title: An illustration of the average exit time measure of poverty

authors: Gibson, John

subjects: growth

abstract: The goal of the World Bank is 'a world free of poverty' but the most widely used poverty measures do not show when poverty might be eliminated. The 'head-count index' simply counts the poor, while the 'poverty gap index' shows their average shortfall from the poverty line. Neither measure reflects changes in the distribution of incomes amongst the poor, but squaring the poverty gap brings sensitivity to inequality, albeit at the cost of intuitive interpretation. This paper illustrates a new measure of poverty [Morduch, J., 1998, Poverty, Economic Growth and Average Exit Time, Economics Letters, 59: 385-390]. This new poverty measure is distributionally-sensitive and has a ready interpretation as the average time taken to exit poverty with a constant and uniform growth rate. The illustration uses data from Papua New Guinea, which is the country with the highest degree of inequality in the Asia-Pacific region.

text: An illustration of the average exit time measure of poverty The goal of the World Bank is 'a world free of poverty' but the most widely used poverty measures do not show when poverty might be eliminated. The 'head-count index' simply counts the poor, while the 'poverty gap index' shows their average shortfall from the poverty line. Neither measure reflects changes in the distribution of incomes amongst the poor, but squaring the poverty gap brings sensitivity to inequality, albeit at the cost of intuitive interpretation. This paper illustrates a new measure of poverty [Morduch, J., 1998, Poverty, Economic Growth and Average Exit Time, Economics Letters, 59: 385-390]. This new poverty measure is distributionally-sensitive and has a ready interpretation as the average time taken to exit poverty with a constant and uniform growth rate. The illustration uses data from Papua New Guinea, which is the country with the highest degree of inequality in the Asia-Pacific region.

year: 2002-09

title: In vitro study of heat shock protein 60 expression and mitochondrial morphology in response to mitochondrial stress in HeLa cells

authors: Kaur, Supreet

subjects: Diabetes

abstract: Diabetes mellitus ( DM) is a metabolic disorder and affecting worldwide as stated by WHO that diabetes will be seventh leading cause of death in 2030. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycaemia and the production of reactive oxygen species that damages proteins, lipids and DNA. This further elicits mitochondrial specific stress, resulting in increased production of HSP60 which is a mitochondrial stress protein. The aim of this study was to investigate the mitochondrial morphology changes and heat shock protein responses of HeLa cells subjected to physiological levels of hyperglycaemia (25mM).
HeLa cell growth was found to be slightly reduced with increasing glucose concentrations (10mM – 25mM ) as compared to the control (5mM). Furthermore, high glucose conditions (25mM) also affected mitochondrial activity as statistically significantly decreased mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity was observed as compared to the control. These results altogether conclude that high glucose (25mM) acted as a mitochondrial stressor.
Mitochondria is a dynamic organelle that fuses and divides according to environmental stimuli and energy requirements. As a result the shape of mitochondria varies from small ovals to tubules and reticular networks. These events are mainly controlled by fission and fusion proteins and regulatory machinery. Therefore mitochondrial morphology was also analyzed by using confocal microscopy to determine the effects of high glucose (25mM) on mitochondrial morphology as compared to the control. It was found that the
majority of mitochondria in the control (5mM) was tubular as compared to high glucose which showed increased mitochondrial fragmentation suggesting that growing cells in the presence of hyperglycemic conditions lead to mitochondrial stress.
Mitochondrial specific stress results in selective induction of molecular chaperone, HSP60 which is mainly localized in the matrix of mitochondria. So furthermore , the expression of HSP60 was investigated. Consistent western blots results showed upregulation of HSP60 with heat shocked protein set as a positive control but not with high glucose concentration (25mM). Interestingly, HSP70 expression was found to be upregulated with high glucose (25mM) as compared to control therefore it can be concluded that there were more general cellular stress as compared to mitochondrial specific stress.
This study concluded that high glucose (25mM) effects HeLa cell growth and mitochondrial activity as well as mitochondrial morphology . There are various evidence which links oxidative stress and mitochondrial dynamics and observed increased production of ROS along with short and fragmented mitochondria in high glucose conditions.

text: In vitro study of heat shock protein 60 expression and mitochondrial morphology in response to mitochondrial stress in HeLa cells Diabetes mellitus ( DM) is a metabolic disorder and affecting worldwide as stated by WHO that diabetes will be seventh leading cause of death in 2030. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycaemia and the production of reactive oxygen species that damages proteins, lipids and DNA. This further elicits mitochondrial specific stress, resulting in increased production of HSP60 which is a mitochondrial stress protein. The aim of this study was to investigate the mitochondrial morphology changes and heat shock protein responses of HeLa cells subjected to physiological levels of hyperglycaemia (25mM).
HeLa cell growth was found to be slightly reduced with increasing glucose concentrations (10mM – 25mM ) as compared to the control (5mM). Furthermore, high glucose conditions (25mM) also affected mitochondrial activity as statistically significantly decreased mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity was observed as compared to the control. These results altogether conclude that high glucose (25mM) acted as a mitochondrial stressor.
Mitochondria is a dynamic organelle that fuses and divides according to environmental stimuli and energy requirements. As a result the shape of mitochondria varies from small ovals to tubules and reticular networks. These events are mainly controlled by fission and fusion proteins and regulatory machinery. Therefore mitochondrial morphology was also analyzed by using confocal microscopy to determine the effects of high glucose (25mM) on mitochondrial morphology as compared to the control. It was found that the
majority of mitochondria in the control (5mM) was tubular as compared to high glucose which showed increased mitochondrial fragmentation suggesting that growing cells in the presence of hyperglycemic conditions lead to mitochondrial stress.
Mitochondrial specific stress results in selective induction of molecular chaperone, HSP60 which is mainly localized in the matrix of mitochondria. So furthermore , the expression of HSP60 was investigated. Consistent western blots results showed upregulation of HSP60 with heat shocked protein set as a positive control but not with high glucose concentration (25mM). Interestingly, HSP70 expression was found to be upregulated with high glucose (25mM) as compared to control therefore it can be concluded that there were more general cellular stress as compared to mitochondrial specific stress.
This study concluded that high glucose (25mM) effects HeLa cell growth and mitochondrial activity as well as mitochondrial morphology . There are various evidence which links oxidative stress and mitochondrial dynamics and observed increased production of ROS along with short and fragmented mitochondria in high glucose conditions.

