Psychosocial assessment for victims of violence in Peru: the importance of local participation

This paper describes a pilot study assessing the psychosocial impact of political violence in the Peruvian Andes, utilizing a collaborative approach with local professionals and communities. The study team prioritized dialogue and information exchange with the local professional community and villagers participating in the assessment in order to raise awareness of psychosocial issues and provide education and support. Participation in the pilot study had positive therapeutic effects for villagers, and inspired ongoing discussion groups to address psychosocial problems in communities. This paper also describes a psychosocial assessment strategy utilizing qualitative methods and an adaptation of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire in collaboration with Andean villagers. Usefulness and limitations of the data will be reviewed, in terms of cultural and context relevance, usefulness for informing interventions, and comparisons with ethnographic methodologies and other survey instruments.     

Illness among holidaymakers and the effect on a seaside practice.

Between 1 May and 30 September 1983 a practice of three doctors in the centre of Scarborough conducted 1772 consultations with 1472 temporary residents, 967 (55%) of which were during July and August. The pattern of illness differed considerably from that usually found in general practice, with an excess of minor infections, gastrointestinal upsets, and skin problems comprising 46% of the consultations. Practitioners who care for appreciable numbers of temporary residents should plan their services to match the special needs of holidaymakers. The task of doctors in areas with many visitors would be made easier if patients who are on regular medication or are under surveillance brought with them not only enough drugs for their needs but also a summary of their medical history.     

Random signal variation as a cause of systematic microdensitometric error

A high noise/signal ratio in microdensitometry, owing, for example, to the use of a very small measuring spot or light at an extreme of the spectrum, decreases the precision (increases the variability) of results. This can be compensated for by making more measurements, but under some circumstances random signal variations can also cause systematic errors that are not so easily corrected. The present article explains how such errors can arise when measuring either very pale or very dense objects and suggests methods to detect and avoid them. The principles described are applicable to many types of microdensitometer, not only the Vickers flying-spot instruments used in this investigation.     

Expanding the three Rs to meet new challenges in humane animal experimentation

The Three Rs are the main principles used by Animal Ethics Committees in the governance of animal experimentation, but they appear not to cover some ethical issues that arise today. These include: a) claims that certain species should be exempted on principle from harmful research; b) increased emphasis on enhancing quality of life of research animals; c) research involving genetically modified (GM) animals; and d) animals bred as models of disease. In some cases, the Three Rs can be extended to cover these developments. The burgeoning use of GM animals in science calls for new forms of reduction through improved genetic modification technology, plus continued attention to alternative approaches and cost-benefit analyses that include the large numbers of animals involved indirectly. The adoption of more expanded definitions of refinement that go beyond minimising distress will capture concerns for enhancing the quality of life of animals through improved husbandry and handling. Targeting refinement to the unpredictable effects of gene modification may be difficult; in these cases, careful attention to monitoring and endpoints are the obvious options. Refinement can also include sharing data about the welfare impacts of gene modifications, and modelling earlier stages of disease, in order to reduce the potential suffering caused to disease models. Other issues may require a move beyond the Three Rs. Certain levels of harm, or numbers and use of certain species, may be unacceptable, regardless of potential benefits. This can be addressed by supplementing the utilitarian basis of the Three Rs with principles based on deontological and relational ethics. The Three Rs remain very useful, but they require thoughtful interpretation and expansion in order for Animal Ethics Committees to address the full range of issues in animal-based research.     

Informing about mammographic screening: Ethical challenges and suggested solutions

Providing high quality and user oriented information about mammographic screening is no easy task, as screening has been subject to heated professional and public debates. Although the information has to be developed and provided in context for each screening program, the basic challenges are very much the same for all programs. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to analyze key ethical challenges in informing about mammographic screening, and based on these, to suggest some guiding principles for practical solutions. A literature review identifies five crucial issues with respect to informing women about mammographic screening. By analyzing and addressing these issues, five guiding principles are suggested: the content and the form of information should be developed through open and transparent processes with strong stakeholder involvement. Facts should be presented in a balanced way and uncertainties should be acknowledged, e.g., by presenting outcomes in ranges. Information should be layered without attempts to frame information. Attending mammographic screening should be as easy as not attending. Although apparently trivial, the suggested principles can be useful for elaborating specific information material about mammographic screening in a field of great ethical controversy.     

