Cognition, Algebra, and Culture in the Tongan Kinship Terminology

We present an algebraic account of the Tongan kinship terminology (TKT) that provides an insightful journey into the fabric of Tongan culture. We begin with the ethnographic account of a social event. The account provides us with the activities of that day and the centrality of kin relations in the event, but it does not inform us of the conceptual system that the participants bring with them. Rather, it is a slice in time of an ongoing dynamic process that links behavior with a conceptual system of kin relations and vice versa. To understand this interplay, we need an account of the underlying conceptual system that is being activated during the event. Thus, we introduce a formal, algebraically based account of TKT. This account brings to the fore the underlying logic of TKT and allows us to distinguish between features of the kinship system that arise from the logic of TKT as a generative structure and features that must have arisen through cultural intervention

Temporal rhythm of change in Village Jhokwala, Pakistan: Ethnographic insights from calendars

Time is perceived through movements of objects in sky, seasonal cycles, and biological changes, which appear to be universal and every society makes their sense. Studying change in the temporal models therefore provides understanding about cultural change in a broader context (Geertz, 1966: 389-409). Temporal organization represents the relationship between culture and ecology through different informal and formal markers in the same way as space is linked with the environment (Engel-Frisch, 1943). Calendars are one of the temporal markers, which represent the people’s association with and understanding of their environment both in ecological and astronomical sense

CO2 Laser Treatment in Idiopathic Scrotal Calcinosis: A Case Series

Background: Idiopathic scrotal calcinosis (ISC) is a benign and uncommon condition characterized by the presence of multiple and calcified nodules of the scrotum without disorders in the calcium/phosphorous metabolism. The condition is usually asymptomatic. Various treatments are available. Surgery is the traditional treatment for ISC, as it allows a histopathological exam. However, newer treatments, such as ablative lasers, have been proposed with very good results.Methods: In this article, we report our experience in the treatment of ISC with a CO2 laser. Five patients affected by ISC were enrolled for CO2 laser treatment.Results: All patients had excellent healing. Four patients reported minimal scarring. No bleeding was reported after the procedure. Two patients reported itching and were treated with oral antibiotics and antihistamine drugs.Conclusion: The CO2 super pulsed laser is a fast and effective way to treat ISC and may be an alternative to traditional surgery in this condition

Clinical evaluation on the performance and safety of a non-ablative fractional 1340 nm laser for the treatment of stretch marks in adolescents and young adults. a case series

A large part of the world's population suffers from Striae distensae (SD) or stretch marks, which create physical and psychological discomfort in people. We evaluate the SD clinical improvement by using a non-ablative fractional Nd:YAP 1340 nm laser. The research was performed on 25 patients of both sexes, with a mean age of 31 ± 13.09 years. Each patient underwent from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 4 treatments, with an Nd:YAP (1340 nm) medical device, every four weeks, with 3- and 6-month follow-up, in these areas: back, abdomen, breast, flanks, lower limbs, buttocks, and thighs. Manchester Scar Scale assessed stretch marks improvement. Side effects, patient pain, and SD overall appearance improvement were also recorded for all patients. Digital photographs measured the aesthetic results. Treatment was well-tolerated (pain score 1.08 ± 0.76) by all patients. There were no long-term side effects, and 88% of patients revealed an SD excellent improvement showing good aesthetic results achieved by the treatment. The total mean pretreatment Manchester Scar Scale score decreased from 13.80 (±1.58) to 10.36 (±1.70) after 3 months (p < 0.01) and to 8.36 (±1.07) after 6 months (p < 0.01). An Nd:YAP (1340 nm) laser seems to be a safe and effective treatment, showing a higher security profile with no side effects

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p < 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

Accessing Mental Representations of Space

On the island of Vava’u in the northern archipelago of the Kingdom of Tonga, Polynesia, the author asked informants to draw a map of their village and later of the island they live on. Combining the drawing strategies used and the representational distortions inferred from the maps, the author arrived at hypotheses about how mental representations of spatial relationships are habitually organized in Tongan minds. The drawing tasks are described in detail. At O’Hare Airport, Chicago, waiting for my delayed plane, I am lazily browsing through the pages of a glossy magazine in one of the many shops inviting passengers to spend money. The shop is also full of Chicago memorabilia, such as t-shirts with logos of the local teams, useless little objects with sparkling pictures of Chicago on them, and even mugs. On one of these mugs there is a representation of the city. It is a common representation of big American cities (the first one was of New York):The world appears squeezed into very few landmarks (mostly American as well). The representation may cause a smile and maybe a quic

The Moon Makes Yams Grow: Tongans (Polynesians) and Nature

Local populations perceive a number of changes in their environment due to climate change and explain them using the knowledge they have and the beliefs they hold about their world;  a Cultural Model (CM) of Nature. This CM is a major component of local knowledge and it plays a fundamental role in the perception and interpretation of any phenomena related to changes in the environment, including climate change. This work is about the preliminary results from the analyses conducted on data collected in the Kingdom of Tonga, Polynesia, in search of a Tongan CM of Nature. Tongan communities are deeply affected by changes in the climate such as weather unpredictability (including increasing number of typhoons and length and occurrence of dry and wet seasons), the raising level of the ocean waters, and the variability of fish supplies