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Material historicity: rethinking objects through the mis/recognition of a Catholic saint
Get PDFBased on ethnographic research in Santa Cruz Mixtepec, Mexico, this article investigates a local disagreement about the identity of a historic statue of a saint. It shows that historical and object biography approaches cannot fully account for the different ways that people draw on material evidence, religious understandings, and their own perceptions of the past when engaging with such meaningful objects. To more fully account for such processes, I develop the concept of “material historicity,” which provides a framework that connects theories of materiality and historical consciousness. This framework will allow scholars to understand how objects and their material qualities provoke and enable creative and interpretive engagements with the past, and how these engagements interact with one another in the present. The case of the Mixtepec Saint shows that in addition to these analytical possibilities, attention to material historicity can also offer a politics that challenges the authority of secular, historicist interpretations of the past by allowing multiple perspectives to be considered on equal footing
Quality attributes for cyber-physical systems and merit criteria for their modeling tools
Get PDFCyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are systems of systems merging the physical world with the virtual world of cyberspace. CPSs are often highly complex and interdisciplinary. Thus, their design, analysis, development, performance refinement, and testing require the consideration of multiple aspects from various domains. This is even more critical for Machine Learning (ML) enabled CPSs, which are increasingly becoming more prevalent. In this study, we take the first step towards collecting a set of quality attributes for smart CPSs. Further, we introduce a set of merit criteria for tools that can be used for designing, modeling, and developing smart CPSs. This is to provide a framework for the comparison and benchmarking of smart CPSs and CPS modeling tools. The framework has been put through the first phase of expert interview-based validation
Immersive virtual reality enhanced reinforcement induced physical therapy (EVEREST)
Get PDFBackground: Motor impairment of the upper limb (UL) post-stroke is prevalent, adversely affecting patients’
quality of life. Previous research has shown that constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is effective in UL
rehabilitation. However, CIMT’s rigorous regimen may hinder patient adherence, potentially affecting treatment
efficacy. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is an innovative approach for stroke rehabilitation. It utilizes VR
technology to create dynamic environments and modify avatars efficiently, offering a less exhausting alternative
to CIMT. We propose an IVR-based therapeutic approach that integrates positive reinforcement components to
enhance motor coordination, offering an alternative to CIMT. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of incor
porating positive reinforcement components into IVR-enhanced physical therapy (PT) on motor coordination.
Method: Eighteen stroke patients were randomly allocated to two groups: the intervention group (n = 10)
received 30 ± 10 min/day of IVR therapy with PT, while the control group (n = 8) received PT alone. PT ses
sions, lasting 40 ± 10 min/day, were conducted on the ward in accordance with national guidelines. The mean
number of sessions across all participants was 6.6, with a standard deviation of 2.98. Session frequency was
tailored to individual hospital stays, adjusted due to pandemic-related early discharge protocols. For participants
with stroke who received IVR (intervention group), the task involved reaching for 35 targets randomly
distributed across seven different locations in the VR environment. The number of movement repetitions varied,
depending on their ability to repeat the task and the length of stay in the stroke unit. The movement of the virtual
image of the UL was reinforced by visual feedback to the participants, that is, the participants perceived their
motor coordination as if their image of the UL was moving to a greater speed than the real UL monitored real-time while the participants were trying to reach a target. The primary outcome measure was investigated by the
Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scale for the affected UL, with secondary measures including a kinematic dataset
(e.g., time to target) and a questionnaire assessing participant perception and achievement during therapy.
Results: The IVR group exhibited significant improvements in FMA scores (P = 0.02) between the first and fifth
session, signifying a substantial recovery of UL motor function, with the fifth session showing higher scores. The
time to target in the last session reduced compared with that in the first session, suggesting motor learning and
recovery (P = 0.03). The patients were highly engaged and motivated during the sessions because they felt like
they were in charge of controlling the virtual image of their upper body.