Patterns of local wood use and cutting of Philippine Mangrove Forests

Small-scale wood harvesting from mangrove forests is a commonplace yet barely studied phenomenon. This paper integrates bio-ecological and ethnographic methods to examine local wood use and cutting of mangrove forests in two areas of the Philippines. Findings reveal considerable site variation in cutting intensity, with heavier cutting typically closer to settlements and in forest stands that are not effectively regulated by government or private interests. Overall, cutting is responsible for almost 90% of stem mortality in both natural and plantation forests. Field measurements confirm ethnographic evidence indicating that harvesting for construction wood, but not fuelwood, is both species- and size-selective. Mangrove management and conservation efforts can be made more effective by better understanding how local people are harvesting wood resources from these forests.     

Controversies in strategy of marine fisheries development between eastern and western countries

Abstract

The expansion of distant‐water fishing activities of the Eastern countries to date is causing not only a growing concern by the coastal nations but also interest in the theoretical principles and criteria applied for developing a strategy of fishery development in these states. Obviously, there are many discrepancies between Western and Eastern theories in this field. Among them we can quote the concept of inexhaustibility of the ocean living resources, both traditional and new resources. This concept supports a further catch increase. The key problem lies in technological progress. Pure economic criteria are less important factors because the principal task of Eastern fisheries is to stave off shortages of animal proteins in local markets. Consequently, only maximum utilization of fishery resources is accepted. The importance of marine fisheries lies also in generating employment opportunities, principally in land‐related activities. Eastern distant‐water fisheries can continue to develop if the principle of surplus catches and historic rights is respected by coastal nations. Freedom of open‐sea resources utilization should be maintained. The traditional management system of world fisheries is the most desirable solution for future sea regimens. International cooperation in fisheries should be considered not only in economic terms but also as a source of political gains.     

What Makes Eco‐Transformation of Industrial Parks Take Off in China?

This article focuses on the effects of policy instruments for developing viable eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) in China. We analyzed the root of China's national EIP program and inventoried the general instruments available to local authorities to shape and promote eco‐industrial development. Empirical research conducted in Tianjin Economic‐technological Development Area and Dalian Development Area led to the activities and actions conducted by local authorities. A quantitative method, technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, was adopted to reveal the effects of policy instruments for comparative analysis. We conclude that the planned EIP model is useful in the early stage of EIP development, and, subsequently, it should be combined with a facilitated model to achieve long‐term goals for eco‐transformation. To this end, the policy package of economic, regulatory, and voluntary instruments should be integrated and tailored in alignment with the local situation.     

Systematic review of studies of patient satisfaction with telemedicine

ObjectiveTo review research into patient satisfaction with teleconsultation, specifically clinical consultations between healthcare providers and patients involving real time interactive video.DesignSystematic review of telemedicine satisfaction studies. Electronic databases searched include Medline, Embase, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts and Humanities Citation Index, and the TIE (Telemedicine Information Exchange) database.SubjectsStudies conducted worldwide and published between 1966 and 1998.Results32 studies were identified. Study methods used were simple survey instruments (26 studies), exact methods not specified (5), and qualitative methods (1). Study designs were randomised controlled trial (1 trial); random patient selection (2); case-control (1); and selection criteria not specified or participants represented consecutive referrals, convenience samples, or volunteers (28). Sample sizes were ≤20 (10 trials), ≤100 (14), >100 (7), and not specified (1). All studies reported good levels of patient satisfaction. Qualitative analysis revealed methodological problems with all the published work. Even so, important issues were highlighted that merit further investigation. There is a paucity of data examining patients'' perceptions or the effects of this mode of healthcare delivery on the interaction between providers and clients.ConclusionsMethodological deficiencies (low sample sizes, context, and study designs) of the published research limit the generalisability of the findings. The studies suggest that teleconsultation is acceptable to patients in a variety of circumstances, but issues relating to patient satisfaction require further exploration from the perspective of both clients and providers.     

