From the Shoulders of a Giant: Perspectives on the Legacy of William White Howells (1908-2005)

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Godfrey, L. R. (2008), From the shoulders of a giant: Perspectives on the legacy of William White Howells (1908–2005). Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 137: 118–126., which has been published in final form at doi:10.1002/ajpa.20951. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.118-12

Multiple ectoparasites infest Microcebus griseorufus at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

The mouse lemur Microcebus griseorufus at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve and general vicinity in southwestern Madagascar were surveyed for ectoparasites as part of a year-long behavioral and ecological study. Of 249 individual mouse lemurs examined, 74 were positively identified as hosting ectoparasites. Ticks from 20 mouse lemurs and lice in a subset of two individuals captured in a 90 ha gallery forest (Parcel 1) were preserved in 70 % ethanol or EDTA and stored for analysis and for identification. Two species of Haemaphysalis ticks are represented in the sample, H. lemuris and possibly H. simplex, a tick previously reported on tenrecs, birds and rats. Synchronous development of ticks may pose a risk for vector - borne diseases at the reserve especially during the dry season. The louse represented in the sample belongs to the order Anoplura (sucking lice), and resembles Lemurpediculus verruculosus, previously reported on Microcebus rufus in eastern Madagascar.RÉSUMÉUn inventaire d’ectoparasites a été réalisé dans le cadre d’une étude de longue durée portant sur le comportement et l’écologie de Microcebus griseorufus dans trois parcelles forestières de Beza Mahafaly et ses environs. Sur les 249 microcèbes observés, 74 individus étaient infestés d’ectoparasites. La majorité de ces individus infestés, soit 97,3 % , provenait de la parcelle 1 de la réserve. Des poux et des tiques recensés sur ces animaux ont été immédiatement retirés puis préservés dans l’éthanol 70 % ou dans l’EDTA à des fins d’analyse et d’identification. Deux espèces de tiques ont été identifiées, Haemaphysalis lemuris et probablement H. simplex, cette dernière n’était préalablement connue que pour infester les tenrecs, les oiseaux et les rats. Les rongeurs jouent un rôle significatif en tant qu’hôtes pour près de la moitié des larves et des nymphes d’ixodes de tiques du monde, y compris H. simplex. Les rats sont connus pour être des porteurs d’une population importante de différentes tiques. Ils sont ainsi les hôtes avec la plus grande tolérance. Une nouvelle forme de transmission a été identifiée à Beza Mahafaly dans laquelle H. simplex et d’autres espèces de tiques ont simultanément infesté des tenrecs. Ce chevauchement de plusieurs parasites forme une sorte de réserve et favorise la transmission des agents pathogènes à travers les espèces hôtes. Les tiques immatures jouent un rôle significatif dans la transmission des maladies véhiculées par les hôtes car les nymphes ainsi infectées peuvent transmettre des pathogènes aux hôtes et aux larves engorgées. À Beza Mahafaly, le microcèbe pourrait être l’hôte des formes immatures des tiques de H. lemuris et H. simplex chez lesquelles le stade larvaire et le stade nymphal sont synchrones. Ces formes immatures de tiques se nourrissent ensemble sur des individus de microcèbes. Les poux appartiennent à l’ordre des Anoploures (poux suceurs) et ressemblent à Lemurpediculus verruculosus qui n’était connu que pour infester Microcebus rufus des forêts humides de Ranomafana.Il est possible que M. griseorufus accueille sa propre espèce de Lemurpediculus, si ce n’est le cas, il faudra admettre que la spécificité de cet arthropode serait moins limitée qu’elle ne le semblait. Pour comprendre la dynamique des parasites de la réserve, des études sur l’écologie des tiques et des poux sont recommandées afin de pouvoir contribuer effectivement à l’amélioration de la protection de la réserve

A pragmatic cluster randomised trial evaluating three implementation interventions

