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Father Colin MacInnes’ work in Gleanntan Ecuador (1995)
No full textThis article examines the portrayal of Father Colin MacInnes in the Scottish Gaelic documentary Gleanntan Ecuador (Jan Pester, 1994). A Catholic priest from South Uist in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, MacInnes moved to Ecuador in 1984 and settled in Comité del Pueblo, a shantytown located in the outskirts of Quito, where he spent over twenty years contributing to local initiatives such as the provision of running water, hospitals, and churches. Central to the film is MacInnes’ efforts to secure funding for a water supply project, achieved through transnational solidarity networks. This article constitutes the first academic approach to the film, bringing together studies in architecture and urban development, anthropology, ethnography, and religious and cultural studies. It argues that, by prioritising MacInnes as a spokesperson for the locals, the film inadvertently reproduces “civilisation and progress” tropes commonly associated with cinematic portrayals of religious missionaries in Ecuador and Latin America. This statement is supported by identifying onscreen binaries between the precariousness of the Ecuadorian township and the idyllic landscapes of the Scottish Isles, emphasising the charity of Scottish parishioners. The film also reiterates the hostility of local communist leaders, highlighting intimidation tactics and extorsion, which speak of its positionality within a postcommunist world
“I don’t really feel a big difference between an international and the locals”: Exploring educational migrants’ experience of New Zealand as a study and migration destination
No full textThis paper examines the experiences of foreign nationals who moved to New Zealand through education-for-immigration pathways. Drawing on insights generated from an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, the study finds that the migration project of this group was largely successful. This finding is theorized using Bourdieu’s notion of “the affinities of habitus,” which provides an alternative framework for understanding migrant integration as the result of the interplay between the capital migrants bring and the “character” of the host country. The paper further identifies specific areas of improvement that would enhance the overall experience of educational migrants in New Zealand
Health by Stealth, Lifting the Load, and Just Food: The influence of Ka Ora Ka Ako on the lives of whānau
No full textConcerns about hunger and costs of living in Aotearoa | New Zealand are not unique to New Zealand’s shores or the current time. As a response to persistent poverty and child hunger, in early 2020 the Aotearoa | New Zealand Government piloted delivery of free and healthy school lunches in 30 low-advantage primary and intermediate schools in three regions of the country. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived with significant impacts for low-income and food-insecure households. By the end of 2020, the small pilot had become Ka Ora Ka Ako, New Zealand’s first publicly funded national school lunch programme.Under the korowai | cloak of constructivist grounded theory methodology, I used conversational interviews, journalling, and memo writing to answer the research question: To what extent does Ka Ora Ka Ako influence the lives of whānau | families? I spoke with 16 caregivers, parents, and whānau | families, who I collectively describe as Storytellers. Through thematic analysis and qualitative interpretation, I present three overarching narrative themes of Ka Ora Ka Ako 2020-2024 (Ka Ora Ka Ako): ‘Health by Stealth’; ‘Lifting the Load’; and ‘Just Food’.‘Health by Stealth’ happens across the motu | islands, transforming children’s eating and experience of healthy food. A public health intervention with wide ranging impacts that is improving the health of the current generation of children in Aotearoa | New Zealand. ‘Health by Stealth’ through Ka Ora Ka Ako can generate collective, interdependent, relational health improvements and accrue intergenerational health benefits for generations to come.‘Lifting the Load’ is a new theoretical lens for understanding how school food programmes redistribute labour from households to public institutions. I present the previously invisible burden of school lunch foodwork as a form of labour carried by adults engaged in foodwork in New Zealand homes, predominantly women, that has been overlooked in both education and health literature.‘Just Food’ is my argument that we are collectively better off when governments and the people of Aotearoa | New Zealand share responsibility for ensuring children are food secure. I advocate for Government recognition of Ka Ora Ka Ako as an opportunity to make a long-term investment in social protection and argue that the programme be understood as a public health initiative rather than solely an educational one. With competing, sometimes contradictory, political priorities, Ka Ora Ka Ako stands up as a programme for our times, a vehicle for comparative justice for children | tamariki in Aotearoa | New Zealand.</p
Towards Transition-State Inhibitors of 2’-Deoxynucleoside 5’-Phosphate N-Hydrolase 1 (DNPH1)
