title: Clean and green with deepening shadows? a non-complacent view of corruption in New Zealand

authors: Gregory, Robert

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: New Zealand has long been regarded as a country with little or no governmental corruption. In recent times it has been ranked consistently as one of the five least corrupt countries in the world, on Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). In 2009 and 2011 it was ranked as the single most corruption-free country on the CPI, and in 2012 it shared first place with Denmark and Finland. This paper examines the reasons why historically New Zealand has been largely free of governmental corruption, using widely accepted definitions of what constitutes corrupt behaviour. It goes on to argue that, at least by its own normal standards, the country might now be more susceptible to corruption, for a variety of reasons, in both the public and private sectors, and that more political and administrative attention may need to be paid to this issue. The paper discusses New Zealand’s surprising tardiness in ratifying the United Nations Convention against Corruption, an apparent reluctance that leaves the country sitting alongside other non-ratifying countries which have endemic levels of corruption in all its forms. In this context, the paper also notes some international dissatisfaction with New Zealand’s anti-money laundering legislation, enacted in 2009.

text: Clean and green with deepening shadows? a non-complacent view of corruption in New Zealand New Zealand has long been regarded as a country with little or no governmental corruption. In recent times it has been ranked consistently as one of the five least corrupt countries in the world, on Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). In 2009 and 2011 it was ranked as the single most corruption-free country on the CPI, and in 2012 it shared first place with Denmark and Finland. This paper examines the reasons why historically New Zealand has been largely free of governmental corruption, using widely accepted definitions of what constitutes corrupt behaviour. It goes on to argue that, at least by its own normal standards, the country might now be more susceptible to corruption, for a variety of reasons, in both the public and private sectors, and that more political and administrative attention may need to be paid to this issue. The paper discusses New Zealand’s surprising tardiness in ratifying the United Nations Convention against Corruption, an apparent reluctance that leaves the country sitting alongside other non-ratifying countries which have endemic levels of corruption in all its forms. In this context, the paper also notes some international dissatisfaction with New Zealand’s anti-money laundering legislation, enacted in 2009.

year: 2013

title: Medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain

authors: McKinnon, Marion

abstract: Neuropathic pain is caused by a dysfunction of the nervous system. It differs from normal pain sensations as it is no longer protective and can be present in the absence of a stimulus. It affects eight percent of the population worldwide and has several causes. Diabetes is the most prevalent cause, with about half of those diagnosed developing diabetic neuropathy. Other causes are genetic diseases (e.g. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), immune disorders or medications (e.g. chemotherapy drugs) or injury. Neuropathic pain, regardless of its cause, is often poorly managed leading to poor quality of life for those patients. The currently available analgesic options show little efficacy and are often dose-limiting due to adverse effects. Treatments that improve efficacy or offer lower adverse effects need to be investigated; one such potential treatment is medicinal cannabis. To this end, cannabis isolates and a high CBD whole extract were tested to determine efficacy to relieve neuropathic pain symptoms in a pre-clinical mouse model of neuropathy.
A dose-response trial using gene expression biomarkers was completed in wildtype mice. This was to determine what doses of orally administered CBD (25 - 150 mg/kg) in an olive oil vehicle had a biological effect in the dorsal root ganglia of peripheral nerves of mice. CBD (6.25 - 100 mg/kg), a high CBD whole extract (containing CBD 12.5 mg/kg and THC 0.867 mg/kg) and a pure CBD:THC mix (at the same concentrations) were then used to determine efficacy in ameliorating neuropathic pain in a CMT2A mouse model. Finally, a single high-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy mouse model was characterised to determine the parameters of peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain symptoms in male wildtype B6:D2 mice. 
A pure isolate of 12.5 mg/kg CBD showed the greatest efficacy in treating thermal hyperalgesia symptoms in CMT2A mice. This paralleled a clinically relevant dose of gabapentin (40mg/kg) in efficacy for improving thermal hyperalgesia, both as a single dose and in multiple doses across eight hours. Of the cannabinoids tested, high CBD whole extract showed greater efficacy in improving thermal hyperalgesia symptoms in CMT2A mice, with a wider therapeutic window than either CBD alone or CBD:THC. This indicates that in addition to THC, other components in cannabis may contribute to efficacy, or be the result of an entourage effect. 
Characterisation of the diabetic neuropathy model was completed, with two-thirds of the mice developing high blood glucose (≥ 17 mmol/L) within two weeks of a single high dose of streptozotocin. All diabetic mice showed thermal hyperalgesia symptoms and 40% of those also developed mechanical allodynia; with symptoms evident from as early as week four post- streptozotocin. There was no loss of motor function seen across the trial period of 13 weeks. Sciatic nerve tissue taken from these mice showed a marked loss of acetylated alpha-tubulin in both proximal and distal sciatic nerves when compared to the wildtype control group.

