Exploring Environmental and Cultural Influences on Subsistence: A Comparison of Faunal Assemblages from Two Fort Ancient Villages

Second Place Social & Behavioral Sciences Poster Award, Denman Research Forum 2013A key issue in Anthropology is the interplay between the environment and culture as they affect human behavior. An effective way to judge the relative extent of these influences is to examine the subsistence strategies employed at two sites that are part of the same culture but which are located in different ecological zones. This project focuses on two Fort Ancient villages known as Guard and Taylor. The Fort Ancient Culture is a pre-Columbian (ca. A.D. 1000-1650) way of life that included established homes, developed agriculture, stored food, and intertribal trade with sites located throughout the Ohio Valley. These two villages are similar in many regards: they were both occupied at the same time, they are similar in size and settlement layout, and they were both agricultural villages that focused on maize cultivation. However, the main difference between them is the environmental zones in which they are located. In this project, the faunal remains from these two sites were examined to determine if they were pursuing similar subsistence strategies when it comes to eating animals. First, the Number of Identified Specimens was calculated by sorting the bones into the major classes of animals and then counting the number of bones in each class. Then, each bone was identified to the specific element, genus and species in order to calculate the Minimum Number of Individuals present. The data from the two sites were then compared to see if they were eating similar amounts of the same kinds of animals. It was hypothesized that, because these sites are located in ecologically distinct zones, their subsistence strategies would be accordingly distinct. However, the data show that their diets were very similar. Possible explanations for these results will be offered, including cultural influences that could have led each site to pursue their strategySocial & Behavioral Sciences Research GrantSydney Pressey Honors and Scholars Research GrantNo embargoAcademic Major: Anthropolog

The social sciences struggle to be relevant. can action-oriented research help?

How can the social sciences bridge the divide between abstract theory and idiomatic practice? Max French and Melissa Hawkins propose that one approach following this middle-way is ‘action oriented research’ (AOR). In this post they outline what AOR is and how it can make a strong claim as a route to relevance for the applied social sciences whilst also advancing academic theory. However, to play this role well, it needs to achieve clear standards of quality and clarify its pathway to impact

Diminishing Use of Liver Biopsy among Liver Transplant Recipients for Hepatitis C.

Background and Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States and recurrent HCV following liver transplantation is a major cause of allograft loss and mortality. Liver biopsies are commonly used to identify recurrent HCV and determine the need for antiviral therapy. The introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has changed the management of recurrent HCV infection. This study aimed to describe the role of liver biopsies in liver transplant recipients with HCV after the introduction of DAAs. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed looking at the rate of liver biopsies post-liver transplantation for HCV. The analysis included 475 adult liver transplants for hepatitis C performed at the University of California, Los Angeles from January 1, 2006 to October 1, 2015. Patients were divided into two eras, pre- and post-introduction of DAAs on December 1, 2013. Results: In the era before the introduction of DAAs, the percentage of patients biopsied was significantly higher compared to the era after the introduction of DAAs (56.1% vs. 26.9%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The introduction of DAAs has changed the management of liver biopsy following liver transplantation and the management of recurrent HCV. Given that DAAs are well tolerated and have high efficacy, liver biopsies are no longer routinely used to justify the use antiviral therapy following liver transplantation

A Comparative Analysis of the Traditional Sit-and-Reach Test and the R.S. Smith Sit-and-Reach Design

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of the gastrocnemius on the posterior chain by comparing traditional Sit-and-Reach Test (TSRT) performance in the standard 90 degree of ankle dorsiflexion position with the R.S. Smith Sit-And-Reach Design (SSRT) placing the ankle at 35 degrees of ankle plantar flexion. Methods: The researchers tested a total of 169 participants. All participants completed an informed consent prior to the tests. After completing a five-minute elliptical warm-up, participants performed three trials of each SRT variation. The highest score of each test was recorded. The researchers used a paired t-test to determine statistical significance. Results: The participants achieved a mean distance of 24.98±9.28 cm in the TSRT and 27.83±10.10 cm in the SSRT. The results showed a significant difference between SRT performance in the standard 90 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion position and the modified ankle position of 35 degrees of ankle plantar flexion, with the significance level set at p\u3c0.001. Conclusion: The flexibility of the gastrocnemius has a significant effect on the posterior chain. Therefore, when analyzing TSRT performance, gastrocnemius flexibility must also be taken into account. Several studies have been published on the premise that the TSRT evaluates low back and hamstring flexibility. Future studies should indicate that the test is assessing low back, hamstring and gastrocnemius flexibility

