Anthropology and the Changing World: How Can Anthropologists Serve Humanity?

Change is perhaps the most common aspect of human life experienced in every society of today’s world. There may be differences in context, pattern, speed, scale, or extent of changes, but peoples across the globe more or less seem to share experiences of social, cultural and economic alteration in their everyday lives. Globalization, through the spread of the free market economy, the revolution of information and communication technologies (e.g., the spread of the Internet, media and entertainment technologies )rapid urbanization, the spread of consumer culture, and transnational migrations, have interconnected the world economically, culturally and politically. Even remote communities have been influenced by global change. Such change has both positive and negative consequences on peoples’ lives. Though many people’s have been blessed by economic and technological advancements, economic inequalities between and within nations proliferate. In addition to the continuance, even growth of global poverty, violation of human rights, discrimination and violence against women, and stigmatization and exclusion of ethnic minorities means large numbers of people have little, if any, access to such technologies. Thus too many people still do not have access to educational, economic, and health facilities and opportunities. In many countries, hegemonic political-economic approaches and discourses shape development interventions, and imposition of such policies creates further problems, including displacement of indigenous people from their ancestral territories in combination with lack of adequate resettlement, environmental degradations, and ethnic conflicts over land use and natural resources management. My principal objective here is to delineate how anthropologists can understand and help solve human problems emerging from this global change. Anthropology has a rich tradition in comprehending the complex phenomena of human society, in valuing alternate knowledge systems, and in mediating problems that arise in conjunction with ‘development’. In this paper I will focus on three major anthropological domains. Firstly, following a brief overview on epistemology and foundations of anthropological knowledge (i.e. scientific methodological tradition), I will discuss contemporary human problems emerging from global change and assess how sociocultural anthropology can contribute to understandings of gender and health issues in development. Secondly, I will assess emerging development problems in Bangladesh with a critical anthropological lens, considering how anthropological viewpoints can contribute to solving these problems. In other words, I will contextualize how anthropological knowledge generated from socially-grounded methodological traditions can be applied to solve the problems of the contemporary humankind. Finally, following changing foci within academic anthropological discussions, I will examine the prospects of anthropology as an agent in both understanding and serving humanity. Key words: Applied anthropology; development; cultural relativism; changing worl

NLL Corrections for B-Meson Radiative Exclusive Decays

We calculate the next-to-leading corrections to the branching ratio of exclusive $B\to K^* \gamma$ decay. The renormalization scale dependence is reduced compared to the leading logarithmic result but there remains a dependence on a cutoff parameter of the hadronic model. The calculated corrections increase the predicted branching ratio by about 10%, but it remains in agreement with the experimental value.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

