Understanding Anthropological Understanding: for a merological anthropology

In this paper I argue for a merological anthropology in which ideas of ‘partiality’ and ‘practical adequacy’ provide a way out of the impasse of relativism which is implied by post-modernism and the related abandonment of a concern with ‘truth’. Ideas such as ‘aptness’ and ‘faithfulness’ enable us to re-establish empirical foundations without having to espouse a simple realism which has been rightly criticised. Ideas taken from ethnomethodology, particularly the way we bootstrap from ‘practical adequacy’ to ‘warrants for confidence’ point to a merological anthropology in which we recognize that we do not and cannot know everything, but that we can have reasons for being confident in the little we know

Outcomes of myringoplasty in Australian Aboriginal children and factors associated with success: A prospective case series

The objective of this study was to assess the outcomes of myringoplasties in Aboriginal children and to identify factors associated with a successful outcome with the use of prospective case series from primary health care clinics and hospitals in four rural and remote regions of Western Australia. All 58 Aboriginal children, aged 5–15 years, who underwent 78 myringoplasties between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2001 were included in the study. Complete postoperative (post-op) follow-up was achieved following 78% of myringoplasties. The main outcome measures were (a) success, i.e. an intact tympanic membrane and normal hearing six or more months post-op in the operated ear, (b) closure of the perforation, (c) Post-op hearing improvement. Forty-nine per cent of myringoplasties were successful, 72% resulted in closure or reduction in the size of the perforation and 51% resulted in hearing improvement. After controlling for age, sex, clustering and number of previous myringoplasties, no association was observed between success or hearing improvement and perforation size, or the presence of serous aural discharge at the time of surgery. Myringoplasty resulted in hearing improvement and/or perforation closure in a significant proportion of children. Thus, primary school-aged Aboriginal children in whom conservative management of chronic suppurative otitis media has been unsuccessful should have access to myringoplasty because of the positive impact on their socialization, language and learning that results from improved hearing

Clinical Reaction-Time Performance Factors in Healthy Collegiate Athletes

Context: In the absence of baseline testing, normative data may be used to interpret postconcussion scores on the clinical reaction-time test (RTclin). However, to provide normative data, we must understand the performance factors associated with baseline testing. Objective: To explore performance factors associated with baseline RTclin from among candidate variables representing demographics, medical and concussion history, self-reported symptoms, sleep, and sport-related features. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Clinical setting (eg, athletic training room). Patients or other participants: A total of 2584 National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (n = 1206 females [47%], 1377 males [53%], and 1 unreported (<0.1%); mass = 76.7 ± 18.7 kg; height = 176.7 ± 11.3 cm; age = 19.0 ± 1.3 years) from 3 institutions participated in this study as part of the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education Consortium. Main outcome measure(s): Potential performance factors were sex; race; ethnicity; dominant hand; sport type; number of prior concussions; presence of anxiety, learning disability, attention-deficit disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, or migraine headache; self-reported sleep the night before the test; mass; height; age; total number of symptoms; and total symptom burden at baseline. The primary study outcome measure was mean baseline RTclin. Results: The overall RTclin was 202.0 ± 25.0 milliseconds. Female sex (parameter estimate [B] = 8.6 milliseconds, P < .001, Cohen d = 0.54 relative to male sex), black or African American race (B = 5.3 milliseconds, P = .001, Cohen d = 0.08 relative to white race), and limited-contact (B = 4.2 milliseconds, P < .001, Cohen d = 0.30 relative to contact) or noncontact (B = 5.9 milliseconds, P < .001, Cohen d = 0.38 relative to contact) sport participation were associated with slower RTclin. Being taller was associated with a faster RTclin, although this association was weak (B = -0.7 milliseconds, P < .001). No other predictors were significant. When adjustments are made for sex and sport type, the following normative data may be considered (mean ± standard deviation): female, noncontact (211.5 ± 25.8 milliseconds), limited contact (212.1 ± 24.3 milliseconds), contact (203.7 ± 21.5 milliseconds); male, noncontact (199.4 ± 26.7 milliseconds), limited contact (196.3 ± 23.9 milliseconds), contact (195.0 ± 23.8 milliseconds). Conclusions: Potentially clinically relevant differences existed in RTclin for sex and sport type. These results provide normative data adjusting for these performance factors