Suchergebnisse

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), customary female genital modification practices common in parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are inherently patriarchal: they reflect deep-rooted inequality between the sexes characterized by male dominance and constitute an extreme form of discrimination against women. However, scholars have noted that while many societies have genital modification rites only for boys, with no equivalent rite for girls, the inverse does not hold. Rather, almost all societies that practice ritual female genital modification also practice ritual male genital modification, often for comparable reasons on children of similar ages, with the female rites led by women and the male rites led by men. In contrast, then, to the situation for boys in various cultures, girls are not singled out for genital modification on account of their sex or gender; nor do the social meanings of the female rites necessarily reflect a lower status. In some cases, the women's rite serves to promote female within-sex bonding and network building—as the men's rite typically does for males—thereby counterbalancing gendered asymmetries in political power and weakening male dominance in certain spheres. In such cases, and to that extent, the female rites can be described as counter-patriarchal. Selective efforts to discourage female genital modifications may thus inadvertently undermine women-centered communal networks while leaving male bonding rites intact. Scholars and activists should not rely on misleading generalizations from the WHO about the relationship between genital cutting and the social positioning of women as compared to men. To illustrate the complexity of this relationship, we compare patterns of practice across contemporary societies while also highlighting anthropological data regarding pre-industrial societies. Regarding the latter, we find no association between the presence of a female initiation rite and a key aspect of patriarchy as it is classically ...

The extent of organochlorine pesticide contamination in 3 species of predatory birds from the central regions of South Australia was investigated. Residues in both eggs and tissue, as well as measurements of shell thickness, were obtained for Falco peregrinus (peregrine falcon), Pandion haliaetus (osprey) and Haliaeetus leucogaster (white-bellied sea eagle). Organochlorine residues in some prey species were also measured. Residues of DDE and DDT in the predatory birds were found to be low to moderate. Concn of total DDT were greatest in F. peregrinus (mean 1.82 mg/kg), followed by the H. leucogaster and P.haliaetus (mean 1.07 and 0.11 mg/kg, resp.). A comparison of F. peregrinus eggs collected before and after 1947 showed significant eggshell thinning (mean 16%). DDT residue levels of concern were recorded for several prey species commonly found in the diet of H. leucogaster and F. peregrinus, particularly in Columbia livia (feral pigeons) (37.46 mg/kg) and Larus novaehollandiae (silver gulls) (3.06 mg/kg). These concn were well above those known to cause reproductive failure in falcons. DDT was also found at high concn in eggs of Pelecanus conspicillatus (pelican) (mean 2.04 mg/kg). Dieldrin was present in most samples, but at low concn. The degree of pesticide contamination detected was considered sufficient to interfere with the reproduction of F. peregrinus in South Australia.

The diet of nestling rainbow bee-eaters, Merops ornatus, was determined by analysis of droppings and
regurgitated pellets collected at one site on Rottnest I., W.A. in the summer of 1982/83, and five sites
in the summer of 1983/84. In total, 2187 insects from 10 families were identified. These comprised:
Hymenoptera (95%), including Scoliidae (14%), Tiphiidae (38%), Sphecidae (l8.5%), Apoidea (1%),
Formicoidea (7.5%) and undetermined Hymenoptera (16%); Coleoptera, Buprestidae (1.5%); Diptera,
Muscidae (<1%); Hemiptera (3%); Odonata (<1%); and Orthoptera (<1%). The relative proportions
of the different prey types varied significantly between sites and between different sampling times at
the same site. There were also site-related differences in the mean length of nestling prey and at three
sites nestlings were fed different sizes of prep during their development. Estimates of prey length based
on wing remains were significantly smaller than those based on head remains at four of the six sites,
and shapes of prey length distributions based on wings and heads were significantly different at all
six sites.

