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Shamanic alliance in the touristic borderzone : strategic hospitality at Surama Eco-Lodge in Guyana
Get PDFFunding: Tulane University School of Liberal Arts, Summer Merit Fellowships; Central States Anthropological Society, Leslie A. White Award; Tulane University, Department of Anthropology, Summer Research Grants; Labex CEBA; American Philosophical Society, Lewis and Clark Fund; Guyana Tourism Authority; MOPGA InitiativeThis article explores how villagers in Surama form alliances with outsiders through strategic hospitality within the touristic borderzone. Surama is a primarily Makushi village in Guyana. Tourism began during the 1990s and is now central to the village economy. Villagers' efforts to form relationships with certain visitors (particularly tourist leaders) as partners or yakos through hospitality reflect an ontological framework associated with shamanism. This involves relational modes of interaction that are common across Amazonia but have been underexamined in the context of tourism. However, Makushi alliances with outsiders in Surama are unique in their emphasis on mutuality and symmetry, which stems from past Makushi experiences of enslavement during the colonial encounter and antipathy towards asymmetric relations. Based on fieldwork involving interviews and participant observation in Surama, this article links debates in Amazonian ethnology and the anthropology of tourism to examine how villagers in Surama manage relations with tourists to obtain external resources.Peer reviewe
Robert William Thomson, 1934-2018
No full textProfessor Robert Thomson was an exceptionally gifted linguist and philologist who traced the complex relationships between late Antique and medieval compositions in Greek, Syriac, Armenian, Georgian and Arabic. Known primarily for his prolific publication of annotated translations and detailed assessments of Armenian historical, homiletic and exegetical works, Robert Thomson transformed perceptions of medieval Armenian literary culture, showing how Armenian scholars participated in, and were separated from, the surrounding milieux. His precise translations, of both familiar and unheralded material, coupled with his rigorous analysis, will form the basis of future research into medieval Armenia and beyond for generations.Peer reviewe
Fragile rights and deepened inequalitieshealth care for pregnant and postpartum women in the COVID-19 socio-health crisis
Get PDFThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women was severe. In sexual and reproductive health, it led to an increase in maternal deaths among black women. This study sought to analyze access and quality of care for pregnant and postpartum women during the pandemic. It involved an online survey, with 324 women who gave birth during the pandemic. Bivariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regression investigated the association between sociodemographic factors and reproductive outcomes. Inadequate prenatal care was associated with lower education (3.0; 1.5-5.5) and depression (2.2; 1.2-4.0); difficulty in hospitalization for the birth with ≥3 children (1.6; 1.0-2.8); difficulty in postpartum consultation being black (2.9; 1.5-5.6) and giving birth in the SUS (2.8; 1.4-5.7). Lack of professional guidance on COVID-19 was associated with non-heterosexual orientation (2.5; 1.0-5.9) and prenatal care in the SUS (1.7; 1.0-2.8); inadequate information about breastfeeding being black (2.3; 1.3-3.9), ≥3 children (1.8; 1.2-2.7) and prenatal care in the SUS (3.8; 2.2-6.5). Online surveys limit the participation of people with poor internet access, though it was possible to identify how the socio-health crisis affected women’s reproductive rights in a situation of vulnerability.Peer reviewe
New challenges for HIV testing in the setting of long-acting cabotegravir pre-exposure prophylaxis
Get PDFFunding: EW is supported by a Postgraduate Scholarship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (GNT2005380).Peer reviewe
Adolescents' interactive electronic device use, sleep and mental health : a systematic review of prospective studies
Get PDFFunding: This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (grant numbers: MC_UU_00022/1; MC_UU_00022/2; MC_UU_00022/3; MC_UU_00022/4; MC_UU_12017/11; MC_UU_12017/14; MC_UU_12017/15) and Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (grant numbers: SPHSU16; SPHSU17; SPHSU18; SPHSU19; SPHSU11; SPHSU 14; SPHSU15).Optimal sleep, both in terms of duration and quality, is important for adolescent health. However, young people's sleeping habits have worsened over recent years. Access to and use of interactive electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, portable gaming devices) and social media have become deep-rooted elements of adolescents’ lives and are associated with poor sleep. Additionally, there is evidence of increases in poor mental health and well-being disorders in adolescents; further linked to poor sleep. This review aimed to summarise the longitudinal and experimental evidence of the impact of device use on adolescents’ sleep and subsequent mental health. Nine electronic bibliographical databases were searched for this narrative systematic review in October 2022. Of 5779 identified unique records, 28 studies were selected for inclusion. A total of 26 studies examined the direct link between device use and sleep outcomes, and four reported the indirect link between device use and mental health, with sleep as a mediator. The methodological quality of the studies was generally poor. Results demonstrated that adverse implications of device use (i.e., overuse, problematic use, telepressure, and cyber-victimisation) impacted sleep quality and duration; however, relationships with other types of device use were unclear. A small but consistent body of evidence showed sleep mediates the relationship between device use and mental health and well-being in adolescents. Increasing our understanding of the complexities of device use, sleep, and mental health in adolescents are important contributions to the development of future interventions and guidelines to prevent or increase resilience to cyber-bullying and ensure adequate sleep.Peer reviewe
