Research@Lincoln
Research@Lincoln is an open access institutional repository collecting the research produced by Lincoln University staff and students. You may also be interested in Data@Lincoln or Lincoln University Living Heritage.
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Item Restricted Animal research nexus: a new approach to the connections between science, health and animal welfare(BMJ Publishing Group, 2020-12)Animals used in biological research and testing have become integrated into the trajectories of modern biomedicine, generating increased expectations for and connections between human and animal health. Animal research also remains controversial and its acceptability is contingent on a complex network of relations and assurances across science and society, which are both formally constituted through law and informal or assumed. In this paper, we propose these entanglements can be studied through an approach that understands animal research as a nexus spanning the domains of science, health and animal welfare. We introduce this argument through, first, outlining some key challenges in UK debates around animal research, and second, reviewing the way nexus concepts have been used to connect issues in environmental research. Third, we explore how existing social sciences and humanities scholarship on animal research tends to focus on different aspects of the connections between scientific research, human health and animal welfare, which we suggest can be combined in a nexus approach. In the fourth section, we introduce our collaborative research on the animal research nexus, indicating how this approach can be used to study the history, governance and changing sensibilities around UK laboratory animal research. We suggest the attention to complex connections in nexus approaches can be enriched through conversations with the social sciences and medical humanities in ways that deepen appreciation of the importance of path-dependency and contingency, inclusion and exclusion in governance and the affective dimension to research. In conclusion, we reflect on the value of nexus thinking for developing research that is interdisciplinary, interactive and reflexive in understanding how accounts of the histories and current relations of animal research have significant implications for how scientific practices, policy debates and broad social contracts around animal research are being remade today.Publication Open Access Effects of soil compaction on soil physical and chemical properties in apple orchards : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University(Lincoln University, 2024)Traffic-induced soil compaction is a widespread and detrimental process that substantially affects soil quality globally. This compaction often results in increased bulk density and penetration resistance, along with alterations in soil pore function and reduced soil fertility, all of which collectively degrades overall soil quality. Although assessments of soil compaction have primarily focused on structural changes, such as increased bulk density and reduced pore volume, the relationship between these structural alterations and key hydraulic properties have not been thoroughly explored. Consequently, most research has concentrated on the structural impacts of compaction, with limited emphasis on how compaction influenced hydraulic properties or how intrinsic soil characteristics affected this response. Furthermore, there is a notable lack of comprehensive reviews or quantitative studies examining the effects of compaction on soil water retention and physical quality, as well as the role of soil properties in this context. Additionally, research on soil compaction in New Zealand apple orchards, particularly regarding traffic-induced compaction, is scarce. Therefore, this highlighted the need for studies investigating the effects of compaction on soil physical and chemical properties to address the existing knowledge gap regarding the causes and extent of compaction in orchard soils. To date, the evaluation of soil compaction has mainly focused on structural changes like bulk density, with limited research on its impact on hydraulic properties. In New Zealand apple orchards, the effects of traffic-induced compaction on physical and chemical properties remain underexplored. This PhD study aims to address these gaps by investigating how orchard age and traffic patterns influence soil compaction, providing insights for better orchard management and long-term soil health. Three specific objectives were established: (1) conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis to examine how soil water retention functions respond to compaction and the role of basic soil properties in this response; (2) assess the impact of soil compaction on physical properties (penetration resistance, bulk density, aggregate stability, soil gas diffusivity, soil water retention properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and soil porosities) across different planting ages and traffic positions; and (3) evaluate the effects of compaction on key soil chemical properties, including carbon, nitrogen, C/N ratio, mineralisable nitrogen, hot water extractable carbon and carbon stock. The meta-analysis results indicated that while traffic and soil basic properties did not significantly impact field capacity, they led to a substantial reduction in macro-porosity and an overall increase in bulk density, which were influenced by factors such as traffic treatment, clay content, soil organic carbon, and soil moisture content at compaction. Furthermore, soil organic carbon and clay content significantly affected how soil responded to compaction, with variations in bulk density, macro-porosity, and available water capacity depending on soil moisture levels during compaction. The investigation into the impact of compaction on soil physical and chemical properties revealed that traffic positions significantly influenced most soil physical and chemical properties, except mean weight diameter and the C/N ratio in both orchards. In contrast, only mineralizable nitrogen was not significantly affected by the planting age across all soil properties in both orchards. Additionally, a strong interaction between traffic positions and planting ages on soil physical and chemical properties was observed in both orchards.Item Restricted Therapeutic potential of sea cucumber-derived bioactives in the prevention and management of brain-related disorders: a comprehensive review(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025-07-30)The popularity of bioactive compounds extracted from sea cucumbers is growing due to their wide application in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the development of drugs for neurological disorders. Different types of compounds, such as saponins, phenolic compounds, cerebrosides, and glucocerebrosides, are being studied intensively for their efficacy in assessing the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and brain tumors, among others. Positive results have been observed in the upregulation in the content of p-CREB, p-PL3K, BDNF, SOD, and MDA. Furthermore, the neuroprotective mechanism of the compounds against Alzheimer’s disease revealed that suppressing the phosphorylation of tau protein by the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway leads to improved synaptic plasticity and reduced nerve fiber tangles. This comprehensive review explores recent findings on the therapeutic potential of sea cucumber bioactives in the treatment of brain-related disorders.Item Restricted COVID-19 and physical activity among older Japanese: unequal outcomes across the pandemic highlight a problematic life stage(2023-06-13)Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health and everyday behaviors of individuals and communities across the globe. Major life disruptions have also been experienced across Japan, yet few studies have examined behavioral variations among older cohorts in this super-aged society. Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate physical activity behavior changes among representative samples of middle-aged (45-64 years) and older adults (>65 years) in Tokyo across two time points, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Repeated online surveys were conducted with quota samples of 800 older residents of Tokyo in 2019 and 2021 using valid and reliable measures of general health, physical activity, walking, and sitting behavior, including a Japanese-language translation of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: Differential outcomes were identified between age and gender cohorts in relation to reported general health, physical activity, and walking behavior across the pandemic. Older adults were found to be significantly more active and report better health compared to those in middle age. Middle-aged women reported particularly low levels of activity in relation to both middle-aged men and older-adult respondents. Conclusion: The results suggest that older adults in Tokyo were comparatively resilient and active in the face of the pandemic when compared with their middle-aged counterparts. Middle-aged women appeared to be particularly constrained in terms of their physical activity behavior, which may be related to unequal and gendered life responsibilities. The results have implications for healthy transitions to retirement and the promotion of resilience among aging cohorts.Item Restricted Teaching Case: The Crimson Ridge Wine Scandal(2025-07-31)In 2024, the Crimson Ridge Wines trial captured national attention and exposed one of the most significant cases of wine fraud in New Zealand’s history. At the centre of the case was a respected Canterbury winery accused of deliberately mislabelling wines and falsifying records, undermining consumer trust and damaging the country’s global reputation for quality and authenticity. Investigated by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the case highlighted the strengths of the country’s regulatory frameworks while also revealing the vulnerabilities within industry oversight. Reporter Julia Harding, covering the trial from Christchurch, documented the unfolding scandal and its consequences, including multi-million dollar fines and criminal convictions for the winery’s leadership. This case not only sparked regulatory reform but also ignited an industry-wide reckoning, serving as a stark reminder of the risks unethical practices pose to the integrity of New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors.
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