Experiences of bodily disorder in French books 1573-1592

Mary Douglas, in Purity and Danger and Elizabeth Grosz, in Volatile Bodies concur that the human body whose boundaries are traversed or transgressed is troubling, threatening and risky. The threats to which Douglas and Grosz separately refer are largely ideological and cultural threats, but their identification of the problematic nature of ruptured or unusual bodily boundaries is nevertheless relevant to the analysis of the actual bodily disorder with which this thesis is concerned. Disease, cannibalism and monstrosity are forms of bodily behaviour or conditions in which boundaries are inherently, or are rendered, unclear, and in the sixteenth-century books of Ambroise Paré, Jean de Léry and Michel de Montaigne, the question of the disorderly nature of these three physical phenomena is addressed. A fundamental feature of the books produced by these three writers is the emphasis on the experience of the form of bodily disorder in question on which the written account is based. Paré, a surgeon, treated plague patients and dissected monstrous specimens before writing about his experiences in his Œuvres completes', Léry observed the practice of cannibalism in Brazil before returning to Europe and witnessing the consumption of human flesh during the siege of Sancerre; and Montaigne, whose final essay is significantly entitled 'De ľexperience', develops a method of writing, or essaying, which involves the writer attempting to evaluate critically all received experiences and information before arriving at his own conclusion. The depiction of cannibalism, monstrosity and disease in the books of these three writers will be examined using a methodology developed around the principles of Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism. The particular relevance of this literary theory to the theme of the disordered body in French sixteenth-century books is the emphasis that Bakhtm also places on the writer's experience of his subject matter. In addition, Bakhtm argues that writers experience an impulse to consummate, in other words to define, explain and contextualise, and present as complete the world they observe. This thesis argues that the question of bodily boundaries raised by Douglas and Grosz can be addressed by Bakhtinian theory, and seeks to illustrate the ways in which Paré, Léry and Montaigne exhibit an awareness of the problem of the disordered body, and develop narrative strategies to overcome it which correspond to the functions of a Bakhtinian Author

Temporal changes in Weddell seal dive behavior over winter: are females increasing foraging effort to support gestation?

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Ecology and Evolution, 8(23), (2018): 11857-11874. doi: 10.1002/ece3.4643.In capital‐breeding marine mammals, prey acquisition during the foraging trip coinciding with gestation must provide energy to meet the immediate needs of the growing fetus and also a store to meet the subsequent demands of lactation. Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) that give birth following the gestational (winter) foraging period gain similar proportions of mass and lipid as compared to females that fail to give birth. Therefore, any changes in foraging behavior can be attributed to gestational costs. To investigate differences in foraging effort associated with successful reproduction, twenty‐three satellite tags were deployed on post‐molt female Weddell seals in the Ross Sea. Of the 20 females that returned to the area the following year, 12 females gave birth and eight did not. Females that gave birth the following year began the winter foraging period with significantly longer and deeper dives, as compared to non‐reproductive seals. Mid‐ to late winter, reproductive females spent a significantly greater proportion of the day diving, and either depressed their diving metabolic rates (DMR), or exceeded their calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL) more frequently than females that returned without a pup. Moreover, non‐reproductive females organized their dives into 2–3 short bouts per day on average (BOUTshort; 7.06 ± 1.29 hr; mean ± 95% CI), whereas reproductive females made 1–2 BOUTshort per day (10.9 ± 2.84 hr), comprising one long daily foraging bout without rest. The magnitude of the increase in dive activity budgets and depression in calculated DMR closely matched the estimated energetic requirements of supporting a fetus. This study is one of the first to identify increases in foraging effort that are associated with successful reproduction in a top predator and indicates that reproductive females must operate closer to their physiological limits to support gestational costs.We are grateful for the help of field team members: Drs. Luis Hückstädt, Linnea Pearson, and Patrick Robinson for sample collection. Group B‐009‐M led by Drs. Robert Garrott, Jay Rotella, and Thierry Chambert provided information regarding animal reproductive status and provided great assistance in locating study animals. Logistical support was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) U.S. Antarctic Program, Raytheon Polar Services, and Lockheed Martin ASC; we thank all the support staff in Christchurch, NZ and McMurdo Station. This research was conducted with support from NSF ANT‐0838892 to D.P.C. and ANT‐0838937 to J.M.B. For J.M.B., this material is based upon work while serving at the National Science Foundation, and M.R.S was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE‐1242789. Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Animal handling protocols were approved by the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of California Santa Cruz's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees. Research and sample import to the United States were authorized under the Marine Mammal permit No. 87‐1851‐04 issued by the Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. Research activities were also approved through Antarctic Conservation Act permits while at McMurdo Station

1.6 W continuous-wave Raman laser using low-loss synthetic diamond

Low-birefringence (Δn<2x10−6), low-loss (absorption coefficient <0.006cm−1 at 1064nm), single-crystal, synthetic diamond has been exploited in a CW Raman laser. The diamond Raman laser was intracavity pumped within a Nd:YVO4 laser. At the Raman laser wavelength of 1240nm, CW output powers of 1.6W and a slope efficiency with respect to the absorbed diode-laser pump power (at 808nm) of ~18% were measured. In quasi-CW operation, maximum on-time output powers of 2.8W (slope efficiency ~24%) were observed, resulting in an absorbed diode-laser pump power to the Raman laser output power conversion efficiency of 13%

