Month: April 2024

Holme I (Seahenge) and Holme II: ritual responses to climate change in Early Bronze Age Britain

Latest Results

Abstract

Holme I and II were contemporary, adjacent Early Bronze Age (EBA) oak-timber enclosures exposed intertidally at Holme-next-the-sea, Norfolk, England, in 1998. Holme I enclosed a central upturned tree-stump, its function and intent unknown. Holme II is thought a mortuary structure. Both are proposed here best explained as independent ritual responses to reverse a period of severe climate deterioration recorded before 2049 BC when their timbers were felled. Holme I is thought erected on the summer-solstice, when the cuckoo traditionally stopped singing, departing to the ‘Otherworld’. It replicated the cuckoo’s supposed overwintering quarters: a tree-hole or the ‘bowers of the Otherworld’ represented by the tree-stump, remembered in folklore as ‘penning-the-cuckoo’ where a cuckoo is confined to keep singing and maintain summer. The cuckoo symbolised male-fertility being associated with several Indo-European goddesses of fertility that deified Venus - one previously identified in EBA Britain. Some mortal consorts of these goddesses appear to have been ritually sacrificed at Samhain. Holme II may be an enclosure for the body of one such ‘sacral king’. These hypotheses are considered, using abductive reasoning, as ‘inferences to the best explanations’ from the available evidence. They are supported with environmental data, astronomic and biological evidence, regional folklore, toponymy, and an ethnographic analogy with indigenous Late Iron Age practices that indirect evidence indicates were undertaken in EBA Britain. Cultural and religious continuity is supported by textual sources, the material record and ancient DNA (aDNA) studies.

Sexual Violence Against Female Children in Liberia: A Cross-Sectional Study of Statutory Rape Prevalence Rates Related to Correlates of Gender Equity

Latest Results

Abstract

In recent decades, the Government of Liberia (GOL) and international partners have prioritized combatting child sexual abuse, including illicit and harmful early sexual practices involving girls and adult men. Previous studies indicate high rape rates among Liberian female populations, yet more research on specific forms of abuse is needed to better understand the magnitude of the problem. Applying Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this paper presents the results of a 2018 mixed-methods study of 719 Liberian young women (ages 18–35) and 493 of their parents, from urban/rural districts in Montserrado. The purpose is to contribute a large-scale representative study establishing the rate of female statutory rape and key correlates. The survey captures data measuring early sexual activity (ESA), education, socio-economic status, demographics, and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs) associated with cultural ethnic customs, rural/urban settings, and gender rights. The statistical analysis indicates that 35.1% (95% CI 30.1–37.1) of Liberian women report experiencing ESA that qualifies as statutory rape under Liberian law. Age, ethnicity, location, SES, education, and most individual KABs are not correlated with lower rates (p < 0.05). The following are associated (unadjusted odds ratio [OR]): advanced education (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.26–5.50); saying no to sex (0.57, 0.36–0.89); equitable work opportunities (2.15, 1.28–3.62); living with a man as a minor (0.47, 0.31–0.74); and early pregnancy (0.45, 0.32–0.65). Additionally, 39.7% (95% CI 31.2–44.1) of male assailants hold school-based occupations. As the ecology of girls is increasingly shifting in low-income nations, it is crucial to better understand the face of abuse to protect children’s welfare.

Scientific highlights of the 9th ESWI Influenza Conference

Latest Results

Abstract

The European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) held the 9th ESWI Influenza Conference in Valencia from 17—20 September 2023. Here we provide a summary of twelve key presentations, covering major topics on influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) including: infection processes beyond acute respiratory disease, long COVID, vaccines against influenza and RSV, the implications of the potential extinction of influenza B virus Yamagata lineage, and the threats posed by zoonotic highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

Talking existential risk into being: a Habermasian critical discourse perspective to AI hype

Latest Results

Abstract

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have resulted in a hype around both opportunities and risks of these technologies. In this discussion, one argument in particular has gained increasing visibility and influence in various forums and positions of power, ranging from public to private sector organisations. It suggests that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) that surpasses human intelligence is possible, if not inevitable, and which can—if not controlled—lead to human extinction (Existential Threat Argument, ETA). Using Jürgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action and the validity claims of truth, truthfulness and rightness therein, we inspect the validity of this argument and its following ethical and societal implications. Our analysis shows that the ETA is problematic in terms of scientific validity, truthfulness, as well as normative validity. This risks directing AI development towards a strategic game driven by economic interests of the few rather than ethical AI that is good for all.

