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Many countries have doctoral viva examinations, mostly conducted in-person until the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the changing processes and experiences of doctoral vivas forced online, from the perspectives of three examiners (two Uk, one NZ) and one recent candidate (UK). It sheds light on remote viva examinations exploring experiences of examination rigour, opportunities to evidence 'doctorateness' and challenges and affordances of remoteness, home location and technology. We use autoethnography, focusing on our experiences including the personal, learning and institutional dimensions. We found virtual spaces had advantages (comfort) and disadvantages (emotional difficulties), and levels of worry were often higher, especially regarding IT. Online formats still enabled examiners to rigorously assess 'doctorateness', but duty of care is needed for candidates with anxiety exacerbated by the pandemic, or technology. Our study offers insiders' insights into the remote online viva itself with recommendations for candidates, examiners and institutions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Academics have long regarded air travel as vital to pursuing a successful career. Meanwhile, many academics are at the frontline of climate change science and advocate the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The conflict between combating global warming and high aeromobility practices traps academics in a loop of hypocrisy. However, COVID-19 presents an opportunity for academics to advance their research and careers with reduced aeromobility. This research investigates how academics have adapted to virtual working experiences during COVID-19 and the implications for establishing changes in aeromobility practices. Informed by the theory of practice change, this paper reports the findings of a comprehensive survey and interview programme in New Zealand. It provides insights into the prospects for reduced aeromobility and the institutional policy frameworks required to embed a new normal, considering the unique circumstances faced by academics working at geographically remote institutions. The findings reveal that instead of being trapped in a loop of hypocrisy, New Zealand academics face a moral quandary in being concerned about climate change and wishing to reduce aeromobility practices, while wanting to avoid compromising career success. Recommendations for academics to face this moral quandary and their institutions to support practice change are proposed. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Mobilities is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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Neighbourhood design can have substantial impacts on children's physical and psychological well-being. COVID-19 lockdowns produced striking and unprecedented changes in how neighbourhoods functioned for children. The aim of this research was to explore what worked well for children during Alert Levels 3 and 4 (lockdown) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), focusing in particular on the neighbourhood environment. Children (n = 192) aged between 5 and 13 years completed an online survey that collected information on neighbourhood walking and wheeling and what they liked about their neighbourhood during lockdown in NZ. Car-less neighbourhoods were important for supporting children's well-being. Community activities such as the NZ Bear Hunt were appreciated by children. Natural environments, being home, spending time with family, and simple activities were all liked by participants. Social connections were important but often required technology. Findings can help inform initiatives to support child well-being in the face of potential future lockdowns or new pandemics.
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Public emergencies like global pandemics subject human rights to extraordinary vulnerability. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) permits States to restrict rights by enacting permissible limitations on them at any time and by derogating from their protection in emergencies. This article argues that States should rely on the ICCPR's permissible limitations provisions rather than lodge formal derogations in times of crisis, unlike what many States have done during the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws upon New Zealand's highly successful public health response to support this proposition. The article argues that the accountability machinery for compliance with States' rights obligations is stronger when permissible limitations are enacted. Where States do rely on the right to derogate, the article suggests some improvements to existing international accountability mechanisms. These include enhancing the analysis to be contained in notices of derogation and advance capacity-building to enable States to better decide if derogation is necessary in the first place. Ultimately, the article argues that keeping States within the international human rights system is ideal. This can be achieved through reliance on the flexibility built into the ICCPR via its permissible limitations provisions rather than its right of derogation. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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The United Nations Secretary-General Mechanism (UNSGM) for investigation of the alleged use of chemical and biological weapons is the only established international mechanism of this type under the UN. The UNGSM may launch an international investigation, relying on a roster of expert consultants, qualified experts, and analytical laboratories nominated by the member states. Under the framework of the UNSGM, we organized an external quality assurance exercise for nominated laboratories, named the Disease X Test, to improve the ability to discover and identify new pathogens that may cause possible epidemics and to determine their animal origin. The "what-if" scenario was to identify the etiological agent responsible for an outbreak that has tested negative for many known pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Three microbes were added to the samples, Dabie bandavirus, Mammarenavirus, and Gemella spp., of which the last two have not been taxonomically named or published. The animal samples were from Rattus norvegicus, Marmota himalayana, New Zealand white rabbit, and the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Of the 11 international laboratories that participated in this activity, six accurately identified pathogen X as a new Mammarenavirus, and five correctly identified the animal origin as R. norvegicus. These results showed that many laboratories under the UNSGM have the capacity and ability to identify a new virus during a possible international investigation of a suspected biological event. The technical details are discussed in this report.Copyright © 2022