Iron mobilization during lactation reduces oxygen stores in a diving mammal

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Shero, M. R., Kirkham, A. L., Costa, D. P., & Burns, J. M. Iron mobilization during lactation reduces oxygen stores in a diving mammal. Nature Communications, 13(1), (2022): 4322, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31863-7.The profound impacts that maternal provisioning of finite energy resources has on offspring survival have been extensively studied across mammals. This study shows that in addition to calories, high hemoprotein concentrations in diving mammals necessitates exceptional female-to-pup iron transfer. Numerous indices of iron mobilization (ferritin, serum iron, total-iron-binding-capacity, transferrin saturation) were significantly elevated during lactation in adult female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), but not in skip-breeders. Iron was mobilized from endogenous stores for incorporation into the Weddell seal’s milk at concentrations up to 100× higher than terrestrial mammals. Such high rates of iron offload to offspring drew from the female’s own heme stores and led to compromised physiologic dive capacities (hemoglobin, myoglobin, and total body oxygen stores) after weaning their pups, which was further reflected in shorter dive durations. We demonstrate that lactational iron transfer shapes physiologic dive thresholds, identifying a cost of reproduction to a marine mammal.This research was conducted with support from NSF ANT-0838892 to DPC; ANT-0838937 and ANT-1246463 to JMB (which also supported ALK and MRS); and The Investment in Science Fund at WHOI to MRS

Incidence of Pediatric Cannabis Exposure Among Children and Teenagers Aged 0 to 19 Years Before and After Medical Marijuana Legalization in Massachusetts

Importance Pediatric health care contacts due to cannabis exposure increased in Colorado and Washington State after cannabis (marijuana) policies became more liberal, but evidence from other US states is limited. Objective To document the incidence of pediatric cannabis exposure cases reported to the Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention (RPC) before and after medical marijuana legalization (MML) in Massachusetts. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional comparison of pediatric cannabis exposure cases 4 years before and after MML in Massachusetts. The exposure cases included those of 218 children and teenagers aged between 0 and 19 years, as reported to the RPC from 2009 to 2016. Census data were used to determine the incidence. Data analysis was performed from November 12, 2018, to July 20, 2019. Exposure Cannabis products. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of RPC-reported cannabis exposure cases, both single substance and polysubstance, for the age group of 0 to 19 years, and cannabis product type, coingestants, and clinical effects. Results During the 8-year study period (2009-2016), the RPC received 218 calls involving cannabis exposure (98 single substance, 120 polysubstance) in children and teenagers aged 0 to 19 years, representing 0.15% of all RPC calls in that age group for that period. Of the total exposure cases, males accounted for 132 (60.6%) and females 86 (39.4%). The incidence of single-substance cannabis calls increased from 0.4 per 100 000 population before MML to 1.1 per 100 000 population after (incidence rate ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.5-3.9), a 140% increase. The age group of 15 to 19 years had the highest frequency of RPC-reported cannabis exposures (178 calls [81.7%]). The proportion of all RPC calls due to single-substance cannabis exposure increased overall for all age groups from 29 before MML to 69 afterward. Exposure to edible products increased after MML for most age groups. Conclusions and Relevance Pediatric cannabis exposure cases increased in Massachusetts after medical marijuana was legalized in 2012, despite using childproof packaging and warning labels. This study provides additional evidence suggesting that MML may be associated with an increase in cannabis exposure cases among very young children, and extends prior work showing that teenagers are also experiencing increased cannabis-related health system contacts via the RPC. Additional efforts are needed to keep higher-potency edible products and concentrated extracts from children and teenagers, especially considering the MML and retail cannabis sales in an increasing number of US states

Misuse made plain: Evaluating concerns about neuroscience in national security

In this open peer commentary, we categorize the possible “neuroscience in national security” definitions of misuse of science and identify which, if any, are uniquely presented by advances in neuroscience. To define misuse, we first define what we would consider appropriate use: the application of reasonably safe and effective technology, based on valid and reliable scientific research, to serve a legitimate end. This definition presents distinct opportunities for assessing misuse: misuse is the application of invalid or unreliable science, or is the use of reliable scientific methods to serve illegitimate ends. Ultimately, we conclude that while national security is often a politicized issue, assessing the state of scientific progress should not be

Investigating the Psychosocial Determinants of Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Qualitative Approach

Objective: Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA), only one-third of older adults meet the recommended levels. The present study focused on psychosocial determinants of PA following retirement. Social cognitive theory (SCT) was used to better understand pre- and post-retirement adults’ thoughts about PA, the reasons why some individuals are more active than others, and how PA is incorporated into daily life after retirement. Design: Seven focus groups of older adults (N = 37, M = 64, SD = 5.20; males = 20) representing a range of PA levels and retirement length participated in one of seven focus groups. Results: Aligned with SCT, self-efficacy beliefs along with perceptions about barriers and benefits of PA were among the major determinants of PA. Findings highlighted the importance of social support, positive outcome expectations and self-regulatory strategies as motivators. The lack of structure in retirement was a hindrance to incorporating PA into daily routine but, when incorporated, PA provided a sense of purpose in the lives of retired individuals. Conclusion: It is important to understand the meaning of retirement as a life transition and how it affects beliefs about PA to inform SCT-based health promotion interventions targeting individuals in retirement age