“Tie it on tight, girls!” Speaking and Acting through Cloth in Southern Madagascar

It was another scorching day at the height of the dry season. Masy had come to visit me, bringing her basket of cotton to work. A Tandroy woman’s hands should never be idle. She began pinching out cotton seeds and the gathered girls and I picked up handfuls to join her. At one point, when conversation lagged, Masy held up a piece of cotton fluff and spontaneously began to tell a tale. Long ago, we did not know woven cloth, but dressed in cotton fluff. Once there was an unhappy senior wife. She was unhappy because her husband loved his junior wife better. One day, she went to the forest to fetch firewood, and met a kokolampo nature spirit who was weaving. ‘Come back tomorrow and I will teach you to weave,’ said the spirit. Everyday thereafter, the woman went back to learn to spin and dye, and to weave. ‘Oh, where does that woman go every day?’ the other villagers gossiped behind her back. When the woman had completed the cloth, the spirit said, ‘wear this back to the village, but never say where it came from.’ That very day, her husband was hosting a healing dance in the village. The people were astounded when they saw her new dress, and whispered to each other. They questioned her but she remained silent and refused to say where it came from. The junior wife was filled with jealous rage. The husband had the senior wife stand up before the crowd in her finery, and performed a sacrifice to honor her. Then he sent away the junior wife, and she turned into a crow. That is the tale of the unhappy senior wife. That is so. That is what Masy said. This paper is the story of how I came to unravel Masy’s story as a master cultural narrative, with its motifs of women’s rights and honor, the rivalry of co-wives and the duties of husbands and wives. Elsewhere, I have analyzed in some detail Tandroy weaving and costume traditions1. The theme of the 2006 TSA conference, “Narratives,” invited a more personal look at the topics– reflections on how I had come to study and know textiles while living in Tandroy villages in the 1990s, and on the women who had been my patient instructors. I heard Masy’s story early in my stay, but it was only much later, through fits and starts and lived experiences, that I came to appreciate its meanings

Handicapped heroes, Sambilo the bull, and the treacherous terrain of polygynous relations in southern Madagascar

Twenty years ago in this same journal, folklorist Lee Haring (1987) expanded on his earlier lament (1982) that social scientists in their analyses of Malagasy tales tended to focus solely on the context (social and historic) to the exclusion of the text (internal narrative). He judiciously advised scholars that before they plum a tale for empiric detail or symbolic meaning they need first consider its narrative qualities and whether a motif (such as the tree planted as a life token) is not in..

Recipes from the past

La teinture, une étape pourtant essentielle dans la fabrication d’une belle étoffe, a largement été négligée dans les études sur les textiles malgaches. Plusieurs travaux récents ont fait avancer nos connaissance sur les plantes tinctoriales de Madagascar, mais beaucoup reste encore à faire sur les plans botanique et ethnographique. Les sources historiques représentent une autre source importante dans la (ré)acquisition de ces savoirs. Cet article cherche à introduire et rendre accessibles les recettes tinctoriales issues de quatre œuvres écrites par des auteurs merina, et/ou en langue malgache avant 1900. Après une présentation des auteurs, il compare leurs recettes entre elles et avec celles tirées de quelques descriptions européennes pertinentes. Une attention particulière est également portée à un texte particulièrement précieux et peu connu, le “ Manuscrit de l’Ombiasy ”. Rédigé entre 1864 et 1870 par un ancien devin-guérisseur (ombiasy) de la reine Ranavalona I, il décrit de nombreux aspects de la vie économique et sociale de la société ancienne merina, y compris la fabrication des étoffes, à laquelle il consacre de longs passages. Notre article résume les recettes de l’Ombiasy concernant les teintures pour textiles, et fournit une traduction en anglais des passages concernés.One of the most crucial steps in producing a beautiful cloth, dyeing has been regrettably neglected in studies of Malagasy textiles. Several recent works have greatly added to our knowledge of Madagascar’s dye plants, but much field research remains to be done on both botanical and ethnographic levels. Historic sources represent another important source for (re)capturing this knowledge. This article aims to introduce and make accessible the dye recipes recorded in four sources written by Merina authors and/or in the Malagasy language before 1900. It introduces the authors and compares their recipes to one another and to select European sources. Special attention is given to one particularly valuable text that has largely been overlooked, the “ Ombiasy’s manuscript. ” Written from 1864-1870 by a former diviner-healer (ombiasy) to Queen Ranavalona I, it describes many aspects of Merina cultural and economic life, and includes long passages on fiber preparation and weaving. The article summarizes the Ombiasy’s recipes for textile dyes and presents an English translation of the relevant passages

Transcriptomic data of bovine ovarian granulosa cells of control and High A4 cows

Microarray analysis using Affymetrix Bovine GeneChip 1.0 ST Array to determine RNA expression analysis was performed on somatic granulosa cells from two different groups of cows classified based on androstenedione concentration within the follicular fluid (Control vs High A4) of estrogen-active dominant follicles. The normalized linear microarray data was deposited to the NCBI GEO repository (GSE97017 - RNA Expression Data from Bovine Ovarian Granulosa Cells from High or Low Androgen-Content Follicles). Subsequent ANOVA determined genes that were enriched (≥ 1.5 fold more) or decreased (≤ 1.5 fold less) in the High A4 granulosa cells compared to Control granulosa cells and analyzed filtered datasets of these differentially expressed genes are presented as tables. MicroRNAs that are differentially expressed in Control and High A4 granulosa cells are also reported in tables. The standard deviation of the analyzed array data in relation to the log of the expression values are shown as a figure. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis determined upstream regulators of differently expressed genes as presented in a table. These data have been further analyzed and interpreted in the companion article “A High-Androgen Microenvironment Inhibits Granulosa Cell Proliferation and Alters Cell Identity.