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INTRODUCTION: Anti-Asian racism was a feature of the social response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and its impact on the well-being of Asian communities warrants closer examination. The current study aimed to gauge whether the sense of belonging mitigated the adverse effects of racism on life satisfaction for self-identified Asian New Zealanders.METHODS: This analysis included 1341 responses to a cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2021. Descriptive analyses outline how components of a sense of belonging were distributed among participants and those who experienced racism during the Covid-19 pandemic. We used linear regression to examine the role of a sense of belonging as a potential pathway variable in the association between experiencing racism and life satisfaction.FINDINGS: In this survey, four out of 10 participants reported experiencing racism in the first 18 months of the pandemic. Participants' life satisfaction decreased slightly since January 2020 (p<0.001). Experiencing racism was associated with decreased life satisfaction. All the components of sense of belonging reduced the magnitude of this negative association between racism experience and life satisfaction, in particular, expressing one's own ethnic identity and belonging in Aotearoa.CONCLUSIONS: Given that anti-Asian racism is currently a feature of life and a significant stressor during the pandemic, this study provides empirical evidence of the protective role of a sense of belonging against anti-Asian racism. This study focused on Asian members in Aotearoa New Zealand, but its practical implications have the potential to support other minoritised ethnic communities who also experience racism during the pandemic and beyond.
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The New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health (NZIEH) is a nongovernmental institute for all environmental health professionals in New Zealand. In 2021, NZIEH held its annual conference as an online virtual event for the first time. One inclusion to the program was an evolving outbreak scenario delivered in installments including "injects" of information (i.e., inserts of information relevant to the scenario) that mimic the evolution of a real-life epidemiological outbreak investigation. Questions were posed to attendees related to each added information inject. The scenario also included discussion in virtual breakout rooms that allowed attendees to network and reach consensus before responding to questions;discussions were also initiated by the scenario facilitators. Details of the scenario, its aims, evaluation of success, and limitations of this approach are discussed.
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Domestic livestock production is a major component of the agricultural sector, contributing to food security and human health and nutrition and serving as the economic livelihood for millions worldwide. The impact of disease on global systems and processes cannot be understated, as illustrated by the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic through economic and social system shocks and food system disruptions. This study outlines a method to identify the most likely sites of introduction into the United States for three of the most concerning foreign animal diseases: African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). We first created an index measuring the amount of potentially contaminated meat products entering the regions of interest using the most recently available Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Monitoring (AQIM) air passenger inspection dataset, the AQIM USPS/foreign mail, and the targeted USPS/foreign mail interception datasets. The risk of introduction of a given virus was then estimated using this index, as well as the density of operations of the livestock species and the likelihood of infected material contaminating the local herds. Using the most recently available version of the datasets, the most likely places of introduction for ASF and CSF were identified to be in central Florida, while FMD was estimated to have been most likely introduced to swine in western California and to cattle in northeastern Texas. The method illustrated in this study is important as it may provide insights on risk and can be used to guide surveillance activities and optimize the use of limited resources to combat the establishment of these diseases in the U.S.
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Introduction: Chest X-rays are an important tool in COVID-19 disease management and progression.1 Several radiology societies have developed structured reporting templates to reduce interpretation variability and measure concordance.2 This study aimed to measure concordance of three international chest X-ray reporting templates in a Sydney hospital. Method(s): 12 radiologists viewed a test set of 50 COVID-19-positive patients' chest X-rays (30 classic appearance, 20 indeterminate) and 20 normal or 'other' diagnoses chest X-rays. Radiologists classified the cases according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology (RANZCR), British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) and modified Co-RADS (Dutch)3 templates. Intra-reader and inter-reader reliability were calculated plus measures of experiences of using templates. Result(s): Inter-reader agreement between radiologists was highest for the BSTI template (0.46), followed by RANZCR (0.36) and modified Co-RADS (0.31). The intra-reader agreement across the three templates for 'classic/characteristic' COVID-19 cases was 0.61, for 'normal' cases 0.76 and 'alternative' 0.68 with large variations that were not related to experience. Radiologists agreed the templates were easy to use and would consider using them in the future, although some cases had very low concordance (intra- and inter-reader). Conclusion(s): The BSTI template yielded highest agreement for reporting all chest X-ray types. There was a large range of intra-reader agreement for all four types of patient presentations. Further investigation of radiology lexicon is required to seek reasons for variation as well as understanding the perception of utility by referring physicians. Extension of this work should include radiographers using the templates.
