American Native Research Articles

Brain gain from Asia: educational and occupational selection of Asian migrants into the United States

PurposeThis study investigates how working-age Asian immigrants' educational attainment and professional abilities when arriving in the United States have evolved over the past 4 decades and draws inferences on the impact of the US employment based visa policies.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the 1980, 1990 and 2000 census and American Community Survey for 2001 to 2019, the study adopts multivariate regression and regression discontinuity design to investigate the trends in educational and occupation selection among Asian immigrants and the association with policy changes in the H1B visa program.FindingsThe findings suggest that new Asian immigrants were more positively selected for education than non-Asian immigrants and US natives and this pattern of positive selection increased over time. Newly arrived South Asian and East Asian immigrants had the highest share of highly educated professionals than Southeast Asians and US-born persons. I infer that the enactment and changes in the H1-B program might have contributed to the changing patterns of the educational and occupational selection among East and South Asian Immigrants. The results also shed light on how Asian immigrants' skill selection might be related to the size of Asian diasporas in the US and sending countries' income, inequality and education level.Originality/valueThe story of changing the skill profile (educational and occupational profile) of newly arrived Asian immigrants during 1980–2019 can provide valuable policy implications. US immigration policies are routinely criticized for being inefficient and outdated. The economic prosperity of Asian countries over time also provides an excellent opportunity to test the theories pertaining to how sending countries' income, inequality and education level of the population are associated with Asian migrants' education and occupation when arriving in the US. This study can provide insightful perspectives for policymakers and business decision-makers to adapt to the changing demographics of Asian migrant workers. The most recent reports on Asian immigrants in the US highlighted the aggregated trends of migration flow and education. Still, none have provided a longitudinal and nuanced review of Asian immigrants' educational and occupational selection into the US.

A qualitative study of COVID-19 vaccine decision making among urban Native Americans

BackgroundSignificant disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality exist for Native American (NA) people, the majority of whom live in urban areas. COVID-19 vaccination is a key strategy for mitigating these disparities; however, vaccination disparities affect NA communities. The current study investigated COVID-19 vaccine decision-making before widespread vaccine rollout occurred, among urban NA communities. We aimed to understand vaccine decision-making factors to develop recommendations about COVID-19 vaccine outreach. MethodsWe conducted three in-depth virtual focus groups with 17 NA adults living in an urban community (Los Angeles County) between December 2020 and January 2021. Participants were recruited through NA community-based organizations and community stakeholders. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti. FindingsParticipants in this study identified two overarching themes with implications for health vaccination campaigns. First, participants described a need for tailored information and outreach, including NA vaccine outreach that addresses misconceptions about vaccine development to calm fears of experimentation and support communication of vaccine evidence specific to NA people. Second, participants suggested strategies to improve public health resources in the urban NA community, such as the need for unified, proactive communication across trusted NA entities, navigation support to improve vaccine accessibility, and adequately resourcing health partnerships with and among trusted NA community agencies for improved reach. ConclusionIn this qualitative study, we found that urban NA participants reported several factors that affected their vaccine decision-making, including a lack of tailored information for their communities. Our findings also underscore the need to work with tribes, tribal leadership, and urban NA serving organizations to coordinate vaccine communication and distribution to urban communities where the majority of NAs now reside. Further, these findings have implications for COVID-19 vaccine outreach among urban NA communities and demonstrate the need for clear and tailored engagement about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Global patterns of the cranial form of modern human populations described by analysis of a 3D surface homologous model

