Question of Caste and Colour: Native Women and the First World War

Katharine McGowan is working on her dissertation in Canadian history, which focuses on the homefront Indigenous experience of the First World War. She is a research fellow at Social Invention Generation at the University of Waterloo

Identification and Characterization of a Potential Crematorium Mercury Emission Source

Mercury is a global pollutant with serious harmful impacts on human and ecosystem health. It is emitted into the atmosphere from many sources such as fossil fuel combustion, incineration, and landfill. Some sources/processes are either poorly documented or unknown. Cremation processes are one of these that have not been studied and are currently unaccounted for in the United States Environmental Protection Agency\u27s National Emissions Inventory. The objective of this study was to characterize the temporal variation of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations and identify an unknown, seemingly highly localized source of gaseous mercury causing very high episodic concentrations. TGM measurements were conducted from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) campus in downtown Syracuse, New York during the time period of summer 2013 - fall 2015. A complete annual cycle was observed, with lowest concentrations (1.36 ng m-3 ) in · September, and highest (1.57 ng m-3 ) in January, with an annual average amplitude of 0.21 ng m-3 . Concentrations appeared to be decreasing continuously throughout the study period, with decreases of 0.12 ng m-3 and 0.18 ng m-3 for summer 2013-2014 and 2014- 2015, respectively; 0.14 ng m-3 and 0.05 ng m-3 for fall 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively; and 0.08 ng m-3 for winter 20 14-2015 . Diurnal cycles were observed with daily maximums at 13:00-16:00 UTC (1.55 ng m-3 - 1.65 ng m-3 ) in winter-spring, 1:00 UTC (1.4 ng m-3 -1.7 ng m-3 ) and 12:00-16:00 UTC (1.3 ng m-3 -1.52 ng m-3 ) in summer-fall. The concentrations above the seasonal 99th percentile values under calm (\u3c 2 m s-1 ) and southeasterly wind conditions were associated with probable Hg emissions from a nearby crematorium, located approximately 890 meters to the southeast of the monitoring station. The total emission of mercury from this source was estimated to be 0.51 lbs, 1.64 lbs, and 0.49 lbs for 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. These were compared to nearby sources documented in the EPA\u27s National Emissions Inventory 2011, including the Syracuse Steam Station (0.3 lbs), Onondaga County Resource Recovery Facility (7.7 lbs) and Bristol-Myer Squibb Company (9.52E-02 lbs). Further study is warranted to determine the extent of mercury emissions from crematoriums across the United States

On the Stability of the 421-day Periodicity in A0538-66

In this paper we analyse 70 years of archival Harvard and Schmidt plate data of the 16.6 d Be X-ray binary A0538-66 in order to search for the presence of the long-term period of 420.82 +/- 0.79 d found in MACHO photometry (Alcock et al. 2001). We find evidence for a long-term period of 421.29 +/- 0.95 d in the archival data, and examine its stability. We also combine the archival and MACHO datasets in order to improve the accuracy of the orbital period determination, using a cycle-counting analysis to refine its value to 16.6460 +/- 0.0004 d. We also test the model proposed in our previous paper (Alcock et al. 2001) with observations documented in the literature for A0538-66 from 1980-1995, constraining the system inclination to be i > 74.9 +/- 6.5 deg.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Table 1 is only available electronically via http://www.raptor.lanl.gov/NoFrame_Publications.ht

Real-Time Detection of Optical Transients with RAPTOR

Fast variability of optical objects is an interesting though poorly explored subject in modern astronomy. Real-time data processing and identification of transient celestial events in the images is very important for such study as it allows rapid follow-up with more sensitive instruments. We discuss an approach which we have developed for the RAPTOR project, a pioneering closed-loop system combining real-time transient detection with rapid follow-up. RAPTOR's data processing pipeline is able to identify and localize an optical transient within seconds after the observation. The testing we performed so far have been confirming the effectiveness of our method for the optical transient detection. The software pipeline we have developed for RAPTOR can easily be applied to the data from other experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, to appear in SPIE proceedings vol. 484

COVID-19 testing acceptability and uptake amongst the Rohingya and host community in Camp 21, Teknaf, Bangladesh.