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Objective: Through the crisis of COVID-19 university teachers have been pushed into the realm of emergency remote teaching (ERT), familiar ways of living, working and being, brought unprecedented additional uncertainty and vulnerability to an already highly complex context. The purpose of this narrative review was to look at how these transformations affected teacher identity and the ways relationality shifted during this time. The intention was to bring relationality, care, collaboration, and excellent teaching possibilities, into the centre of our thinking. Whilst recognising the pandemic as a traumatic experience for many, it is a hopeful paper. Method: An examination and thematic analysis of literature published from March 2020-November 2020 on ERT. Results: The crisis and corresponding shift to teaching online demanded faculty to overcome their bias against online delivery, reimagine teaching, resulting in increased innovation and unexpected positive experiences which continue to rise. Conclusion: Teachers already engaging with student-centred approaches, relational pedagogies, reflective practice, community networks, and/or digital technologies managed the transition to online teaching and learning more effectively. Future teacher training requires effective online education, how to design and deliver, how to collaborate, and how to make relational connections with others, and access to resources.
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The availability of resources is vital when rapid changes and updated medical information in the provision of care are needed, such as in the fight against COVID-19, which is not a conventional disease. Continuing medical education plays an essential role in preparing for and responding to such emergencies. Workflow has improved based on the virtual meetings, online trainings, and remote detailing conducted by medical representatives in order to deliver educational content instantly through digital tools, such as salesforce automation (SFA), webinars, etc. In terms of its regulatory barriers, the pharmaceutical industry mainly targets healthcare professionals, unlike most businesses that reach end users directly. Medical representatives are equipped with an SFA to enhance customer relationship management (CRM) and closed loop marketing (CLM) capabilities in pharmaceutical companies. This study aimed to fill a gap in the literature by investigating the use of SFA in work patterns, such as health professionals' loyalty and involvement in their medical knowledge in Turkey, and how it allows for differentiating training from marketing. This study intended to compare the data on internists and medical products gathered from a well-known pharmaceutical company's SFA. The data covered the first three months of the year 2020, when medical representatives had a normal daily routine, and that of 2021, when Turkey experienced the most powerful surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis was based on simple correspondence analysis (SCA) and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) for 11 variables. Monitoring product, physician's segment, and medical representatives' behaviors with SFA had a significant influence on the pharma-physician relationship strategy, as expected. The findings supported the view that SFA technologies can be deployed to advance the medical knowledge of physicians, in addition to managing and designing superior CRM and CLM capabilities.
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Background: B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins play an important role in multiple myeloma (MM) cell survival and represent an attractive therapeutic target. In prior trials, a subgroup analysis of patients with t(11;14)-positive relapsed/refractory (R/R) MM showed the combination of a Bcl-2 inhibitor, a proteasome inhibitor, and dexamethasone improved progression-free survival with no increased mortality. BGB-11417, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, is more potent and selective than venetoclax. BGB-11417- 105 (NCT04973605) is a phase 1b/2 study assessing the safety and efficacy of BGB-11417 monotherapy, in combination with dexamethasone, or with dexamethasone+carfilzomib in patients with t(11;14)-positive R/R MM. Preliminary safety results for the combination of BGB-11417 + dexamethasone are presented. Method(s): Eligible patients had t(11;14)-positive R/R MM and had been exposed to a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulatory agent, and anti-CD38 therapy. Patients received 80-, 160-, 320-, or 640-mg BGB-11417 daily with 40-mg dexamethasone weekly until death, intolerability, or disease progression. Dose escalation was guided by a mTPI-2 design and overall review by a safety monitoring committee. Pharmacokinetics (PK) were also assessed. Result(s): As of 1 July 2022, 10 patients were enrolled in the 80-, 160-, and 320-mg (3 patients each) and 640-mg (1 patient) dose-escalation cohorts of BGB-11417 + dexamethasone. The median age was 69 years (range, 52-81) and median prior lines of therapy was 3 (range, 1-5). The median treatment duration was 3.2 months (range, 0.5-6.5). No patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity at any dose level. Three patients died whilst on study: 1 due to COVID-19 complications 157 days after treatment discontinuation (day 208), 1 due to progressive disease 50 days after treatment discontinuation (day 89), and 1 due to COVID-19 whilst on study treatment (day 78). No deaths were associated with study treatment. Two patients experienced Grade >= 3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). One patient in the 160-mg cohort experienced Grade 3 increase in liver enzymes and lymphopenia. One patient in the 320-mg cohort experienced Grade 3 lymphopenia. The most common TEAEs were insomnia (50%), fatigue (30%), arthralgia (20%), back pain (20%), lymphopenia (20%), and nausea (20%). BGB-11417 exposure increased dose-dependently from 80 mg to 320 mg with high interpatient PK variability. BGB-11417 exposures after single and multiple doses appeared similar, indicating limited accumulation. Conclusion(s): BGB-11417 plus dexamethasone was generally well-tolerated in patients with R/R MM harbouring t(11;14) at doses <=640 mg. Efficacy data are forthcoming. Recruitment is ongoing in the US, Australia, and New Zealand;the BGB-11417, dexamethasone, and carfilzomib combination arm will open in the future.
