University of Otago

Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Cyt- bd Inhibitors Targeting Energy Compensation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract Drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) poses a growing threat, necessitating new therapeutic strategies. The cytochrome bcc-aa3 oxidase (Cyt-bcc) is an attractive target, yet single-agent inhibition fails owing to compensation by the alternative cytochrome bd te...

Stability of multiple cartels in differentiated markets

Abstract We characterise stable market structures under price competition in differentiated markets when multiple cartels may form – this is a marked departure from the predominant assumption in the existing literature that supposes without further justification that at most one...

Collective and Culturally Grounded Resilience in Aged Residential Care: Lessons From COVID-19 a Narrative Review of Literature

This narrative literature review examined how older adults in aged residential care (ARC) navigated the psychosocial disruptions of COVID-19 lockdowns to identify strategies to strengthen resilience in post-pandemic nursing practice. Guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework, studies pu...

Proteomic profiling of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa stringent response highlights global adaptive responses during stationary phase

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P.a ) is a clinically important opportunistic pathogen capable of adapting and surviving a wide range of environments and stress conditions. A central regulator of this adaptability is the stringent response, mediated by the alarmones (p)ppGpp. A...

Revealing the genetic mechanisms underpinning the parasite-induced water-seeking behaviour of insects through RNA-seq

Abstract Water-seeking behaviour in arthropods infected by mermithid nematodes or nematomorphs is a classic example of host manipulation, yet its molecular basis remains poorly understood. We investigated mechanisms underlying this aberrant behaviour in European earwigs (Forficul...

Does Board Gender Diversity at Target Firms Influence Acquisition Outcomes? Us Evidence

ABSTRACT Using US public‐to‐public mergers and acquisitions from 1999 to 2022, we examine how board gender diversity at target firms influences acquisition outcomes. Firms with gender‐diverse boards are less likely to receive acquisition bids; when they do, they command higher pr...

Factors associated with variability in recovery after mild traumatic brain injury among adults referred to outpatient concussion clinics

BACKGROUND: To understand factors associated with symptom and disability recovery trajectories among adults referred to outpatient clinics after mild traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Adults (n = 110; mean age 39 years, 36% men), were assessed at clinic intake (baseline mean 6.5 w...

Rewriting the cancer epigenome: CRISPR technologies for DNA methylation editing

Abstract Aberrant DNA methylation is a fundamental hallmark of cancer, characterized by widespread global hypomethylation, focal hypermethylation of key regulatory regions, and extensive disruption of gene regulatory and epigenomic networks. Despite comprehensive methylome profil...

Does a free optometry service address barriers to eye care? An analysis of routinely collected data

Introduction The lack of public funding for optometry services has resulted in a high unmet need for vision aids for many of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population, particularly those living in areas of socio-economic deprivation, older persons, and Māori and Pacific people. Aim This...

A machine learning approach to estimating nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in shallow groundwater across New Zealand

Nitrate contamination of shallow groundwater is a concern for drinking water safety and ecosystem health globally, yet national-scale prediction techniques remain limited. Here, we describe the development and evaluation of an ensemble machine learning framework to estimate media...

Perioperative carbohydrate loading improves comfort without adverse metabolic or neonatal effects in gestational diabetes mellitus

Preoperative carbohydrate loading has been known to overcome discomfort and complications associated with cesarean section, but there is a scarcity of evidence on its safety and benefits in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In this study, pregnant women with norm...

A qualitative examination of the content validity and acceptability of the EQ-5D-Y-3L and EQ-5D-Y-5L in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Ethiopia

Abstract Background The EQ-5D-Y-3L and EQ-5D-Y-5L are widely used generic measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including among children and adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). However, evidence on the measures’ content validity and acceptability in lo...

ARID1A Mediates ROS-Induced Osteoclast Activation in TMJ Osteoarthritis

Excessive osteoclast activation drives rapid subchondral bone destruction, serving as a critical early-stage event precipitating temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA). Although epigenetic remodeling is widely recognized as an important interface between pathological env...

Maternal Tuberculosis and Infant Gut and Immune Development: Implications for Maternal-Child Health

BACKGROUND: Maternal tuberculosis (TB) during pregnancy involves chronic infection, immune activation, and antimicrobial therapy, which may alter the maternal gut, vaginal, and breast milk microbiomes and influence neonatal immune development. METHODS: We conducted a narrative re...

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and overlapping post-acute infection syndromes: international expert consensus framework for diagnostic standardization

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) lacks validated objective diagnostic criteria, leading to delayed diagnosis and inconsistent management. We aimed to establish an international expert consensus framework integrating measurable, risk-stratified assessmen...

Stroke clinical documentation education program in Australia and New Zealand

Background: Accurate and complete clinical documentation underpins the assignment of International Classification of Disease codes used for epidemiological research, hospital activity based funding, and health service planning. Objective: To develop, implement, and evaluate an ed...

From ‘Strategic agreement’ to ‘Gravely concerning’: New Zealand’s China policy in an era of rising Chinese power

For at least a decade, New Zealand’s relationship with China has been characterised by the confluence of burgeoning economic interdependence and increasing security concerns. In seeking to explain this trajectory, the existing academic literature has highlighted the concept of Ne...

Private practitioner characteristics and their potential to contribute to tuberculosis management in Indonesia

Abstract Background Many tuberculosis (TB) patients first seek care through the private health sector; however, most private practitioners (PPs) are not linked to the National TB Program (NTP). We aimed to map, characterize, and assess the potential contribution of PPs to the Ind...

Vaping and smoking in individuals with eating disorders: associations with diagnoses and behaviors

Abstract Background Smoking commonly co-occurs with eating disorders (EDs) but less is known about the relationship between EDs and vaping. We investigated associations of lifetime vaping and smoking as forms of nicotine use with lifetime ED diagnoses (i.e., anorexia nervosa [AN]...

Delayed submarine caldera subsidence creates extreme tsunami hazard

The 2022 Hunga volcano eruption generated one of the largest and most destructive volcanic tsunamis ever recorded. We interpret the timing, nature and relative hazard of volcanic-tsunamigenic processes by combining geophysical, oceanographic, atmospheric, and eye-witness observat...