two South African

Study on “employment aspects of slum upgrading” practices and opportunities identified i

A Thousand Years of Lost Hunting Arrows: Wood Analysis of Ice Patch Remains in Northwestern Canada

Discussions of the development of past hunting equipment generally focus on lithic and bone projectile points and foreshafts, as these are often the only elements remaining in archaeological sites. In the last 15 years, the archaeology of alpine ice patches has provided a unique opportunity to analyze hunting equipment over time and gain knowledge of the wooden elements on which the points are hafted. This paper describes the wood and morphometrical analysis of a collection of 27 arrow shafts from two ice patch regions of the western Canadian Subarctic. In both regions, two main categories of arrow shafts show the selection of specific pieces of wood, spruce (Picea sp.) on the one hand and birch (Betula sp.) on the other, with associated morphometrical characteristics. These shafts also share some characteristics that are distinct from those of Arctic and coastal arrow shafts. Shafts of pine (Pinus sp. sec. ponderosa) and hemlock (Tsuga sp.) were also identified in the southwestern Yukon Territory. The absence of correlation between the arrow shaft types and 14C dating raises the question of the significance of the arrow types and the potential for function, trade, or travel to explain the variation.Les discussions sur le développement des armes de chasse se concentrent généralement sur les pointes de projectile et les préhampes en matières lithiques et osseuses car ce sont ces éléments qui sont les plus souvent retrouvés dans les sites archéologiques. Ces quinze dernières années, l’archéologie des névés alpins nous donne l’opportunité unique d’analyser des équipements de chasse sur le long terme et de documenter les éléments en bois au bout desquels les pointes sont emmanchées. Dans cet article, nous décrivons l’analyse d’une collection de vingt-sept hampes de flèche en bois végétal provenant de deux régions de névés du Subarctique canadien. Dans les deux régions, on définit deux catégories principales de hampes de flèche qui montrent une sélection spécifique de pièces de bois d’épicéa (Picea sp.) et de bouleau (Betula sp.) auxquelles correspondent des caractéristiques morphométriques propres. Ces hampes partagent aussi des caractéristiques qui les distinguent de celles plus nordiques des côtes de l’Arctique. Des hampes faites en bois de pin (Pinus sp. sec. ponderosa) et de pruche (Tsuga sp.) ont également été identifiées dans le Sud-ouest du Territoire du Yukon. L’absence de corrélation entre les types de hampe de flèche et les dates radiocarbone soulève la question du sens à donner à ces types de flèche. Des facteurs tels que la fonction, les échanges ou des déplacements de personne sont envisagés

DASHES Protocol:Development and feasibility testing of a tailored community programme to support people in recovery from problematic alcohol and drug use to cut down or stop smoking using co-creation

Background: Despite the continued global decline in adult tobacco prevalence, rates continue to be significantly higher in groups with problematic drug or alcohol use (PDA). It is estimated that people with alcohol, drug or mental health problems account for approximately half of all smoking deaths. In the UK, there are free stop smoking services for the general population. However, these services have been criticized as unsuitable for people in recovery from PDA due to their design, time-limited support, strict requirement for smoking abstinence and lack of consideration of harm reduction approaches. This has led to calls for alternative approaches to support this marginalized and underserved group. This research study seeks to respond to this call by co-creating and feasibility testing a tailored, trauma-informed service specifically for people seeking help for PDA, who are not in immediate crisis, and who may also want to reduce or stop their tobacco smoking. Methods: The mixed-method study design has two parts. The development study (part one) will use participatory peer research methods to work with the target client group and key stakeholders involved in service delivery, commissioning, and policy to design the service (intervention). The feasibility study (part two) will test the delivery of the intervention protocol and capture data that will enable the assessment of whether progression to a future pilot randomized control trial is merited. Conclusions: The outcome of this study will be a theoretically informed, co-created intervention with the potential to improve population health by supporting people with problematic drug or alcohol use to cut down or stop tobacco smoking

Alpine Ice Patches and Shúhtagot’ine Land Use in the Mackenzie and Selwyn Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada

The NWT Ice Patch Study was developed in partnership with the Shúhtagot’ine residents of Tulita, Northwest Territories, Canada. This paper explores how Shúhtagot’ine traditional knowledge, collected through the direct participation of Elders in our archaeological fieldwork, science camps with Elders and youth, Elder interviews, and traditional land-use mapping, is informing our interpretation of archaeological data collected at alpine ice patches in the Selwyn Mountains. While knowledge of bow-and-arrow and snare technologies persists in Shúhtagot’ine culture, Shúhtagot’ine oral history does not contain detailed knowledge of throwing dart technology. Using data collected in our traditional land-use mapping project, we consider the role of ice patches in the broader context of Shúhtagot’ine land use. We propose that resource harvesting on high alpine plateaus and adjacent ice patches in the summer was more important in late precontact times than it was after contact. Shúhtagot’ine land-use practices involve long-distance travel in all seasons. Safe travel in the alpine landscape requires detailed knowledge of environmental conditions, such as snow and ice conditions, and respectful engagement with the spiritual entities inhabiting the landscape.L’étude des névés des Territoires du Nord-Ouest a été réalisée en collaboration avec les Shúhtagot’ine de Tulita, dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, au Canada. Le présent article explore comment le savoir traditionnel des Shúhtagot’ine, recueilli lors de la participation directe des aînés à nos fouilles archéologiques, à des camps de sciences où aînés et plus jeunes participaient, à des entrevues avec les aînés et au relevé cartographique de l’utilisation traditionnelle des terres influence et éclaire notre interprétation des données archéologiques recueillies dans les névés alpins de la chaîne de Selwyn. Bien que le savoir relatif aux techniques de l’arc et de la flèche et de la chasse au collet est encore bien présent dans la culture des Shúhtagot’ine, leur histoire orale ne fait aucune allusion à la technique du tir au propulseur. En nous appuyant sur les données recueillies dans le cadre de notre projet de cartographie de l’utilisation traditionnelle des terres, nous considérons le rôle des névés dans le plus contexte plus large de l’utilisation du territoire par les Shúhtagot’ine. Nous proposons que la récolte estivale des ressources sur les hauts plateaux alpins et les névés adjacents était plus importante à la période juste avant le contact qu’à celle qui a suivi. Les pratiques d’utilisation des terres par les Shúhtagot’ine impliquent des déplacements sur de longues distances à toutes saisons. La sûreté des déplacements en milieu alpin nécessite une connaissance détaillée des conditions environnementales, telles que l’état de la neige et de la glace, de même qu’une interaction respectueuse avec les entités spirituelles qui habitent le milieu

