Development of PCR Blocking Primers Enabling DNA Metabarcoding Analysis of Dietary Composition in Hematophagous Sea Lamprey.

Conventional dietary assessments are challenging in hematophagous species, particularly in sea lamprey (). However, recent technological developments and molecular approaches have provided an attractive alternative through the use of DNA metabarcoding. While DNA metabarcoding has been used for dietary analyses in numerous species, including lampreys, applications of universal primers that detect a diverse set of prey items can be limited by the amplification of predator DNA.

Cripping inquiry: breathing life into co-produced disability methodologies.

Introduction: Our contributions within this article emerge from our experiences of co-leading a new Wellcome Discovery Award funded project, . As a diverse team of clinicians, artists, academics and others with lived and embodied experience of disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence, we are broadly exploring breathing and ventilation (e.g.

Understanding New Zealand firm innovation: exploring human resource factors by firm size and strength.

Firm innovation is of vital importance to New Zealand's economy, but we understand little about how different human resource (workforce) factors influence innovation approaches (product/services innovation, process innovation, and innovation speed). We explore three human resource (HR) factors: workforce knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), workforce attraction, and workforce retention, using a sample of New Zealand private sector firms ( = 402). Regression analysis shows all HR factors are significant predictors of all innovation approaches.

How scientists interpret and address funding criteria: value creation and undesirable side effects.

Scientists and funding bodies are interdependent actors involved in an ongoing two-way signalling interaction; however, we lack insight on the social mechanisms underpinning this interaction. To address this issue, we examine how successfully funded scientists interpret and address criteria set by the funding body to maximise their chances of funding success. We also consider the possible adverse side effects that can arise from scientists' competitive efforts to address these criteria.

A post-lockdown study of burnout risk amongst New Zealand essential workers.

Background And Rationale: Job burnout is an essential topic for researchers and a pressing issue for employers and employees. However, the most popular tool has become widely critiqued, and a new measure of burnout - the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) - is used here. The BAT is helpful because it provides a cut-off threshold score representing high burnout risk.