Black Mountain: The politicisation of a pilgrimage site in western India

A once unremarkable site of multi-faith pilgrimage to a Sufi Saint has been transformed and its local history rewritten - this thesis presents a case study of research undertaken around the pilgrimage site of Kalo Dungar or Black Mountain, which is situated in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India. It is based on traditional anthropological participant-observation fieldwork, as well as on library and archival research. The research is presented in the methodological framework of ‘ethnography as methodology’; this has enabled the researcher to present a linear journey reflecting the research process. A key element of this presentation, as well as the text of this doctoral thesis, is a film (DVD), Black Mountain. Both text and film suggest that the pilgrimage site of Kalo Dungar provides a micro-example of current issues in India today by highlighting the development of politically motivated religious orthodoxy across India; and that the nature of Kalo Dungar has been altered due to Hindu right-wing religio-political interests and actions, as is vividly demonstrated in the film. It is argued, by using theoretical insights gained by critically examining the cyclical process of syncretism and anti-syncretism, that this trend is aiding the slow break-down of communal harmony and of syncretic and pluralistic practices

Relationship between irradiated breast volume and late normal tissue complications: A systematic review

AbstractThe concept of radiation dose–volume effect has been exploited in breast cancer as boost treatment for high risk patients and more recently in trials of Partial Breast Irradiation for low risk patients. However, there appears to be paucity of published data on the dose–volume effect of irradiation on breast tissue including the recently published report on Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC). This systematic review looks at the current literature for relationship between irradiated breast volume and normal tissue complications and introduces the concept of dose modulation

Synthesis and characterization of a tertiary amine:boric acid (1:1) co-crystal and a neutral zwitterionic diamine pentaboron adduct

The syntheses of the 4,4′-trimethylenebis(N-methylpiperidine):boric acid (1:1) co-crystal, 4,4′-(1-MeNC5H9)2(CH2)3.B(OH)3 (1), and a zwitterionic tetrahydroxidohexaoxidopentaboron adduct, [B5O6(OH)4(κN-NH2CH2CH2NHEt2).H2O (2), (NH2CH2CH2NEt2 = deen) from appropriate combinatorial libraries primed with B(OH)3, are reported together with their spectroscopic (NMR, IR) and single-crystal XRD characterization data. Solid-state H-bond interactions are the likely strong drivers for their formation, and these are described in detail. H-bond networks present in co-crystal 1 include C22(16), R22(8), and R66(36) whilst zwitterionic pentaboron derivative 2 has three R22(8) intermolecular H-bond interactions and the Et2NH- group is involved in a S(7) intramolecular H-bond. Thermal (TGA/DSC) data are also reported for 1 which thermally decomposes to B2O3, in a multistage process: dehydration (60–70 °C) and oxidation and further dehydration (90–700 °C).</p

Synthesis, XRD studies and NLO properties of [p-H2NC6H4CH2NH3][B5O6(OH)4].1/2H2O and NLO properties of some related pentaborate(1-) salts

The non-metal cation pentaborate(1−) salt [p-H2NC6H4CH2NH3][B5O6(OH)4]·1/2H2O (1) was synthesised from B(OH)3 and p-H2NC6H4CH2NH2 and crystallized from aqueous solution. Compound 1 was characterized by thermal (TGA/DSC), spectroscopic (IR, NMR) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and it was found to crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric point group P21. Powder SHG measurements on 1 and some related alkylammonium pentaborate salts, [NH3CMe2(CH2OH)][B5O6(OH)4], [NH3CMe(CH2OH)2][B5O6(OH)4] and [NH3CHMeCH2OH][B5O6(OH)4], a substituted imidazolium salt, [1,2,3-Me3C3H2N2][B5O6(OH)4], a substituted piperidinium salt, [(CH2)5NH(CH2CH2OH)][B5O6(OH)4], and a substituted pyrrolidinium salt, [S-(+)-2-(HOCH2)C4H7NH2][B5O6(OH)4], were determined. Compound 1 and all compounds, except [1,2,3-Me3C3H2N2][B5O6(OH)4], showed some weak SHG activity with SHG efficiencies of 0.1–0.2 relative to that of KH2PO4 (KDP)

The role of irradiation in the management of the axilla in early breast cancer patients

The need for axillary radiotherapy in patients with invasive breast cancer (IBC) has been a topic of great debate in the last decade. Management of the axilla has evolved significantly over the past four decades with a trend towards de-escalation of surgical interventions and the aim of reducing morbidity and enhancing QOL without compromising long-term oncology outcomes. This review article will address the role of axillary irradiation with a focus on the omission of completion axillary lymph node dissection in selected patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) positive early breast cancer (EBC) with reference to current guidelines based on evidence to date

The Cambridge post-mastectomy radiotherapy (C-PMRT) index : a practical tool for patient selection

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) reduces loco-regional recurrence (LRR) and has been associated with survival benefit. It is recommended for patients with T3/T4 tumours and/or ⩾ 4 positive lymph nodes (LN). The role of PMRT in 1-3 positive LN and LN negative patients is contentious. The C-PMRT index has been designed for selecting PMRT patients, using independent prognostic factors for LRR. This study reports a 10 year experience using this index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The C-PMRT index was constructed using the following prognostic factors (a) number of positive LN/lymphovascular invasion, (b) tumour size (c) margin status and (d) tumour grade. Patients were categorised as high (H) risk, intermediate (I) risk and low (L) risk. PMRT was recommended for H and I risk patients. The LRR, distant metastasis and overall survival (OS) rates were measured from the day of mastectomy. RESULTS: From 1999 to 2009, 898 invasive breast cancers in 883 patients were treated by mastectomy (H: 323, I: 231 and L: 344). At a median follow up of 5.2 years, 4.7% (42/898) developed LRR. The 5-year actuarial LRR rates were 6%, 2% and 2% for the H, I and L risk groups, respectively. 1.6% (14/898) developed isolated LRR (H risk n = 4, I risk group n = 0 and L risk n = 10). The 5-year actuarial overall survival rates were 67%, 77% and 90% for H, I and L risk groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on published literature, one would have expected a higher LRR rate in the I risk group without adjuvant RT. We hypothesise that the I risk group LRR rates have been reduced to that of the L risk group by the addition of RT. Apart from LN status and tumour size, other prognostic factors should also be considered in selecting patients for PMRT. This pragmatic tool requires further validation

The Surveillance Tentacles of the Child Welfare System

The family regulation system identifies families through the use of widespread, cross-system surveillance for the purported purpose of keeping children safe. But the system does not surveil all families equally, leading to the disproportionate impact of family regulation on Black, Brown, and Native families, and fails to protect while causing more harm to children and communities of color. We examine how institutions and professionals that are meant to provide necessary services to the community—medical providers, social services agencies, the police, and schools—act as tentacles of surveillance, entrapping families in the family regulation system. We argue that engineering service and community providers as surveillance agents perpetuates inequality and leads to unnecessary family separation and trauma, and that genuine support for families can only thrive outside of the family regulation system and its surveillance tentacles.