Facility-based sentinel testing for COVID-19 was implemented in May 2020 to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 amongst the Rohingya and host community in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. In response both to low uptake of testing across all camps, and rumours of an outbreak of an influenza-like illness in May/June 2020, the International Organization for Migration (in partnership with ACAPS) undertook a qualitative study to collect accounts from the Rohingya relating to testing and treatment, and to explore the possibility that what was thought to be an outbreak of influenza may have been COVID-19. The report provided rich descriptions of the apprehension around testing and offered some clear recommendations for addressing these. We developed a testing 'script' in response to these recommendations, deploying it alongside a survey to determine reasons for declining a test. We compared testing uptake before deploying the testing script, and after (controlling for the total number of consultations), to generate a crude measure of the impact of the script on testing uptake. We coded reasons for declining a test thematically, disaggregated by status (Rohingya and host community) and sex. Despite the small sample size our results suggest an increase in testing uptake following the implementation of the script. Reasons provided by patients for declining a test included: 1) fear, 2) the belief that COVID-19 does not exist, that Allah will prevent them from contracting it, or that their symptoms are not caused by COVID-19, 3) no permission from husband/family, and 4) a preference to return at a later time for a test. Our findings largely mirror the qualitative accounts in the International Organization for Migration/ACAPS report and suggest that further testing amongst both populations will be complicated by fear, and a lack of clarity around testing. Our data lend force to the recommendations in the International Organization for Migration/ACAPS report and emphasise that contextual factors play a key role and must be considered in designing and implementing a health response to a novel disease

Secondary consent to biospecimen use in a prostate cancer biorepository

BACKGROUND: Biorepository research has substantial societal benefits. This is one of the few studies to focus on male willingness to allow future research use of biospecimens. METHODS: This study analyzed the future research consent questions from a prostate cancer biorepository study (N = 1931). The consent form asked two questions regarding use of samples in future studies (1) without and (2) with protected health information (PHI). Yes to both questions of use of samples was categorized as Yes-Always; Yes to without and No to with PHI was categorized as Yes-Conditional; No to without PHI was categorized as Never. We analyzed this outcome to determine significant predictors for consent to Yes-Always vs. Yes-Conditional. RESULTS: 99.33 % consented to future use of samples; 88.19 % consented to future use without PHI, and among those men 10.2 % consented to future use with PHI. Comparing Yes Always and Yes Conditional responses, bivariate analyses showed that race, family history, stage of cancer, and grade of cancer (Gleason), were significant at the α = 0.05 level. Using stepwise multivariable logistic regression, we found that African–American men were significantly more likely to respond Yes Always when compared to White men (p < 0.001). Those with a family history of prostate cancer were significantly more likely to respond Yes Always (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: There is general willingness to consent to future use of specimens without PHI among men

High occurrence of food insecurity in young people attending a youth mental health service in regional Australia

Aim: Despite the relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health, food insecurity in young people attending mental health services in Australia remains understudied. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and predictors of food insecurity, and the relationship with dietary factors in young people attending a mental health service. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in a sample of young people (15–25 years) who attended a mental health service in Launceston, Australia. The survey utilised a single-item food insecurity screening tool and eight demographic, health and service use questions. Five questions determined self-reported intake of fruit, vegetables, breakfast, water, sugarsweetened beverages and takeaway foods. Binary logistic regression determined predictors of food insecurity. Cross-tabulations determined differences in dietary intake according to food security. Results: Of survey respondents (n = 48; 68% female), 40% (n = 19) were food insecure. Respondents living out of home or in unstable accommodation were at significantly higher risk of food insecurity (odds ratio [OR]: 4.43; SE: 0.696; 95% CI: 1.13–17.34; p = 0.032) compared to those living with their parents. Those receiving government financial assistance (OR: 5.00; SE: 0.676; 95% CI: 1.33–18.81; p = 0.017) were also at significantly higher risk of food insecurity. Regardless of food security status, self-reported intake of fruits, vegetables and breakfast were low, and respondents regularly consumed takeaway foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusions: There was a high occurrence of food insecurity and poor dietary intake in young people attending a youth mental health service demonstrating that initiatives to support access to healthy food in this group should be a priority, with potential benefits for mental health outcomes

