Incremental events in the construction of sambaquis, southeastern Santa Catarina.

Moundbuilding is a cross-cultural phenomenon of nearly world-wide scope. In this article some of the moundbuilding processes related to the sambaquis (shellmounds) from the coast of Santa Catarina State, Brasil, are examined, focusing on field research at the sambaqui Jaboticabeira II. By means of analysing the mounding up processes at that site, attention is drawn to its social and demographic corollaries, which speak of considerable social elaboration and territorial permanence in time.A construção de cômoros artificiais (mounds) é um fenômeno de amplo alcance em termos globais. Neste artigo são examinados alguns dos processos responsáveis pela construção destas estruturas no litoral sul de Santa Catarina, tomando-se como referência os trabalhos realizados no sambaqui Jaboticabeira II, município de Jaguaruna. Além da análise dos processos envolvidos na construção daquele sambaqui, procura-se chamar a atenção para os aspectos sociais e demográficos destes mesmos processos, evidenciando um sistema regional de considerável complexidade social e duração cronológica

Balancing medical education with service in the workplace

Purpose: Finding a balance between the provision of quality individualized care and the ongoing education of junior doctors had been flagged as a concern at a large NHS teaching hospital in the north of England. In response to this, the organization introduced an intervention designed to improve educational culture by providing support to educators, leaders and clinical staff. Method: This article features themed results from eight in-depth interviews with educators, consultants and junior doctors to describe and evaluate the process and impact. Findings: Factors that contributed to a positive educational environment included: trainees and educators feeling valued, the presence of supportive leaders, and the provision of a safe space for learning. Perceived barriers included time constraints, differing motivation, and the generic format of formal education. Participants reflected on how the Wrap Around project helped improve the workplace educational culture and offered suggestions for further improvement including the provision of ongoing feedback to learners about their performance. Originality: Research aimed at recognising and resolving the perceived tensions between the priorities of education and healthcare delivery has been flagged as a gap in the literature. We argue that developing and enhancing collaborative leadership and educational culture within an organization can reduce these tensions for those working on the front line. Future work should focus on addressing the perceived distinction between the two within services.<br/

Molecular tools for bathing water assessment in Europe:Balancing social science research with a rapidly developing environmental science evidence-base

The use of molecular tools, principally qPCR, versus traditional culture-based methods for quantifying microbial parameters (e.g., Fecal Indicator Organisms) in bathing waters generates considerable ongoing debate at the science-policy interface. Advances in science have allowed the development and application of molecular biological methods for rapid (~2 h) quantification of microbial pollution in bathing and recreational waters. In contrast, culture-based methods can take between 18 and 96 h for sample processing. Thus, molecular tools offer an opportunity to provide a more meaningful statement of microbial risk to water-users by providing near-real-time information enabling potentially more informed decision-making with regard to water-based activities. However, complementary studies concerning the potential costs and benefits of adopting rapid methods as a regulatory tool are in short supply. We report on findings from an international Working Group that examined the breadth of social impacts, challenges, and research opportunities associated with the application of molecular tools to bathing water regulations

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018):a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children

Since its first identification in Scotland, over 1,000 cases of unexplained paediatric hepatitis in children have been reported worldwide, including 278 cases in the UK1. Here we report an investigation of 38 cases, 66 age-matched immunocompetent controls and 21 immunocompromised comparator participants, using a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical methods. We detected high levels of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) DNA in the liver, blood, plasma or stool from 27 of 28 cases. We found low levels of adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) in 23 of 31 and 16 of 23, respectively, of the cases tested. By contrast, AAV2 was infrequently detected and at low titre in the blood or the liver from control children with HAdV, even when profoundly immunosuppressed. AAV2, HAdV and HHV-6 phylogeny excluded the emergence of novel strains in cases. Histological analyses of explanted livers showed enrichment for T cells and B lineage cells. Proteomic comparison of liver tissue from cases and healthy controls identified increased expression of HLA class 2, immunoglobulin variable regions and complement proteins. HAdV and AAV2 proteins were not detected in the livers. Instead, we identified AAV2 DNA complexes reflecting both HAdV-mediated and HHV-6B-mediated replication. We hypothesize that high levels of abnormal AAV2 replication products aided by HAdV and, in severe cases, HHV-6B may have triggered immune-mediated hepatic disease in genetically and immunologically predisposed children

Agriculture and society in arid lands: a Hohokam case study

The interplay between social and productive spheres in arid land agrarian societies with non-mechanized technologies is exemplified in a case study of the prehistoric Hohokam Indians of southern Arizona. In addition to chapters unique to the dissertation, ten papers are included that were published during the period of doctoral enrollment. Results from a variety of investigative techniques are combined to characterize Hohokam agriculture and its relationship to societal forms and dynamics. Among these are archaeological survey and settlement pattern analysis, technical studies of prehistoric fields, palynological analysis for reconstruction of agricultural environments, and comparison with methods and concepts employed by historic and modern traditional farmers in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Hohokam farming is examined at sequential scales, beginning with the setting, layout, and yield of individual fields and ending with comparison between Hohokam agricultural configurations and those of other arid land cultures. Topics receiving emphasis within the broader dissertation theme are the nature of Hohokam agrarian landscapes, the recently recognized role of cultivated agave in subsistence systems, and the social and economic framework for agricultural decision-making and strategies.hydrology collectio