The effect of rabbit control methods on rabbit populations and subsequent changes in vegetation were
assessed over 2 years on a calcareous shrubby grassland in central Australia. Warren ripping and
fumigating decreased mean population levels to four rabbits per kilometre of spotlight transect, and
1080 poisoning decreased mean levels to 9 km-1, compared to the untreated levels of 20 km-l. Release
of European rabbit fleas did not have any significant effect on rabbit populations. In the untreated rabbit
populations, 68% of the fluctuation in numbers was accounted for by total rainfalls in the previous
summer and the previous winter, and by a forage greenness rating. Experimental control of rabbits
combined with exclosures indicated that grazing by high numbers of rabbits reduced the frequency of
Enneapogon spp. at one site whereas levels rose in all other sites during the two years of good rainfall.
The frequency of several species, such as Chenopodium cristatum, Phyllanthus rhytidospermus and
Portulaca oleracea, was highly correlated with rabbit density in the previous year, suggesting that rabbit
grazing promotes their increase. Grazing'by rabbits alone depressed standing biomass in the following
season by 300 kg ha-1 from a maximum 1200 kg ha-1 within the exclosures. Cattle grazing further
decreased biomass by 150 kg ha-1. Seedlings of Acacia kempeana were almost absent in those areas
open to rabbit grazing, but they were reasonably dense where rabbits were excluded. However, the
vegetation response over the 2 years of experiment was due mainly to seasonal changes rather than
rabbit control, and does not justify the expense of rabbit control at this stage. Substantial improvement
in vegetation composition over the longer term may alter this conclusion.

[…] published here for […]

Local and regional governments in the U.S. rely increasingly on voter-approved local option sales taxes (LOSTs) to fund transportation capital investments, maintenance, and operations. LOSTs typically present voters with lists of local transportation projects and programs to be funded by a ¼ to 1 percent sales tax increase. Most research on LOSTs are case studies, which make generalizations about LOSTs difficult. We conducted a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional analysis of LOST measures in California, the U.S. state with the greatest number of LOST measures. We examined 76 LOST measures put to voters between 1976 and 2016 to assess factors associated with voter support. LOSTs in California are enacted by counties, which we examined in addition to smaller intra-county geographies using both regression models and case studies. We tested several explanatory variables for association with voter support including macroeconomic and political context, planned measure expenditures, voter characteristics, and spatial distribution of proposed projects. We found that funding dedicated to public transit and returned to local jurisdictions predicts support at the county level, and that LOSTs that create new taxes—as opposed to extending or renewing existing taxes—are less popular with voters, all else equal. Our analyses of sub-county geographies revealed that political party affiliation is the strongest predictor of local voter support for LOSTs and that voters living adjacent to funded projects tended to be more supportive of LOSTs.

12/05/15 NM ; In the UK, there are policy and regulatory concerns regarding the governance of care homes and healthcare provision within these homes. From a public health perspective, these issues can pose significant challenges to the provision of safe and quality medication use services to care home residents. The objective of this paper is to highlight an important and neglected issue for the growing population of institutionalized older adults. We reviewed relevant literature for the years 2000 to present and identified recent efforts undertaken to improve medication safety standards in UK care homes. We consider the limitations and reasons for the National Health Services restricted role and lack of leadership in providing medical services for this institutionalized population. The efforts taken by the Department of Health and other healthcare authorities targeting medication safety in care homes are also highlighted. In order to improve the quality of healthcare, specifically in areas related to medication safety and quality use of medicines, interventions need to be taken by the national government and similarly by local authorities and NHS commissioners.

The health and nutritional status of a population of the hairy-nosed wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons
inhabiting the Blanche Town region of South Australia was assessed over a period of 18 months, 12 of
which were during a drought. Measurements were made of body morphology, haematological and
biochemical constituents and vitamin and trace element status of animals in the field: these were
examined in relation to the chemical composition of stomach contents and of faeces. During the study
period, changes in body weight, body condition and selected haematological and chemical constituents
were closely associated with changes in the quantity and quality of food, as measured by faecal nitrogen
and organic matter and by a plant growth index. It appears that wombats in the Blanche Town region
survived a drought of 12 months duration with minimal loss of body tissues and maintained
physiological functions.