In this essay, we will present arguments for a negative answer to the debate question: "Is publishing ethnobiology data respectful of Indigenous and Local Knowledge holders' rights?" We recognize that ethnobiological research has advanced in recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC), but we believe that we still have a long way to go in deconstructing colonialism in ethnobiology. In order to be truly respectful, ethnobiologists need to collaborate with IPLC to achieve an ethical science with equity between knowledge systems, fostering the co-production of knowledge from an intercultural science perspective. This essay was written by a group of Brazilian scientists, both IPLC and non-IPLC, and reflects a perspective of the academic universe seen from the place we are, in this multicultural and imbalanced world.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBennett and colleagues' paper aims to synthesize the existing frameworks to identify and monitor unhealthy commodity industry's (UCI's) influence on health "to create a template surveillance system to be used by national governments across industries." In this commentary, we argue that to achieve a robust government-led national surveillance system, some challenges should be considered, such as () addressing power asymmetries between government and UCIs involved in policy-making, () evaluating competing interests among government constituencies to achieve policy coherence around health issues, and () contemplate whether governments rely on private or corporate donors and partners that may threaten financing and operationalization of the surveillance. Suggestions on how to overcome these challenges are beyond the scope of this commentary, but we discuss some cases of bottom-up approaches from organized groups aiming to hold UCIs accountable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper describes the development and implementation of a mobile craniofacial surgical unit designed to address complex posttraumatic craniofacial deformities in both civilian and military casualties resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Restricted air space, limited possibilities for transportation of personnel and equipment, frequent interruption of power and water supply, and constant threat of injury to patients and medical personnel from missile and drone strikes, precludes reliable and safe delivery of tertiary care. The Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP) addressed these challenges by establishing a mobile craniofacial surgery unit, operating just outside of the war zone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions.
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