Locking down the Impact of New Zealand's COVID-19 Alert Level Changes on Pets.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Esam F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8000179 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:BACKGROUND:Reducing net greenhouse gas emissions through conserving existing forest carbon stocks and encouraging additional uptake of carbon in existing and new forests have become important climate change mitigation tools. The contribution of harvested wood products (HWPs) to increasing carbon uptake has been recognised and approaches to quantifying this pool developed. In New Zealand, harvesting has more than doubled since 1990 while log exports have increased by a factor of 11 due to past afforestation and comparatively little expansion in domestic processing. This paper documents New Zealand's application of the IPCC approaches for reporting contributions of the HWP pool to net emissions, in order to meet international greenhouse gas inventory reporting requirements. We examine the implications of the different approaches and assumptions used in calculating the HWP contribution and highlight model limitations. RESULTS:Choice of system boundary has a large impact for a country with a small domestic market and significant HWP exports. Under the Production approach used for New Zealand's greenhouse gas inventory reporting, stock changes in planted forests and in HWPs both rank highly as key categories. The contribution from HWPs is even greater under the Atmospheric Flow approach, because emissions from exported HWPs are not included. Conversely the Stock Change approach minimises the contribution of HWPs because the domestic market is small. The use of country-specific data to backfill the time series from 1900 to 1960 has little impact but using country-specific parameters in place of IPCC defaults results in a smaller HWP sink for New Zealand. This is because of the dominance of plantation forestry based on a softwood mainly used in relatively short-lived products. CONCLUSIONS:The NZ HWP Model currently meets international inventory reporting requirements. Further disaggregation of the semi-finished HWP end uses both within New Zealand and in export markets is required to improve accuracy. Product end-uses and lifespans need to be continually assessed to capture changes. More extensive analyses that include the benefits of avoided emissions through product substitution and life cycle emissions from the forestry sector are required to fully assess the contribution of forests and forest products to climate change mitigation and a low emissions future.
| S-EPMC7243304 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesWe analyzed the effectiveness of the Canadian COVID Alert app on reducing COVID-19 infections and deaths due to the COVID-19 virus.MethodsTwo separate but complementary approaches were taken. First, we undertook a comparative study to assess how the adoption and usage of the COVID Alert app compared to those of similar apps deployed in other regions. Next, we used data from the COVID Alert server and a range of plausible parameter values to estimate the numbers of infections and deaths averted in Canada using a model that combines information on number of notifications, secondary attack rate, expected fraction of transmissions that could be prevented, quarantine effectiveness, and expected size of the full transmission chain in the absence of exposure notification.ResultsThe comparative analysis revealed that the COVID Alert app had among the lowest adoption levels among apps that reported usage. Our model indicates that use of the COVID Alert app averted between 6284 and 10,894 infections across the six Canadian provinces where app usage was highest during the March-July 2021 period. This range is equivalent to 1.6-2.9% of the total recorded infections across Canada in that time. Using province-specific case fatality rates, 57-101 deaths were averted during the same period. The number of cases and deaths averted was greatest in Ontario, whereas the proportion of cases and deaths averted was greatest in Newfoundland and Labrador. App impact measures were reported so rarely and so inconsistently by other regions that the relative assessment of impact is inconclusive.ConclusionWhile the nationwide rates are low, provinces with widespread adoption of the app showed high ratios of averted cases and deaths (upper bound was greater than 60% of averted cases). This finding suggests that the COVID Alert app, when adopted at sufficient levels, can be an effective public health tool for combatting a pandemic such as COVID-19.
| S-EPMC9172601 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The fishing and aquaculture industry is vital for global food security, yet viral diseases can result in mass fish die-off events. Determining the viromes of traditionally understudied species, such as fish, enhances our understanding of the global virosphere and the factors that influence virome composition and disease emergence. Very little is known about the viruses present in New Zealand's native fish species, including the shortfin eel (Anguilla australis) and the longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii), both of which are fished culturally by Māori (the indigenous population of New Zealand) and commercially. Through a total RNA metatranscriptomic analysis of longfin and shortfin eels across three different geographic locations in the South Island of New Zealand, we aimed to determine whether viruses had jumped between the two eel species and whether eel virome composition was impacted by life stage, species, and geographic location. We identified nine viral species spanning eight different families, thereby enhancing our understanding of eel virus diversity in New Zealand and the host range of these viral families. Viruses of the family Flaviviridae (genus Hepacivirus) were widespread and found in both longfin and shortfin eels, indicative of cross-species transmission or virus-host co-divergence. Notably, both host specificity and geographic location appeared to influence eel virome composition, highlighting the complex interaction between viruses, hosts, and their ecosystems. This study broadens our understanding of viromes in aquatic hosts and highlights the importance of gaining baseline knowledge of fish viral abundance and diversity, particularly in aquatic species that are facing population declines.