This study assessed the regional diversity of the human cranial form by using geometric homologous models based on scanned data from 148 ethnic groups worldwide. This method adopted a template-fitting technique for a nonrigid transformation via the iterative closest point algorithm to generate the homologous meshes. Through the application of principal component analysis to 342 sampled homologous models, the largest variation was detected in overall size, and small South Asian crania were clearly verified. The next greatest diversity was found in the length/breadth proportion of the neurocranium, which showed the contrast between the elongated crania of Africans and the globular crania of Northeast Asians. Notably, this component was slightly correlated with the facial profile. Well-known facial features, such as the forward projection of the cheek among Northeast Asians and compaction of the European maxilla, were reconfirmed. These facial variations were highly correlated with the calvarial outline, particularly the degree of frontal and occipital inclines. An allometric pattern was detected in facial proportions in relation to overall cranial size; in larger crania, the facial profiles tend to be longer and narrower, as demonstrated among many American natives and Northeast Asians. Although our study did not include data on environmental variables that are likely to affect cranial morphology, such as climate or dietary conditions, the large datasets of homologous cranial models will be usefully available for seeking various attributions to phenotypic skeletal characteristics.

Evaluation of disparities in maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors among female cancer survivors by race/ethnicity and US nativity

BackgroundThere are well-known racial/ethnic disparities in maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors throughout cancer survivorship among US-born women. Less is known about these associations among women born outside the US, as these women may experience disparities in survivorship care due to the lack of access to culturally appropriate health services. We evaluated disparities in the associations between race/ethnicity and US nativity and the likelihood of meeting recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle during cancer survivorship. Methods2044 female cancer survivors contributed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (1999–2018). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with multivariable logistic regression models to measure the association between independent variables (race/ethnicity, US nativity, length of time in the US) and outcomes (obesity, meeting weekly physical activity (PA) recommendations, smoking history, alcoholic drinks/day) overall and by comorbidity. ResultsMost survivors were breast cancer survivors (27.6 %), non-Hispanic white (64.2 %), and US native (84.5 %). Compared to US native survivors, foreign-born survivors were less likely (aOR, 0.30, 95 % CI, 0.10–0.87) to not meet PA recommendations, while foreign-born survivors living in the US ≥ 15 years were 2.30 times more likely (95 % CI, 1.12–4.73) to not meet PA recommendations. Having at least one comorbidity modified (p-interaction< 0.05) the relationships between US nativity and length of time in the US. ConclusionOur findings provide new evidence for disparities in maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors among female cancer survivors and can help inform lifestyle interventions for female cancer survivors from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Poetics of Dreams and Basket Weaving in Greg Sarris’ Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream

Mabel McKay, a renowned Pomo basket weaver and healer, left an indelible mark on Native American artistry, culture, and spirituality. Her life and work embody a profound connection between the poetics of dreams and the intricate art of basket weaving. This research article delves into McKay's life, analyzing the interplay between her dreams, spiritual beliefs, and the craftsmanship of basket weaving as depicted in "Weaving the Dream," her biography by Greg Sarris. It explores how McKay's dreams shaped her artistic expressions, examining the symbolism, cultural significance, and spiritual dimensions of her baskets.

The immunogenetic impact of European colonization in the Americas.

The introduction of pathogens originating from Eurasia into the Americas during early European contact has been associated with high mortality rates among Indigenous peoples, likely contributing to their historical and precipitous population decline. However, the biological impacts of imported infectious diseases and resulting epidemics, especially in terms of pathogenic effects on the Indigenous immunity, remain poorly understood and highly contentious to this day. Here, we examine multidisciplinary evidence underpinning colonization-related immune genetic change, providing contextualization from anthropological studies, paleomicrobiological evidence of contrasting host-pathogen coevolutionary histories, and the timings of disease emergence. We further summarize current studies examining genetic signals reflecting post-contact Indigenous population bottlenecks, admixture with European and other populations, and the putative effects of natural selection, with a focus on ancient DNA studies and immunity-related findings. Considering current genetic evidence, together with a population genetics theoretical approach, we show that post-contact Indigenous immune adaptation, possibly influenced by selection exerted by introduced pathogens, is highly complex and likely to be affected by multifactorial causes. Disentangling putative adaptive signals from those of genetic drift thus remains a significant challenge, highlighting the need for the implementation of population genetic approaches that model the short time spans and complex demographic histories under consideration. This review adds to current understandings of post-contact immunity evolution in Indigenous peoples of America, with important implications for bettering our understanding of human adaptation in the face of emerging infectious diseases.