PENGEMBANGAN LKPD BERBASIS PENDEKATAN CONTEXTUAL TEACHING LEARNING MATERI GEOMETRI MATEMATIKA KELAS IV SEKOLAH DASAR

Berdasarkan observasi awal diperoleh dari SD Negeri 90 Palembang yaitu khususnya siswa kelas IV bahwa rata-ratanilai peserta didik di SD Negeri 90 Palembangpada materi geometri masih dibawah KKM “75”. Sedangkan nilai rata-rata peserta didik pada materi geometri di SD Negeri 90 Palembang “70”, dikarenakan pembelajaran masih berpusat pada guru, dan peserta didik kurang memahami konsep yang diberikan. Oleh karena itu, pendidik harus menciptakan pembelajaran yang menyenangkan untuk peserta didik, misalnya dengan mengembangkan LKPD yang menarik. Maka peneliti mamadukan LKPD dengan berbasis Contextual Teaching Learning. Pendidik hanya mengandalkan buku paket dari pemerintah, selain itu juga keterbatasan bahan ajar yang dapat memfasilitasi atau mendorong berkembangnya kemampuan peserta didik. Penelitian ini merupakan jenis penelitian Research and Development (R&D). Penelitian ini menggunakan model ADDIE yang terdiri dari lima tahapan yaitu Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Subjek dalam penelitian ini ialah peserta didik kelas IV SD Negeri 90 Palembang. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan yaitu angket. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan yaitu analis validasi, analisis kepraktisan dan analisis keefektifan. Proses analisis validasi ini divalidasi oleh 4 ahli/pakar yaitu ahli materi, ahli media, dan ahli bahasa dengan rata-rata 93,88% dikategorikan sangat valid. Proses analisis kepraktisan dengan mengujicobakan kepada peserta didik pada tahap uji perorangan (one to one) menggunakan 3 peserta didik dan tahap uji kelompok kecil (small group) menggunakan 8 peserta   didik, setelah diujicobakan mendapat skor rata-rata 91,33 %. Sehingga dikategorikan sangat praktis. Proses analisisis keefektifan diujicobakan oleh peserta didik melalui uji lapangan (field test) yaitu seluruh peserta didik di kelas, setelah diujicobakan mendapat Gain-score rata-rata 0,72 dikategorikan sangat efektif. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa LKPD berbasis pendekatan Contextual Teaching Learning dikategorikan sangat valid, praktis dan efektif. Dengan dilakukannya penelitian ini dalam mengembangkan suatu produk yaitu Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik (LKPD) merupakan hal sangat penting didalam dunia pendidikan dikarenakan produk yang dikembangkan didalam penelitian ini akan terus mengalir dan bermanfaat untuk anak-anak yang akan menempuh jenjang  sekolah khususnya kelas IV Sekolah Dasar. Peneliti juga membuat pembelajaran yang menyenangkan sehingga materi-materi yang terdapat didalam Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik (LKPD) yang sudah dikembangkan peneliti berisi materi dalam gambaran bentuk yang nyata yang terdapat dalam kehidupan sehari. Hal ini juga akan mempermudah anak-anak dalam memahami materi atau bentuk soal-soal yang akan dikerjakan

CP Asymmetry for Inclusive Decay B→Xd+γB \to X_d + \gamma in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We study the inclusive rare decay $B\to X_d+\gamma$ in the supergravity inspired Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and compute the CP-asymmetry in the decay rates. We show that there exist two phenomenologically acceptable sets of SUSY parameters: for one set the CP-asymmetry has the same (positive) sign as in the Standard Model and lies in the range (5-45)% while for the other set it is negative with values within -(2-21)%.Comment: 15 pages, uses axodraw.st

Probing the Solute-Solvent Interaction of an Azo-Bonded Prodrug in Neat and Binary Media: Combined Experimental and Computational Study

Preferential solvation has significant importance in interpreting the molecular physicochemical properties of wide spectrum of materials in solution. In this work, the solute-solvent interaction of pro-drug Sulfasalazine (SSZ) in neat and binary media was investigated experimentally and computationally. The solute-solvent interactions of interest were spectrophotometrically probed and computationally investigated for providing insights concerning the molecular aspects of SSZ:media interaction. Experimentally, the obtained results in 1,4-dioxane:water binary mixture demonstrated a dramatic non-linear changes in the spectral behavior of SSZ indicative of the dependency of its molecular behaviors on the compositions of the molecular microenvironment in the essence of solute-solvent interaction. Computationally, geometry optimization and simulation of the absorption spectra of SSZ in media of interest were performed employing DFT and TD-DFT methods, respectively, where the solvent effects on the absorption were examined implicitly using IEFPCM method. Obtained results revealed a nonpolar nature of the molecular orbitals that are directly involved in the SSZ:medium interaction. As in good correspondence with the experimental results, these simulations demonstrated that these orbitals are of non-polar nature and hence minimally affected by polarity of the media and in turn favoring the non-polar molecular environments. On the other hand, the molecular origin of SSZ:media interaction was demonstrated explicitly through complexation of SSZ with water molecules revealing a cooperative hydrogen bonding stabilization with an average length of 1.90 Å. The findings of this work demonstrate the significance of the preferential solvation and composition of the molecular microenvironment on the physicochemical properties of molecules of pharmaceutical importance. © 2019, The Author(s).Scopu

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in patients negative for immunoglobulin G following recovery from COVID-19

While many patients infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) eventually produce neutralising antibodies, the degree of susceptibility of previously infected individuals to reinfection by SARS-CoV-2 is currently unknown. To better understand the impact of the immunoglobulin (IgG) level on reinfection in recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2 were measured in 829 patients with a previously confirmed infection just after their recovery. Notably, 87 of these patients had no detectable IgG concentration. While there was just one case of asymptomatic reinfection 4.5 months after the initial recovery amongst patients with detectable anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels, 25 of the 87 patients negative for anti-nucleocapsid IgG were reinfected within one to three months after their first infection. Therefore, patients who recover from COVID-19 with no detectable anti-nucleocapsid IgG concentration appear to remain more susceptible to reinfection by SARS-CoV-2, with no apparent immunity. Also, although our results suggest the chance is lower, the possibility for recovered patients with positive anti-nucleocapsid IgG findings to be reinfected similarly exists

