The Dao in China's Growing Presence in the South Pacific

The rise of China as one of the great powers in the international politic has been the hottest topic in the 21st century. Following the economic reform led by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, China re-emerges stronger than ever with its influences covering major parts of the world. One region particularly stands out since the prior dominance of United States therein, the South Pacific. The study of this research will be limited to 10 PICs recognising China, Vanuatu, Cook Island, FSM, Fiji, Niuee, PNG, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Kiribati. Under the Western International Relations Theory (IRT) however, the rise of China is always seen in a rather malign manner. This research, therefore, contends that in order to fully understand China’s behaviour in the international community, we need to know how China perceives itself. By applying one of the most famous Chinese traditional school of thought, Daoism, this research aims to examine the strategy used in the expansion of China’s influence in the South Pacific. Daoism is symbolised with yin and yang, where the two elements are contradictory, yet they complement each other. Under the Dao dialectics, this research argues that China has been utilising a combination of two contradictory elements of power—soft and hard power—in expanding its prominence in the South Pacific region.

The Phytochemistry and Anticarcinogenic Activity of Noni Juice

Noni juice, obtained from the fruit of the noni tree (Morinda citrifolia L.), is a popular commodity in the market, particularly in the South Pacific. It is widely used by consumers for the prevention of several lifestyle diseases. Although there is increasing interest in the potential therapeutic use of noni plants, there are no comparative studies on the various commercialized noni fruit juices available to decipher their phytochemical composition and properties against carcinomas. The present study, therefore, aims to fill this research gap and investigate the juice’s anecdotal use as complementary alternative medicine to manage cancer. Five commercial brands of noni juice were included in this study, namely, Tahitian Organic Noni (TON), Cook Island Noni (CIN), Dynamic Health Noni (DHN), Fijian Noni (FN), and Life Health Noni (LHN). The juice samples were vacuum-filtered and freeze-dried to obtain crystal products for methanolic extraction. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (FRAP—ferric reducing antioxidant power) were determined on the methanolic extracts. The cytotoxicity of the noni juices was also tested on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa cell lines) by dissolving 2 mg of the crystal product in sterile deionized water and diluting to 1000 μg/mL in the media culture. The final concentration of the extracts in the well plate was 500 μg/mL. The MTS cell viability assay was performed after the cells were incubated with the extracts for 48 h at 37 °C with 5% CO2. The DHN and FN extracts were found to have the highest TPC of 5393 ± 298 and 5060 ± 23 mg gallic acid equivalent /100 g dry weight (DW), respectively, whereas the highest antioxidant capacity was seen in the CIN extract (6389 ± 49 mg Trolox equivalent/100 g DW). The CIN extract also showed the most promising effect with only 63 ± 1% cell viability, whilst the other extracts showed lower cytotoxic effects (76–90% cell viability) on the HeLa cell line. It is possible that greater cytotoxicity could be observed over long exposure times. The noni juice samples contain high levels of TP and antioxidant capacity and appear to show some level of cytotoxic activity, which were statistically different from the negative control. Further work involving more extensive in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to elucidate its anticarcinogenic activities.

FOOD TOURISM IN OCEANIA: TELLING THE STORIES

All travellers eat and drink when they travel but not all travellers are food lovers or travel for food. This research explores food tourism and food tourists in two case studies of New Zealand and the Cook Islands. The research focuses on the information about food that food lovers seek, and the critical components required at a destination for food tourism to flourish. Thirty-one interviews were conducted in both New Zealand and Rarotonga using a purposive sample. The findings show that people want information about the food stories that they can trust. In both places, many of the stories are hidden and this leads to lost opportunity and potential disappointment for the food tourist. There is a lack of voice about the food culture. New Zealand promotes its primary produce to the world but it does not actively promote the opportunity to experience it at home. The Cook Island situation reflects the complexities of small island states with lack of consistency and complacency in the food on offer. A digital food resource is advocated in both places that is curated, articulated and disseminated to focus the lens on the food culture and all its experiences.

First assessment of interchange of humpback whales between Oceania and the East coast of Australia

The interchange of individual humpback whales between the wintering grounds of Oceania (South Pacific) and the east coast of Australia weredocumented by individual identification photographs collected from 1999 to 2004. Interchange was assessed using regional catalogues of flukephotographs, totalling 672 individuals from Oceania (represented by New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Cook Island,French Polynesia and American Samoa) and 1,242 individuals from Hervey Bay and Byron Bay representing the southbound and the northboundmigration along the east coast of Australia (EA). Overall, there were seven documented movements between EA and Oceania. Four instances ofmovement of four individuals were documented between EA and the closest breeding grounds of New Caledonia. A further three movements wererecorded between EA and a small catalogue (n = 13) from the New Zealand migratory corridor. In contrast, during this same period, 20 cases ofinterchange were documented among nine breeding grounds: French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatuand New Caledonia. The low level of interchange between Oceania and the east coast of Australia has important implications for understanding thestock structure and abundance of humpback whales in the South Pacific.

