title: Role of mitochondrial stress protein HSP60 in diabetes-induced neuroinflammation

authors: Liyanagamage, Donisha Shani Niharika Keembiya

abstract: Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and associated malfunctions of the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. There is increasing evidence of a relationship between diabetes and vascular dementia. Interestingly, hyperglycemia-linked neuroinflammation in the central nervous system is considered to play a key role during vascular dementia in diabetic patients. However, the mechanisms responsible for the relationship between hyperglycemia and neuroinflammation is not clearly understood. Diabetes-induced alternations in the blood-brain barrier permit high glucose influx into the brain cells via glucose transporters and promote oxidative stress through overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Despite many studies demonstrating a link between oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and neuron inflammation during hyperglycemia remains to be established. In this review, we will focus on diabetes-induced changes in the central nervous system and the role of mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) as an initiator of oxidative stress and potential modulator of neuroinflammation. We suggest that oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction stimulates the upregulation of mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and ultimately initiates inflammatory pathways by activating pattern recognition receptors. HSP60 also could be a focal point in the development of a biomarker of neuroinflammation as HSP60 is known to be significantly elevated in diabetic patients. Interestingly, extracellular secretion of HSP60 via exosomes suggests that inflammation could spread to neighboring astrocytes by activating pattern recognition receptors of astrocytes via neuronal exosomes containing HSP60. A mechanism for linking neuron and astrocyte inflammation will provide new therapeutic approaches to modulate neuroinflammation and therefore potentially ameliorate the cognitive impairment in diabetic brains associated with vascular dementia.

text: Role of mitochondrial stress protein HSP60 in diabetes-induced neuroinflammation Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and associated malfunctions of the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. There is increasing evidence of a relationship between diabetes and vascular dementia. Interestingly, hyperglycemia-linked neuroinflammation in the central nervous system is considered to play a key role during vascular dementia in diabetic patients. However, the mechanisms responsible for the relationship between hyperglycemia and neuroinflammation is not clearly understood. Diabetes-induced alternations in the blood-brain barrier permit high glucose influx into the brain cells via glucose transporters and promote oxidative stress through overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Despite many studies demonstrating a link between oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and neuron inflammation during hyperglycemia remains to be established. In this review, we will focus on diabetes-induced changes in the central nervous system and the role of mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) as an initiator of oxidative stress and potential modulator of neuroinflammation. We suggest that oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction stimulates the upregulation of mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and ultimately initiates inflammatory pathways by activating pattern recognition receptors. HSP60 also could be a focal point in the development of a biomarker of neuroinflammation as HSP60 is known to be significantly elevated in diabetic patients. Interestingly, extracellular secretion of HSP60 via exosomes suggests that inflammation could spread to neighboring astrocytes by activating pattern recognition receptors of astrocytes via neuronal exosomes containing HSP60. A mechanism for linking neuron and astrocyte inflammation will provide new therapeutic approaches to modulate neuroinflammation and therefore potentially ameliorate the cognitive impairment in diabetic brains associated with vascular dementia.

year: 2020

title: Women's contemporary yoga lifestyles: An embodied ethnography of becomings

authors: Jeffrey, Allison

subjects: Yoga

abstract: Within this thesis, I offer insight into the lifestyles of contemporary women Yoga practitioners. Delving into complex and nuanced experiences of women embodying Yoga lifestyles offers multiple opportunities to extend upon current understandings. In examining the various ways that the women of this study are navigating an increasingly popular movement culture that has foundations in ancient texts from India, I illustrate how today’s Yoga lifestyles are a cumulative expression of ancient and contemporary knowledges.

Moving alongside women practitioners throughout an embodied ethnographic study, I gained deep insights into the philosophies and practices of the women. Informed by the experiences of 19 women living in the Waikato region of Aotearoa/New Zealand through in-depth and informal interviews, observations, journals and focus groups, I offer rich, embodied knowledge from the women alongside my own creative writing. Engaging in feminist methods and in dialogue with yogic principles, I build an entangled ethnographic approach inspired by both the embodied philosophies of Yoga practitioners and contemporary feminist theory. Working at this intersection, I develop a mutually enriching research experience where multiple ways of knowing and a complex engagement with both theory and method can resonate. 