Letter from the Editor

Editorial| August 01 2022 Letter from the Editor Mary Ann Irwin Mary Ann Irwin Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar California History (2022) 99 (3): 1. https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2022.99.3.1 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Mary Ann Irwin; Letter from the Editor. California History 1 August 2022; 99 (3): 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2022.99.3.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentCalifornia History Search This issue continues a California History tradition: exploring California Indian Country.1 Charles A. Sepulveda (Tongva and Acjachemen) begins our journey with “Hallucinations of the Spanish Imaginary and the Idealized Hotel California,” an article as moody and dystopic as its namesake song. Larisa K. Miller takes an indirect route, detailing the rise and fall of a white-led “save the Indian” group, the Northern California Indian Association, as it attempted to influence Bureau of Indian Affairs policies and actions in the state. William J. Bauer Jr. (Wailacki and Concow of the Round Valley Indian Tribes), Katrina M. Phillips (Red Cliff Ojibwe), and Margaret Heuttl (descended from Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibweg, Assyrian refugees, and European settlers) cross the plains virtually. In “Retracing The Oregon Trail,” they describe the challenges of reimagining a game that celebrated settler colonialism, in a way that honors and acknowledges Native American homelands and peoples. Each of... You do not currently have access to this content.

WINIKO: Life of an Object, First Americans Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

<i>WINIKO: Life of an Object</i>, First Americans Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

In infectious diseases, Echinacea comes to the rescue

E. purpurea has amazing medicinal properties that effectively deal with human diseases. Today, we find frightening figures in the WHO news about the increase in coronavirus infection and the number of deaths. This article presents a simple way of self-defense by increasing the body’s immune reactivity. In order to alleviate the condition and prevent not only COVID but also a variety of viral, as well as bacterial, and fungal infections, doctors can use the ornamental plant Echinacea (E.), which was once used by the indigenous people of America, the Indians, for almost all occasions. This article presents a small list of important biologically active components of E. and the range of their use, as well as a simple recipe for making a healing solution.

Cover

Journal of Neuroscience ResearchVolume 100, Issue 8 p. i-i COVERFree Access Cover First published: 13 July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.25095AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Minority serving institutions (MSIs) are in a unique position to contribute to the Neuroscience field by increasing the diversity in the workforce through trainees, but those institutions, trainees, and their faculty mentors are able to simultaneously propel the field forward in advances in cutting-edge neuroscience research. Enclosed are a few examples of neuroscience laboratories at MSIs from across the country who are engaged in neuroscience research, including North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Delaware State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, North Carolina Central University, University of North Texas, and Ponce Health Sciences University. In this neuronal depiction, the “dendritic” inputs from various categories of MSIs are diversifying the workforce and producing data that feeds into the field’s “axon”. (Special Note: MSIs also include Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Native American Indian Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions; and Predominately Black Institutions.) Volume100, Issue8Special Issue: Highlighting Neuroscience at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)August 2022Pages i-i RelatedInformation

Native American Indians, 1645‐1819

Native American Indians, 1645‐1819, a Readex database, describes itself as “every major book printed in North America about native peoples.” This resource contains more than 1,600 publications addressing the relationship between American Indians and European settlers. Its focus is on the British American colonies (after 1644) and roughly the first 40 years of the American republic (circa 1775‐1819), so it is not a comprehensive overview of the interactions between American Indians and Europeans in the U.S. Therefore, the above claim that this database contains “every major book printed” on this relationship is misleading. Nevertheless, it is an impressive collection of materials. The documents contain information (much of it primary sources) on 35 American Indian nations and other groupings. The database is not difficult to navigate. Unfortunately, no specific pricing is available. The licensing agreement for this database is long, overly complex, and often repetitive, but isn't especially unusual in its composition. Therefore, it presents only moderate reason for concern.