On the calibration of rotational instruments for the measurement of whole-blood viscosity

The Authors have looked at six proprietary rotational viscometers. It was not practicable to examine them all in the same detail, but the information suffices to show how results of reasonable accuracy may be obtained from any of them. Tests on Newtonian liquids show that these instruments have calibration-factors which are essentially functions of the shear-rate to which the calibrant is subjected. In some cases, the calibration factor is also strongly dependent upon the viscosity of the calibrant itself. However, it is shown that all of these instruments can yield results on Newtonian liquids with an accuracy of about +/- 3%, but only at rates of shear involving sufficiently high torques. Having looked at the different responses of these individual instruments, the Authors recommend that users should calibrate their own instruments against a range of Newtonian liquids. The accuracies mentioned above are, of course, for Newtonian liquids; and when the viscometer is used in blood-studies, adoption of a wider error-band may be necessary.     

Photographing worship: Ethnographic study of children's participation in acts of worship

This article reports the uses of photography in the Religious Education and Community Project, Coventry, England. It shows how ethnographic fieldwork and the development of curriculum materials for religious education in Britain are being conducted as phases of an integrated process. The photographic record, it is argued, is intrinsic both to eliciting data from members of the communities under study and in the sensitizing and informing of both pupils and educators. Furthermore not only the photographs themselves but also the differing reactions of specific communities to the prospect of being photographed during worship need analysis and can provide insights of value to religious educators in understanding the relation of cultural norms and theological emphases. As an illustration the responses of Christians to the ethnographer's requests to photograph the rite of Holy Communion are considered.     

A low-cost procedure for automatic seafloor mapping, with particular reference to coral reef conservation in developing nations

Loss of marine biodiversity through benthic habitat destruction has created urgent needs for low-cost, high-performance seafloor survey methods. However, accurate seafloor mapping and classification is usually an expensive undertaking requiring sophisticated equipment, which excludes important low-budget user groups in developing nations. In this paper, we introduce a low-cost procedure for seafloor mapping based on free-of-charge data acquisition software that can be downloaded from the Internet. Using a Malaysian coral-reef case-study, we show how comprehensive bathymetric mapping can be implemented with such software using inexpensive eccosounder and GPS, and describe principles for integration of environmental data, either by connecting additional instruments to the computer (up to 32 instruments with up to eight channels each can be handled simultaneously), or by using simple synchronisation techniques with equipment that records to separate media, such as video cameras. We mapped a Malaysian coral-reef area of 114 hectares in 6 hours of video mapping, achieving reef mapping rates that matches rates currently achieved only with air-borne imaging devices. However, the present methodology results in completely ground-truthed data that can be classified according to many schemes by direct observation of the habitat, and provides detailed bathymetric data that satellite imagery or air-borne spectrographic sensors do not provide. The method can be used as a stand-alone reef mapping and classification tool on the scale of tens to hundreds of square kilometres. On larger scales (thousands of square kilometres), airborne survey methods are likely to remain more cost-effective than boat-based methods, yet also in such settings this simple method offer unprecedented capacity for ground truthing and thereby increased capacity for habitat classification.     

Thermodynamic extremization principles and their relevance to ecology

Theories based on simple principles have provided much insight into the common processes that underpin complex ecological systems. Although such theories (e.g. neutral theory, metabolic theories) often neglect specific ecological details, they compensate for this with their generality and broad applicability. We review several simple principles based on ‘thermodynamic extremization’ (the minimization or maximization of a thermodynamic quantity) and explore their application and relevance to ecology. Thermodynamic extremization principles predict that certain energetic quantities (e.g. entropy production) will tend towards maxima or minima within ecological systems, subject to local constraints (e.g. resource availability). These principles have a long history in ecology, but existing applications have had a theoretical focus and have made few quantitative predictions. We show that the majority of existing theories can be unified conceptually and mathematically, a result that should facilitate ecological applications of thermodynamic extremization principles. Recent developments in broader ecological research (e.g. metabolic theories) have allowed quantitative predictions of ecological patterns from thermodynamic extremization principles, and initial predictions have been supported by empirical data. We discuss how the application of extremization principles could be extended and demonstrate one possible extension, using an extremization principle to predict individual size distributions. A key focus in the application of thermodynamic extremization principles to mainstream ecological questions should be the generation of quantitative predictions and subsequent empirical validation.     

