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Book Review: Country of the Cursed and the Driven: Slavery and the Texas Borderlands by Paul Barba
No full textReview of: Barba, Paul. Country of the Cursed and the Driven: Slavery and the Texas Borderlands. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2021
Book Review: Timber and Forestry in Qing China: Sustaining the Market by Meng Zhang
No full textReview of: Zhang, Meng. Timber and Forestry in Qing China: Sustaining the Market. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2021
A Comparison of Scales for Recording and Evaluating Dental Arcade Shape
No full textRecording scales to evaluate the shape of the dental arcade have been proposed; however, no comparison has been made among different scales to assess which is best. Here, a comparison is made among several scales (Gill 1971, 1995; Gill & Rhine 1986; Hefner & Linde 2018; Hooton, The Harvard Blanks n.d.; Maier 2017; Maier et al. 2015), and they were evaluated on (1) low observer error and (2) strong association with groups. Digital photographs of 659 individuals from collections across the United States were assessed for dental arcade shape. These data were generated by three observers to test for replicability. Additionally, the relationship between scale and sample groups was evaluated using a combination of chi-squares and several measures of effect size (Cramér’s V, Sakoda’s C, Goodman–Kruskal lambda). Values for Fleiss’s kappa range from “fair” to “almost perfect” between intra-and interobserver measures (κ = 0.212–0.851). Nearly all scales exhibit significant associations with the sample groups, though the general trend is toward weak effect sizes. All values for Cramér’s V and Sakoda’s C fall below 0.3, and the lambda statistic does not exceed an average reduction of error of 6%. The Gill scale is the most reliably recorded but is tied to typological approaches to human variation. A five-point scale proposed by Maier (2017) is less replicable but has the largest effect sizes—“moderate” compared to “weak.” Recording the angle of the sides of the dental arcade may be as informative as several of these scales and avoids many typological associations
Morphological Observation of the Alar Region between the Piriform Aperture and the Alar Soft Tissue for Facial Approximation (Reconstruction)
No full textPrediction methods for regions not lined by facial bones are important elements of forensic anthropology, including forensic facial approximation. The alar region can be predicted by measuring the distances from the piriform margin and multiples of the piriform width. However, studies investigating this region are limited, and some only focus on one side of the alar region. Hence, we aimed to measure the bony points/landmarks to predict the alar region.Post-mortem computed tomography images of the samples from 180 Japanese individuals were obtained and analyzed. The images were processed using Osirix (Pixmeo). The coordinates recorded from all samples were calculated, and the values obtained were stratified by sex, laterality, age, body mass index, and cephalic index. The distances between the alar and the five piriform points were measured. The mean, standard deviation, and confidence interval of all samples were calculated, and the sex-related differences were determined. We evaluated the correlation between alares and other boney landmarks and points. Our findings were compared with those of previous studies. We observed significant sex differences (p < 0.01) and asymmetry (p < 0.01) in laterality in this region; hence, asymmetry was assessed based on these results. Compared with the results of previous studies, the obtained measurements were larger than those of a previous Asian study, suggesting that laterality may influence the accuracy of prediction methods for regions not lined by hard tissues
The Evolving Role of Forensic Anthropologists in Medical Examiner Offices
No full textThe discipline of forensic anthropology has evolved dramatically during its relatively short history, as has the role of forensic anthropologists, both of which are well documented in various publications (e.g., Christensen et al. 2019; Dirkmaat & Cabo 2012; Işcan 1988; Ubelaker 2018). The presence and role of forensic anthropologists specifically working in medical examiner or coroner (ME/C) offices in the United States have also been emphasized in recent literature and presentations (e.g., Austin & Fulginiti 2008; Crowder et al. 2016; Derrick & Figura 2016; Fleischman et al. 2013; Rainwater et al. 2012; Sledzik et al. 2007; Waxenbaum & Grauer 2022). The goal of this article is to provide an update to this aforementioned literature as we reflect on 50 years as a discipline. This article will discuss (1) the evolution and expansion of the roles and responsibilities of forensic anthropologists in ME/C contexts, (2) the importance of laboratory accreditation and professional certification, and (3) the disciplinary advances and progress that will benefit current professionals and the next generation of forensic anthropologists
Personal Responsibility, Personal Shame: A Discourse Tracing of Individualism about Healthcare Costs
No full textAmerica’s individualistic culture is reflected in deeply held beliefs about how people should manage their health and their (lack of) money. In this essay, we trace the ideological discourse of individualism at macro and micro levels, explicating how macro-level discourses surrounding finances and health fulfill key functions of individualism: explanatory and evaluative as well as identity and prescriptive. For each function, we illustrate at the micro level how social adherence to discourses of individualism affects people, relationships, and communities. In particular, we argue, failure to live up to individualistic ideals fosters internalized shame and guilt and worsens mental, physical, and financial health. Grounded in critical rhetorical theory and drawing upon critical interpersonal and family communication and health communication approaches, we illustrate how individualistic discourse is circulated and taken up by people, constituting their identities and relationships. We also showcase the benefits of investigating exigent social issues from multidisciplinary vantage points
Bodies in Flux: Scientific Methods for Negotiating Medical Uncertainty by Christa Teston
No full textReview of Bodies in Flux: Scientific Methods for Negotiating Medical Uncertainty. By Christa Teston. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017. 256 pages. $35.00 paper.