The Obfuscation of Native American Presence in the French Atlantic: Natchez Indians in Saint Domingue, 1731–1791

AbstractIn 1731 a French army in colonial Louisiana enslaved hundreds of Natchez families and shipped them to Saint-Domingue where they mostly disappear from the written records. This article analyzes tantalizing clues about Natchez families and other Native American slaves on the island during the eighteenth century. By examining slave runaway advertisements, rather than the official records of colonial administrators, it becomes clear that there were hundreds, if not thousands of slaves with Native American ancestry in Saint-Domingue by 1791. Neither the violence of slavery nor the violence of the archive itself can erase the tenacious survival of Natchez people and other Native Americans on the island. In addition to theorizing about the experiences of Natchez slaves, this article suggests that historians can no longer discount the contributions and experiences of Native American people to the history of Saint-Domingue and to the creation of Haiti.

American Indian Ideologies in The Round House

This paper focuses on the ideologies in the Native American context as represented in Louise Erdrich’s The Round House. In this paper, I intend to examine the connection between the change in the belief system and its effects on the socio-cultural practices of indigenous communities. I argue that behind the ethical crisis and change in indigenous ideologies, these elements play the keyholes: the imposition of foreign values in the interest of colonial authority, intercultural interactions, and the rise of individualism due to the loss of indigenous cultural memory. One of the key elements that keep the indigenous ideologies alive is folklore. Traditionally, the indigenous folklores work as effective means to circulate the ideologies that shape the lifestyle of the Native American people. However, due to the external influences, the story listening culture has declined, and its impact surfaces as ecological crisis and changes in their way of living. The consequences of the ethical crisis manifest in the key principles that guide the tribal lifestyle. For instance, ecological sustainability, collective responsibility, and social welfare influence the shifting belief system that promotes individualism, materialistic gain, and competitiveness. Similarly, colonial intervention promotes capitalism by exploiting natural resources and adopting other unethical means. To testify to my assumption, the ethical degeneration in the Native American society as the effect of the loss of indigenous ideological impact, I have examined The Round House and the folklores narrated within it.

Indigenous and Ecofeminist Reclamation and Renewal: The Ghost Dance in Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes

Early in the development of ecofeminist literary criticism, white feminists borrowed shallowly and unethically from Indigenous cultures. Using that underinformed discourse to interpret Native American women’s literature resulted in idealizing and silencing Indigenous women’s voices and concerns. Native American feminist literary critics have also asserted that a well-informed, inclusive “tribal-feminism” or Indigenous-feminist critical approach can be appropriate and productive, in that it focuses on unique and shared imbalances created by white patriarchal colonization, thinking, and ways of being that affect Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and cultures and the environment. In her third novel, Gardens in the Dunes, Leslie Marmon Silko interweaves an ecological critique of white imperialist botanical exploitation of landscapes and Indigenous peoples globally with both a celebration of Native American relationships to the land and Indigenous women’s resourceful resistance and an ecofeminist reclamation of European pagan/Great Goddess iconography, sacred landscapes, and white feminist autonomy. Expanding on earlier Indigenous-feminist readings, this ecofeminist analysis looks at a key trope in Gardens, the Ghost Dance, an environmentally and ancestrally focused nineteenth-century sacred resistance and reclamation rite. Silko’s is a late-twentieth-century literary adaptation/enactment in what is the continuing r/evolution of the Ghost Dance, a dynamic figure in Native American literature and culture.

North American Indian Ecological Traditions Reflected in Animal Dreams

Keeping harmony with nature is the essence of the native American Indian culture. This analysis underscores the North &#x0D; American Indian ecological traditions and mainly focuses on how the North American Indian people maintain a harmonious and &#x0D; balanced relationship with nature by efforts as reflected in Animal Dreams, Kingsolver’s novel.