No full textBRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that function as tumour suppressors, encoding proteins that are important to the DNA repair process. Individuals who inherit a defective copy of one of these genes have an increased likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancers.Such hereditary breast and ovarian cancers have been successfully treated in recent years with inhibitors of PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase). The PARP protein binds to sites of single strand-breaks in DNA and recruits other proteins to repair this damage. Initial optimism over the efficacy of PARP inhibitors has been dampened by the ability of BRCA1/2 deficient cancers to develop resistance to such drugs.A promising target for overcoming PARP inhibitor resistance is the nucleotide sanitising enzyme DNPH1. Recent research suggests that drug resistant cancer cells may be re-sensitized to PARP inhibitors, such as Olaparib, if DNPH1 is suppresse Inhibitors of this enzyme have been proposed as combination therapies with approved PARP inhibitors to treat drug resistant BRCA1/2 deficient breast and ovarian cancers. Our group has had great success in making pyrrolidine-derived, enzyme transition-state analogues that have proven to be extremely potent enzyme inhibitors. We anticipated thatsimilar pyrrolidine-derived species will be transition-state analogues for both steps in the DNPH1 reaction mechanism.This thesis has established robust strategies for the synthesis of anticipated transition state analogues for both steps in the DNPH1 reaction mechanism. Of these compounds, a series of azasugar derivatives have been established as potent DNPH1 inhibitors by an enzyme inhibition assay. Two compounds from this series (62 and 66) have revealed key SARs with DNPH1 that informed on the design of a best-in-class DNPH1 inhibitor. A prodrug (ProTide 122) form of compound 62 was synthesised and has been proven to sensitise BRCA1 mutant cancer cells to Olaparib.</p
Of Fire and Rain: Regional climate change detection and attribution
No full textWhile the global fingerprint of climate change is becoming increasingly clear, the patterns of regional climate change remain blurred and uncertain. Climate change detection and attribution - the study of distinguishing long-term changes from internal variability and estimating the contributions of external factors – is particularly challenging at the regional scale. Regional detection and attribution is a historically challenging low signal-to-noise problem as the signals (responses to external forcings) are small compared to the internal variability (“noise”). The predominant method, optimal fingerprinting, compares observations against climate model-simulated response patterns and internal variability to identify spatiotemporal fingerprints (unique patterns across space and time) of anthropogenic and natural climate change. In previous studies using fully-coupled models, significant temporal or spatially averaging is required to compensate for inadequate samplings of internal variability. However, such averaging risks losing valuable spatial and temporal information essential for regional detection.In this dissertation, I wield the power of large ensembles of atmosphere-only model simulations to apply optimal fingerprinting with minimal spatial or temporal averaging.These ensembles provide unprecedented samplings of internal variability, allowing the full spatiotemporal complexity of the observations and model outputs to be utilized in the optimal fingerprinting analysis. I apply this method to two case studies – western North American fire weather and New Zealand hydroclimate – which introduce multivariate and hydroclimate processes in topographically diverse regions to the regional detection problem. Both anthropogenic and natural fingerprints are robustly detected in western North American fire weather and New Zealand temperature. Anthropogenic fingerprints in New Zealand precipitation and streamflow trends are not detected, though natural fingerprints are detected when wetter areas are given more weight. In addition to deepening the understanding of the effects of anthropogenic climate change in these regions, the wider impact of this thesis is the demonstration of the benefits – and caveats – of using atmosphere-only models for the detection and attribution of regional climate change.</p
Incorporating Immersive Technologies to Improve the Design and Management of Temporary Urban Events in Public Spaces
No full textPlanned events in urban public spaces often face design challenges, and consequent poor performance, due to limited consideration of spatial criteria during the planning process. Our previous work revealed that event designers tend to have no urban design, or similar, training. Consequently, this paper reports on a Virtual Reality (VR)/Mixed Reality (MR) tool developed as a ‘proof of concept’ to support event designers in evaluating and modifying event layouts using urban design principles. Building on a previous study that identified key design-based criteria, including pedestrian flow, permeability, and geometry, this research applies those criteria through interactive, immersive environments. A VR experiment involving three sessions with users demonstrated how the tool facilitates spatial analysis and encourages reflective design thinking. Insights from the sessions highlight the value of visual representation in decision-making and suggest directions for future tool development, such as expanding the criteria set and incorporating real-time data. The study concludes by proposing that immersive technologies can enhance collaborative and responsive temporary event design for public spaces