Cornerstone Youth Services Nutrition and Physical Activity Capacity Building Project: Final Report

Healthy eating and physical activity habits during adolescence help support normal growth and development and underpin the establishment of lifelong health and wellbeing. The eating habits of many young people are inconsistent with dietary recommendations and, along with sedentary physical activity levels, escalate risks of current and future obesity, type 2 diabetes and mental health issues. Mental health conditions predominantly emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. People with a mental health condition are more likely to be overweight and have metabolic complications. Emerging research has demonstrated that healthy eating patterns (e.g., Mediterranean-style diets), based on whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein and nuts, contribute to reducing obesity and metabolic chronic diseases, and to improving mental health. Early nutrition and physical activity interventions for young people at risk of developing a mental health condition are needed. Cornerstone Youth Services (CYS) provides social and emotional support for young people with mild to moderate mental health conditions in the greater Launceston area. CYS professionals reported a need for: 1) developing their capacity to provide brief, nutrition-related interventions; 2) greater access to referral pathways and arrangements with community and government organisations that provide specialist nutrition support; and 3) greater understanding of how they can use evidence-based resources to evaluate a client’s dietary habits and provide up-to-date advice about eating for health and wellbeing. CYS is uniquely placed to support healthy eating in this at-risk target group. CYS secured a $47,000 grant from the Healthy Tasmania Fund to increase its capacity to deliver best practice interventions aimed at improving both nutrition and mental health, and reducing obesity risk. CYS approached the University of Tasmania’s School of Heath Sciences (SHS) and Centre for Rural Health (CRH) to manage the full project. Drawing on their multidisciplinary expertise (including nutrition and dietetics, clinical and health psychology, exercise science, exercise physiology, and physiotherapy), the project team proposed to enhance the existing project brief by incorporating physical activity across all elements of the proposed project. Physical activity is well recognised as an essential component of physical and mental health and wellbeing

cGAS-STING Pathway Does Not Promote Autoimmunity in Murine Models of SLE

Detection of DNA is an important determinant of host-defense but also a driver of autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Failure to degrade self-DNA in DNAseII or III(TREX1)-deficient mice results in activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. Deficiency of cGAS or STING in these models ameliorates disease manifestations. However, the contribution of the cGAS-STING pathway, relative to endosomal TLRs, in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is controversial. In fact, STING deficiency failed to rescue, and actually exacerbated, disease manifestations in Fas-deficient SLE-prone mice. We have now extended these observations to a chronic model of SLE induced by the i.p. injection of TMPD (pristane). We found that both cGAS- and STING-deficiency not only failed to rescue mice from TMPD-induced SLE, but resulted in increased autoantibody production and higher proteinuria levels compared to cGAS STING sufficient mice. Further, we generated cGAS(KO)Fas(lpr) mice on a pure MRL/Fas(lpr) background using Crispr/Cas9 and found slightly exacerbated, and not attenuated, disease. We hypothesized that the cGAS-STING pathway constrains TLR activation, and thereby limits autoimmune manifestations in these two models. Consistent with this premise, mice lacking cGAS and Unc93B1 or STING and Unc93B1 developed minimal systemic autoimmunity as compared to cGAS or STING single knock out animals. Nevertheless, TMPD-driven lupus in B6 mice was abrogated upon AAV-delivery of DNAse I, implicating a DNA trigger. Overall, this study demonstrated that the cGAS-STING pathway does not promote systemic autoimmunity in murine models of SLE. These data have important implications for cGAS-STING-directed therapies being developed for the treatment of systemic autoimmunity