518-P: “What Can I Eat?” Healthy Choices for American Indians and Alaska Natives with T2D: Facilitators’ and Participants’ Voices from a Virtual Diabetes Nutrition Education Program

“What Can I Eat? (WCIE) Healthy Choices for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) with T2D is a 5-lesson diabetes nutrition education program culturally adapted for AI/ANs with T2D. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) taught classes synchronously via Zoom at 5 reservation-based or urban inter-tribal sites nationwide throughout 2021. Each class included a didactic session, interactive learning activities, physical activity, a mindful eating activity, and goal setting. Participants were recruited through diabetes registries at each collaborating site. Participants were randomized to either the immediate or wait list control group. Virtual classes were taught weekly for 4 weeks (classes 1-4) with a 5th class 3 months after class 1. Participants and facilitating RDNs completed short answer feedback surveys after each class. A sample of participants (n=24) and all RDN/site coordinators (n=10) engaged in virtual focus groups after completing WCIE to understand their experiences of the program. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, as were the short answer post-class feedback surveys from participants (n=186) and RDNs (n=58) . Key themes emerged: 1) class satisfaction largely focused on peer-to-peer interaction, camaraderie, and broader support (e.g., tribe) ; 2) pros, cons, and tips to improve virtual classes; 3) preference for AI/AN RDN educator; 4) recommendations to improve recruitment and retention. These findings will guide program modifications prior to piloting in-person and peer-educator-led WCIE classes. Disclosure S.A.Stotz: n/a. N.O'banion: None. D.Pavli: None. H.Pontius: None. L.Scarton: None. J.Yanson: None. K.R.Moore: Consultant; Novo Nordisk. Ai/an wcie study group: n/a. A.G.Brega: None. M.C.Mcnulty: None. I.Adedoyin: None. G.Austin: None. K.R.Begay: None. N.Couture: None. H.Garrow: None. L.Jiang: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (4-18-SMSC-01)

519-P: “What Can I Eat?” Healthy Choices for American Indians and Alaska Natives with T2D: Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial Outcomes from a Nutrition Diabetes Education Program

“What Can I Eat? (WCIE) Healthy Choices for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) with T2D” is a 5-lesson diabetes nutrition education program culturally adapted for AI/ANs with T2D. Classes were taught synchronously via Zoom at 5 reservation-based or urban inter-tribal clinical sites nationwide in 2021. Classes were taught by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN) and topics included the diabetes plate, sugar sweetened beverages, heart healthy choices, food label reading. Class activities included didactic sessions, hands-on interactive learning, physical activity, mindful eating, and goal setting. Participants were recruited through diabetes registries at each collaborating site and randomized to either the immediate or the wait list group. The former group started classes immediately upon randomization; the latter started classes 3 months after randomization. Participants (N=58) were AI/AN adults with T2D (baseline data: mean age 58.6 +/-11.1 years, 26% male; BMI 33.8 (+/- 7.1)) . Before participation, each enrollee received a “class kit” including class activity resources and tools to collect evaluation data (i.e., scale, A1C kit, blood pressure monitor, and paper impact surveys) . Classes 1-4 were taught weekly for 4 weeks; the 5th class was taught 3 months after class #1. Data were collected at 3 timepoints: baseline, 1 month (after class 4) and 3 month (after class 5) . Outcomes included diabetes self-efficacy, behavior (physical activity and diet) , and clinical measures (BMI, blood pressure, A1c) . Linear mixed models were used to assess intervention effects on changes in outcome measures from baseline. No significant changes from pre to post were observed in behavior or clinical outcomes. Compared to the wait list group, the immediate group had greater increase in self-efficacy for using the diabetes plate at 1 and 3 months (ps&amp;lt;0.01) and for making healthy food choices at 1 month (p=0.047) . Disclosure K.R.Moore: Consultant; Novo Nordisk. D.Pavli: None. H.Pontius: None. J.Yanson: None. L.Jiang: None. Ai/an wcie study group: n/a. S.A.Stotz: n/a. A.G.Brega: None. M.C.Mcnulty: None. I.Adedoyin: None. G.Austin: None. N.Couture: None. H.Garrow: None. N.O'banion: None. Funding American Diabetes Association (4-18-SMSC-01)

