The basal forebrain cholinergic (BFC) system is one of the most important neurotransmitter systems in the brain. It has received much attention in the past two decades, primarily for its role in learning, memory, attention ...

Folic acid and natural folates are B group vitamins obtained exclusively from the diet. Biochemically, folate derivatives participate in the transfer of single carbon units, acting as methyl group donors for numerous ...

Messenger RNA plays a central role in gene expression. Regulation of gene expression is critical to determining phenotype. Disruption of this regulation is a causal or contributory factor in many diseases. Gene expression ...

Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are a newly appreciated group of mobile elements that contribute immensely to bacterial evolution. The symbiosis island ICEMlSym[R7A] of Mesorhizobium loti strain R7A is the ...

This thesis has explored the information content of the ventricular fibrillation (VF) waveforms recorded as either a surface electrocardiogram (ECG) or an intracardiac electrogram (EGM). Ventricular fibrillation is lethal ...

Background: Blood and body fluid exposures (BBFE) are an important occupational hazard to which healthcare providers are exposed, with more than 5,000 daily exposures worldwide. While the majority of programmes for the ...

Energy-dense diets are associated with obesity, a major public health problem. High participation rates in sport suggest sports settings may be an ideal environment to influence food choices and promote healthy eating. Yet ...

A challenge facing researchers is to understand how neighbourhood ‘gets under the skin’, influencing the health and wellbeing of those who live there. There is mixed evidence, and increasingly sophisticated theoretical ...

Mental disorders form a broad category of disease that may manifest as emotional or behavioural changes. These disorders are common globally and account for a significant amount of morbidity. The most frequently occurring ...

This thesis is the culmination of a Doctoral research project undertaken through the Postgraduate Nursing Department, Otago University. The aim was to retell the story of the experience of loneliness from the perspectives ...