Remote prescribing and becoming a key opinion leader

Sharon Bennett details her recent meeting with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and discusses the work that goes into being a key opinion leader

Bolivia’s opposition to rally support over land policy

Significance Under the governorship of opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho, Santa Cruz is insisting that land demarcation is a local responsibility. A recent meeting between the authorities to debate the issue had to be aborted for fear of clashes between supporters of regional autonomy and those backing the national administration. Impacts Camacho will seek to coordinate with civic organisations elsewhere to orchestrate dissent. Tensions over landholding in Santa Cruz will be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Future land demarcation is unlikely to involve widespread expropriation of private estates.

Introducing Jeri Wieringa

Despite the rising popularity of digital scholarship in the humanities, there still exists a great deal of tension between this new scholarship and more traditional methods. Primarily the concern lies in how to measure the work done between the two, with many seeing the former as less taxing than traditional methods and requiring additional work out of those pursuing digital scholarship. In a recent meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), Jeri E. Wieringa spoke on a panel that showcased the digital work in the humanities so as to highlight the need for academia to better incorporate digital scholarship. Her talk, discussed prominently in this paper, highlighted her doctoral work and clearly expressed the similarities between traditional and digital methods of scholarly research.

Reproductive biology is alive and well in the west

This report describes a recent meeting of the Endocrine and Reproductive Biology Society of Western Australia (ERBSWA) on 23 July 2019, and summarises the research presented and the prizes awarded.

Knowledge gaps and research priorities in tuberculous meningitis

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe and disabling form of tuberculosis (TB), accounting for around 1-5% of the global TB caseload, with mortality of approximately 20% in children and up to 60% in persons co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus even in those treated. Relatively few centres of excellence in TBM research exist and the field would therefore benefit from greater co-ordination, advocacy, collaboration and early data sharing. To this end, in 2009, 2015 and 2019 we convened the TBM International Research Consortium, bringing together approximately 50 researchers from five continents. The most recent meeting took place on 1st and 2nd March 2019 in Lucknow, India. During the meeting, researchers and clinicians presented updates in their areas of expertise, and additionally presented on the knowledge gaps and research priorities in that field. Discussion during the meeting was followed by the development, by a core writing group, of a synthesis of knowledge gaps and research priorities within seven domains, namely epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, host-directed therapy, critical care and implementation science. These were circulated to the whole consortium for written input and feedback. Further cycles of discussion between the writing group took place to arrive at a consensus series of priorities. This article summarises the consensus reached by the consortium concerning the unmet needs and priorities for future research for this neglected and often fatal disease.

Tuberculous meningitis: new tools and new approaches required

Tuberculous meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis and causes widespread mortality and morbidity. Understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis is incomplete, and the optimal diagnosis and treatment are poorly defined. To generate research collaboration and coordination, as well as to promote sharing of ideas and advocacy efforts, the International Tuberculous Meningitis Research Consortium was formed in 2009. During the most recent meeting of this group in Lucknow, India, in March 2019, the Consortium decided to bring together key articles on tuberculous meningitis in one supplement. The supplement covers recent scientific updates, expert perspectives on specific clinical challenges, consensus statements on how to conduct research, and a set of priorities for future investigation.

Peace process becomes US-Afghan contest

Significance Ghani is trying to counter what he sees as precipitate decisions made during US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad's recent meeting with Taliban representatives, which include a US troop drawdown and reportedly the formation of a transitional government. Impacts A parallel Russian-led process gives the Taliban an alternative platform, but Moscow has little to offer compared to Washington. Ghani's political opponents are using the Russian talks as a venue for bargaining separately with the Taliban. Fissures within the Taliban raise questions about whether delegates to talks are representative or empowered.

IS A LARGE-SCALE SCREENING FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE POSSIBLE? YES, IN A FEW YEARS

Recent evidence on blood-based biomarkers is pointing the way towards a new era of large-scale, feasible, cost-effective and non-invasive screening for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This was one of the main focuses of the recent meeting of the European Union-North American Clinical Trials in AD (EU/US CTAD) Task Force, which took place in Barcelona in October 24-27, 2018, and convened drug and diagnostics developers from industry and academia in order to define a roadmap for the development and marketing of blood-based biomarkers (1).

From the Editor

Before introducing this bumper issue of Projections, I have some exciting news to announce. At the most recent meeting of the Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image (SCSMI), the Board of Directors voted to approve a proposal to commence publishing Projections three times per year starting in 2019. This change is indicative of a steady trend of increasing, high-quality submissions, which not only allows us to publish more and publish more often, but also sends us a positive sign that our reputation for pioneering, interdisciplinary research is attracting attention from more and more scholars.

Assessing and Adapting Rituals That Reproduce a Collectivity

Tantrists, non-monastic religious specialists of Tibetan Buddhism, constitute a diffuse, non-centralized form of clergy. In an area like Repkong, where they present a high demographic density, large-scale supra-local annual ritual gatherings of tantrists are virtually synonymous with, and crucial for, their collective existence. In the largest of these rituals, the ‘elders’ meeting’ is in effect an institutionalized procedure for evaluating the ritual performance, its conditions and effects, and, if necessary, for adjusting aspects of the ritual. At a recent meeting, the ‘elders’ decided to abandon a powerful and valued but violent and problematical component of the ritual, due to its potential detrimental effects on the fabric of social relations on which the ritual depends for its continued existence. Thus, a highly scripted, ‘liturgy-centered’ ritual (per Atkinson) can be adapted to the social context. The specialists of these textual rituals demonstrate collectively an expertise that extends into the sociological dynamics surrounding the ritual.