title: Men's re-placement: Social practices in a Men's Shed

authors: Anstiss, David

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Transitions into retirement can be difficult at the best of times. Many men find themselves having to reflect on who they are and what their lives are about. Their access to social supports and material resources are often disrupted. Men's Sheds offer a space where retired men can actively pursue wellbeing, and respond to disruption and loneliness through emplaced community practices. This paper draws on ethnographic research in a Men's Shed in Auckland, New Zealand in order to explore the social practices through which men create a shared space for themselves in which they can engage in meaningful relationships with each other. We document how participants work in concert to create a space in which they can be together through collective labour. Their emplacement in the shed affords opportunities for supported transitions into retirement and for engaging healthy lives beyond paid employment.

text: Men's re-placement: Social practices in a Men's Shed Transitions into retirement can be difficult at the best of times. Many men find themselves having to reflect on who they are and what their lives are about. Their access to social supports and material resources are often disrupted. Men's Sheds offer a space where retired men can actively pursue wellbeing, and respond to disruption and loneliness through emplaced community practices. This paper draws on ethnographic research in a Men's Shed in Auckland, New Zealand in order to explore the social practices through which men create a shared space for themselves in which they can engage in meaningful relationships with each other. We document how participants work in concert to create a space in which they can be together through collective labour. Their emplacement in the shed affords opportunities for supported transitions into retirement and for engaging healthy lives beyond paid employment.

year: 2018

title: Deriving bovine embryonic stem-like cells in defined conditions

authors: Muhammad Alahdal, Hadil

subjects: bovine

abstract: The first embryonic stem ES cell line was isolated from mouse in 1981 (Evans and Kaufman 1981; Martin1981). However, ESCs are only available in rodent species. Although research has been carried out on bovine embryos for more than two decades, there is no evidence of ESCs (Shanbo, Fang et al. 2009). Reasons for this are unknown developmental aspects associated with bovine embryology. Most attempts to culture bovine ES-like cells have been to isolate them from the ICM of day seven blastocysts, which have been generated by in vitro production (IVP). Here I report an alternative method to derive bES-like cells using dissociated blastomeres from early stages embryos (8 and 16-cell) and day 5 and 7 embryos. These bovine outgrowths were cultured in order to investigate which developmental stage associated with better blastomere attachment. Also, to examine their pluripotency, as it was hypothesised that early stages of development up to the blastocyst stage are pluripotent and that the naive state of bovine ESCs exist. In addition, instead of using animal material as feeder layers such as mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which provides leukemic inhibitory factor (LIF) to maintain pluripotency, defined extra cellular matrixes (ECM) were used in order to derive bES-like cells in defined conditions, avoid contamination by reagents used in cell culture and to find the substrate associated with better attachment and proliferation. 2i media was applied to the development of bovine embryos in order to determine if the use of 2i media with different numbers of blastomeres would encourage bES-like cell development, proliferation and to introduce cell uniformity. Blastomeres were cultured singularly, and in groups in 96 well plates and in tissue culture plates in order to produce short term cell lines. Development rate, attachment and outgrowth production were measured, for example, the proportion of blastomeres attached and proliferated. Markers of ESCs, epiblast stem cells (epiESCs) and trophectoderm were investigated in produced bovine outgrowths in order to examine their pluripotency, and their karyotyping was examined. In this study, from the different developmental stages used, outgrowths were produced from all stages used, but the inner cell mass (ICM) was associated with better outgrowth production. Different ECMs promoted attachment, however, with variable efficiency, in which gelatin was associated with better attachment and proliferation. The use of 2i media resulted in attachment, but with poor proliferation. cDNA isolated from bovine outgrowths expressed some of pluripotency markers, but with a lack of uniformity. In addition, metaphase spreads from outgrowths showed an abnormal karyotype. From this study, we increased our understanding of the factors that enhance the derivation of bES-like cells such as the culture media and the substrates. In addition, we have gained more information on bovine gene expression in blastomere derived outgrowths.

