Cult

UNLABELLED: Through the analyses of recovered pottery, this study explores the social dimension of an ancestor cult developed at the Petit-Chasseur megalithic necropolis (Upper Rhône Valley, Switzerland) during the Early Bronze Age (2200-1600 BC). The jar votive offerings and domestic pottery from settlement sites were characterized using a range of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Acquired archaeometric data allowed identification of six ceramic fabrics and two types of clay substrate-illite- and muscovite-based-which were used in pottery production...

Human hair dated to Late Prehistory is exceedingly rare in the Western Mediterranean. Archaeological excavations in the Bronze Age burial and cult cave of Es Càrritx, in Menorca (Balearic Islands) provided some human hair strands involved in a singular funerary rite. This finding offered the opportunity to explore the possible use of drug plants by Late Bronze Age people. Here we show the results of the chemical analyses of a sample of such hair using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS)...

INTRODUCTION: New members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) typically acquire a distinct "alcoholic" identity, including AA-specific understandings of their "alcoholism" and what it means to be in recovery. Although much qualitative research on AA has presented the experiences of members who have embraced this identity and have been wholly praising of AA, other theorists have been strongly critical of the organization, often arguing that it emulates a cult. To contribute toward reconciling these competing bodies of research, the current study aimed to critically explore the impact of adopting AA's master narrative...

Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now called mustatil have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken, although this study could not determine the precise function of these features. Recent excavations in AlUla have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic taxa deposited around a betyl. This paper outlines the results of the University of Western Australia's work at site IDIHA-0008222, a 140 m long mustatil (IDIHA-F-0011081), located 55 km east of AlUla...

The purpose of this publication is to provide generalized knowledge of the area of changes that took place over past centuries in relation to health, social and cultural conditions. In Greek mythology, it was necessary to nurture both body and spirit to be a perfect human being. This link between the concepts of physical beauty and goodness can be also found in later works dedicated to ancient Greek history. Particularly in Greek myths, and in Greek education in general, it was believed that both physical and spiritual excellence were necessary to raise men to achieve their true form...

Near space (20 to 100 km in altitude) is an extreme environment with high radiation and extreme cold, making it difficult for organisms to survive. However, many studies had shown that there were still microbes living in this extremely harsh environment. It was particularly important to study which factors affected the survival of microorganisms living in near space after exposure to irradiation, as this was related to many studies, such as studies of radioresistance mechanisms, panspermia hypothesis, long-distance microbial transfer, and developing extraterrestrial habitats...

Antibiotic stewardship on dairy farms can be heightened through the implementation of selective dry-cow therapy (SDCT). However, some producers are concerned that this practice may be related to poor udder health outcomes in cows with high milk production at the time of dry-off. The objective of this study was to evaluate if the effect of culture-guided SDCT (Cult-SDCT) and algorithm-guided SDCT (Alg-SDCT) on dry-period intramammary infection (IMI) dynamics and postcalving udder health and performance [when compared with blanket dry-cow therapy (BDCT)] varied according to milk production level before dry-off...

Sarcoidosis is a benign systemic granulomatosis of unknown etiology. Interstitial parenchymal involvement is typical. The pseudoalveolar form is atypical, often acute in onset, and difficult to diagnose; however, it rapidly improves with corticosteroid therapy. Here, we report a case of pseudoalveolar sarcoidosis with distinct and confusing radiological and clinical presentation in a young female patient. Through this work, we emphasize the rarity of this pseudoalveolar form, the difficulty of making an early diagnosis, and the importance of considering it early...

On 8 May 1842, the deadliest French railway disaster of the nineteenth century occurred in Meudon, near Paris. The derailment of a train and the resulting fire caused the death of several dozens of people. Studying the mortuary and funerary management of this disaster is of twofold interest. First, in the early days of the railway, this type of collective death was still rare and strongly marked by its industrial character; it was therefore necessary to improvise. Second, a new funerary regime was emerging at the time that placed great importance on the body of the deceased, but the violence of the accident led to mortuary chaos...

Here, we report the room temperature NH3 sensor made from WS2 nanosheets obtained via facile and low cost probe sonication method. The gas sensing properties of device made from these nanosheets were examined for various analytes such as ammonia, ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, acetone, chloroform and benzene. The fabricated gas sensor is selective towards NH3 and exhibit excellent sensitivity, faster response and recovery feature in comparison to previously reported values. The device can detect NH3 down to 5 ppm, much below the maximum allowed workspace NH3level (20 ppm) and have a sensing response of the order of 112% with response and recovery time of 54 s and 66 s, respectively...

