Memorial Lecture Research Articles

Pearl Memorial Lecture. Humans at the extremes: Exploring human adaptation to ecological and social stressors.

The field of human biology has long explored how human populations have adapted to extreme environmental circumstances. Yet, it has become increasingly clear that conditions of social stress, poverty, and lifestyle change play equally important roles in shaping human biological variation and health. In this paper, I provide a brief background on the foundational human adaptability research of the International Biological Programme (IBP) from the 1960s, highlighting how its successes and critiques have shaped current research directions in the field. I then discuss and reflect on my own field research that has examined the influence of both environmental and social stresses on human populations living in different ecosystems: the Peruvian Andes, the Siberian arctic, and the Bolivian rainforest. Finally, I consider how the papers in this special issue advance our understanding of human adaptability to extreme conditions and offer directions for future research. Drawing on our field's distinctive evolutionary and biocultural perspectives, human biologists are uniquely positioned to examine how the interplay between social and ecological domains influences the human condition.

The author as revenue sharer: lecture in memory of William R. Cornish

The author as revenue sharer: lecture in memory of William R. Cornish

Pioneer of human behaviour change science to deliver Wooldridge Lecture.

The 56th annual Wooldridge Memorial Lecture will be delivered at BVA Congress 2023 by Professor Susan Michie, pioneer of groundbreaking research exploring how influencing people's actions can have a positive impact on health and sustainability.

Group relations organisations and conferences as a fractal of society: how group relations work in different countries has been shaped by national variables of history, economics, politics, culture, and geography

This article follows the Eric Miller memorial lecture given on 1 April 2023. Based on interviews with many group relations practitioners worldwide, the article explores how group relations organisations and conferences are shaped by national variables of history, economics, politics, culture, and geography. Links between current practices in organisations and the connection of those practices to background forces are suggested. The significance of the patrons of group relations work, geography, religion and spirituality, trauma, and origin stories for the development of organisations and conferences are examined. Some current worldwide system dynamics are explored. The author's identity as an American, White man, and its relevance to the research is considered.

Post-Peak China in Africa?

China’s increased engagements in Africa over the past two decades have been as notable as they have been controversial. While some have predicted China’s economic stagnation as a result of issues such as debt, supply chain shortening as a result of the impacts of COVID and the impact of strict lockdowns in that country, others see its economy dramatically rebounding. However, it appears that Chinese lending to Africa has now peaked and is in precipitous decline. Other indicators of economic engagement have also decreased and other powers are also now vigorously contesting for space on the continent. This paper examines whether or not we are now in a period “post-peak China in Africa” and the reconfiguration of strategies of influence. The original Ian Taylor Memorial Lecture under the same title held on April 27, 2023 at the University of Pécs has been edited and headings added for clarity, and references included/provided.

ESG en Route to Statism

The following is the text of the 2023 Henry Hazlitt Memorial Lecture, sponsored by Harvey and Mei Allison, given at the Austrian Economics Research Conference, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, Alabama.

International Scientific Conference “XXIII Ivanov Memorial Lectures” (St. Petersburg, May 19, 2023)

International Scientific Conference “XXIII Ivanov Memorial Lectures” (St. Petersburg, May 19, 2023)

Title Page and Inside Cover

This is the third issue of COMPASS: The Student Anthropology Journal of Alberta. This feature includes undergraduate, MA, and PhD research of students at the University of Alberta and spans sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology-related themes. One of the articles in this issue stems from award-winning research that was presented at the 29th Annual Richard Frucht Memorial Lecture Series and Student Conference (2023). Popovych (2023) was awarded the Second Place Prize for the Graduate Podium Presentation Category. We would like to thank our staff and all submissions for their hard work and dedication allowing this issue to come to fruition. Please send all editorial correspondence to compass@ualberta.ca

Nominations for the Eric O. Forster Memorial Lecture

Nominations for the Eric O. Forster Memorial Lecture

Individual Psychology as Second-Person Psychology: Heinz L. and Rowena R. Ansbacher Memorial Lecture

ABSTRACT: Exploring the membership archives of the North American Society of Adlerian Psychology (NASAP, initially ASAP) from 1952 until the early 2000s revealed many hidden treasures. The applications from the 1950s to the 1980s, most completed by hand, share applicants’ reasons for joining, their education and training background in Individual Psychology, their fields of interest, and their professional activities. Early files also contain letters of reference, each ending with a confirmation that an “applicant’s orientation can be classified as Adlerian” or a similar endorsement. This article presents the demographic profiles of the 6,357 NASAP applicants between 1952 and 2009, focusing on professional identity, theoretical orientation, and commitment to Adlerian values, as expressed in these application materials. The second-person interactions that were prominent and popular in the Adlerian movement in the United States through the 1990s—teaching, correspondence, mentorship, open forums, and other you -focused activities—likely contributed to high NASAP membership numbers between 1952 and the early 1990s.