Heterodichogamy in Ascarina lucida (Chloranthaceae)
No full textPremise of research. Among early-divergent angiosperms, Ascarina is an important genus whose sexual system, inflorescences, and flowers have been inconsistently interpreted. While both monoecy and dioecy have been reported in the genus, our observations show that Ascarina lucida is monoecious and wind pollinated and its dimorphic inflorescence morphology is linked with dimorphism in type of dichogamy. Methodology. We studied a wild population of the New Zealand tree A. lucida. We recorded anthesis of male and female flowers on 30 plants each week throughout its 20-wk flowering period (late June to early November). We also estimated flowering gender among plants. Pivotal results. Ascarina lucida populations are monomorphic for gender but dimorphic for both cymule structure and type of dichogamy. Furthermore, the morphs are linked, such that plants with one cymule type are protandrous and plants of the other cymule type are protogynous. Our samples were statistically consistent with an expected 1∶1 morph ratio. In a first flowering pulse (6–10 wk), one morph presented female flowers, while the other presented male flowers. In the second pulse (7–8 wk), the flower sexes presented by each morph were reversed. Protandrous plants had a gap of several weeks between flowering pulses, but the tails of the female and male phases overlapped by 3 wk in a few protogynous plants. Conclusions. We conclude that A. lucida is heterodichogamous. This is the first record of heterodichogamy in Chloranthaceae and in the New Zealand flora. Heterodichogamy explains previous reports of dioecy in A. lucida and might explain conflicting reports of sexual systems in other species. We discuss the potential for a pathway from heterodichogamy to dioecy in Ascarina
Investigating the Effect of the Novel Heparan Sulfate Mimetic, Tet-29, on Homeostatic Immune Cell Trafficking
No full textThe central nervous system (CNS) was historically understood to have immunological privilege, isolated from peripheral immune activity. However, recent experimental evidence has revealed the constant bidirectional trafficking of immune cells between the CNS and peripheral circulation, termed immunosurveillance. This routine surveillance of the CNS is primarily facilitated through the choroid plexus (ChP), an epithelial barrier in the brains ventricles, which forms a key immunological interface between peripheral blood and the cerebrospinal fluid, enabling continuous immune cell migration.The consequences of disrupted CNS homeostatic immune cell trafficking are highlighted in both neuroinflammatory disorders as well as certain therapeutics for these diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex neuroinflammatory disease, characterised by demyelination in the CNS. A key process of MS is the unregulated infiltration of autoreactive immune cells which breach CNS barriers, and attack the myelin sheath enclosing neuronal axons, causing a progressive neurological decline. Current therapeutics for neuroinflammation broadly target immune cell migration in the brain. While these therapeutics are successful at blocking inflammatory leukocyte migration into the CNS to improve disease outcome, they also risk severe side effects by disrupting routine surveillance. This highlights the need for the understanding of therapeutic influence on homeostatic trafficking.A current promising therapeutic strategy for inflammatory disorders is the inhibition of heparanase by using heparan sulfate mimetics. Heparanase is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme which cleaves its substrate heparan sulfate, a key component of the extracellular matrix. Heparanase is upregulated in multiple diseases including cancer and neuroinflammation. The inhibition of heparanase by heparan sulfate mimetics, which mimic endogenous heparan sulfate, are found to be promising at preventing heparanase-mediated angiogenesis and metastasis in multiple tumour models. These mimetics have also demonstrated promise in disease reduction in the EAE animal model of MS. Although an attractive therapeutic targeting candidate, the complex synthesis, expensive production, and clinical translation is a major downfall of these mimetics. Tet-29 is a novel heparan sulfate mimetic that has been developed by the Ferrier Research Institute comprised of a dendritic core with four heavily sulfated oligosaccharide arms. The synthesis of Tet-29 is much shorter due to its smaller size and more economical with cheaper starting materials. Tet-29 was proposed to prevent the migration of autoreactive immune cells through the inhibition of lymphocyte heparanase, and rescue blood brain barrier integrity, reducing overall disease in EAE animals. However, investigations from the La Flamme group demonstrated Tet-29’s potential to enhance homeostatic immune cell trafficking into the CNS of healthy animals. This thesis investigates and further characterises the role of Tet-29 on homeostatic immune cell trafficking in the CNS.Treatment with Tet-29 in vivo was first shown to maintain immune cell trafficking into the CNS compared to the well-known therapeutic used in MS, natalizumab, which broadly blocks immune cell migration. Additionally, Tet-29 was shown to enhance the migration of specific immune populations into CNS tissue. To further investigate Tet-29’s mechanism, we assessed its effect in IFN-γ dependent CNS