Race and indigeneity in human microbiome science: microbiomisation and the historiality of otherness

Latest Results

Abstract

This article reformulates Stephan Helmreich´s the ¨microbiomisation of race¨ as the historiality of otherness in the foundations of human microbiome science. Through the lens of my ethnographic fieldwork of a transnational community of microbiome scientists that conducted a landmark human microbiome research on indigenous microbes and its affiliated and first personalised microbiome initiative, the American Gut Project, I follow and trace the key actors, experimental systems and onto-epistemic claims in the emergence of human microbiome science a decade ago. In doing so, I show the links between the reinscription of race, comparative research on the microbial genetic variation of human populations and the remining of bioprospected data for personalised medicine. In these unpredictable research movements, the microbiome of non-Western peoples and territories is much more than a side project or a specific approach within the field: it constitutes the nucleus of its experimental system, opening towards subsequent and cumulative research processes and knowledge production in human microbiome science. The article demonstrates that while human microbiome science is articulated upon the microbial ‘makeup’ of non-wester(nised) communities, societies, and locales, its results and therapeutics are only applicable to medical conditions affecting rich nations (i.e., inflammatory, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases). My reformulation of ¨microbiomisation of race¨ as the condition of possibility of human microbiome science reveals that its individual dimension is sustained by microbial DNA data from human populations through bioprospecting practices and gains meaning through personalised medicine initiatives, informal online networks of pseudoscientific and commodified microbial-related evidence.

Comfort with LGB people and attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Continental American Hispanic Nations

Latest Results

Abstract

Negative attitudes toward Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals leads to a perceived inability of LGB individuals to foster ‘appropriate’ family relationships, inciting negative attitudes specifically toward same-sex parenting. Intergroup and interpersonal relationships play a critical role in fostering attitudes toward others wherein type of contact, frequency, degree of closeness in the relationship, and the positivity/negativity of interactions are potential mediator of these relations, Moreover, the mechanism behind co-constructing positive relationships with sexual and gender minorities is comfort with contact with LGB individuals. The present study explored the effects of interpersonal contact and the mediator role of comfort with LGB people in explaining attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Spanish-speaking countries in North, Central, and South America. These countries are of particular interest given the dearth of research in the region on attitudes toward same-sex parenting as well as the varying degrees of acceptance of and protections for same-sex parented families. A non-probabilistic sample of 1955 heterosexual cisgender participants from 14 countries was asked to complete a series of sociodemographic questions, a questionnaire about their interpersonal contact/comfort experiences with LGB people, and the Attitudes Toward Gay and Lesbian Parenting Scale. Results showed that comfort was vital in fostering accepting attitudes toward Same-Sex Parenting across countries. Findings also suggested that comfort with LGB people has a particularly powerful influence in regions with less legal and cultural acceptance of LGB individuals. Policies are not enough to instill widespread change: we must encourage, facilitate, and supervise the formation of relationships with LGB people.

Potentiality of Geopora sumneriana against oxidative stress: a case study based on traditional knowledge from India

Latest Results

Abstract

Fresh ascocarps of Geopora sumneriana were collected from Kishtwar High Altitude National Park (KHANP) during 2017–2019. It is common and frequently consumed by the indigenous people due to its rich aroma, abundance and flavour. The ascocarps of G. sumneriana were evaluated for mycochemical profiling and antioxidant potential. The results of the study revealed an excellent concentration of mycochemicals and antioxidants from the infusion-based extraction method. The results gave a clue that the species can be utilized against oxidative stress and ageing.