| S-EPMC10978610 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Dogs accompanied people in their migrations across the Pacific Ocean and ultimately reached New Zealand, which is the southern-most point of their oceanic distribution, around the beginning of the fourteenth century AD. Previous ancient DNA analyses of mitochondrial control region sequences indicated the New Zealand dog population included two lineages. We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of fourteen dogs from the colonisation era archaeological site of Wairau Bar and found five closely-related haplotypes. The limited number of mitochondrial lineages present at Wairau Bar suggests that the founding population may have comprised only a few dogs; or that the arriving dogs were closely related. For populations such as that at Wairau Bar, which stemmed from relatively recent migration events, control region sequences have insufficient power to address questions about population structure and founding events. Sequencing mitogenomes provided the opportunity to observe sufficient diversity to discriminate between individuals that would otherwise be assigned the same haplotype and to clarify their relationships with each other. Our results also support the proposition that at least one dispersal of dogs into the Pacific was via a south-western route through Indonesia.
| S-EPMC4596854 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionNonketotic hyperglycemia-associated chorea is a rare condition that upon presentation to the emergency department can be easily misdiagnosed as a seizure or a stroke. Although uncommon, identification of this condition can aid emergency physicians in avoiding unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments for other neurological pathology. Furthermore, prompt hyperglycemic control can result in reversal of symptoms within days.Case reportWe present a case of nonketotic hyperglycemia-associated chorea where the patient was transferred to our facility as a hemorrhagic stroke alert, based on a false-positive interpretation of head computed tomography (CT) imaging.ConclusionNonketotic hyperglycemia on CT imaging and clinical presentation can mimic stroke presentations. Prompt recognition of key features can lead to appropriate treatment.
| S-EPMC9436485 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The human life-threatening novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona-virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has lasted for over a year escalating and posing simultaneous anxiety day-by-day globally since its first report in the late December 2019. The scientific arena has been kept animated via continuous investigations in an effort to understand the spread dynamics and the impact of various mitigation measures to keep this pandemic diminished. Despite a lot of research works having been accomplished this far, the pandemic is still deep-rooted in many regions worldwide signaling for more scientific investigations. This study joins the field by developing a modified SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed) compartmental deterministic model whose key distinct feature is the incorporation of the COVID Alert SA app use by the general public in prolific intention to control the spread of the epidemic. Validation of the model is performed by fitting the model to the Republic of South Africa's COVID-19 cases reported data using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation algorithm implemented in fitR package. The model's sensitivity analysis and simulations stipulate that gradual to complete use of the app would be perfect in contact tracing and substantially reduce the plateau number of COVID-19 infections. This would consequentially contribute remarkably to the eradication of the SARS-CoV-2 over time. Proportional amalgamation of the app use and test for COVID-19 on individuals not using the app would also reduce the peak number of infections apart from the 50 - 50% ratio which spikes the plateau number beyond any other proportion. The study establishes that at least 30% implementation of the app use with gradual increase in tests conducted for individuals not using the app would suffice to stabilize the disease free equilibrium resulting to gradual eradication of the pandemic.
| S-EPMC8755967 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Waterways worldwide are experiencing nutrient enrichment from population growth and intensive agriculture, and New Zealand is part of this global trend. Increasing fertilizer in New Zealand and intensive agriculture have driven substantial water quality declines over recent decades. A recent national directive has set environmental managers a range of riverine ecological targets, including three macroinvertebrate indicators, and requires nutrient criteria be set to support their achievement. To support these national aspirations, we use the minimization-of-mismatch analysis to derive potential nutrient criteria. Given that nutrient and macroinvertebrate monitoring often does not occur at the same sites, we compared nutrient criteria derived at sites where macroinvertebrates and nutrients are monitored concurrently with nutrient criteria derived at all macroinvertebrate monitoring sites and using modelled nutrients. To support all three macroinvertebrate targets, we suggest that suitable nutrient criteria would set median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at ~0.6 mg/L and median dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations at ~0.02 mg/L. We recognize that deriving site-specific nutrient criteria requires the balancing of multiple values and consideration of multiple targets, and anticipate that criteria derived here will help and support these environmental goals.