Conclusions: The results suggest that positive reinforcement within the IVR could encourage motor recovery of
the affected hand and may facilitate the application of motor learning and neuroplasticity principles during
neurological rehabilitatio
On the decadal variation of Southern Hemisphere land monsoon precipitation
No full textUnderstanding decadal changes in monsoon rainfall is essential for mitigation policies in the next few decades, but comparatively less is known about the Southern Hemisphere monsoon. We find that decadal variations of the Southern Hemisphere land monsoon (SHLM) have a zonal dipole pattern with a significant periodicity of 10-15 years. This spatial pattern is characterized by wet Southern African (SAF) and Australian (AUM) monsoons but a dry southeastern South American monsoon (SESAM). Moisture budget analysis shows that changes in monsoon circulation explain over 70% of the decadal variation. Tropical dynamics dominate the monsoon circulation change, and extratropical Rossby waves also have a contribution. The wet SAF and AUM but dry SESAM pattern is mainly driven by a tropical sea surface temperature (SST) gradient, specifically warm SST over the western Pacific and cold SST over the tropical Indian, central Pacific, and eastern Pacific Oceans. This gradient enhances the Walker circulation and subtropical highs over the South Indian and South Pacific Oceans, increasing moisture convergence over the SAF and AUM. The resultant Walker circulation change decreases ascending motion over the SESAM. The enhancement of AUM rainfall triggers the Pacific-South American pattern of the Rossby wave train, which propagates eastward along the SH subpolar jet, generating descending motion over the SESAM. The tropical and extratropical mechanisms are verified in a coupled climate model with nudged SST and a simplified model with artificial atmospheric heating imposed over eastern Australia, respectively. Our findings help unify understanding of decadal variations of the regional monsoons and may add confidence for decadal prediction of SHLM changes in the following decades
Provision of a method for the economic valuation of animal welfare benefits suitable for use in policy appraisal
Get PDFFood security, dietary diversity and health in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) households in Ghana
Get PDFTo what extent artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) influences food security, health, and
nutrition in rural households in Ghana remains an important question to be answered due to
diverse and mixed conclusions surrounding the impact of ASM in Africa. Using data from the
Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 7), this research seeks to understand the relationship
between ASM and food security, nutrition, and health in rural households in Ghana to contribute
towards improved policy making. Also, this research explores how ASM affects women who are
directly and indirectly engaged in ASM activities. A mixed-methods approach was employed to
address the study objectives. Household-level data of 1,617 households from the GLSS 7 survey
were mapped to areas with ASM operations. The quantitative analysis entailed the application
of three linear regression models to evaluate the effects of ASM on food security, health, and
nutrition. Key indicators of food security, health, and nutrition, along with other variables, were
constructed from the GLSS 7 modules based on insights from relevant literature. For the
qualitative component, in-depth interviews were conducted with 63 women respondents in one
of the GLSS survey areas to gain additional insights into the effects of ASM on women. Issues
related to the preconceived themes of gender, food security, health, and nutrition as well as how
other socio-economic factors of female mine workers interact to shape their experiences, were
analyzed through the contemporary lens of intersectionality in social theory. Results revealed
that ASM is associated with lower levels of food security, health (proxied by absence due to
illness, injury, or both), and nutrition outcomes while controlling for other socio-economic
factors exerting varied and differential levels of influence on the dependent variables.
Specifically, food security, health, and nutrition appear to be associated with land size, education,
wealth, and household size, with larger land and education linked to improving food security,
while ASM and urban living are associated with health and nutrition outcomes. Results from the
qualitative study revealed that many women in ASM areas neglect their health needs and there
also pertains to be limited understanding of female reproductive health issues. Even though ASM
offers economic opportunities for women, it also exposes them to occupational health risks and
socio-cultural challenges, such as menstruation-related taboos and gender disparities. Food
security in ASM communities remains a critical concern. Economically, ASM enhances
women's creditworthiness. However, due to the informal nature, the economic, financial, and
social risks associated with ASM activities, it tends to limit women's access to formal loans. To
promote sustainable livelihoods, it is essential to address the negative impacts of ASM on food
security, health, and nutrition. Additionally, a deeper understanding of gender dynamics is
crucial to fostering inclusion and diversity within the ASM sector. Although the GLSS 7 data
identified ASM households in the sample, it lacked specific details that are essential to have a
deeper understanding of the impact of ASM and may have underestimated its scale of impacts.