text: Medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain Neuropathic pain is caused by a dysfunction of the nervous system. It differs from normal pain sensations as it is no longer protective and can be present in the absence of a stimulus. It affects eight percent of the population worldwide and has several causes. Diabetes is the most prevalent cause, with about half of those diagnosed developing diabetic neuropathy. Other causes are genetic diseases (e.g. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), immune disorders or medications (e.g. chemotherapy drugs) or injury. Neuropathic pain, regardless of its cause, is often poorly managed leading to poor quality of life for those patients. The currently available analgesic options show little efficacy and are often dose-limiting due to adverse effects. Treatments that improve efficacy or offer lower adverse effects need to be investigated; one such potential treatment is medicinal cannabis. To this end, cannabis isolates and a high CBD whole extract were tested to determine efficacy to relieve neuropathic pain symptoms in a pre-clinical mouse model of neuropathy.
A dose-response trial using gene expression biomarkers was completed in wildtype mice. This was to determine what doses of orally administered CBD (25 - 150 mg/kg) in an olive oil vehicle had a biological effect in the dorsal root ganglia of peripheral nerves of mice. CBD (6.25 - 100 mg/kg), a high CBD whole extract (containing CBD 12.5 mg/kg and THC 0.867 mg/kg) and a pure CBD:THC mix (at the same concentrations) were then used to determine efficacy in ameliorating neuropathic pain in a CMT2A mouse model. Finally, a single high-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy mouse model was characterised to determine the parameters of peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain symptoms in male wildtype B6:D2 mice. 
A pure isolate of 12.5 mg/kg CBD showed the greatest efficacy in treating thermal hyperalgesia symptoms in CMT2A mice. This paralleled a clinically relevant dose of gabapentin (40mg/kg) in efficacy for improving thermal hyperalgesia, both as a single dose and in multiple doses across eight hours. Of the cannabinoids tested, high CBD whole extract showed greater efficacy in improving thermal hyperalgesia symptoms in CMT2A mice, with a wider therapeutic window than either CBD alone or CBD:THC. This indicates that in addition to THC, other components in cannabis may contribute to efficacy, or be the result of an entourage effect. 
Characterisation of the diabetic neuropathy model was completed, with two-thirds of the mice developing high blood glucose (≥ 17 mmol/L) within two weeks of a single high dose of streptozotocin. All diabetic mice showed thermal hyperalgesia symptoms and 40% of those also developed mechanical allodynia; with symptoms evident from as early as week four post- streptozotocin. There was no loss of motor function seen across the trial period of 13 weeks. Sciatic nerve tissue taken from these mice showed a marked loss of acetylated alpha-tubulin in both proximal and distal sciatic nerves when compared to the wildtype control group.

year: 2024

title: Two-step human−environmental impact history for northern New Zealand linked to late-Holocene climate change

authors: Newnham, Rewi M.

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Following resolution of a long-standing debate over the timing of the initial settlement of New Zealand from Polynesia (late 13th century), a prevailing paradigm has developed that invokes rapid transformation of the landscape, principally by fire, within a few decades of the first arrivals. This model has been constructed from evidence mostly from southern and eastern regions of New Zealand, but a more complicated pattern may apply in the more humid western and northern regions where forests are more resilient to burning. We present a new pollen record from Lake Pupuke, Auckland, northern New Zealand, that charts the changing vegetation cover over the last 1000 years, before and after the arrival of people. Previous results from this site concurred with the rapid transformation model, although sampling resolution, chronology and sediment disturbance make that interpretation equivocal. Our new record is dated principally by tephrochronology together with radiocarbon dating, and includes a cryptotephra deposit identified as Kaharoa tephra, a key marker for first settlement in northern New Zealand. Its discovery and stratigraphic position below two Rangitoto-derived tephras enables a clearer picture of environmental change to be drawn. The new pollen record shows an early phase (step 1) of minor, localised forest clearance around the time of Kaharoa tephra (c. 1314 AD) followed by a later, more extensive deforestation phase (step 2) commencing at around the time of deposition of the Rangitoto tephras (c. 1400‒1450 AD). This pattern, which needs to be corroborated from other well-resolved records from northern New Zealand, concurs with an emerging hypothesis that the ‘Little Ice Age’ had a significant impact on pre-European Māori with the onset of harsher conditions causing a consolidation of populations and later environmental impact in northern New Zealand.

text: Two-step human−environmental impact history for northern New Zealand linked to late-Holocene climate change Following resolution of a long-standing debate over the timing of the initial settlement of New Zealand from Polynesia (late 13th century), a prevailing paradigm has developed that invokes rapid transformation of the landscape, principally by fire, within a few decades of the first arrivals. This model has been constructed from evidence mostly from southern and eastern regions of New Zealand, but a more complicated pattern may apply in the more humid western and northern regions where forests are more resilient to burning. We present a new pollen record from Lake Pupuke, Auckland, northern New Zealand, that charts the changing vegetation cover over the last 1000 years, before and after the arrival of people. Previous results from this site concurred with the rapid transformation model, although sampling resolution, chronology and sediment disturbance make that interpretation equivocal. Our new record is dated principally by tephrochronology together with radiocarbon dating, and includes a cryptotephra deposit identified as Kaharoa tephra, a key marker for first settlement in northern New Zealand. Its discovery and stratigraphic position below two Rangitoto-derived tephras enables a clearer picture of environmental change to be drawn. The new pollen record shows an early phase (step 1) of minor, localised forest clearance around the time of Kaharoa tephra (c. 1314 AD) followed by a later, more extensive deforestation phase (step 2) commencing at around the time of deposition of the Rangitoto tephras (c. 1400‒1450 AD). This pattern, which needs to be corroborated from other well-resolved records from northern New Zealand, concurs with an emerging hypothesis that the ‘Little Ice Age’ had a significant impact on pre-European Māori with the onset of harsher conditions causing a consolidation of populations and later environmental impact in northern New Zealand.

year: 2018