The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp by Mira Ptacin

Reviewed by: The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp by Mira Ptacin Jade Hagan Keywords Camp Etna, Spiritualism, medium, communication with the dead, death, ghost, paranormal, women's rights movement, abolition movement mira ptacin. The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna. New York: Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2019. Pp. xxviii + 260. It is commonplace to describe Spiritualism in terms of a desire to communicate with the dead. Less recognized is the undead nature of that desire, and of Spiritualism itself. In The In-Betweens, Mira Ptacin demonstrates spiritualism's endurance, and enduring appeal, through her account of the presentday characters and historical contexts of Camp Etna, a still operational and little-known Spiritualist camp in rural Maine. Given the steady increase of academic studies of Spiritualism's nineteenth-century origins and contexts, Roger Luckhurst points out in a review that appeared in this journal in 2017 that new studies of Spiritualism have "to fight hard to find space to say something new in this area."1 Ptacin's focus on Spiritualism as it is practiced today, as well as her specific focus on the past and present of Camp Etna, are what enable her to "say something new." Through Ptacin's personal interviews of Camp Etna's members, direct participation in Spiritualist practices and events, and research in the Camp's archives, The In-Betweens not only contributes to our understanding of this particular camp's place in the history of Spiritualism, but also serves as a meditation on the state of religion and faith today. Although Camp Etna was once "one of the largest Spiritualist communities in the nation," it does not have the same recognizability as other Spiritualist camps such as Lily Dale or Cassadaga, in part due to its remote location in the middle of Maine (13). Ptacin's ostensible aim in visiting Camp Etna many times over several years, and in recovering its history in her book, is "to learn about how a strong, independent, faith-based subculture of women (and a few men) live and have lived for centuries, unbeknownst to most of us, in a specific way that is uniquely fulfilling to them" (xxii). Echoing major studies such as Ann Braude's Radical Spirits and Alex Owen's The Darkened Room that are concerned primarily with Spiritualism's challenges to traditional gender roles and ties to nineteenth-century women's rights movements, Ptacin goes further than these previous works in suggesting that the movement remains a source of empowerment for women today (xxii–xxiii, 78). But the scope of The In-Betweens is much broader than this characterization suggests. In under three hundred pages, Ptacin manages to traverse a wide range of issues in existing scholarship on Spiritualism: Spiritualism's connection to abolition and other social reform movements, the movement's fascination [End Page 155] with and appropriation of Native American culture, how Spiritualism fills a void in our culture's attitudes toward death, the relation of Spiritualism to mass media and the entertainment industry, the popular appeal of Spiritualism and critiques of organized religion, how the counterculture and New Age movements of the 1960s and '70s both preserved and transformed the legacy of Spiritualism, and debates about modernity and (dis)enchantment. Alternating between the past and present of Camp Etna, the introduction and nine chapters of The In-Betweens trace the ways in which Camp Etna has historically navigated these issues and continues to grapple with them today. Each of the nine chapters explores a different facet of Camp Etna through the lives of specific individuals and descriptions of specific practices. After Ptacin describes her aim in seeking out Camp Etna in the introduction, the first two chapters concentrate on the history of Spiritualism and Camp Etna. Many scholars will be familiar with the historical touchstones—the Fox sisters, the connection between Spiritualism and nineteenth-century women's rights and abolition movements—covered in the first chapter. But the second chapter's turn to Etna's camp historian, Diane Jackman Skolfield, who recounts the history of Camp Etna by way of "Etna's most famous medium," Mary Ann Scannell Pepper Vanderbilt, and her Native American spirit...

Measurement of electrical dyssynchrony in CRT patients: 12-lead ECG versus 96-lead body surface map

