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Excavating the Past and (Re)Finding Myself: Exploring Veterans’ and Providers’ Experiences of Wellbeing Archaeology
Full text linkParticipation in heritage and archaeology is increasingly offered in the community to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly to groups experiencing mental health challenges. One group is military veterans, who experience higher rates of mental health challenges but are less help-seeking than the general population. Since 2011, archaeological projects have been offered to veterans to support transition, mental health, and wellbeing. Consequently, provision has increasingly become framed as an intervention, with evaluation focused on mental health and wellbeing outcomes. However, there is little understanding of how archaeology has a positive impact. Adopting an interpretative qualitative approach, this study explored veterans’ and providers’ perceptions of how and why archaeology supports mental health and wellbeing. Interviews with five UK veterans and four providers of UK projects were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were developed, each with three subthemes. Major themes concerned 1.) Connection and belonging, 2.) Authenticity and purpose, 3.) Meaning-making through the past. Findings support the assumption that archaeology is a powerful non-clinical intervention for veterans but suggest that while wellbeing may improve, mental health may not. Furthermore, potential mechanisms are suggested that must be explored further to improve practice in this area
The shape of technology to come: An examination of evolutionary relationships between bifacial and core technologies at the Lower-Middle Palaeolithic boundary across regions in Eurasia
No full textThe origin of Levallois prepared core technology is a subject of debate among Palaeolithic archaeologists. While some argue for a single African origin for this style of core reduction, increasing support is found for a multiple-origin model in which Levallois technology independently evolves out of underlying technology in different regions of Africa and Eurasia. Within a multiple-origin framework, it has been proposed that the technology is realized through the evolution of either Late Lower Palaeolithic core technology or Acheulian bifaces. We explore these hypotheses by examining the relationships between early Levallois technology, proposed transitional types, and Lower Palaeolithic production systems in geographically discrete lithic assemblages in the Armenian Highlands and Britain. The sites of Nor Geghi-1 (Armenia) and Purfleet (Britain) are the focus of this study as they contain evidence for the in situ evolution of Levallois technology. Landmark-based geometric morphometrics is applied to high-quality three-dimensional scans of lithic artifacts from Lower-Middle Palaeolithic sites in the two regions. As this research is focused on morphological characteristics, we also explore factors outside of human decision-making that may affect shape diversity (i.e., raw material, size, reduction intensity). Our results indicate that the appearance of Levallois prepared core technology is likely the outcome of distinctive processes in the two regions. These results further support the growing body of research that argues for a multiple-origin model early prepared core production systems
Health literacy profiling of parents in two disadvantaged inner-city areas in the United Kingdom
No full textBackground : Health literacy refers to the skills needed to access, understand, and navigate health information and services. Limited parental health literacy is associated with ineffective preventive behaviours and worse child health outcomes. People with limited financial and social resources are more likely to have limited health literacy. Profiling health literacy strengths and limitations of a population allows the multidimensional nature of health literacy to be considered and highlight patterns of need. Aims : This study aimed to identify the health literacy profiles of parents of children aged 0–4 years in two cities in the United Kingdom with high levels of deprivation (Portsmouth, Southampton), and develop vignettes to illustrate their diverse experiences. Methods : A mixed-methods approach was employed using the Optimising Health Literacy and Access framework. Quantitative data were collected using the Health Literacy Questionnaire-Parent version (HLQ-Parent) among parents from two cities. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the HLQ-Parent data to identify clusters reflecting varied health literacy strengths and limitations across its nine domains. Demographic data enriched the profiles. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews contextualized the clusters, with vignettes created to represent each profile in an explanatory sequential design. Results : A total of 175 participants (mean age 33 years; 98% female) completed the HLQ-Parent. Eight clusters with distinct health literacy profiles emerged. In both cities, one cluster (44% of participants) exhibited high scores across all domains, while another cluster (20% of participants) displayed significant challenges across all domains. Eight vignettes were created to represent the lived experiences of parents within each health literacy profile, highlighting the unique strengths and challenges faced by each cluster. Discussion : This study provides a deeper understanding of how parents use health information and navigate services to manage their children’s health and wellbeing. The findings highlight that a one-size-fits-all approach to improving health literacy would overlook those with the greatest needs, emphasising the importance of developing interventions to the unique characteristics of each identified health literacy cluster. The vignettes developed will inform future research, including stakeholder workshops, to co-design targeted health literacy interventions and solutions, ensuring they address the specific strengths and challenges identified in this study
The effect of different proximities to failure on arterial stiffness following resistance training protocols matched for volume-load.