| S-EPMC8174153 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Alcohol consumption is a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally. In response to strong calls from the public for alcohol law reform, the New Zealand Government recently reduced the blood alcohol limit for driving and introduced the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act which aim to (1) improve community input into local decision-making on alcohol; (2) reduce the availability of alcohol; and (3) reduce hazardous drinking and alcohol-related harm. In this project we seek to evaluate the new laws in terms of these objectives.A policy evaluation framework is proposed to investigate the implementation and outcomes of the reforms. We will use quantitative and qualitative methods, employing a pre-post design. Participants include members of the public, local government staff, iwi (Māori tribal groups that function collectively to support their members) and community group representatives. Data will be collected via postal surveys, interviews and analysis of local government documents. Liquor licensing, police and hospital injury data will also be used. Community input into local government decision-making will be operationalised as: the number of objections per license application and the number of local governments adopting a local alcohol policy (LAP). Outcome measures will be the 'restrictiveness' of LAPs compared to previous policies, the number (per 1000 residents) and density (per square kilometre) of alcohol outlets throughout NZ, and the number of weekend late-night (i.e., post 10 pm) trading hours. For consumption and harm, outcomes will be the prevalence of hazardous drinking, harm from own and others' drinking, community amenity effects, rates of assault, and rates of alcohol-involved traffic crashes. Multiple regression will be used to model how the outcomes vary by local government area from before to after the law changes take effect. These measures will be complemented by qualitative analysis of LAP development and public participation in local decision-making on alcohol.The project will evaluate how well the reforms meet their explicit public health objectives.
| S-EPMC4710993 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectiveTo characterise the self-isolating household units (bubbles) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand.Design, setting and participantsIn this cross-sectional study, an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample via Facebook advertising and the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand's social media platforms and mailing list. Respondents were able to share a link to the survey via their own social media platforms and by email. Results were collected over 6 days during Alert Level 4 from respondents living in New Zealand, aged 16 years and over.Main outcomes measuresThe primary outcome was the mean size of a self-isolating household unit or bubble. Secondary outcomes included the mean number of households in each bubble, the proportion of bubbles containing essential workers and/or vulnerable people, and the mean number of times the home was left each week.Results14 876 surveys were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) bubble size was 3.58 (4.63) people, with mean (SD) number of households 1.26 (0.77). The proportion of bubbles containing one or more essential workers, or one or more vulnerable persons was 45.3% and 42.1%, respectively. The mean number of times individual bubble members left their home in the previous week was 12.9 (12.4). Bubbles that contained at least one vulnerable individual had fewer outings over the previous week compared with bubbles that did not contain a vulnerable person. The bubble sizes were similar by respondent ethnicity.ConclusionIn this New Zealand convenience sample, bubble sizes were small, mostly limited to one household, and a high proportion contained essential workers and/or vulnerable people. Understanding these characteristics from a country which achieved a low COVID-19 infection rate may help inform public health interventions during this and future pandemics.
| S-EPMC7844934 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences among stakeholders in the values they attribute to soil ecosystem services from plantation forests in New Zealand. Groups of forest-associated stakeholders were identified (e.g. land owners, forest owners, wood processors, and recreational forest users) and surveyed to assess their cultural background (indigenous New Zealand M?ori or not) and then the relative importance they placed on 10 forest soil ecosystem services. Across all survey respondents, very high importance was placed on the ability of soils to sustain forest growth across multiple plantings/rotations (sustainable production). Interestingly, this was more highly valued than maximising short-term production. M?ori placed greater importance on forest ecosystem resilience, provenance and kaitiakitanga (sensu stewardship of resources), water quality, and harvest of food and/or medicines from forests than non-M?ori. These results demonstrate inherent cultural differences in valuing the range of forest ecosystem services that soils support. It is important that cultural views are understood and integrated into future soil health testing schemes to reflect the needs of all stakeholders. Ultimately, this work will help increase the sustainability of planted forest ecosystems in New Zealand, ensure the forestry sectors social licence to operate, and add value to forest products by demonstrating environmental and cultural stewardship of forest products.
| S-EPMC6705829 | biostudies-literature