Navigating complexity: The future of public service

It is now widely accepted that the complex nature of public service has a number of profound consequences which public servants must address (Haynes 2003, Bovaird 2008, Rhodes 2008; Lowe and Wilson 2017). This chapter explores what is required of public servants in order to achieve their task of creating opportunities for positive social outcomes to emerge (such as improved wellbeing, increased employment or reduced crime) in complex environments. A new conceptual framing for organisations which deal with complex problems is introduced - the “Human Learning Systems approach” - which explores the principles, cultures and processes required to create a complexity-engaged organizational design for public service organisations

New development: Responding to complexity in public services—the human learning systems approach

The challenges facing public services and non-profit organizations are complex and multi-faceted, confounding the orthodoxies of bureaucratic public administration and New Public Management approaches. This article discusses the merits and potential of the emerging ‘Human Learning Systems’ (HLS) approach to the funding, commissioning and management of public services as an alternative management logic. Building on prior introductory work, the authors analyse the current state of development, content and operation of HLS and its collaborative process, involving more than 300 organizations. Drawing on the experience of public and non-profit service professionals in adopting and experimenting with this approach, the authors found that HLS can provide a helpful and innovative conceptual frame to promote constructive engagement with complexity in public management theory and practice. IMPACT: Current approaches to public management based on principles of marketization, management and measurement are increasingly being seen to fail when faced with the complex world of public services. The Human Learning Systems (HLS) concept represents an alternative approach which embraces the complexity of the real world of organizations working to deliver services. Produced in collaboration with an emerging community of funders, managers and commissioners of services, HLS offers a framework which bridges academic complexity theory and the diverse contexts of practice. This article introduces HLS as a means to enable organizations, practitioners and service users to work together more effectively

New development: Learning communities—an approach to dismantling barriers to collective improvement

Public services operate in conditions of complexity. Practitioners and service users can never be certain of the impact or outcome of a course of action and, consequently, responsible failure must be supported. A new methodology for enabling public service professionals to navigate the complexity of their practice is introduced in this article: ‘learning communities’ (LCs). Drawing from developmental applications of this methodology, the authors describe how LCs provide environments for talking authentically about uncertainties and mistakes with the purpose of collective improvement, and draw parallels with similar methods of community co-creation. The way that LCs tackle two key elements of the public sector’s learning capacity noted in the literature—structure and culture—is explained

Where do women and men in Britain obtain contraception? Findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3).

INTRODUCTION: To estimate the prevalence of use of different sources of contraceptive supplies in Britain and its variation by key demographic and behavioural characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional probability sample survey of women and men aged 16-74 years, resident in Britain, interviewed between 2010 and 2012. Analyses reported here were of 4571 women and 3142 men aged 16-44 years who reported having vaginal sex in the past year. Those relying exclusively on sterilisation (including hysterectomy) were excluded. Sources of contraceptive supplies were categorised as: general practice, community clinic, retail and other. Prevalence of use of these sources was estimated, and associated factors examined. RESULTS: Some 87.0% of women and 73.8% of men accessed at least one source of contraceptive supplies in the previous year. Most women (59.1%) used general practice and most men (54.6%) used retail outlets. Community clinics were less commonly used, by 23.0% of women and 21.3% of men, but these users were younger and at greater sexual health risk. These associations were also observed among the 27.3% of women and 30.6% of men who used more than one source category (general practice, community clinic or retail) for contraceptive supplies. CONCLUSIONS: People in Britain use a variety of sources to obtain contraceptive supplies and some sources are more commonly used by those more vulnerable to poorer sexual health. Our findings suggest that national policy changes to increase access to contraceptive methods have had an effect on the diversity of services used

Where do women and men in Britain obtain contraception? Findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3).

INTRODUCTION: To estimate the prevalence of use of different sources of contraceptive supplies in Britain and its variation by key demographic and behavioural characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional probability sample survey of women and men aged 16-74 years, resident in Britain, interviewed between 2010 and 2012. Analyses reported here were of 4571 women and 3142 men aged 16-44 years who reported having vaginal sex in the past year. Those relying exclusively on sterilisation (including hysterectomy) were excluded. Sources of contraceptive supplies were categorised as: general practice, community clinic, retail and other. Prevalence of use of these sources was estimated, and associated factors examined. RESULTS: Some 87.0% of women and 73.8% of men accessed at least one source of contraceptive supplies in the previous year. Most women (59.1%) used general practice and most men (54.6%) used retail outlets. Community clinics were less commonly used, by 23.0% of women and 21.3% of men, but these users were younger and at greater sexual health risk. These associations were also observed among the 27.3% of women and 30.6% of men who used more than one source category (general practice, community clinic or retail) for contraceptive supplies. CONCLUSIONS: People in Britain use a variety of sources to obtain contraceptive supplies and some sources are more commonly used by those more vulnerable to poorer sexual health. Our findings suggest that national policy changes to increase access to contraceptive methods have had an effect on the diversity of services used