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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns disrupted mental health service delivery worldwide, accelerating the adoption of telehealth services to provide care continuity. Telehealth-based research largely highlights the value of this service delivery method for a range of mental health conditions. However, only limited research exists exploring client perspectives of mental health services delivered via telehealth during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase understanding of the perspectives of mental health clients around services provided via telehealth over the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: Interpretive description methodology underpinned this qualitative inquiry. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 individuals (15 clients and 7 support people; 1 person was both a client and support person) to explore their experiences of outpatient mental health care delivered via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic analysis approach supported by field notes was used to analyze interview transcripts. RESULTS: The findings reveal that mental health services delivered via telehealth differed from those provided in person and led some participants to feel they need to manage their own care more actively. Participants highlighted several factors affecting their telehealth journey. These included the importance of maintaining and building relationships with clinicians, the creation of safe spaces within client and clinician home environments, and clinician readiness in facilitating care for clients and their support people. Participants noted weaknesses in the ability of clients and clinicians to discern nonverbal cues during telehealth conversations. Participants also emphasized that telehealth was a viable option for service delivery but that the reason for telehealth consultations and the technicalities of service delivery needed to be addressed. CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation requires ensuring solid relationship foundations between clients and clinicians. To safeguard minimum standards in delivering telehealth-based care, health professionals must ensure that the intent behind telehealth appointments is clearly articulated and documented for each person. In turn, health systems must ensure that health professionals have access to training and professional guidance to deliver effective telehealth consultations. Future research should aim to identify how therapeutic engagement with mental health services has changed, following a return to usual service delivery processes.
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Aim: Asians are the second largest and fastest growing non-European population in New Zealand but are under-researched in terms of their COVID-19 pandemic response. The paper aims to illustrates Asians' risk perceptions and knowledge of COVID-19, and self-protection practices to avoid infection and prevent community transmission. Subject and methods: An online survey was used to collect data and received 402 valid responses. Data analyses included: 1) a descriptive analysis by using Chi-square tests and a Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests to explore associations between responses and the four demographic variables (i.e. age, gender, country of origin/ethnicity, and region); and 2) a correlation analysis between different survey objectives. Results: The descriptive analysis of the survey found that while ethnicity (within the Asian category) was the most influential variable that resulted in varying responses to many questions, gender and age were other two important variables in influencing the answering patterns. The correlation analysis found a positive correlation between the perceived 'dangerousness' of COVID-19 and respondents' overall compliance behaviour to New Zealand authorities' recommendations to prevent spread of COVID-19. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents provided correct answers to the questions about the vulnerable populations, symptoms, asymptomatic transmission and potential sequelae of COVID-19; however, their understanding of the availability of a cure for, and the incubation period of COVID-19 was not consistent with the official information. The research also found that the higher perceived dangerousness of COVID-19, the better compliance to self-protection practices among the surveyed population.
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Aotearoa New Zealand has restructured its health system with the objective of addressing inequitable access to health services and inequitable health outcomes, particularly those affecting the indigenous Maori population. In July 2022, two new organisations were created to centralise planning, funding and provision responsibilities for publicly funded health services in Aotearoa New Zealand. Health New Zealand and the Maori Health Authority have been created to drive transformational change within the national health system and monitor and improve the health and wellbeing of Maori. At the local level, new Localities are to be formed with the aim of integrating services between government and non-government health and social services providers, while incorporating local Maori and local communities in co-design of services. These changes will be of interest to those in many other countries who are grappling with their own colonial histories and struggling to provide health services in ways that are equitable and contribute to positive health outcomes for their whole population. Although key aspects of the reforms are well supported within the health sector, the ambitious scope and timing of their introduction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and health workforce shortages can be expected to generate significant implementation challenges.
