title: Beyond paternalism and racism in Pacific labour migration

authors: Roy, Rituparna

abstract: Key Insights 
• The operation of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in its present form reflects and reinforces the unequal relationship between New Zealand and countries in the Pacific that have been shaped by colonial and imperial practices. • Our analysis of policy and strategy documents related to the RSE scheme reveals three key discourses (language and ideas) that underpin the foundation and operation of the RSE. They are: 1) a form of paternalism that is shaped around claims of ‘co-development’, 2) a strong commitment to technocratic managerialism, and 3) the racialisation of Pacific people as ‘good’ candidates for seasonal manual labour. 
• Paternalism is expressed primarily in the notion of benevolence and development aid that reflect and reproduce colonial power relations between New Zealand and its neighbouring Pacific countries. • Managerialism, the idea that ‘orderly migration’ relies on evaluation, monitoring, target setting, and enforcement, is evident in New Zealand’s disproportionate authority over determining the entry numbers as well as the conditions that structure the stay and work experiences of the RSE workers. 
• Pacific people are racialised as the ideal seasonal workforce for physically challenging jobs in the horticultural and viticultural industries – sectors that are characterised by low wages and working conditions. • Our analysis indicates a need to rethink the RSE scheme as a ‘global model’ for circular migration management as it reproduces colonial power relations. We suggest that Pacific migration policies should be revaluated to rectify the existing power imbalance in the administration of RSE and other Pacific focused schemes. A more equitable and fairer outcome can be achieved through mutual dialogue with Pacific countries to enhance the rights and freedoms of migrants and provide pathways to residence should Pacific people desire so. 
• To address the imperialist underpinnings of the RSE scheme and other migration policies focused on the Pacific, the reform efforts should be firmly grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with substantive involvement of Māori as tangata whenua.

text: Beyond paternalism and racism in Pacific labour migration Key Insights 
• The operation of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in its present form reflects and reinforces the unequal relationship between New Zealand and countries in the Pacific that have been shaped by colonial and imperial practices. • Our analysis of policy and strategy documents related to the RSE scheme reveals three key discourses (language and ideas) that underpin the foundation and operation of the RSE. They are: 1) a form of paternalism that is shaped around claims of ‘co-development’, 2) a strong commitment to technocratic managerialism, and 3) the racialisation of Pacific people as ‘good’ candidates for seasonal manual labour. 
• Paternalism is expressed primarily in the notion of benevolence and development aid that reflect and reproduce colonial power relations between New Zealand and its neighbouring Pacific countries. • Managerialism, the idea that ‘orderly migration’ relies on evaluation, monitoring, target setting, and enforcement, is evident in New Zealand’s disproportionate authority over determining the entry numbers as well as the conditions that structure the stay and work experiences of the RSE workers. 
• Pacific people are racialised as the ideal seasonal workforce for physically challenging jobs in the horticultural and viticultural industries – sectors that are characterised by low wages and working conditions. • Our analysis indicates a need to rethink the RSE scheme as a ‘global model’ for circular migration management as it reproduces colonial power relations. We suggest that Pacific migration policies should be revaluated to rectify the existing power imbalance in the administration of RSE and other Pacific focused schemes. A more equitable and fairer outcome can be achieved through mutual dialogue with Pacific countries to enhance the rights and freedoms of migrants and provide pathways to residence should Pacific people desire so. 
• To address the imperialist underpinnings of the RSE scheme and other migration policies focused on the Pacific, the reform efforts should be firmly grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with substantive involvement of Māori as tangata whenua.

year: 2024-06-30

title: Quantitative chemical indicators to assess the gradation of compression wood

authors: Nanayakkara, Bernadette

subjects: chemistry of compression wood

abstract: A chemistry-based parameter has been sought for determining the gradation of compression wood (CW), i.e., the severity, in tissues of Pinus radiata wood. Fluorescence microscopy was the reference for characterisation of the tissues containing CW. The collected material contained CW of varying severity, beginning with normal wood (NW containing no CW), continuing with material with some features of CW (CW of mild severity, MCW) and ending up with a material with pronounced features of CW (CW of high severity, SCW). Matching opposite wood (OW) was also included in the study. The chemical analyses included lignin determination, sugar analysis in the acid hydrolysate, thioacidolysis, 31P-NMR spectroscopic analysis and steric exclusion chromatography of thioacidolysis products. As the severity of CW changed progressively from NW through MCW to SCW, all chemical parameters changed concurrently. In particular, levels of galactose and lignin increased, while those of glucose and mannose decreased. The amounts of p-hydroxyphenyl β-ethers released by chemical degradation and uncondensed p-hydroxyphenyl C-9 units also increased at elevated CW severity levels. The amounts of galactose and the p-hydroxyphenyl content of the lignin correlated linearly with lignin for CW samples. The chemical differences between CW and OW in the stem, branch and seedling were similar, i.e., they are independent of the morphological origin of the sample. Parameters based on the p-hydroxyphenyl unit content appear the most suitable chemical indicators of CW severity, as they are least sensitive to the sample's morphological origin and their response to CW severity is high.

text: Quantitative chemical indicators to assess the gradation of compression wood A chemistry-based parameter has been sought for determining the gradation of compression wood (CW), i.e., the severity, in tissues of Pinus radiata wood. Fluorescence microscopy was the reference for characterisation of the tissues containing CW. The collected material contained CW of varying severity, beginning with normal wood (NW containing no CW), continuing with material with some features of CW (CW of mild severity, MCW) and ending up with a material with pronounced features of CW (CW of high severity, SCW). Matching opposite wood (OW) was also included in the study. The chemical analyses included lignin determination, sugar analysis in the acid hydrolysate, thioacidolysis, 31P-NMR spectroscopic analysis and steric exclusion chromatography of thioacidolysis products. As the severity of CW changed progressively from NW through MCW to SCW, all chemical parameters changed concurrently. In particular, levels of galactose and lignin increased, while those of glucose and mannose decreased. The amounts of p-hydroxyphenyl β-ethers released by chemical degradation and uncondensed p-hydroxyphenyl C-9 units also increased at elevated CW severity levels. The amounts of galactose and the p-hydroxyphenyl content of the lignin correlated linearly with lignin for CW samples. The chemical differences between CW and OW in the stem, branch and seedling were similar, i.e., they are independent of the morphological origin of the sample. Parameters based on the p-hydroxyphenyl unit content appear the most suitable chemical indicators of CW severity, as they are least sensitive to the sample's morphological origin and their response to CW severity is high.

year: 2009-07

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