text: Deriving bovine embryonic stem-like cells in defined conditions The first embryonic stem ES cell line was isolated from mouse in 1981 (Evans and Kaufman 1981; Martin1981). However, ESCs are only available in rodent species. Although research has been carried out on bovine embryos for more than two decades, there is no evidence of ESCs (Shanbo, Fang et al. 2009). Reasons for this are unknown developmental aspects associated with bovine embryology. Most attempts to culture bovine ES-like cells have been to isolate them from the ICM of day seven blastocysts, which have been generated by in vitro production (IVP). Here I report an alternative method to derive bES-like cells using dissociated blastomeres from early stages embryos (8 and 16-cell) and day 5 and 7 embryos. These bovine outgrowths were cultured in order to investigate which developmental stage associated with better blastomere attachment. Also, to examine their pluripotency, as it was hypothesised that early stages of development up to the blastocyst stage are pluripotent and that the naive state of bovine ESCs exist. In addition, instead of using animal material as feeder layers such as mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which provides leukemic inhibitory factor (LIF) to maintain pluripotency, defined extra cellular matrixes (ECM) were used in order to derive bES-like cells in defined conditions, avoid contamination by reagents used in cell culture and to find the substrate associated with better attachment and proliferation. 2i media was applied to the development of bovine embryos in order to determine if the use of 2i media with different numbers of blastomeres would encourage bES-like cell development, proliferation and to introduce cell uniformity. Blastomeres were cultured singularly, and in groups in 96 well plates and in tissue culture plates in order to produce short term cell lines. Development rate, attachment and outgrowth production were measured, for example, the proportion of blastomeres attached and proliferated. Markers of ESCs, epiblast stem cells (epiESCs) and trophectoderm were investigated in produced bovine outgrowths in order to examine their pluripotency, and their karyotyping was examined. In this study, from the different developmental stages used, outgrowths were produced from all stages used, but the inner cell mass (ICM) was associated with better outgrowth production. Different ECMs promoted attachment, however, with variable efficiency, in which gelatin was associated with better attachment and proliferation. The use of 2i media resulted in attachment, but with poor proliferation. cDNA isolated from bovine outgrowths expressed some of pluripotency markers, but with a lack of uniformity. In addition, metaphase spreads from outgrowths showed an abnormal karyotype. From this study, we increased our understanding of the factors that enhance the derivation of bES-like cells such as the culture media and the substrates. In addition, we have gained more information on bovine gene expression in blastomere derived outgrowths.

year: 2011

title: Management of patients with early stage lung cancer - why do some patients not receive treatment with curative intent?

authors: Lawrenson, Ross

subjects: Lung cancer

abstract: BACKGROUNDS: This study aims to understand the factors that influence whether patients receive potentially curative treatment for early stage lung cancer. A key question was whether indigenous Māori patients were less likely to receive treatment. 
METHODS: Patients included those diagnosed with early stage lung cancer in 2011-2018 and resident in the New Zealand Midland Cancer Network region. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of having curative surgery/ treatment. The Kaplan Meier method was used to examine the all-cause survival and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death. 
RESULTS: In total 419/583 (71.9%) of patients with Stage I and II disease were treated with curative intent - 272 (46.7%) patients had curative surgery. Patients not receiving potentially curative treatment were older, were less likely to have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), had poorer lung function and were more likely to have an ECOG performance status of 2+. Current smokers were less likely to be treated with surgery and more likely to receive treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Those who were treated with surgery had a 2-year survival of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.8-91.8%) and 5-year survival of 69.6% (95% CI: 63.2-76.0%). Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has equivalent effect on survival compared to curative surgery (hazard ratio: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.37-1.61). After adjustment we could find no difference in treatment and survival between Māori and non-Māori. 
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with stage I and II lung cancer are managed with potentially curative treatment - mainly surgery and increasingly with SABR. The outcomes of those being diagnosed with stage I and II disease and receiving treatment is positive with 70% surviving 5 years.

text: Management of patients with early stage lung cancer - why do some patients not receive treatment with curative intent? BACKGROUNDS: This study aims to understand the factors that influence whether patients receive potentially curative treatment for early stage lung cancer. A key question was whether indigenous Māori patients were less likely to receive treatment. 
METHODS: Patients included those diagnosed with early stage lung cancer in 2011-2018 and resident in the New Zealand Midland Cancer Network region. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of having curative surgery/ treatment. The Kaplan Meier method was used to examine the all-cause survival and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death. 
RESULTS: In total 419/583 (71.9%) of patients with Stage I and II disease were treated with curative intent - 272 (46.7%) patients had curative surgery. Patients not receiving potentially curative treatment were older, were less likely to have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), had poorer lung function and were more likely to have an ECOG performance status of 2+. Current smokers were less likely to be treated with surgery and more likely to receive treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Those who were treated with surgery had a 2-year survival of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.8-91.8%) and 5-year survival of 69.6% (95% CI: 63.2-76.0%). Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has equivalent effect on survival compared to curative surgery (hazard ratio: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.37-1.61). After adjustment we could find no difference in treatment and survival between Māori and non-Māori. 
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with stage I and II lung cancer are managed with potentially curative treatment - mainly surgery and increasingly with SABR. The outcomes of those being diagnosed with stage I and II disease and receiving treatment is positive with 70% surviving 5 years.

year: 2020