Reply: Cardiotoxicity of BRAF/MEK inhibitors according to HFA/ICOS cardiotoxicity risk category

No abstract available

Seasonal phosphorus and carbon dynamics in a temperate shelf sea (Celtic Sea)

The seasonal cycle of resource availability in shelf seas has a strong selective pressure on phytoplankton diversity and the biogeochemical cycling of key elements, such as carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). Shifts in carbon consumption relative to P availability, via changes in cellular stoichiometry for example, can lead to an apparent ‘excess’ of carbon production. We made measurements of inorganic P (Pi) uptake, in parallel to C-fixation, by plankton communities in the Celtic Sea (NW European Shelf) in spring (April 2015), summer (July 2015) and autumn (November 2014). Short-term (<8 h) Pi-uptake coupled with dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) release, in parallel to net (24 h) primary production (NPP), were all measured across an irradiance gradient designed to typify vertically and seasonally varying light conditions. Rates of Pi-uptake were highest during spring and lowest in the low light conditions of autumn, although biomass-normalised Pi-uptake was highest in the summer. The release of DOP was highest in November and declined to low levels in July, indicative of efficient utilization and recycling of the low levels of Pi available. Examination of daily turnover times of the different particulate pools, including estimates of phytoplankton and bacterial carbon, indicated a differing seasonal influence of autotrophs and heterotrophs in P-dynamics, with summer conditions associated with a strong bacterial influence and the early spring period with fast growing phytoplankton. These seasonal changes in autotrophic and heterotrophic influence, coupled with changes in resource availability (Pi, light) resulted in seasonal changes in the stoichiometry of NPP to daily Pi-uptake (C:P ratio); from relatively C-rich uptake in November and late April, to P-rich uptake in early April and July. Overall, these results highlight the seasonally varying influence of both autotrophic and heterotrophic components of shelf sea ecosystems on the relative uptake of C and P

Tailoring cognitive behavioural therapy to subtypes of voice-hearing using a novel tabletised manual: a feasibility study

Background: Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is a recommended treatment for psychotic experiences, but its effectiveness has been questioned. One way of addressing this may be to tailor therapy materials to the phenomenology of specific psychotic experiences. Aim: In this study, we investigated the acceptability of a novel treatment manual for subtypes of 'voice-hearing' experiences (i.e. auditory verbal hallucinations). An uncontrolled, single-arm design was used to assess feasibility and acceptability of using the manual in routine care for people with frequent voice-hearing experiences. Method: The manual was delivered on a smart tablet and incorporated recent research evidence and theory into its psychoeducation materials. In total, 24 participants completed a baseline assessment; 19 started treatment, 15 completed treatment and 12 participants completed a follow-up assessment (after 10 sessions of using the manual). Results: Satisfaction with therapy scores and acceptability ratings were high, while completion rates suggested that the manual may be more appropriate for help with participants from Early Intervention in Psychosis services rather than Community Mental Health Teams. Conclusion: Within-group changes in symptom scores suggested that overall symptom severity of hallucinations - but not other psychosis features, or beliefs about voices - are likely to be the most appropriate primary outcome for further evaluation in a full randomised controlled trial

Microbial uptake dynamics of choline and glycine betaine in coastal seawater

Choline and glycine betaine (GBT) are utilized as osmolytes to counteract osmotic stress, but also constitute important nutrient sources for many marine microbes. Bacterial catabolism of these substrates can then lead to the production of climate active trace gases such as methylamine and methane. Using radiotracers, we investigated prokaryotic choline/GBT uptake and determined biotic and abiotic factors driving these processes in the Western English Channel, UK. Kinetic uptake parameters indicated high affinity (nM range) for both osmolytes and showed a seasonal pattern for choline uptake. Generalized linear modeling of uptake parameters suggested a significant influence of sea surface temperature and salinity on prokaryotic uptake of both osmolytes. The presence of diatoms significantly influenced prokaryotic choline/GBT uptake dynamics. Choline uptake was further related to the occurrence of Phaeocystis spp., which were highly abundant in the phytoplankton community during spring, and dinoflagellates abundance during summer. While Rhodobacteraceae were the most important bacterial drivers for prokaryotic choline uptake, prokaryotic GBT uptake was associated with various groups such as SAR11 (Pelagibacterales) and Gammaproteobacteria, suggesting a wider capacity for GBT catabolism than previously recognized. Furthermore, using a newly developed approach we determined the first available data for dissolved GBT concentrations in seawater and found both osmolytes to be at the sub-nanomolar range. Together, this study improves our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of these environmentally important osmolytes and highlights how their cycles may be affected by a changing climate