Full text linkThis study compared acute changes in measures of arterial stiffness (AS) between two resistance training (RT) protocols that were load, volume and rest matched, but differed in intensity of effort. Eleven healthy adults (36.4 ± 6.8 years) performed a RT protocol with high intensity of effort (HE) and a RT protocol with low intensity of effort (LE). The HE protocol consisted of 3 sets of 12 repetitions, while the LE comprised of 6 sets of 6 repetitions. Loading intensity, volume load, and total rest duration were equivalent between the RT sessions. Pulse wave velocity, augmentation index values collected at baseline, immediately post and 15 min post‐exercise. HE elicited significantly greater increases in carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (6.4 ± 0.3 to 7.3 ± 0.5 m/s) when compared to LE (6.6 ± 0.3 to 6.7 ± 0.3 m/s) (p < 0.05). Both HE and LE induced significant increases in augmentation index (13 ± 5.6 to 28.1 ± 9.3%) post exercise (all p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that RT with a lower intensity of effort attenuate increases in measures of arterial stiffness compared to a RT scheme at higher intensity of effort when volume load and total rest are equalized
Protest, Resistance and Popular Politics in Late Medieval Scotland
No full textThis book is the first sustained analysis of popular politics in Scotland during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Despite the long-running historiography on popular protests in both England and continental Europe, there has been little discussion of this phenomenon in Scotland, in part because historians specialising in Scotland have paid little attention to the phenomenon of popular revolt, save an occasional comment in wider studies. There were no large-scale popular uprisings in Scotland, like the Peasants’ Revolt in England, the Jacquerie in France, or the Ciompi in Florence, but that does not mean that the wider populace was not politically engaged. Indeed, many of the key sources for late medieval Scotland, including The Bruce, Scotichronicon, The Dethe of the Kynge of Scotis and the records of the Scottish parliament, all contain hints of popular political engagement. It is only when these sources are read with a focus on the lower echelons of society that a clearer picture—of a populace with political ideals they sought to uphold—emerges
Examining Virtual Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD) Training as a Tool for Interfaith Dialogue in Omani and Lebanese Contexts
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Genome analyses suggest recent speciation and postglacial isolation in the Norwegian lemming
No full textThe Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) is a small rodent distributed across the Fennoscandian mountain tundra and the Kola Peninsula. The Norwegian lemming likely evolved during the Late Pleistocene and inhabited Fennoscandia shortly prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the exact timing and origins of the species, and its phylogenetic position relative to the closely related Siberian lemming (Lemmus sibiricus) remain disputed. Moreover, the presence of ancient or contemporary gene flow between both species is largely untested. The Norwegian lemming displays characteristic phenotypic and behavioral adaptations (e.g., coat color, aggression) that are not present in other Lemmus species. We generated a de novo genome assembly for the Norwegian lemming and resequenced nine modern and two ancient Lemmus spp. genomes. We show that all Lemmus species form distinct monophyletic clades, with concordant topology between the mitochondrial and nuclear genome phylogenies. The Siberian lemming is divided into two distinct but paraphyletic clades, one in the east and one in the west, where the western clade represents a sister taxon to the Norwegian lemming. We estimate that the Norwegian and western Siberian lemming diverged shortly before the Last Glacial Maximum, making the Norwegian lemming one of the youngest known mammalian species. We did not find any indication of gene flow between L. lemmus and L. sibiricus, suggesting postglacial isolation of L. lemmus. Furthermore, we identify species-specific genomic differences in genes related to coat color and fat transport, which are likely associated with the distinctive coloration and overwintering behavior observed in the Norwegian lemming