Background Implementation research is concerned with bridging the gap between evidence and practice through the study of methods to promote the uptake of research into routine practice. Good quality evidence has been summarised into guideline recommendations to show that peri-operative fasting times could be considerably shorter than patients currently experience. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of three strategies for the implementation of recommendations about peri-operative fasting. Methods A pragmatic cluster randomised trial underpinned by the PARIHS framework was conducted during 2006 to 2009 with a national sample of UK hospitals using time series with mixed methods process evaluation and cost analysis. Hospitals were randomised to one of three interventions: standard dissemination (SD) of a guideline package, SD plus a web-based resource championed by an opinion leader, and SD plus plan-do-study-act (PDSA). The primary outcome was duration of fluid fast prior to induction of anaesthesia. Secondary outcomes included duration of food fast, patients' experiences, and stakeholders' experiences of implementation, including influences. ANOVA was used to test differences over time and interventions. Results Nineteen acute NHS hospitals participated. Across timepoints, 3,505 duration of fasting observations were recorded. No significant effect of the interventions was observed for either fluid or food fasting times. The effect size was 0.33 for the web-based intervention compared to SD alone for the change in fluid fasting and was 0.12 for PDSA compared to SD alone. The process evaluation showed different types of impact, including changes to practices, policies, and attitudes. A rich picture of the implementation challenges emerged, including inter-professional tensions and a lack of clarity for decision-making authority and responsibility. Conclusions This was a large, complex study and one of the first national randomised controlled trials conducted within acute care in implementation research. The evidence base for fasting practice was accepted by those participating in this study and the messages from it simple; however, implementation and practical challenges influenced the interventions' impact. A set of conditions for implementation emerges from the findings of this study, which are presented as theoretically transferable propositions that have international relevance. Trial registration ISRCTN18046709 - Peri-operative Implementation Study Evaluation (POISE

Fermi Gamma-ray Imaging of a Radio Galaxy

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected the gamma-ray glow emanating from the giant radio lobes of the radio galaxy Centaurus A. The resolved gamma-ray image shows the lobes clearly separated from the central active source. In contrast to all other active galaxies detected so far in high-energy gamma-rays, the lobe flux constitutes a considerable portion (>1/2) of the total source emission. The gamma-ray emission from the lobes is interpreted as inverse Compton scattered relic radiation from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), with additional contribution at higher energies from the infrared-to-optical extragalactic background light (EBL). These measurements provide gamma-ray constraints on the magnetic field and particle energy content in radio galaxy lobes, and a promising method to probe the cosmic relic photon fields.Comment: 27 pages, includes Supplementary Online Material; corresponding authors: C.C. Cheung, Y. Fukazawa, J. Knodlseder, L. Stawar

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Onset of the aerobic nitrogen cycle during the Great Oxidation Event

The rise of oxygen on the early Earth (about 2.4 billion years ago)1 caused a reorganization of marine nutrient cycles2, 3, including that of nitrogen, which is important for controlling global primary productivity. However, current geochemical records4 lack the temporal resolution to address the nature and timing of the biogeochemical response to oxygenation directly. Here we couple records of ocean redox chemistry with nitrogen isotope (15N/14N) values from approximately 2.31-billion-year-old shales5 of the Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations in South Africa, deposited during the early stages of the first rise in atmospheric oxygen on the Earth (the Great Oxidation Event)6. Our data fill a gap of about 400 million years in the temporal 15N/14N record4 and provide evidence for the emergence of a pervasive aerobic marine nitrogen cycle. The interpretation of our nitrogen isotope data in the context of iron speciation and carbon isotope data suggests biogeochemical cycling across a dynamic redox boundary, with primary productivity fuelled by chemoautotrophic production and a nitrogen cycle dominated by nitrogen loss processes using newly available marine oxidants. This chemostratigraphic trend constrains the onset of widespread nitrate availability associated with ocean oxygenation. The rise of marine nitrate could have allowed for the rapid diversification and proliferation of nitrate-using cyanobacteria and, potentially, eukaryotic phytoplankton

Psychosocial, Behavioural and Health System Barriers to Delivery and Uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy in Tanzania - Viewpoints of Service Providers in Mkuranga and Mufindi Districts.

Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) using sulphurdoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is one of key malaria control strategies in Africa. Yet, IPTp coverage rates across Africa are still low due to several demand and supply constraints. Many countries implement the IPTp-SP strategy at antenatal care (ANC) clinics. This paper reports from a study on the knowledge and experience of health workers (HWs) at ANC clinics regarding psychosocial, behavioural and health system barriers to IPTp-SP delivery and uptake in Tanzania. Data were collected through questionnaire-based interviews with 78 HWs at 28 ANC clinics supplemented with informal discussions with current and recent ANC users in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts. Qualitative data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Quantitative data derived from interviews with HWs were analysed using non-parametric statistical analysis. The majority of interviewed HWs were aware of the IPTp-SP strategy's existence and of the recommended one month spacing of administration of SP doses. Some HWs were unsure of that it is not recommended to administer IPTp-SP and ferrous/folic acid concurrently. Others were administering three doses of SP per client following instruction from a non-governmental agency while believing that this was in conflict with national guidelines. About half of HWs did not find it appropriate for the government to recommend private ANC providers to provide IPTp-SP free of charge since doing so forces private providers to recover the costs elsewhere. HWs noted that pregnant women often register at clinics late and some do not comply with the regularity of appointments for revisits, hence miss IPTp and other ANC services. HWs also noted some amplified rumours among clients regarding health risks and treatment failures of SP used during pregnancy, and together with clients' disappointment with waiting times and the sharing of cups at ANC clinics for SP, limit the uptake of IPTp-doses. HWs still question SP's treatment advantages and are confused about policy ambiguity on the recommended number of IPTp-SP doses and other IPTp-SP related guidelines. IPTp-SP uptake is further constrained by pregnant women's perceived health risks of taking SP and of poor service quality

A change in the optical polarization associated with a gamma-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279

It is widely accepted that strong and variable radiation detected over all accessible energy bands in a number of active galaxies arises from a relativistic, Doppler-boosted jet pointing close to our line of sight. The size of the emitting zone and the location of this region relative to the central supermassive black hole are, however, poorly known, with estimates ranging from light-hours to a light-year or more. Here we report the coincidence of a gamma-ray flare with a dramatic change of optical polarization angle. This provides evidence for co-spatiality of optical and gamma-ray emission regions and indicates a highly ordered jet magnetic field. The results also require a non-axisymmetric structure of the emission zone, implying a curved trajectory for the emitting material within the jet, with the dissipation region located at a considerable distance from the black hole, at about 10^5 gravitational radii.Comment: Published in Nature issued on 18 February 2010. Corresponding authors: Masaaki Hayashida and Greg Madejsk

Early Holocene fauna from a new subfossil site: A first assessment from Christmas River, south central Madagascar