year: 2015

title: Upsetting Geographies: Sacred Spaces of Matata

authors: Brown, Keri Aroha Michelle

subjects: sacred

abstract: My research focuses on the emotional experience of the unearthing of ancestral bones for local Māori of Matata. The coastal town of Matata in the Eastern Bay of Plenty provides a central case study location as it is a town that is facing the pressure of coastal residential development as well the added strain of dealing with the 2005 flood which has compounded issues over local waahi tapu.  Local iwi have continued to actively advocate for the protection of these sites especially with regard to the ongoing discovery of ancestral bones.

Cultural and emotional geographies provide the theoretical framework for this research. This framework has been particularly useful as it encourages reflexive commentary and alternative ways of approaching and thinking about, and understanding knowledge. I have incorporated the research paradigm of kaupapa Māori which complements my theoretical framework by producing a research design that is organised and shaped according to tikanga Māori while (in) advertently critiquing and challenging traditional ways of conducting research. The overall aim is to explore the current issues surrounding the discovery of ancestral bones through korero with local iwi members. It is through their perspectives, stories, beliefs and opinions that provide a better understanding of the meanings attributed to waahi tapu and the influence of certain events such as the 2005 flood. I examine, critically the relationship between power, sacred sites, bones and the body. 

It is from these objectives that I contribute to an area of scholarship that has been largely left out from geographical enquiry. I suggest that the importance of sacredness and spirituality has been relatively overlooked as an influential factor in people's perceptions of the world around them. This thesis is intended to demonstrate the value of indigenous perspectives of bones, the body and sacredness as a way of better understanding some of the complexities that can arise when cross-cultural approaches collide in environmental planning.  

There are three main themes that have emerged from this research. The first theme has to do with competing knowledges. To Māori, the location and knowledge of ancestral bones is culturally important and is in its self sacred, therefore certain tikanga is applied as a means of a protection mechanism. However this ideologically clashes with traditional scientific western approaches which are privileged over other alternative ways of understanding knowledge, in this case Māori knowledge. The second related theme concerns the process of boundary making and cross-cultural ways of perceiving 'sacred' and 'everyday' spaces. To better understand these perspectives involves acknowledging the embodied and emotional experience of wāhi tapu to Māori, and the active role of kaitiaki in the protection and careful management of these culturally important spaces.

text: Upsetting Geographies: Sacred Spaces of Matata My research focuses on the emotional experience of the unearthing of ancestral bones for local Māori of Matata. The coastal town of Matata in the Eastern Bay of Plenty provides a central case study location as it is a town that is facing the pressure of coastal residential development as well the added strain of dealing with the 2005 flood which has compounded issues over local waahi tapu.  Local iwi have continued to actively advocate for the protection of these sites especially with regard to the ongoing discovery of ancestral bones.

Cultural and emotional geographies provide the theoretical framework for this research. This framework has been particularly useful as it encourages reflexive commentary and alternative ways of approaching and thinking about, and understanding knowledge. I have incorporated the research paradigm of kaupapa Māori which complements my theoretical framework by producing a research design that is organised and shaped according to tikanga Māori while (in) advertently critiquing and challenging traditional ways of conducting research. The overall aim is to explore the current issues surrounding the discovery of ancestral bones through korero with local iwi members. It is through their perspectives, stories, beliefs and opinions that provide a better understanding of the meanings attributed to waahi tapu and the influence of certain events such as the 2005 flood. I examine, critically the relationship between power, sacred sites, bones and the body. 

It is from these objectives that I contribute to an area of scholarship that has been largely left out from geographical enquiry. I suggest that the importance of sacredness and spirituality has been relatively overlooked as an influential factor in people's perceptions of the world around them. This thesis is intended to demonstrate the value of indigenous perspectives of bones, the body and sacredness as a way of better understanding some of the complexities that can arise when cross-cultural approaches collide in environmental planning.  

There are three main themes that have emerged from this research. The first theme has to do with competing knowledges. To Māori, the location and knowledge of ancestral bones is culturally important and is in its self sacred, therefore certain tikanga is applied as a means of a protection mechanism. However this ideologically clashes with traditional scientific western approaches which are privileged over other alternative ways of understanding knowledge, in this case Māori knowledge. The second related theme concerns the process of boundary making and cross-cultural ways of perceiving 'sacred' and 'everyday' spaces. To better understand these perspectives involves acknowledging the embodied and emotional experience of wāhi tapu to Māori, and the active role of kaitiaki in the protection and careful management of these culturally important spaces.

year: 2008