title: Medications, migration and the cultural texturing of familial healthcare

authors: Kamutingondo, Stanley

subjects: medications

abstract: Medications are a central part of health care systems, and are used to cure, halt or prevent diseases, and to easy symptoms. How medications are understood and used by people, including migrants in everyday life remains unclear. With globalisation on the increase, many people are no longer constrained to a single country. People often relocate to other countries where they may continue to maintain their cultural traditions and practices. Among the cultural traditions and practices maintained by migrants are their medication practices, customs and understandings. This thesis explores understandings, uses and social practices associated with medications in the everyday lives of three migrant groups. These groups are represented by three Zimbabwean, three Tongan and three Chinese households who have relocated to New Zealand. Householder experiences, medication practices and associated understandings were collated using a variety of methods. These included individual interviews with the households, household discussions, photographs, diaries, material objects, and media content to capture the complex and fluid nature of popular understandings and use of medications. This thesis provides insight into the cultural values and practices of these nine migrant households pertaining to how they acquire, use, share, and store their indigenous and biomedical medications. My focus on medications and the sourcing of these medicinal objects within New Zealand and from migrants’ countries of origin sheds new light on hybrid healthcare practices in the present epoch of global relocation. The study takes into account different forms of medications. These include biomedical drugs, alternative medicines, traditional medicines and dietary supplements.

text: Medications, migration and the cultural texturing of familial healthcare Medications are a central part of health care systems, and are used to cure, halt or prevent diseases, and to easy symptoms. How medications are understood and used by people, including migrants in everyday life remains unclear. With globalisation on the increase, many people are no longer constrained to a single country. People often relocate to other countries where they may continue to maintain their cultural traditions and practices. Among the cultural traditions and practices maintained by migrants are their medication practices, customs and understandings. This thesis explores understandings, uses and social practices associated with medications in the everyday lives of three migrant groups. These groups are represented by three Zimbabwean, three Tongan and three Chinese households who have relocated to New Zealand. Householder experiences, medication practices and associated understandings were collated using a variety of methods. These included individual interviews with the households, household discussions, photographs, diaries, material objects, and media content to capture the complex and fluid nature of popular understandings and use of medications. This thesis provides insight into the cultural values and practices of these nine migrant households pertaining to how they acquire, use, share, and store their indigenous and biomedical medications. My focus on medications and the sourcing of these medicinal objects within New Zealand and from migrants’ countries of origin sheds new light on hybrid healthcare practices in the present epoch of global relocation. The study takes into account different forms of medications. These include biomedical drugs, alternative medicines, traditional medicines and dietary supplements.

year: 2014

title: Design and demonstration in vitro of a mouse-specific Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation coil

authors: Khokhar, Farah Adeebah

abstract: Background. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a technique used to treat different neurological disorders non-invasively. A pulsed current to a coil generates a magnetic field (B-field) which induces an electric field (E-field). Underlying biophysical effects of TMS are unclear. Therefore, animal experiments are needed; however, making small TMS coils suitable for mice is difficult and their field strengths are typically much lower than for human sized coils. Objectives/Hypothesis. We aimed to design and demonstrate a mouse-specific coil that can generate high and focused E-field. Methods. We designed a tapered TMS coil of 50 turns of 0.2 mm diameter copper wire around a 5 mm diameter tapered powdered iron core and discharged a 220 μF capacitor at 50 V through it. We measured B-field with a Hall probe and induced E-field with a wire loop. We measured temperature rise with a thermocouple. We applied 1200 pulses of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to mouse brain slices and analysed how spontaneous electrical activity changed. Results. The coil gave maximum B-field of 685 mT at the base of the coil and 340 mT at 2 mm below the coil, and maximum E-field 2 mm below the coil of approximately 10 V/m, at 50 V power supply, with a temperature increase of 20 degrees after 1200 pulses of cTBS. We observed no changes in B-field with heating. cTBS reduced frequency of spontaneous population events in mouse brain slices up to 20 minutes after stimulation and iTBS increased frequency up to 20 minutes after stimulation. No frequency changes occurred after 20 minutes. No changes in amplitude of spontaneous events were found. Conclusion. The design generated fields strong enough to modulate brain activity in vitro.

text: Design and demonstration in vitro of a mouse-specific Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation coil Background. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a technique used to treat different neurological disorders non-invasively. A pulsed current to a coil generates a magnetic field (B-field) which induces an electric field (E-field). Underlying biophysical effects of TMS are unclear. Therefore, animal experiments are needed; however, making small TMS coils suitable for mice is difficult and their field strengths are typically much lower than for human sized coils. Objectives/Hypothesis. We aimed to design and demonstrate a mouse-specific coil that can generate high and focused E-field. Methods. We designed a tapered TMS coil of 50 turns of 0.2 mm diameter copper wire around a 5 mm diameter tapered powdered iron core and discharged a 220 μF capacitor at 50 V through it. We measured B-field with a Hall probe and induced E-field with a wire loop. We measured temperature rise with a thermocouple. We applied 1200 pulses of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to mouse brain slices and analysed how spontaneous electrical activity changed. Results. The coil gave maximum B-field of 685 mT at the base of the coil and 340 mT at 2 mm below the coil, and maximum E-field 2 mm below the coil of approximately 10 V/m, at 50 V power supply, with a temperature increase of 20 degrees after 1200 pulses of cTBS. We observed no changes in B-field with heating. cTBS reduced frequency of spontaneous population events in mouse brain slices up to 20 minutes after stimulation and iTBS increased frequency up to 20 minutes after stimulation. No frequency changes occurred after 20 minutes. No changes in amplitude of spontaneous events were found. Conclusion. The design generated fields strong enough to modulate brain activity in vitro.

year: 2021

title: Māori in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: An analysis of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science data records from 1997-2002

authors: Ashwell, Allanah

subjects: Maori students

abstract: The Ministry of Education has compiled annual reports on the participation of Maori in
tertiary education. The 2002 report presented a comprehensive description of Maori
participation across all tertiary institutions within New Zealand in that year. The figures
show that Maori are markedly under-represented in tertiary institutions, particularly
universities.
The barriers encountered by Maori students can either directly or indirectly impact on
Maori participation, retention and success. The more disturbing outcome is that of
withdrawal or dropping out of higher education, is more likely when a Maori student
experiences and has to confront multiple rather than single barriers.
With this in mind, the aim of this study was to examine and identify trends apparent in
data records of Maori students enrolled in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences at the University of Waikato between 1997 and 2002 and to make
recommendations to the Faculty about how negative trends might be addressed. Specific
areas for analysis are detailed in the report.

text: Māori in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: An analysis of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science data records from 1997-2002 The Ministry of Education has compiled annual reports on the participation of Maori in
tertiary education. The 2002 report presented a comprehensive description of Maori
participation across all tertiary institutions within New Zealand in that year. The figures
show that Maori are markedly under-represented in tertiary institutions, particularly
universities.
The barriers encountered by Maori students can either directly or indirectly impact on
Maori participation, retention and success. The more disturbing outcome is that of
withdrawal or dropping out of higher education, is more likely when a Maori student
experiences and has to confront multiple rather than single barriers.
With this in mind, the aim of this study was to examine and identify trends apparent in
data records of Maori students enrolled in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences at the University of Waikato between 1997 and 2002 and to make
recommendations to the Faculty about how negative trends might be addressed. Specific
areas for analysis are detailed in the report.

year: 2003-06