We report on faunal remains recovered during recent explorations at &#8216;Christmas River&#8217;, the only subfossil locality known from Madagascar&#8217;s south central plateau. Recovered remains of several extinct taxa date to approximately 10,000 14C years before present (BP), including crocodiles, tortoises, the elephant bird Aepyornis, the carnivoran Cryptoprocta spelea, the lemurs Archaeolemur majori, Pachylemur insignis, and Megaladapis edwardsi, and abundant remains of the dwarf hippopotamus, Hippopotamus lemerlei. The presence of southern - limited, forest - dependent species at Christmas River supports the hypothesis that forest once extended, perhaps discontinuously, across the central highlands towards the west. One theory is that sites in the north central highlands, which are higher in elevation, maintained more mesic conditions during Plio - Quaternary climate shifts than those of the lower elevation sites of the south central highlands. Thus, elevation above sea level may have acted as a filter that limited species dispersal across the island in the past. Such a scenario would explain the distinction between more humid, higher elevation, northern highland subfossil communities versus more arid, lower elevation, southern subfossil communities. Continued exploration at Christmas River thus provides a remarkable opportunity for deciphering ecological changes that have taken place in south central Madagascar during the Holocene.R&#201;SUM&#201;Madagascar est reconnue comme l&#8217;une des r&#233;gions les plus sensibles du monde en ce qui concerne les menaces pesant sur sa biodiversit&#233;, et cela &#224; cause de niveaux d&#8217;end&#233;misme in&#233;gal&#233;s, d&#8217;une diversit&#233; vari&#233;e et d&#8217;un impact humain important sur l&#8217;environnement. Suite &#224; la colonisation par l&#8217;Homme il y a plus de 2000 ans, des extinctions de masse de la faune et un important recul forestier ont eu lieu en laissant des marques sur les &#233;cosyst&#232;mes modernes qui sont dans un &#233;tat de bouleversement &#233;cologique. Certaines plantes end&#233;miques, par exemple, ont perdu d&#8217;importantes esp&#232;ces mutualistes, des animaux ont &#233;t&#233; oblig&#233;s d&#8217;exploiter d&#8217;autres ressources ou habiter des endroits auxquels ils sont mal adapt&#233;s. La diversit&#233; des plantes et des animaux a diminu&#233;, est menac&#233;e ou a m&#234;me compl&#232;tement disparue de certaines routes de diss&#233;mination. Bien que l&#8217;Homme soit largement incrimin&#233; dans son r&#244;le de d&#233;clencheur de ces extinctions massives, les transformations anthropiques qui ont contribu&#233; au changement du climat sont controvers&#233;es. Les hautes - terres de Madagascar sont actuellement domin&#233;es par des zones herbeuses &#233;tendues qui agissent comme des barri&#232;res emp&#234;chant les mouvements de la faune de part et d&#8217;autre de l&#8217;&#238;le. Nous sugg&#233;rons qu&#8217;une for&#234;t humide plus ou moins continue devait s&#8217;&#233;tendre sur les hautes-terres. Des informations pal&#233;o&#233;cologiques des hautes - terres du Centre sud sont&#232;n&#233;cessaires pour &#233;valuer cette hypoth&#232;se afin de d&#233;m&#234;ler la contribution relative des facteurs climatiques et anthropiques dans les changements pal&#233;o&#233;cologiques de la r&#233;gion. Cependant, les stations de subfossiles &#233;taient jusqu&#8217;alors inconnues dans cette r&#233;gion. Nous pr&#233;sentons ici les r&#233;sultats de recherches r&#233;alis&#233;es sur les restes fauniques d&#233;couverts au cours de fouilles r&#233;centes &#224; Christmas River, la seule station de subfossiles connue des hautes - terres du Centre sud de Madagascar. Des restes de plusieurs esp&#232;ces datant approximativement de 10,000 14C B.P. ont &#233;t&#233; identifi&#233;s dont des restes appartenant &#224; des esp&#232;ces de crocodile, de tortue, de l&#8217;Aepyornis, du carnivore Cryptoprocta spelea, des l&#233;muriens Archaeolemur majori, Pachylemur insignis et Megaladapis edwardsi ainsi que de nombreux restes de l&#8217;hippopotame nain Hippopotamus lemerlei. La pr&#233;sence &#224; Christmas River d&#8217;esp&#232;ces sylvicoles end&#233;miques du Sud appuie l&#8217;hypoth&#232;se de l&#8217;existence d&#8217;une for&#234;t, certainement discontinue, mais qui s&#8217;&#233;tendait sur les hautes - terres centrales en se poursuivant vers l&#8217;ouest. Une th&#233;orie a propos&#233; que les sites septentrionaux des hautes - terres centrales, &#224; des altitudes plus &#233;lev&#233;es, maintenaient des conditions plus humides au cours des changements du Plio - quaternaire que les sites m&#233;ridionaux de ces hautes - terres centrales. Ainsi, dans le pass&#233;, l&#8217;altitude a du agir comme un filtre qui emp&#234;chait la dispersion des esp&#232;ces d&#8217;un endroit &#224; l&#8217;autre de l&#8217;&#238;le. Un tel sc&#233;nario expliquerait la distinction entre les communaut&#233;s subfossiles du nord des hautes - terres qui &#233;taient plus humides &#224; haute altitude et les communaut&#233;s subfossiles du sud aride &#224; basse altitude. La poursuite de l&#8217;exploration &#224; Christmas River constitue une occasion unique pour d&#233;coder les changements &#233;cologiques qui sont intervenus dans le Sud de cette r&#233;gion centrale de Madagascar au cours de l&#8217;Holoc&#232;ne