Book Review: Teaching Writing in the Health Professions: Perspectives, Problems, and Practices, Edited by Michael J. Madson
No full textBook Review: Teaching Writing in the Health Professions: Perspectives, Problems, and Practices. Michael J. Madson, Eds. New York, NY: Routledge, 2022. 222 pages, 40.45 electronic.
Publisher webpage: https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-Writing-in-the-Health-Professions-Perspectives-Problems-and/Madson/p/book/9780367750886
Review by Yeqing Kong (she/her/hers), Georgia Institute of Technology
Date posted: June 2023
Recommended Citation: Kong, Yeqing. (2023) “Book review: Teaching Writing in the Health Professions: Perspectives, Problems, and Practices,” Rhetoric of Health & Medicine: Vol. 6 : Iss. 3
Thesis Projects in Forensic Taphonomy
No full textGiven the recent growth in the field, some students in forensic anthropology may find it difficult to devise an affordable, suitable, and ideally publishable thesis topic. Taphonomic projects often can fill this role, as many do not require a large budget, are experimental in nature, thus giving students greater control over the data that they will collect, and on topics that have not received large amounts of research. The author presents a list of possible topics primarily in the field of forensic taphonomy and aimed at the MS/MA thesis level, although some proposed projects are larger or could be adapted for a PhD dissertation. The topics include taphonomic effects associated with carnivores, rodents, birds, reptiles, and plants and subaerial weathering; marine environments; thermal alteration; ritual and anatomical activity; cemetery and non-cemetery burials; bone detection; decomposition; and taphonomic procedures. The suggested topics also include factors that may make them more difficult to explore and information on which venues may be the most appropriate. The author hopes to promote taphonomic research in multiple subfields and encourage graduate students to pursue publication of their results
Landmark and Measurement-Based Data Assistant (LAMbDA): A Pedagogical Tool for Cranial Landmark Data Collection
No full textCranial landmarks have been used in research and casework since the late 19th century, at which time some of the earliest landmark and measurement definitions were codified. Over the last two to three decades, however, many biological anthropologists have shifted from taking traditional caliper-derived measurements to using a three-dimensional (3D) digitizer to collect spatial coordinate landmark data. The increasing use of landmark-based data collection methods have necessitated a shift in the practitioner’s focus from understanding measurement definitions to being able to identify the location of a particular landmark in three-dimensional space. As a result, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences published a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which provides a comprehensive list of landmark definitions for practitioners to reference while digitizing. The movement toward open access resources and digital pedagogy led to the development of a digital companion to the current SOP, entitled Landmark and Measurement-based Data Assistant (LAMbDA). LAMbDA is a free, publicly-available web interface (www.locatelambda.org) that serves as a pedagogical resource and a repository of information for those using a digitizer to collect 3D cranial coordinate data. This tool provides a series of photogrammetry models with annotated landmarks so that proper landmark placement can be viewed in 3D space following definitions provided in the Harris County SOP. Additionally, the website provides useful references, a manual with landmark placement definitions and comments on special anatomical circumstances, supplementary photographs, and the 3D models are available to download for 3D printing physical models