of poverty, as well as their outlook on international development. Furthermore, three topics emerged when examining relationships between communication and poverty: communication with local people and local organisations, communication about local people and local organisations, and dealing with communication issues through accountability, transparency, and legitimacy. Implications on communication and development theory as well as theory on the discursive constructions of poverty are addressed. Finally, this study addresses practical implications for aid and development agency practice, and offers recommendations for further study in the area development communication.

year: 2009

title: Formulaic Discourse Patterning in Mōteatea

authors: Roa, Te Raukura o Te Rangimarie

subjects: mōteatea

abstract: Oral formulaic composition, which involves the use of communally owned formulae of various kinds, is a common feature of verbal arts produced in many different languages. It is particularly associated with pre-literate cultures and tends to be gradually replaced by more individualistic verbal art forms when societies become literate. There are very few publications in which the analysis of mōteatea (Māori laments) is linked explicitly to oral formulaic theory. Nevertheless, there is, I believe, sufficient evidence in published sources to indicate that traditional mōteatea (defined here as mōteatea that are not fundamentally influenced by European cultural beliefs and practices) exhibit evidence of regularly recurring, conventional themes (such as death, separation, loss and travel) and motifs (such as the setting sun, the presence of rain or mist and sleeplessness).  There is, however, considerably less evidence that traditional mōteatea make extensive use of verbal formulae, that is, of the same or very similar groups of words derived from a common store of poetic resources. Although there are references in the literature to the conventionalized use of language in mōteatea, and although it has been claimed that there are at least some commonly recurring verbal expressions, this is by no means evidence of reliance on a common stock of verbal formulae. Indeed, no attempt has hitherto been made to define precisely what might be meant by the term 'oral formula' in the context of compositions in te reo Māori, something that is clearly required in view, in particular, of the fact that the phrasal structure of the language means that certain groupings (e.g. i te X; ki te X) are very likely to occur in certain contexts irrespective of genre. Furthermore, in the literature on oral formulaic composition, oral formulae are generally linked to particular metrical conditions and there is, it is argued here, no convincing empirically-based evidence that mōteatea conform to any common metrical structure or structures (see Chapters 2 and 4).

In the context of a critical review of selected literature on oral formulaic theory (Chapter 2) and mōteatea (Chapter 3), this thesis sets out to test the hypothesis that traditional mōteatea were composed, in whole or in large part, from a common stock of oral formulae. The conclusion, based on analysis of a selection of mōteatea included in Ngā mōteatea, a collection initially established by Sir Apirana Ngata, is that this hypothesis must be rejected (Chapter 4). However, a model derived from a review of selected literature on discourse structure (Chapter 5) was also applied to the analysis of a sample of these mōteatea (Chapter 6). On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that they exhibit one of two very similar discourse prototypes, each of which involves a particular combination of discourse elements. What distinguishes the two prototypes is the fact that only one of them is characterized by the inclusion of hortatory sections in which the poet urges one or more of the protagonists to undergo one or more steps or stages required to achieve a particular outcome, such as entry into the spirit world or vengeance for death and/ or humiliation.

text: Formulaic Discourse Patterning in Mōteatea Oral formulaic composition, which involves the use of communally owned formulae of various kinds, is a common feature of verbal arts produced in many different languages. It is particularly associated with pre-literate cultures and tends to be gradually replaced by more individualistic verbal art forms when societies become literate. There are very few publications in which the analysis of mōteatea (Māori laments) is linked explicitly to oral formulaic theory. Nevertheless, there is, I believe, sufficient evidence in published sources to indicate that traditional mōteatea (defined here as mōteatea that are not fundamentally influenced by European cultural beliefs and practices) exhibit evidence of regularly recurring, conventional themes (such as death, separation, loss and travel) and motifs (such as the setting sun, the presence of rain or mist and sleeplessness).  There is, however, considerably less evidence that traditional mōteatea make extensive use of verbal formulae, that is, of the same or very similar groups of words derived from a common store of poetic resources. Although there are references in the literature to the conventionalized use of language in mōteatea, and although it has been claimed that there are at least some commonly recurring verbal expressions, this is by no means evidence of reliance on a common stock of verbal formulae. Indeed, no attempt has hitherto been made to define precisely what might be meant by the term 'oral formula' in the context of compositions in te reo Māori, something that is clearly required in view, in particular, of the fact that the phrasal structure of the language means that certain groupings (e.g. i te X; ki te X) are very likely to occur in certain contexts irrespective of genre. Furthermore, in the literature on oral formulaic composition, oral formulae are generally linked to particular metrical conditions and there is, it is argued here, no convincing empirically-based evidence that mōteatea conform to any common metrical structure or structures (see Chapters 2 and 4).

In the context of a critical review of selected literature on oral formulaic theory (Chapter 2) and mōteatea (Chapter 3), this thesis sets out to test the hypothesis that traditional mōteatea were composed, in whole or in large part, from a common stock of oral formulae. The conclusion, based on analysis of a selection of mōteatea included in Ngā mōteatea, a collection initially established by Sir Apirana Ngata, is that this hypothesis must be rejected (Chapter 4). However, a model derived from a review of selected literature on discourse structure (Chapter 5) was also applied to the analysis of a sample of these mōteatea (Chapter 6). On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that they exhibit one of two very similar discourse prototypes, each of which involves a particular combination of discourse elements. What distinguishes the two prototypes is the fact that only one of them is characterized by the inclusion of hortatory sections in which the poet urges one or more of the protagonists to undergo one or more steps or stages required to achieve a particular outcome, such as entry into the spirit world or vengeance for death and/ or humiliation.

year: 2008