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COVID-19 , Maori People , Humans , New Zealand , Pandemics , Social WelfareABSTRACT
This research was conducted to understand guests' perceptions of security in New Zealand. Before COVID-19 lockdowns and closed borders (2019), international tourism expenditure accounted for $17.5 billion (Tourism Industry Aotearoa, 2021). In comparison, revenue from the dairy industry in 2019 was $18.11 billion (Hinton, 2022). Tourism is important to New Zealand and only second in earning potential to dairy. It makes a valuable contribution to the New Zealand economy. Hence, the reason for this research. The assumption from the onset was that to preserve and protect the tourism industry, security had an important part to play, especially with terrorism shifting its interest to softer targets. However, the specific needs want and expectations of tourists and hotel guests in New Zealand were not clear. Using interpretivism and semi-structured interviews, this study focused on hotel guests and their security expectations. A total of 10 guests participated in this study and they were each asked 10 questions. However, the responses to only eight of those questions have been analysed and presented in this article. The findings confirmed that security was a concern for guests when they made travel plans. It also found that most guests considered New Zealand to be safe. A significant finding from this study was that guests were willing to pay extra for better-quality of security protocols. Well-travelled guests were able to compare the difference between New Zealand hotel security and that of other hotels around the world. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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PURPOSE: This qualitative study aimed to understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic from March to November 2020 on healthcare delivery and clinical trials for genitourinary (GU) cancers in Australia. METHODS: Annually a pre-conference workshop is hosted by the Australian New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group for supportive care health professionals. In November 2020, those that selected to attend were invited to participate in a focus group. Workshop and focus group discussions were recorded and transcripts were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Seventy-two individuals involved in GU cancer care and clinical trials took part. Participants described negative changes to GU cancer care and clinical trials from the pandemic due to reduced clinical services and increased wait times. Trial recruitment was paused temporarily during lockdowns, and standard treatment protocols were used to limit hospital visits. Trial process changes included electronic capture of informed consent, home delivery of oral medications, and delegations of assessments. These changes increased administrative activity for clinical trial teams and Human Research Ethics Committees. A transition to telehealth enabled continuity of service delivery and trials but reduced the opportunity for face-to-face patient consultations with increasing concern about the failure to detect supportive care needs. CONCLUSION: The pandemic has prompted a critical review of service delivery and clinical trials for people with GU cancers.
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Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) may be useful as an alternative to perinatal post-mortem autopsy. Our service has high rates of perinatal loss, and low rates of post-mortem autopsy. We have offered post-mortem MRI for the last 5 years, however how MRI is currently being used, have not been reviewed. Aim(s): To describe: (i) the number of perinatal post-mortem MRIs performed, (ii) the reasons for offering MRI, (iii) whether the MRI was contributory to diagnosing cause of perinatal loss or adding extra information. Method(s): Cases were identified crosschecking perinatal loss and radiology data from 2010 to 2021. Anonymised summaries of clinical notes and investigation results of all cases were reviewed by two multidisciplinary groups, each of whom had MRI reports for half of the cases. Congruency of final classification of cause of death was compared and groups reported for each case whether MRI provided new information. Result(s): Between 2018 and 2021 there were 426 perinatal losses, of which 17 were investigated with MRI. In all cases MRI was offered after parents declined autopsy and was performed in addition to other investigations (maternal blood tests, placental karyotype, and histology). MRI changed the final PDC code in 1 case, provided additional findings in 2 cases, confirmed antenatally diagnosed anomalies in 4 cases and was non-contributory to diagnosing cause of death in 11/17 cases. Conclusion(s): In our service, post-mortem MRI has been used infrequently as part of the investigations into perinatal loss. When used, it has been most useful in confirming presence of structural anomalies diagnosed antenatally. Conclusion(s): High COVID-19 community prevalence was associated with increased MROP numbers at our clinical site, but inferences are limited by a lack of standardisation of operative reporting.
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This article reports on a survey of New Zealand teachers, designed to assess their experiences of distance learning during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey gathered detailed quantitative and qualitative data from 31 schoolteachers who had previously experienced professional development in digital learning. The questions addressed many areas of practice, including the issues faced by teachers in the move to online distance learning, the impacts on relationships with students, families, and other staff, the impacts on workload and practice, and the experience of working intensively with digital technologies. The results suggested that this group of relatively well-prepared teachers were able to effectively move their practice online in a short period of time and, in most cases, to maintain the relationships with, and the learning of, their students. However, there were some indications in the data that learners from the Māori community faced resource challenges in successfully transitioning to online distance learning.