trafficking through its co-administration with the innate immunomodulatory microparticle MIS416 in vivo. This combined treatment resulted in a further increase in CNS immune cell trafficking, suggesting a synergistic effect.Following in vivo characterisation, we investigated the influence of Tet-29 independently and in combination with MIS416 on choroid plexus phenotype. Immunohistochemical analysis of brain sections from healthy mice treated with Tet-29, MIS416 or in combination revealed Tet-29 had a modest increase in expression of trafficking molecules including ICAM-1, as well as increased leukocyte presence. Furthermore, the combined treatment of Tet-29 and MIS416 significantly increased both ChP CAM expression and leukocyte abundance. Finally, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to investigate ultrastructural changes of the ChP following therapeutic administration, where preliminary investigations found no changes in ChP ultrastructure between treatments.These findings indicate that Tet-29 preserves homeostatic immune cell migration in a specific manner, which possible implications in IFN-γ dependent migration. In addition, this increased migration is understood to be facilitated by the ChP. The research further contributes to our understanding of Tet-29 in homeostatic migration.</p
Developing a marine habitat classification scheme for mesophotic reefs in Fiordland, New Zealand
No full textThe biodiversity, functions, and services of marine coastal ecosystems worldwide are increasingly threatened by a suite of anthropogenic stressors. Temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs), found in the deeper waters (~30-150 m) of high-latitude temperate regions, are characterised by low light and generally more stable environmental conditions compared to shallower waters. Despite growing recognition of their importance and vulnerability, TMEs remain poorly understood, which limits our ability to manage and conserve these ecosystems. Habitat classification is critical to inform marine management and conservation decisions as it identifies the distribution of important and/or vulnerable areas and furthers our understanding of ecosystem and habitat structure. Habitat classification schemes, such as the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), provide structured frameworks for the description of biotopes, which are the combination of biotic and abiotic features of a habitat. Unfortunately, descriptions of temperate mesophotic biotopes are scarce and are concentrated in the same few geographical areas. Located in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area (FMA) spans 14 fiords that support biodiverse TMEs. Recent evidence has shown that the FMA is not immune to the impacts of anthropogenic stressors, notably, climate change and fishing impacts. The FMA is economically, culturally, and ecologically significant, therefore, the successful management and conservation of its TMEs is imperative. However, Fiordland’s mesophotic reef biotopes have yet to be described using a habitat classification scheme.To close this knowledge gap, the overarching aim of this thesis was to develop a habitat classification scheme for mesophotic reefs (30-130 m) in Fiordland, using CMECS. This involved characterising and determining differences in benthic community composition and CMECS substrate and geoform components of Fiordland’s mesophotic reefs (30-130 m), between sites, depths, and fiords. To achieve this, I analysed remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video data sampled from 2018-2024, across 46 sites and four depth categories (30-40, 50-60, 80-100, and 120-130 m) throughout Doubtful, Dusky, and Breaksea Sounds, in Fiordland. ROV images were analysed using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe) to determine the percentage cover of benthic organisms and composition of communities. Multivariate analyses were conducted at three different levels of taxonomic resolution to determine differences in benthic community composition between sites and 2 depths. Video analysis was used to classify the substrate and geoform components of mesophotic habitats.I found that benthic community composition varied significantly between depth categories, with a general trend of decreasing algae, increasing animal, and increasing bare rock cover. Benthic community composition was also found to vary significantly between sites, both within and between fiords, with general increases in sediment and crustose coralline algae (CCA) percentage cover from outer to inner fiords. Differences in the benthic community composition, and substrate and geoform components of habitats were used to describe and map 13 distinct temperate mesophotic biotopes within the FMA using the CMECS hierarchy. I also found that biotopes varied across depths, sites, and fiords. These results suggest the influence of strong environmental gradients across multiple spatial scales (i.e., depths, within fiords, and between fiords). My findings highlight the importance of further research to classify Fiordland’s mesophotic reef habitats to determine the full list and distribution of biotopes. More studies are needed to further understand the drivers of TME structure and the distribution of biotopes in Fiordland. Overall, this thesis provides critical baseline information that will underpin future research, management, and conservation of Fiordland’s TMEs.</p
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