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant agency AZV, Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic Background Quantification of electrical dyssynchrony would allow optimization of lead placement and timing in patients with CRT. The standard deviation of activation times (SDAT) derived from body surface maps (BSM) was proposed as a measure of electrical dyssynchrony in CRT patients. However, SDAT derived from standard 12-lead ECG would be clinically preferred. Objective To evaluate and compare the SDAT measured from BSM and 12-lead ECG for assessment of electrical resynchronization in patients with implanted CRT. Methods CRT patients with sinus rhythm and LBBB at baseline (n=19, 58% males; age 60±11 years; NYHA class II-III; QRS 160±29) were studied using 96-lead BSM. For each ECG lead, the activation time was automatically detected and SDAT was calculated using either 96 leads or standard 12 leads. Electrical dyssynchrony was assessed during native sinus rhythm and 6 different pacing modes (see figure). Results SDAT calculated from BSM and 12-lead ECG decreased during optimal BiV pacing as compared to sinus rhythm by 26% (p=0.006) and 30% (p=0.003), respectively. The two other BiV setups showed also a decrease in SDAT values. Importantly, a high degree of reliability was found between values of SDAT obtained from12-lead ECG and 96-lead BSM for different pacing modes, the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.8 to 0.9 (95% CI 0.7 - 0.9, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusion SDAT assessment is considered an important metric of electrical dyssynchrony in CRT. Our results suggest that 12-lead ECG provides similar results as BSM and thus, allows simplification of the measurement. Further prospective studies are necessary to verify the clinical utility of SDAT from 12-lead ECG.

From the Editor’s Gable

The essays in the Spring 2022 issue of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Review cover a range of topics from Hawthorne and Christianity to Hawthorne’s view of the super/natural and his understanding of Native American culture; and from Hawthorne and nineteenth-century news/propaganda to a consideration of Hawthorne inflected through scientific, twenty-first-century understandings of digital knowledge.The two lead essays suggest a welcome resurgence of interest in The House of the Seven Gables. In the first essay, “Christian Moralism in The House of the Seven Gables,” Jonathan Cook presents a case for Hawthorne’s views of secularized moralistic forms in mid-nineteenth-century Protestantism through an analysis of the Pyncheon and Maule families amidst the backdrop of their feuding history in the novel. Cook brings his background in biblical history to bear on a religious dimension under-remarked since the work of Hyatt Waggoner.1 In fact, the Fall 2022 issue of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Review, on Hawthorne and religion, will be guest-edited by Cook. In the second essay of this collection, “‘A kind of privilege to haunt’: Settler-Structures, Land-Based Knowledge, and the Agency of the (Super)Natural in The House of the Seven Gables,” CJ Scruton represents another realm of Hawthorne, the supernatural, in Hawthorne’s famous second novel, a topic that is the recent focus of critical exploration.2 Scruton’s approach is unique in their consideration of the nexus between the natural and supernatural realms and the concomitant anxieties revolving around the early New England settlers’ conflict with natural spaces and Native American presence. Together with CJ Scruton, I am planning a special issue of NHR on Hawthorne, nature/Hawthorne, and the environment for our Spring 2023 issue. Please note the details for “Call for Papers” for Spring 2023 is at the end of this issue.The third essay in this issue is quite timely, as it explores the idea of fake news and conspiracy theory so prevalent today. In “‘A respectable narrative’: The Viral Load in ‘Mr. Higginbotham’s Catastrophe,’” Hannah Murray makes the case that Dominicus Pike, the main character of the story, attempting to increase his importance in terms of social mobility and cultural capital, comes up with stories (which move from gossip, to oral tales, to print media). However, his comeuppance is that his new and fraudulent sense of identity is his unmaking. The final two essays in this issue speak to a positive use of technology—in the realm of computers, as a source for positive communication. Gale Temple, in “The Hermeneutics of Implication and Inference: Actor-Network Theory, The Scarlet Letter, and the Hawthorne Digital Archive,” explores how the Hawthornean model for community-making offers us a creative way of connecting literary interpretation with digital resources. In the final essay of this issue, “A Meaning Apart from Its Indistinguishable Words,” Erik Fredner analyzes how Hawthorne is different from his fellow writers and how his ambivalence can be detected through quantitative methods; Fredner’s analysis culminates in showing the satirical elements of “The Procession of Life.”The Spring 2022 issue ends again this year with a carefully wrought annual bibliography written by my former graduate student Alexis Grainger, who has an eye for detail and precision. Finally, we conclude the issue with, unfortunately, news again of the death of another important scholar, Joel Myerson, who has brought scholars many ideas and materials (and a sense of drama) to help us understand the American Renaissance better.