Genotoxicity of haloacetic acids, aspirin and ibuprofen in human cells. Genotoxic effects of water disinfectant- by-products in human blood and sperm and bulk and nano forms of aspirin and ibuprofen in human blood of respiratory disease patients

This project focuses on two important topics which may pose hazards to human health. Firstly, drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are generated by the chemical disinfection of water have been investigated. What has not been shown is the effect of DBPs in human germ cells as well as somatic cells and whether oxidative stress is involved in the mechanism of genotoxic action. Three different DBPs (halo acetic acids: HAAs), together with the antioxidants – catalase and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), were investigated in peripheral blood cells and sperm from healthy individuals using the Comet assay and lymphocytes only using the micronucleus assay. Secondly, nanoparticles of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin and ibuprofen, have been investigated in patients with respiratory diseases, in the micronucleus assay and the Comet repair assay. NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase enzyme activity, which plays part in tumour progression. In the Comet assay, BHA and catalase were able to reduce DNA damage in both cell types compared to HAAs alone. Similarly, in the micronucleus assay, micronuclei were reduced with the antioxidants, suggesting oxygen radical involvement in both assays. With the NSAIDs, reductions were seen for DNA damage in the micronucleus assay with aspirin and ibuprofen nanoparticles compared to their bulk forms. Using the Comet repair assay, aspirin and ibuprofen nanoparticles aided repair of DNA to a greater extent than their bulk counterparts, which in turn showed better repair compared to samples repaired without NSAIDs. These observations show the importance of DBPs and NSAIDs in genotoxic public health issues.United Kingdom India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI)

Effects Of Redundancy And Modality Principles In Video - Streaming On Attitude And Achievement

This study investigated the effects of modality and redundancy principles on the achievement and attitude among in-service teachers of different gender, computer skills and experience in Gaza. A "3x3" and "3x2" quasi experimental factorial design were adopted in this study. The independent variable was the three modes of video streaming on an ICDL course namely Video cum Narration (VN), Video cum Text (VT), Video cum Text and Narration (VTN). The moderator variables were the different gender, computer skills and experience of the in-service teachers. The dependent variables were the achievement (as measured by the post-test scores) and attitudes (as measured by attitudes questionnaire). The study sample consisted of 305 in-service teachers in the National Institute for Training in Gaza. ANCOVA was used to determine the significant differences in the post-test scores among the three treatment groups. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were carried out to examine the main effects as well as the interaction effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables. The results showed that the teachers using the VN mode performed significantly better than learners using the VT mode and the VTN mode. There was no significant difference in post-test scores among male and female teachers. The VN mode was found to improve achievement and attitudes among learners with low computer skills, senior teachers and female teachers, as compared with the VT and VTN modes. In conclusion, the study supported the positive value and superiority of the VN mode. The modality and redundancy principles should be taken into consideration in the design and development of the video streaming lessons in order to improve learning

Government Politics in Legal Aid for Poor Society

The study of normative law on government law politics in providing legal aid to the poor results in the finding that the perspective of providing legal aid to the poor is based on the achievement of justice based on Pancasila in its position as the basis of the nation and the philosophy of the Indonesian nation. The balance dimension in the implementation of the balance between justice itself, legal certainty and the benefit for conflict resolution within the interaction between legal subjects. The meaning of the balance between justice and legal certainty and benefit is oriented towards the realization of this welfare understood as the needs of Indonesian society both spiritual or physical. In law enforcement the poor are marginalized and do not get the right to legal aid properly. Legal aid services are formalistic and do not address the needs of the bulk of the poor who need legal aid. For this, the legal politics of legal aid should be conditioned on the creation of an atmosphere of legal responsiveness. With the legal responsiveness of dealing with issues relating to the provision of legal aid to the poor is based on objective reality in society, without any political element attached to it. This makes poor people's assistance poorly targeted and does not meet the sense of community justice as the most important goal of providing legal aid to the poor. Keywords: Legal Politics, Legal Aid, Poor Peopl