Integrating localized ASM-specific data, and incorporation of ASM-focused information in
GLSS modules and satellite imagery, are recommended to enable in-depth and explore ASM's
macro- and micro-level impacts on food security, health, and nutrition as well as livelihoods of
participating and/or non-participating households in ASM areas or its neighborhoods. Tailored
policies should address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of ASM by promoting
sustainable agriculture, alternative livelihoods, and land-use regulations that balance mining
with food production. Additionally, strengthening nutrition, healthcare access, and gender-responsive policies will ensure better food security, health outcomes, and sustainable community
development in ASM-affected areas
Co‐development of a cyclone family and an atmospheric river over the North Atlantic: a synoptic evolution with associated moisture transports
Get PDFAtmospheric rivers, identified as narrow strips of high moisture transport, emerge and evolve with the synoptic‐scale dynamics. Here, the co‐development of a well‐defined extensive atmospheric river crossing the North Atlantic Ocean and a cyclone family during the period of 18–20 September 2018 is presented from its initiation to the end from this perspective. The high moisture state of atmospheric rivers is maintained by the local supply of moisture over a short timescale of less than 24h by convergence and divergence not only associated with the synoptic‐scale evolution of the cyclones but also associated with extensive horizontal transport
The origin and diversification of Amaryllidaceae: a phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis
Get PDFPremise: Previous angiosperm‐wide studies estimated that the geophytic family Amaryllidaceae diverged in Africa 87.00–46.77 million years ago (mya), spanning the Cretaceous and Palaeogene periods, including multiple important climatic and geological events. Greater precision on when and where this divergence occurred is lacking due to limited sampling of Amaryllidaceae and the paucity of the monocot fossil record. A robust phylogeny is required to estimate the age and origin of suprageneric groups; however, the evolutionary relationships within Amaryllidaceae are unclear.Methods: We used 78 plastome protein‐coding genes to infer the phylogenetic relationships of Amaryllidaceae and estimated the age of the family using four fossils and five secondary calibration points from across the Asparagales. We conducted a new biogeographic analysis to determine the ancestral origins of Amaryllidaceae and suprageneric groups, providing insights into the drivers of diversification. Results: Our phylogenetic analyses recovered Amaryllidaceae as monophyletic, with Agapanthoideae sister to Amaryllidoideae and Allioideae. We estimate that Amaryllidaceae diverged in southern Africa 48.6 mya (50.3–46.6 mya) during the early Eocene, a period of elevated global temperatures with increasing seasonal aridity. Our biogeographic analyses indicate that taxa migrated from Africa via the Arabian Peninsula to temperate Asia and beyond during the Miocene. Conclusions: The comprehensive taxon sampling across Amaryllidaceae, the greater number of genes, and the placement of fossils has made it possible to substantially refine estimates of lineage divergence. Establishing a robust age estimate and reconstructing the biogeographic history has led to a better understanding of evolution within the family, of present‐day distributions, and of possible drivers of diversification
‘You feel like you’re doing something’: Foodcare as a family practice in the space of the prison visiting room
No full textPrison visits are important opportunities for those incarcerated to see their family members and maintain and strengthen family relationships. However, prison visits can be experienced as a stressful environment where family members lack control. This paper advances understandings of the prison visiting room as a space for foodcare – one that presents opportunities for incarcerated women and their family members to ‘re-do’ family by demonstrating care through food choices. Consuming refreshments together and purchasing items that would ‘treat’ incarcerated family members helped to evoke memories of eating together in childhood or prior to incarceration. The qualitative data from incarcerated women in a prison in England and their visiting family members documented how restrictions brought in concerning refreshments in the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily eliminated opportunities for family foodcare. Furthermore, when refreshments were re-introduced in a limited way, they were interpreted negatively due to an assumption that their pre-packaged nature meant they were lacking care, simultaneously demonstrating the social and familial importance of refreshments within the space of the prison visiting room
The role of common mycorrhizal networks in mediating cadmium accumulation, glomalin production, and soil enzyme activity in co-cultures of poplars and leeks
Get PDFCadmium (Cd(II) ion) is a mobile metal, that can be toxic to plants and microorganisms, yet its effects on common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) are seldom explored. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve Cd tolerance in plants by mediating uptake, sequestering Cd into hyphae and/or in exogenous glomalin proteins. Here, we examined how the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis affects Cd accumulation, glomalin production and microbial enzyme activity in single plant cultures and in interspecific co-culture conditions (CMN). A glasshouse experiment with Populus trichocarpa (poplars) and Allium porrum (leeks) was conducted including three factors: Contamination (Control vs Cd(II), 27 mg kg−1), Mycorrhization (non-mycorrhizal vs AM) and Culture type (single vs co-culture, 1 poplar + 10 leek seedlings). We assessed biomass, Cd(II) uptake, glomalin concentration and carbon cycling enzyme activities. Poplar biomass was unaffected by Cd, and mycorrhization reduced foliar Cd by 34 %. Root Cd accumulation was highest in non-mycorrhizal poplars when co-cultured with leeks (102 mg kg−1), suggesting increased Cd mobility from root exudation and acidification due to having multiple plants. However, root Cd decreased by 64 % under CMN, possibly because of hyphal binding and glomalin production, but we also propose this could be due to reduced exudation caused by AMF. Cd stimulated glomalin production, sometimes by 25-fold compared to controls, but had little effect on the studied soil enzymes. We conclude that i) Cd stimulates glomalin production in mycorrhizal plants, and ii) Non-mycorrhizal co-culture between leeks and poplars enhances Cd accumulation in poplar roots, but this effect is mitigated by CMNs