Deficits in mitochondrial TCA cycle and OXPHOS precede rod photoreceptor degeneration during chronic HIF activation

Background: Major retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment, are associated with a local decrease in oxygen availability causing the formation of hypoxic areas affecting the photoreceptor (PR) cells. Here, we addressed the underlying pathological mechanisms of PR degeneration by focusing on energy metabolism during chronic activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in rod PR. Methods: We used two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) of genetically encoded biosensors delivered by adeno-associated viruses (AAV) to determine lactate and glucose dynamics in PR and inner retinal cells. Retinal layer-specific proteomics, in situ enzymatic assays and immunofluorescence studies were used to analyse mitochondrial metabolism in rod PRs during chronic HIF activation. Results: PRs exhibited remarkably higher glycolytic flux through the hexokinases than neurons of the inner retina. Chronic HIF activation in rods did not cause overt change in glucose dynamics but an increase in lactate production nonetheless. Furthermore, dysregulation of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway (OXPHOS) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in rods with an activated hypoxic response decelerated cellular anabolism causing shortening of rod photoreceptor outer segments (OS) before onset of cell degeneration. Interestingly, rods with deficient OXPHOS but an intact TCA cycle did not exhibit these early signs of anabolic dysregulation and showed a slower course of degeneration. Conclusion: Together, these data indicate an exceeding high glycolytic flux in rods and highlight the importance of mitochondrial metabolism and especially of the TCA cycle for PR survival in conditions of increased HIF activity

Kate 2006 Fall

Each year, kate seeks to: explore ideas about normative gender, sex, and sexuality work against oppression and hierarchies of power in any and all forms serve as a voice for race and gender equity as well as queer positivity encourage the silent to speak and feel less afraid build a zine and community that we care about and trusthttps://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/kate/1004/thumbnail.jp

Selective Caries Removal in Permanent Teeth (SCRiPT) for the treatment of deep carious lesions:a randomised controlled clinical trial in primary care

Background Dental caries is one of the most prevalent non-communicable disease globally and can have serious health sequelae impacting negatively on quality of life. In the UK most adults experience dental caries during their lifetime and the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey reported that 85% of adults have at least one dental restoration. Conservative removal of tooth tissue for both primary and secondary caries reduces the risk of failure due to tooth-restoration, complex fracture as well as remaining tooth surfaces being less vulnerable to further caries. However, despite its prevalence there is no consensus on how much caries to remove prior to placing a restoration to achieve optimal outcomes. Evidence for selective compared to complete or near-complete caries removal suggests there may be benefits for selective removal in sustaining tooth vitality, therefore avoiding abscess formation and pain, so eliminating the need for more complex and costly treatment or eventual tooth loss. However, the evidence is of low scientific quality and mainly gleaned from studies in primary teeth. Method This is a pragmatic, multi-centre, two-arm patient randomised controlled clinical trial including an internal pilot set in primary dental care in Scotland and England. Dental health professionals will recruit 623 participants over 12-years of age with deep carious lesions in their permanent posterior teeth. Participants will have a single tooth randomised to either the selective caries removal or complete caries removal treatment arm. Baseline measures and outcome data (during the 3-year follow-up period) will be assessed through clinical examination, patient questionnaires and NHS databases. A mixed-method process evaluation will complement the clinical and economic outcome evaluation and examine implementation, mechanisms of impact and context. The primary outcome at three years is sustained tooth vitality. The primary economic outcome is net benefit modelled over a lifetime horizon. Clinical secondary outcomes include pulp exposure, progession of caries, restoration failure; as well as patient-centred and economic outcomes. Discussion SCRiPT will provide evidence for the most clinically effective and cost-beneficial approach to managing deep carious lesions in permanent posterior teeth in primary care. This will support general dental practitioners, patients and policy makers in decision making. Trial Registration Trial registry: ISRCTN. Trial registration number: ISRCTN76503940. Date of Registration: 30.10.2019

Acute flaccid myelitis:cause, diagnosis, and management

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a disabling, polio-like illness mainly affecting children. Outbreaks of MM have occurred across multiple global regions since 2012, and the disease appears to be caused by non-polio enterovirus infection, posing a major public health challenge. The clinical presentation of flaccid and often profound muscle weakness (which can invoke respiratory failure and other critical complications) can mimic several other acute neurological illnesses. There is no single sensitive and specific test for MM, and the diagnosis relies on identification of several important clinical, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid characteristics. Following the acute phase of AFM, patients typically have substantial residual disability and unique long-term rehabilitation needs. In this Review we describe the epidemiology, clinical features, course, and outcomes of AFM to help to guide diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation. Future research directions include further studies evaluating host and pathogen factors, including investigations into genetic, viral, and immunological features of affected patients, host-virus interactions, and investigations of targeted therapeutic approaches to improve the long-term outcomes in this population