A Māori specific RFC1 pathogenic repeat configuration in CANVAS, likely due to a founder allele

Cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and bilateral vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) is a recently recognized neurodegenerative disease with onset in mid- to late adulthood. The genetic basis for a large proportion of Caucasian patients was recently shown to be the biallelic expansion of a pentanucleotide (AAGGG)n repeat in RFC1. Here, we describe the first instance of CANVAS genetic testing in New Zealand Māori and Cook Island Māori individuals. We show a novel, possibly population-specific CANVAS configuration (AAAGG)10-25(AAGGG)exp, which was the cause of CANVAS in all patients. There were no apparent phenotypic differences compared with European CANVAS patients. Presence of a common disease haplotype among this cohort suggests this novel repeat expansion configuration is a founder effect in this population, which may indicate that CANVAS will be especially prevalent in this group. Haplotype dating estimated the most recent common ancestor at ∼1430 ce. We also show the same core haplotype as previously described, supporting a single origin of the CANVAS mutation.

Supporting Cook Island communities to access DOHaD evidence

Developmental origins of health and disease research have cemented relationships between the early-life environment and later risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is limited translation of this knowledge in developing-economy nations, such as the Cook Islands, that carry exceptionally high NCD burdens. Considering the evidence, Cook Islands leaders identified a need for increased community awareness of the importance of early-life nutrition. Using a community-based participatory research approach, this study aimed to engage Cook Islands community representatives in the co-construction of a contextually relevant early-life nutrition resource. A booklet distributed to mothers in Australia and New Zealand was used as a starting point. Ten semi-structured focus groups (n = 60) explored views regarding the existing resource and options for contextual adaptation. Three core themes were identified: knowledge of the importance of early-life nutrition, recognition of the need for an early-life nutrition resource and the importance of resources being context specific. A draft booklet was created based on these discussions. Participants were invited to give feedback via a second round of focus groups. This confirmed that the voice of the community was represented in the draft booklet. Suggestions for additional material not included in the original resource were also identified. We report on the process and outcomes of the co-construction with community representatives of a resource that has the potential to be used to stimulate community-level discussion about the importance of early-life nutrition. It is crucial that communities have an active voice in research and in making decisions about interventions for their population.

Long-range hydroacoustic observations of the Monowai Volcanic Centre as a proxy for seasonal variations in sound propagation

<p>Hydroacoustic activity of the submarine Monowai Volcanic Centre (MVC) is repeatedly observed at two distant triplet hydrophone stations, south of Juan Fernandez Islands (H03S, 9,159km) and north of Ascension Island (H10N, 15,823km). <em>T</em>-phase converted energy recorded at the broadband seismic station Rarotonga on Cook Island (RAR, 1,845km) is used as a reference for the cross-correlation analysis. A detailed processing scheme for the calculation of the daily cross-correlation functions (CCF) of the hydroacoustic and seismic data is provided. Preprocessing is essential to account for the non-identical measurements and sensitivities as well as the different sample rates.<span> </span>Further postprocessing by systematic data selection has to be applied before stacking CCFs in order to account for the non-continuous activity of the MVC source.<span> </span>Daily volcanic activity is determined for the period from 2006 until 2018 using the signal-to-noise ratio of the CCFs assuming sound propagation in the SOFAR channel. Monthly stacked CCFs with clear volcanic activity are used to study seasonal variations in sound propagation between the MVC and the hydrophone stations.<span> </span>In winter, however, a faster than expected signal is observed at H10N which is hypothesized to (partial) propagation through the formed sea ice along the path near Antarctica.</p>

How the Tivaevae Model can be Used as an Indigenous Methodology in Cook Islands Education Settings

This paper explores an Indigenous research methodology, the tivaevae model, and its application within the Cook Islands education system. The article will argue that the cultural values embedded within its framework allow for the successful implementation of this Indigenous methodology. The model draws from tivaevae, or artistic quilting, and is both an applique process and a product of the Cook Islands. It is unique to the Cook Islands and plays an important part in the lives of Cook Islanders. The tivaevae model will be explained in detail, describing how patchwork creative pieces come together to create a story and can be used as a metaphor of the past, present and future integration of social, historical, spiritual, religious, economic and political representations of Cook Island culture. Further, the paper will then make links with the model to teaching and learning, by exploring secondary schools’ health and physical education policy and practices. Finally, the efficacy of the model in this context and its research implications will then be discussed.

Are there differences within pre-school aged Pacific peoples’ hospital presentations with preventable conditions?

Aim. To describe the top five causes of preventable health conditions among Pacific children (Cook Island, Fijian, Niuean, Samoan, Tongan, Tokelauan) aged 0-4 years living in New Zealand (NZ), and to make comparisons of these rates with NZ’s population who were of neither Maori nor Pacific ethnicity (NMNP). Method. This study is a retrospective analysis of preschool Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations (ASH) by ethnicity. The data, from 2010 to 2014, was extracted from The National Minimum Dataset. Results. The top five preventable health conditions among Pacific under 5’s were asthma and wheeze, gastroenteritis, dental, skin infections and pneumonia. Rates for all Pacific children with any of the ASH conditions were four to five times higher among Pacific, than among NMNP, from 2000 to 2014. Pacific children were also significantly more likely to present with bronchiectasis and rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease (RR 25.7 and 26.4 respectively). Conclusion. Pacific children aged 0-4 years are more likely to be exposed to health conditions that are considered preventable . The most common preventable health conditions experienced by Pacific children were asthma and wheeze, gastroenteritis, dental, skin infections and pneumonia. These findings highlight the importance of investing in effective prevention strategies to further investigate and address the underlying causes of these conditions.