Managing cows: an ethnography of breeding practices and uses of reproductive technology in contemporary dairy farming in Lombardy (Italy)

The aim of this article is to contribute detailed ethnographic material to broaden the scope of what we mean by reproductive technology. Technology can be defined not only by a series of laboratory techniques (such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer) that are drafted into the daily management of the animal body, but also by a range of on-farm management strategies and working routines, as well as the cultural dispositions, social networks and tacit knowledge of the actors involved. RT is communicated to lay operators and disseminated amongst semi-professional figures such as breed experts, herd inspectors and technical consultants. The practical contexts in which reproductive knowledge is popularized and applied provide ample scope for local negotiations, resistance and conflict. Professional knowledge about breed-improvement is personalised and appropriated by operators and plays a role in power relations and the exercise of personal charisma as well as being specific to context, in particular the nuances of pre-existing relationships of trust, friendship, kinship or hierarchy. No wonder then that many ambivalences and compromises coexist in the practice of applying 'reproductive knowledge' to breed selection.     

Ethical Research Issues: Going Beyond the Declaration of Helsinki

La Vaque and Rossiter made a strong, supported argument that it is unethical to use a no treatment control group in a research study if a known, effective treatment is available. Their argument is based on the supposition that the Declaration of Helsinki is the ethical world standard for research with humans. Their argument appears to be straightforward, but is not simple to apply. The issues are very complex, include issues not discussed in their argument, and can lead to a different conclusion as pointed out in this paper. The World Medical Association developed the Declaration of Helsinki as one of their official policies. The Declaration of Helsinki, however, is not accepted as the world ethical standard, as demonstrated by its lack of adoption by many professional associations or even by the United States Federal Government. Perhaps it is not mentioned because its ethical provisions are aspirational rather than mandatory as implied by La Vaque and Rossiter. Researchers and clinicians should also be aware of other ethical issues not directly discussed in the La Vaque and Rossiter paper. The Belmont Report is the basis for the ethical protection of human research subjects for at least 17 federal agencies and does not mention the Declaration of Helsinki. The Belmont Report mentions several ethical principles that form the basis for informed consent, risk/benefit assessment, confidentiality of data, subject selection, Institutional Review Boards, and other protections needed when doing research with human subjects. At least 2 of these core principles have direct implications to the discussion related to the use of placebo controls. The ethical principle of fidelity is also important in guiding research activities with human subjects. Researchers should be familiar with the La Vaque and Rossiter argument, the Belmont Report, and the federal policies developed to implement the provisions of that report, for example, Regulation 45 CFR 46.     

Population Genetics and Reproductive Strategies of African Trypanosomes: Revisiting Available Published Data

Trypanosomatidae are a dangerous family of Euglenobionta parasites that threaten the health and economy of millions of people around the world. More precisely describing the population biology and reproductive mode of such pests is not only a matter of pure science, but can also be useful for understanding parasite adaptation, as well as how parasitism, specialization (parasite specificity), and complex life cycles evolve over time. Studying this parasite’s reproductive strategies and population structure can also contribute key information to the understanding of the epidemiology of associated diseases; it can also provide clues for elaborating control programs and predicting the probability of success for control campaigns (such as vaccines and drug therapies), along with emergence or re-emergence risks. Population genetics tools, if appropriately used, can provide precise and useful information in these investigations. In this paper, we revisit recent data collected during population genetics surveys of different Trypanosoma species in sub-Saharan Africa. Reproductive modes and population structure depend not only on the taxon but also on the geographical location and data quality (absence or presence of DNA amplification failures). We conclude on issues regarding future directions of research, in particular vis-à-vis genotyping and sampling strategies, which are still relevant yet, too often, neglected issues.     