Social, cultural, and structural factors are associated with delays in seeking help from mental health professionals and poor treatment adherence among patients with mood disorders. This qualitative study examined the perspectives on the services and response to treatments of individuals diagnosed with Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BSD) in Iran through 37 in-depth semi-structured interviews with patients who had received BSD diagnosis and treatment (excluding Bipolar-I). Interviews explored two broad areas: 1) coping and help-seeking strategies; and 2) barriers to treatment and expectations of outcomes from treatment...

Bruineberg and colleagues report a striking confusion, in which the formal Bayesian notion of a "Markov blanket" has been frequently misunderstood and misapplied to phenomena of mind and life. I argue that misappropriation of formal concepts is pervasive in the "predictive processing" literature, and echo Richard Feynman in suggesting how we might resist the allure of cargo cult computationalism.

Background: Pregnancy is one of the few periods in a woman's life when extra weight is not perceived as a negative factor, but has positive connotations with healthy fetal development, which runs against the modern cult of a perfect, slim and healthy body. Most research studies focus on excessive rather than insufficient weight gain in successive trimesters of pregnancy. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate women's knowledge about the influence of diet on pregnancy outcome and to assess changes in body weight and eating behaviors during pregnancy...

This article examines the development of male bondage in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s through an examination of products designed by Jim Stewart, who founded the company Fetters in 1976. Through research using primary written sources, interviews with early customers, users and business partners, and the objects themselves, this paper situates Fetters designs within the broader infrastructures that were essential for the development of the material culture of male BDSM. The research finds that the primary contacts and inspiration came from outside of the emergent gay leather scene, in particular the cult of Houdini and publications that facilitated collecting of esoteric objects...

BACKGROUND: Hyomental distance (HMD), an anatomical feature of the upper airway, can be measured precisely by ultrasonography. But the sensitivity and specificity of HMD compared to thyromental distance (TMD) to predict difficult airways is still unknown. METHODS: A case-cohort study was conducted. The written informed consent was obtained. Elective surgery adult patients undergoing general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation were recruited. The other inclusion criteria were: no maxillofacial deformity, trauma, airway stenosis, known difficult airway...

In times of crisis, prophets tend to emerge in different realms including that of religion. This paper undertakes a Jungian analysis of the phenomenon presented between spiritual leader Osho and his disciples in the 1970s and 1980s, as an example of the risks entailed in the type of group process where leader and followers inadvertently identify with the collective archetypes of prophet and follower. Psychosocial situations that predispose the appearance of prophets are analysed, and cases of collective suicides in recent decades are recalled...

Despite the established health and ecological benefits of a plant-based diet, the decision to eschew meat and other animal-derived food products remains controversial. So polarising is this topic that anti-vegan communities - groups of individuals who stand vehemently against veganism - have sprung up across the internet. Much scholarship on veganism characterizes anti-vegans in passing, painting them as ill-informed, uneducated, or simply obstinate. However, little empirical work has investigated these communities and the individuals within them...

Eileithyia was the goddess of birth in Ancient Greek mythology. Daughter of Zeus and Hera, she was considered to be a pre-Hellenic goddess as her name was mentioned in several Linear B tablets from ancient Crete. Eileithyia was initially considered to have two functions, either to further childbirth or to protract and delay the labour. Sanctuaries dedicated to her divinity were found in different places of Greece, proving the importance of her cult in Ancient Greece.

Clay feet are heavy and disabling, sadly in the decolonial scholarly battlefield which otherwise requires all-weather feet suitable for ongoing battles. Drawing on autoethnographic experiences in some African universities and drawing on Melanesian cargo cults, this paper argues that to decolonise Africa, African academics should abate cargo cult mentalities which account for pathological and uncritical intellectual dependence on theories, ideas and models from elsewhere. Similarly, drawing on Melanesian bigmanism and drawing on how some academics seek to control how students and colleagues think and write, this paper contends that those that pose as bigmen and bigwomen in African universities are a serious threat to decolonial critical, creative, innovative and original thinking...

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) are an important part of ecosystem services (ESs). Correctly understanding the supply and demand relationship of CES is the premise of ES sustainable management and helps to improve human well-being. However, the evaluation and mapping of CES supply and demand represents a significant gap in ES research. Using the Shigou Township of Mizhi County in China as an example, in this study, we evaluated CES supply and demand at the village scale. We first considered three aspects of supply potential, accessibility and quality to construct an indicator system of six types of CES supply, including aesthetic (Aest), sense of place (SP), social relations (SR), cultural heritage (Cult), education (Edu) and recreation (Recr) and obtained demand data through a questionnaire...