Comments on Jessica Gordon-Nembhard’s “Black Political Economy, Solidarity Economics, and Liberation: Toward an Economy of Caring and Abundance”

This is an immanent discussion of the paper presented by Professor Jessica Gordon-Nembhard for the 2023 David Gordon Memorial Lecture given at the Allied Social Science Association annual meeting, Union of Radical Political Economy session. The discussion is organized around eight references (excluding Gordon-Nembhard) cited in the paper. These references represent specific theoretical perspectives and practical experiences in the fields of political economy, Black political economy, and Black feminist political economy, as well as psychology and cultural studies. The goal is to place this article and the work of Gordon-Nembhard within a variety of political economy and interdisciplinary traditions, and highlight its importance. JEL Classifications: B40, B55, P51

Prelim

Special Issue on Covid-19 Pandemic and African Economies (Including a Revised Text of the Second Thandika Mkandawire Annual Memorial Lecture)

Editorial

Editorial

Medicine in history and history in medicine: the inaugural Davis Coakley Memorial Lecture

Professor Davis Coakley (1946–2022) was an outstanding physician, historian, and leader of reform in medical services and education. This inaugural Davis Coakley Memorial Lecture, delivered in The Edward Worth Library at Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, on 28 September 2023, focuses on ‘Medicine in History & History in Medicine’. It explores the position of the physician-historian in medical historiography, discusses Coakley’s extensive historical work (especially his many books about the history of medicine), and concludes with comments about one of Coakley’s great interests: the work of Sir William Wilde (1815–1876). Sir William was a prominent Victorian doctor, father of playwright Oscar, and remarkably prescient commentator on public health in Ireland. Sir William’s comments about patterns of epidemics are especially arresting and relevant today in the immediate wake of COVID-19. Coakley’s interest in Sir William echoed Coakley’s broader commitment to medical care, progressive education, and genuine scholarship that shed light on suffering, illness, healing, and recovery. The fields of both medicine and history are greatly enriched by Coakley’s life and work.

Policing, Lethal Force, and the Struggle for Equal Treatment: The Doug Purvis Memorial Lecture

La présente allocution, la conférence à la mémoire de Doug Purvis, présentée en juin 2022 à l’occasion du 56e congrès annuel de l’Association canadienne d’économie, se penche sur l’évolution de l’utilisation de la force mortelle au cours du siècle dernier et les vagues de protestation en réponse à cette violence. Elle se concentre en particulier sur les facteurs de causalité sous-jacents à l’augmentation rapide du nombre de décès de civils dans les années 1960-1970 et après 2008. S’agissant de la première période, les principaux facteurs de causalité sont la négociation collective, la militarisation et probablement le rôle croissant du gouvernement fédéral dans l’application de la loi, alors que l’augmentation de la diversité contribue à atténuer ces facteurs. En ce qui concerne le pic de violence policière après 2008, cette contribution analyse les causes potentielles, en particulier la militarisation, l’engagement civil croissant et la polarisation, ainsi qu’un large éventail de politiques d’atténuation. En ce qui a trait au rôle des protestations, les soulèvements contre la violence policière dans les années 1960 et 1970 ont entraîné des coûts communautaires importants, une diminution du soutien politique à la réforme de la police et une augmentation des niveaux de violence policière à l’encontre des civils. En revanche, les manifestations du mouvement « Black Lives Matter » d’aujourd’hui conservent un appui solide du public et entraînent une baisse significative de l’utilisation de la force mortelle. Cette allocution se termine par une discussion sur les options politiques et les recommandations à l’intention des gouvernements, des services de police et des manifestants dans le but de réduire l’utilisation de la force létale aux États-Unis et au Canada.

Liquid Propulsion Systems in ISRO - Evolution and Perspective

The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) which was formally constituted as a lead Centre for advanced propulsion systems development in ISRO on 1st June 1987 celebrates Silver Jubilee during 2012. LPSC has the mandate of supporting both the Launch Vehicle and Spacecraft programmes of ISRO. Starting with small Liquid Propellant Control Thrusters and Reaction Control/SITVC system development for SLV-3, today the activities of LPSC have grown many fold and encompasses integration and delivery of Liquid Propellant Booster Stages, Cryogenic Upper Stages and total Spacecraft Propulsion systems. Indigenization and production of Vikas Engine, realisation of Cryogenic Upper Stage for GSLV and the development of 200kN thrust Cryogenic Engine for GSLV-MkIII are some of the challenging assignments handled by LPSC which is also gearing up for the 2000kN thrust Lox-Kerosene Semi-Cryo Engine development. It has been a remarkable span of twenty five years of intense learning and accomplishment.
 In this article, based on the AR & DB Satish Dhawan Memorial lecture delivered in June 2012 for Aeronautical Society of India, the evolution of Liquid Propulsion Systems development in ISRO and their increasing role in the current Indian Launch Vehicle programmes as well as the Spacecraft missions viz. IRS, GSAT, Chandrayan etc is described. The new initiatives in advanced propulsion systems such as Electric Propulsion for satellites and 2000kN thrust Semi-cryo engine development for future ISRO launch vehicles are also outlined.

