A Bioarchaeological Comparison of Oral Health at Three Postbellum African American Cemeteries in Coastal and Central Georgia

This research is a comparative analysis of oral health from three historic African-American cemeteries in Georgia. The Area 1 (9CH1168), Area 2 (9CH875) and the Avondale (9BI164) cemeteries were excavated and relocated from 2008-2010. The aggregate population consists of 486 individuals, spanning pre-and-post-Reconstruction eras. Statistical and bioarchaeological techniques are used to address the hypothesis that differential nutrition and subsequent health outcomes significantly vary (as estimated from dental analyses), based on the cemetery’s composition, location, and individuals social status. Oral pathological conditions were characterized in an effort to identify variation between populations, while moving beyond a monolithic narrative of the African-American experience in the post-Bellum South. A statistical range of variation within and between the cemeteries was observed, revealing differences in the frequency of pathologies between cemeteries based on age and sex. Maladies most greatly afflicted Avondale’s population, Area 1 experienced the least and Area 2’s females had the most oral pathologies

Mapping Emotional Attachment as a Measure of Sense of Place to Identify Coastal Restoration Priority Areas

Our applied case study demonstrates how knowledge from community stakeholders about emotional attachment (as a key component of sense of place) can inform and influence future coastal restoration priorities at various scales in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (USA). We map aggregate measures of emotional attachment from community stakeholders using Geographic Information Systems. We then analyze this human systems level data with kernel density estimation measures at the broader lagoon scale and with inverse distance weighted measures at more localized scales. By connecting these mapped results back to the primary reasons that participants provided for having high or low emotional attachment in a location, we show how varying spatial patterns of emotional attachment as a primary component of sense of place within and across broader geographic regions can be represented, mapped, and visualized to enhance future restoration priorities. We demonstrate how aggregate results gained from community stakeholders can help restoration teams prioritize their science communication and education strategies to align human systems level data with natural systems level data

The effects of inspiratory muscle training in older adults

Purpose: Declining inspiratory muscle function and structure and systemic low-level inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to morbidity and mortality during normal ageing. Therefore, we examined the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in older adults on inspiratory muscle function and structure and systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, and re-examined the reported positive effects of IMT on respiratory muscle strength, inspiratory muscle endurance, spirometry, exercise performance, physical activity levels (PAL) and quality of life (QoL). Methods: Thirty-four healthy older adults (68 ± 3 years) with normal spirometry, respiratory muscle strength and physical fitness were divided equally into a pressure-threshold IMT or sham-hypoxic placebo group. Before and after an 8 week intervention, measurements were taken for dynamic inspiratory muscle function and inspiratory muscle endurance using a weighted plunger pressure-threshold loading device, diaphragm thickness using B-mode ultrasonography, plasma cytokine concentrations using immunoassays, DNA damage levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using Comet Assays, spirometry, maximal mouth pressures, exercise performance using a six minute walk test, PAL using a questionnaire and accelerometry, and QoL using a questionnaire

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Mapping Sense of Place in Hopkins Village, Belize: Creating Spatial Narratives to Understand Development using Participatory Geographic Information Systems

This research applies mixed-methods, community-based approaches, and critical sociological and geographic theory to better understand the social and environmental impacts of tourism-driven development in the data-scarce region of Hopkins Village, Belize. Hopkins Village is a small coastal community that is home to a seasonally variable population of 3,000 residents. Belize has been undergoing an economic shift from traditional subsistence-based activities such as fishing and agriculture to a primary service and tourism-based economy; over the past decade, an influx of visitors, immigrants, and foreign investors has resulted in Belize\u27s coastal districts\u27 rapid development. This work combines four years of geospatial data with results from 50 semi-structured interviews collected in the summer of 2018 in Hopkins Village, Belize. This research uses qualitative sociological methods, Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) techniques, and geospatial data analysis to better understand the geographic and sociological concept known as sense of place (SOP). SOP examines human responses to the built environment in the form of place attachment (positive or negative emotional connection to a spatial setting), place identity (spatially linked beliefs about self), and place dependence (behavior or functional attachment). Geospatially linked data about place attachment, perceived community boundaries, and local development perceptions were analyzed using inductive, interpretive methods, coding strategies, and geospatial analyses. The results of this research indicate that the domains of measurement used were not only effective in understanding respondents\u27 attitudes about places in Hopkins Village but in the interpretation of collective attitudes about places and spaces of shared meaning amid the changing landscape

Comparative dental anatomy in disaster victim identification: lessons from the 2009 Victorian bushfires

In the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) response to the recent bushfire disasters in rural Victoria, Australia, forensic odontology played a significant role in the identification process. Particular features of this disaster were challenging to the odontologists. A characteristic of house fires is the extended time period during which the remains may be subject to heat, and their subsequent disruption as buildings collapse. This can result in dislodgement of teeth from sockets, loss of tooth crowns from roots, disruption of anatomical location of teeth and damage to bony features. Commingling of human remains also is often a feature, as is commingling of animal remains with human. Two cases which illustrate these features are described. A strategy for improving familiarity with comparative dental anatomy and improving skills in dental anatomy is suggested