Imagining education beyond growth: A post-qualitative inquiry into the educational consequences of post-growth economic thought

Latest Results

Abstract

This paper explores the possible consequences for education of a transition to a post-growth society. Utilising a post-qualitative approach to inquiry, this study begins by analysing post-growth economic literature. It then connects this literature to existing educational scholarship to explore the consequences for education of a transition to a post-growth society. The analysis reveals key features and arrangements proposed in the literature for a post-growth society. It discusses the ways in which education can prepare young people for a future beyond economic growth and speculates as to how education can contribute towards the realisation of this type of society. The paper concludes that education can help prepare students for a post-growth future by focusing on the development of ecological literacy, embracing a place-based approach to education, helping students to comprehend the need for social and economic change, introducing them to a plurality of ideas about how the future might look, developing their capacity to think critically about their future, enhancing their sense of personal autonomy and capacity for self-determination, and supporting their capacity to form strong social relationships.

Assessing the impact of heat vulnerability on urban public spaces using a fuzzy-based unified computational technique

Latest Results

Abstract

Over the years, the urban heat vulnerability has evolved as a pressing global concern for researchers and policymakers alike. Numerous studies have aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of urban heat vulnerability on public health and safety. However, the critical task of selecting the most fitting indicator for urban heat islands in public spaces is not emphasized in the existing studies, considering the diverse indices available. Beyond identification, studies that delve into the prioritization of these indices and the determination of optimal variables along with their respective weights are scanty. The present study attempts to address these gaps in urban heat vulnerability research through the lens of natural solutions. The study employs a fuzzy analytical hierarchy approach to ascertain the weights of selected criteria, providing a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing their applicability. Real-time impact estimation using the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solutions enhances the practicality of the findings. The results reveal a set of pivotal characteristics crucial for constructing a robust heat vulnerability index, facilitating the prioritization of selected criteria. The implementation of this hybrid methodology culminates in a streamlined, precise, and practical tool for evaluating heat vulnerability in hot urban public spaces. These findings contribute valuable insights to the academic discourse and offer a tangible resource for policymakers and practitioners. The proactive approach provides a roadmap for addressing impending challenges related to urban heat vulnerability, marking a positive step toward creating resilient and sustainable urban environments.

An indicator-based approach to assess and compare the environmental and socio-economic consequences of photovoltaic parks in Romania’s development regions

Latest Results

Abstract

The current population growth, urban development, technological advancements and the improvements in the quality of life have urged the need for alternative energy sources. For over 20 years, the European Union has been developing climate and renewable energy policies, aimed to achieve the goal of decarbonizing the entire EU economy by 2050. Increasing the production and use of renewable energy is also a key pillar of the REPowerEU Plan, which is the EU's strategy to get rid of Russian fossil fuel imports as soon as possible As a result, the expansion of solar energy industry has been noticed. Solar energy has substantial benefits compared with conventional energy sources; however, certain environmental and socio-economic challenges should be addressed. The paper is aimed at providing a whole image of the photovoltaic (PV) energy in Romania in terms of (1) mapping all PV parks, (2) assessing the key environmental and socio-economic consequences of PV parks based on computing selected indicators and (3) understanding the spatial differences of PV parks distribution in relation to the underlying factors and the resulted consequences. Both quantitative (spatial and statistical analyses, i.e. the share of PV parks for each land use/cover category, distance to natural protected areas) and qualitative (expert judgement, questionnaires and interviews) methods and data were used to reveal the positives and the negatives of PV energy installation and use. Based on the calculated spatial and statistical indicators, the key findings of this study showed that, despite its clean and sustainable nature, the environmental consequences of solar energy are generally associated with some negative effects on the environmental components, while the socio-economic ones can be generally connected with some financial benefits for the local communities.