Prediction of Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) After Radiation Therapy Using Imaging and Molecular Biomarkers and Multivariate Modelling.

The aim of this study was to design a predictive radiobiological model of normal brain tissue in low-grade glioma following radiotherapy based on imaging and molecular biomarkers. Fifteen patients with primary brain tumors prospectively participated in this study and underwent radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained from the patients, including T1- and T2-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and a generalized equivalent dose (gEUD) was calculated. The radiobiological model of the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) was performed using the variables gEUD; axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of the corpus callosum; and serum protein S100B by univariate and multivariate logistic regression XLIIIrd Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium (2018). Changes in AD, RD, and S100B from baseline up to the 6months after treatment had an increasing trend and were significant in some time points (P-value < 0.05). The model resulting from RD changes in the 6months after treatment was significantly more predictable of necrosis than other univariate models. The bivariate model combining RD changes in Gy40 dose-volume and gEUD, as well as the trivariate model obtained using gEUD, RD, and S100B, had a higher predictive value among multivariate models at the sixth month of the treatment. Changes in RD diffusion indices and in serum protein S100B value were used in the early-delayed stage as reliable biomarkers for predicting late-delayed damage (necrosis) caused by radiation in the corpus callosum. Current findings could pave the way for intervention therapies to delay the severity of damage to white matter structures, minimize cognitive impairment, and improve the quality of life of patients with low-grade glioma.

The Arts as a Vocation

Abstract This article is a revised version of the 2022 Michael Volkerling Memorial Lecture. It offers insights for the GLAM sector into the history of Australian national cultural policy (NCP), now in a new phase with the delivery of Revive in January 2023. It draws on the author's experience as a theatre director, a researcher into evaluation methods, and a policy activist to reflect on the challenges facing cultural policies at the current time. If arts organizations confront tough questions about diversity and inclusion, what happened to the economic ones of market efficiency and value-add that seemed all-consuming just a few years ago? The article utilizes Max Weber's conception of “a vocation” to reconsider the aims and purpose of an NCP. As the world contends with problems of entrenched inequality, catastrophic climate change, and democratic deficit, how can cultural policies, as distinct from other kinds, address these? Should they even try?

The Gordon Memorial Lecture: Laying hen welfare

ABSTRACT Preference tests remain a useful tool in the assessment of laying hen welfare and have been used to establish what types of resources and enrichments are most likely to meet the birds’ needs. Evidence on the underlying structure of bird preference suggests that hens make stable and reliable choices across time and context. This means that their preferences can also be used as a benchmark in the validation of other welfare indicators. Hens have sophisticated cognitive abilities. They are quick to form associations between events and they are flexible in how they apply their knowledge in different contexts. However, they may not form expectations about the world in the same way as some mammalian species. Limited research in this area to date seems to show that hens judge situations in absolute terms rather than evaluating how a situation may be improving or deteriorating. The proportion of hens housed in cage-free systems is increasing globally, providing birds with greater behavioural freedom. Many of the problems associated with cage-free systems, such as keel bone fractures, mortality and injurious pecking, are slowly reducing due to improved experience and appropriate changes in rearing practices, diet, housing design and alignment of breeding goals. However, much remains to be done. The design and performance of veranda-based systems which provide hens with fresh air and natural light is a promising avenue for future research aimed at optimising hen welfare and improving sustainability.

Persistence, vision, networks, collaboration - leadership in information retrieval research

The library and information science community has its share of inspirational research pioneers building a corpus of knowledge to influence and construct the future. Intuitive search interface design, the psychology and mechanics of information retrieval and information seeking behaviour are key development priorities. In December 2021, Ian Ruthven, Professor of Information Seeking and Retrieval at the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, presented the seventh annual Strix Memorial Lecture entitled: ‘Google’s what you use when Alexa doesn’t know the answer, Uncle Ian.’ It was inspired by an innocent comment made by his young niece. People create their own models of how information works for them. Information seeking behaviour is social and shaped by life, so there are infinite iterations of queries and limitless perceived solutions to perceived problems. We explore Ian’s work and his observation that there is so much potential to progress research by placing information seeking and retrieval within the broader societal and cultural framework of what people or populations want from or do with information.