Findings are presented in three empirical chapters that demonstrate nuanced and complex understandings of women’s Yoga lifestyles. The first addresses the concept of lifestyle as understood by contemporary women Yoga practitioners. Drawing upon feminist lifestyles research, this chapter follows these women’s journeys as they claim and maintain Yoga lifestyles. The second chapter moves into a dialogue with feminist new materialisms, and in particular, Karen Barad’s (2007) concept of entanglement. I conceptualise an entangled Yoga body as always intra-acting and continually becoming. Using the women’s experiences, Barad’s concept, and evocative writing, I provide three examples (breath, Yoga mats and the heart) to represent an entangled Yoga body. The third and final empirical chapter weaves together recent work from Rosi Braidotti (2019) with insights from the women to contemplate the components of Yoga lifestyles as expressed by the women’s daily choices. This chapter suggests the women find meaning for their contemporary Yoga lifestyles through everyday ethically-informed acts contributing to an affirmative becoming. 

Moving, teaching and embodying Yoga philosophy as a researcher and experienced member of the Yoga community, I consider the complexity of the women’s lived experiences and my place amongst them. Inquiring deeply into questions around embodiment, materiality, and posthumanism, I develop an ethico-onto-epistemological stance that extends upon previous Yoga lifestyle research and contributes to the growing body of literature on women’s lived experiences in moving bodies.

text: Women's contemporary yoga lifestyles: An embodied ethnography of becomings Within this thesis, I offer insight into the lifestyles of contemporary women Yoga practitioners. Delving into complex and nuanced experiences of women embodying Yoga lifestyles offers multiple opportunities to extend upon current understandings. In examining the various ways that the women of this study are navigating an increasingly popular movement culture that has foundations in ancient texts from India, I illustrate how today’s Yoga lifestyles are a cumulative expression of ancient and contemporary knowledges.

Moving alongside women practitioners throughout an embodied ethnographic study, I gained deep insights into the philosophies and practices of the women. Informed by the experiences of 19 women living in the Waikato region of Aotearoa/New Zealand through in-depth and informal interviews, observations, journals and focus groups, I offer rich, embodied knowledge from the women alongside my own creative writing. Engaging in feminist methods and in dialogue with yogic principles, I build an entangled ethnographic approach inspired by both the embodied philosophies of Yoga practitioners and contemporary feminist theory. Working at this intersection, I develop a mutually enriching research experience where multiple ways of knowing and a complex engagement with both theory and method can resonate. 

Findings are presented in three empirical chapters that demonstrate nuanced and complex understandings of women’s Yoga lifestyles. The first addresses the concept of lifestyle as understood by contemporary women Yoga practitioners. Drawing upon feminist lifestyles research, this chapter follows these women’s journeys as they claim and maintain Yoga lifestyles. The second chapter moves into a dialogue with feminist new materialisms, and in particular, Karen Barad’s (2007) concept of entanglement. I conceptualise an entangled Yoga body as always intra-acting and continually becoming. Using the women’s experiences, Barad’s concept, and evocative writing, I provide three examples (breath, Yoga mats and the heart) to represent an entangled Yoga body. The third and final empirical chapter weaves together recent work from Rosi Braidotti (2019) with insights from the women to contemplate the components of Yoga lifestyles as expressed by the women’s daily choices. This chapter suggests the women find meaning for their contemporary Yoga lifestyles through everyday ethically-informed acts contributing to an affirmative becoming. 

Moving, teaching and embodying Yoga philosophy as a researcher and experienced member of the Yoga community, I consider the complexity of the women’s lived experiences and my place amongst them. Inquiring deeply into questions around embodiment, materiality, and posthumanism, I develop an ethico-onto-epistemological stance that extends upon previous Yoga lifestyle research and contributes to the growing body of literature on women’s lived experiences in moving bodies.

year: 2020

title: Ki te kapu o taku ringa - In the palm of my hand [Photography exhibition at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts]

authors: Hill, Rodrigo

subjects: Mātauranga Māori

abstract: (Exhibition catalogue)
The title Ki te kapu o taku ringa is taken from a line of
‘Maioha mō Waikato’ by Kīngi Tāwhiao. Ejected from their
homelands he and his Waikato brethren took refuge with
their Maniapoto relations in Te Nehenehenui. The maioha
was composed expressing Kīngi Tāwhiao’s love for his
homelands, and his solastalgic holding fast to those lands
‘... in the palm of his hand.’ The words from the song-poem
were used as guide to our research and photography practice.

text: Ki te kapu o taku ringa - In the palm of my hand [Photography exhibition at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts] (Exhibition catalogue)
The title Ki te kapu o taku ringa is taken from a line of
‘Maioha mō Waikato’ by Kīngi Tāwhiao. Ejected from their
homelands he and his Waikato brethren took refuge with
their Maniapoto relations in Te Nehenehenui. The maioha
was composed expressing Kīngi Tāwhiao’s love for his
homelands, and his solastalgic holding fast to those lands
‘... in the palm of his hand.’ The words from the song-poem
were used as guide to our research and photography practice.

year: 2025