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given.     

Therapeutic Processes and Perceived Helpfulness of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dang-Ki</Emphasis> (Chinese Shamanism) from the Symbolic Healing Perspective

This study focuses on the therapeutic process and perceived helpfulness of dang-ki, a form of Chinese shamanistic healing, in Singapore. It aims to understand the healing symbols employed in dang-ki, whether or not patients find them helpful and whether their perceived helpfulness can be explained by the symbolic healing model (Dow, Am Anthropol 88(1):56–69, 1986; Levi-Strauss, Structural anthropology. Basic Books, New York, 1963). Although many researchers have applied this model to explain the efficacy of shamanistic healings, they did not directly provide empirical support. Furthermore, the therapeutic process of a shared clinical reality as proposed by the model may be achievable in small-scale traditional societies that are culturally more homogeneous than in contemporary societies that are culturally more diversified due to globalization and immigration. Patients may hold multidimensional health belief systems, as biomedicine and alternative healing systems coexist. Thus, it would be interesting to see the relevance and applicability of the symbolic healing model to shamanistic healing in contemporary societies. In this study, ethnographic interviews were conducted with 21 patients over three stages: immediately before and after the healing and approximately 1 month later. The dang-ki healing symbols were identified by observing the healing sessions with video recording. Results show that dang-kis normally applied more than one method to treat a given problem. These methods included words, talismans and physical manipulations. Overall, 11 patients perceived their consultations as helpful, 4 perceived their consultations as helpful but were unable to follow all recommendations, 5 were not sure of the outcome because they had yet to see any concrete results and only 1 patient considered his consultation unhelpful. Although the symbolic healing model provides a useful framework to understand perceived helpfulness, processes such as enactment of a common meaning system and symbolic transformation are complex and dynamic, and may be carried over several healing sessions.     

Negotiating Dangerous Fields: Pragmatic Strategies for Fieldwork amid Violence and Terror

As anthropology turns toward the cultural issues of the 21 st century, more and more ethnographic fieldwork is and will continue to be conducted in regions fraught with conflict, instability, and terror. Despite a growing literature that seeks to develop new theories and perspectives for the study of violence, little mention is made of the practical matters of survival in perilous field sites and how the anthropologist's experience of violence in the field should be considered. What is needed is a pragmatic strategy for dealing with threats to the safety, security, and well-being of anthropologists and informants who work amid the menace of violence. Drawing on my own fieldwork in Haiti, I suggest the adoption of new tactics for ethnographic research and survival in dangerous fields—strategies that challenge the conventional ethics of the discipline, reconfigure the relationship between anthropologist and informant, and compel innovation in negotiating the exchange of data under hazardous circumstances. [Keywords: fieldwork, violence, methodology, ethics, Haiti]     

数据驱动的社会-经济-自然复合生态系统研究:尺度、过程及其决策关联

社会-经济-自然系统是人类赖以生存和发展的复合系统,而数据驱动下的系统研究为加强生态系统的认知提供了新的增值导向。在新的数据语境下,社会-经济-自然复合系统呈现出一些新的特征,研究对象逐渐从单一要素向多要素耦合的方向转变,使支撑量化研究的数据体系更多样化、数据来源更广泛化、数据表达更具可视化,并呈现出研究尺度逐渐扩大化、研究对象更精细化的特征。在对数据的识别、表达和可视化的过程中,既要加强对时间、空间、结构、数量和秩序的耦合,也要注重与决策制定和地方服务的结合。新时期复合生态系统的未来研究方向应该从关键科学问题及支撑技术、尺度作用和多要素耦合以及地方和全球治理的科技支撑等方面展开,在数据的不断革新下,加强对多源数据、长期监测和时间序列的认知仍是需要深入研究的课题。开展复合生态系统的数据驱动分析,不仅能为生态系统的服务及可持续发展提供技术支撑,增强数据的长效共享机制,同时可为实现决策制定和信息传播等方面提供更多的价值支持。