Comparative analysis of GnRH pulse generator activity in intact and gonadectomized male and female mice
Get PDFFunding: Studies used for the animal work and writing of the manuscript have been supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (to A.E.H; 17-236) and the Wellcome Trust (to A.E.H; 212242/Z/18/Z).A subpopulation of kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARN) of the hypothalamus functions as the GnRH pulse generator, driving the pulsatile secretion of LH from the anterior pituitary. Recent advances in in vivo GCaMP fiber photometry have allowed the direct measurement of ARN kisspeptin (ARNKISS) neuronal population activity in mice. In both sexes, ARNKISS neurons display large, brief calcium activity episodes, termed synchronization episodes, each corresponding to a correlated LH pulse. Here we present quantitative and comparative analyses of calcium activity in these neurons and LH profiles in male and female mice, based on a combination of previously published and unpublished data. Our findings reveal a significant sex difference in pulse generator frequency in intact mice, with males exhibiting slower and more stochastic synchronization episodes compared to females. Additional sex differences were noted in the profile of synchronization episodes. In gonadectomized mice, the synchronization frequency and the episode profiles became similar across sexes, indicating that gonadal steroids largely drive sex differences in the intact state. However, sex-specific differences in pulse frequency distributions persisted after gonadectomy, suggesting possible steroid-independent differences in the GnRH pulse generator. Sex differences in the LH pulse frequency and amplitude were observed in intact mice and were abolished following gonadectomy, highlighting the correlation between synchronization episodes and downstream hormonal signaling.Peer reviewe
Shooting for the moon : Benjamin Peirce’s ambitious 19th-century efforts to elevate American mathematics through astronomy
Get PDFFunding: This work was supported by EPSRC grant EP/Z000580/1.Over fifty years as a mathematics professor at Harvard, Benjamin Peirce worked to elevate mathematical sciences in the US by championing educational reform, promoting research-level publication, and strategizing about scientific funding. He used his roles in the Nautical Almanac Office and the US Coast Survey to train and employ a generation of mathematical astronomers. Peirce further capitalized on the public enthusiasm generated by The Great Comet in 1843, the discovery of Neptune in 1846, observations of Saturn’s rings in the 1850s, and a number of total solar eclipses in the 1860s and 70s. Consistent and intentional advocacy from Benjamin Peirce sought to elevate the profile of American mathematics through astronomical work. This shaped how mathematics developed within the broader context of the establishment of scientific infrastructure in mid-nineteenth-century America.Peer reviewe
Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth
Get PDFFunding: Impetus for finalizing our recommendations and vision was provided by the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF9881) and the National Geographic Society (NGS-82515R-20; both to C.R.), and endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We also acknowledge support from: the Australian Research Council (DP210103091; to A.M.M.S.); an IRD Fellowship 2021–2022 at Fondation Iméra, Institute for Advanced Studies at Aix-Marseille Université (to F.C.); the National Biodiversity Future Centre to Fondazione Edmund Mach, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Mission 4 Component 2, Investment 1.4, Project CN00000033 (to F.C.); NASA’s Ecological Forecasting Program (80NSSC21K1182; to S.C.D.); the Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility (MOVE2GBIF; to S.C.D., P.D.); and the Research Foundation – Flanders (LifeWatch; to P.D.).Rapid growth in bio-logging—the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife—offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption. Second, we need to develop integrated data collections on standardized data platforms that support data preservation through public archiving and strategies that ensure long-term access. We outline pathways to reach these goals, highlighting the need for resources to govern community data standards and guide data mobilization efforts. We propose the launch of a community-led coordinating body and provide recommendations for how stakeholders—including government data centres, museums and those who fund, permit and publish bio-logging work—can support these efforts.Peer reviewe
From early diagnosis to optimal diagnosis : a conference report on what excellent innovation should look like
No full textFunding: SW funded by University of St Andrews summer studentship.Early diagnostic technologies such as in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) have been promoted by many, including the UK government (2010–2024) as part of its Industrial Strategy.1 In 2024, the new UK government stated that a priority was to ‘make the UK a life sciences and medical technology powerhouse…the government will drive the development of new treatments and help grow the industries’.2 While enthusiasm for new technologies could be potentially transformational in the ways we diagnose and treat disease, there are tensions in terms of how these should be tested, evaluated and used. As the UK has exited the European Union and plans to introduce its own In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation, there are opportunities to improve the way in which innovations are brought to market. The Evidence-Based Early Diagnosis 2024 conference was held in St Andrews, under Chatham House rule, in partnership with the BMJ. This aimed to bring stakeholders together to explore the successes, challenges and tensions that currently exist in the early diagnosis sector. Participants included patients, policymakers, clinicians, scientists and industry colleagues.3 The opportunity was presented to analyse emergent themes on the contemporary use of early diagnosis technology, focused in the UK.Peer reviewe
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