Religion as practices of attachment and materiality: the making of Buddhism in contemporary London

This article aims to explore Buddhism’s often-overlooked presence on London’s urban landscape, showing how its quietness and subtlety of approach has allowed the faith to grow largely beneath the radar. It argues that Buddhism makes claims to urban space in much the same way as it produces its faith, being as much about the practices performed and the spaces where they are enacted as it is about faith or beliefs. The research across a number of Buddhist sites in London reveals that number of people declaring themselves as Buddhists has indeed risen in recent years, following the rise of other non-traditional religions in the UK; however, this research suggests that Buddhism differs from these in several ways. Drawing on Baumann’s (2002) distinction between traditionalist and modernist approaches to Buddhism, our research reveals a growth in each of these. Nevertheless, Buddhism remains largely invisible in the urban and suburban landscape of London, adapting buildings that are already in place, with little material impact on the built environment, and has thus been less subject to contestation than other religious movements and traditions. This research contributes to a growing literature which foregrounds the importance of religion in making contemporary urban and social worlds

Neurological and behavioral abnormalities, ventricular dilatation, altered cellular functions, inflammation, and neuronal injury in brains of mice due to common, persistent, parasitic infection.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, approximately two billion people are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii with largely unknown consequences. METHODS: To better understand long-term effects and pathogenesis of this common, persistent brain infection, mice were infected at a time in human years equivalent to early to mid adulthood and studied 5-12 months later. Appearance, behavior, neurologic function and brain MRIs were studied. Additional analyses of pathogenesis included: correlation of brain weight and neurologic findings; histopathology focusing on brain regions; full genome microarrays; immunohistochemistry characterizing inflammatory cells; determination of presence of tachyzoites and bradyzoites; electron microscopy; and study of markers of inflammation in serum. Histopathology in genetically resistant mice and cytokine and NRAMP knockout mice, effects of inoculation of isolated parasites, and treatment with sulfadiazine or alphaPD1 ligand were studied. RESULTS: Twelve months after infection, a time equivalent to middle to early elderly ages, mice had behavioral and neurological deficits, and brain MRIs showed mild to moderate ventricular dilatation. Lower brain weight correlated with greater magnitude of neurologic abnormalities and inflammation. Full genome microarrays of brains reflected inflammation causing neuronal damage (Gfap), effects on host cell protein processing (ubiquitin ligase), synapse remodeling (Complement 1q), and also increased expression of PD-1L (a ligand that allows persistent LCMV brain infection) and CD 36 (a fatty acid translocase and oxidized LDL receptor that mediates innate immune response to beta amyloid which is associated with pro-inflammation in Alzheimer's disease). Immunostaining detected no inflammation around intra-neuronal cysts, practically no free tachyzoites, and only rare bradyzoites. Nonetheless, there were perivascular, leptomeningeal inflammatory cells, particularly contiguous to the aqueduct of Sylvius and hippocampus, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and activated microglia in perivascular areas and brain parenchyma. Genetically resistant, chronically infected mice had substantially less inflammation. CONCLUSION: In outbred mice, chronic, adult acquired T. gondii infection causes neurologic and behavioral abnormalities secondary to inflammation and loss of brain parenchyma. Perivascular inflammation is prominent particularly contiguous to the aqueduct of Sylvius and hippocampus. Even resistant mice have perivascular inflammation. This mouse model of chronic T. gondii infection raises questions of whether persistence of this parasite in brain can cause inflammation or neurodegeneration in genetically susceptible hosts

Policy Feedback and the Politics of the Affordable Care Act

There is a large body of literature devoted to how “policies create politics” and how feedback effects from existing policy legacies shape potential reforms in a particular area. Although much of this literature focuses on self‐reinforcing feedback effects that increase support for existing policies over time, Kent Weaver and his colleagues have recently drawn our attention to self‐undermining effects that can gradually weaken support for such policies. The following contribution explores both self‐reinforcing and self‐undermining policy feedback in relationship to the Affordable Care Act, the most important health‐care reform enacted in the United States since the mid‐1960s. More specifically, the paper draws on the concept of policy feedback to reflect on the political fate of the ACA since its adoption in 2010. We argue that, due in part to its sheer complexity and fragmentation, the ACA generates both self‐reinforcing and self‐undermining feedback effects that, depending of the aspect of the legislation at hand, can either facilitate or impede conservative retrenchment and restructuring. Simultaneously, through a discussion of partisan effects that shape Republican behavior in Congress, we acknowledge the limits of policy feedback in the explanation of policy stability and change

Field Report: Anna Plains and Roebuck Bay Benthic Invertebrate Mapping 2016

This project has been funded by the Department of Parks and Wildlife partnership with BHP Billiton “Eighty Mile Beach and Walyarta Conservation Program”, with in-kind support from NIOZ and Wetland Research & Management This report was produced at the Broome Bird Observatory in late October 2016. Abstract 1. This is a report on repeat surveys on the state of the benthic invertebrates at two internationally important areas of intertidal mudflats in northwest Australia (Roebuck Bay and Eighty Mile Beach) during October 2016. In the period 6-19 October 2016, we mapped the invertebrate macrobenthic animals (those retained by a 1 mm sieve) at the main intertidal sites of West Kimberley, WA: Eighty Mile Beach and Roebuck Bay. We revisited almost the entire intertidal area along Eighty Mile Beach that was ‘benthically’ mapped in October 1999. The benthic animals of the northern mudflats of Roebuck Bay had been mapped in 1997, 2000, 2002, and 2006; we revisited as many as possible of these previously established sampling stations along the northern shore. 2. Our team comprised close to 100 participants with greatly varying levels of experience, though similarly high motivation and enthusiasm. At Eighty Mile Beach we visited 816 sampling stations laid out in a grid of 200 m intersections over 7 separate areas along ca. 75 km of beach (from 10 km north of the Anna Plains Station beach access to 65 km south). In the northern part of Roebuck Bay, we visited 534 sampling stations also laid out in a grid with 200 m intersections (but with distance of 400 m in the southeast). We made notes on the surface features on the mud, including the presence or absence of seagrass and various macrofauna. In the course of digging up, sieving, and sorting the mud samples from all stations, we identified and measured 32,500 individual invertebrates. We tried to identify all animals groups up to the level of species if possible, all on the basis of morphological differences. These species were often given field names, as time and means (literature or access to internet) did not allow us to always attach a proper scientific name. In addition, it is very likely that some of the species are still undescribed. Animals were preserved on ethanol for a more thorough scientific identification at a later date. 3. This time we surveyed two very distinct sections of the West Kimberley coast. Roebuck Bay represents a true embayment that is semi-enclosed by mangroves along the eastern, and some of the western shores, and by cliff and pindan woodlands in the north. Eighty Mile Beach stretches over 200 km along the open Indian Ocean facing northwest. In this environment, the intertidal mud- and sandflat area stretches from 1-5 km wide from shore to sea and is enclosed by sand dunes and a few mangroves. Despite the two systems being very important as nonbreeding areas for the same species of long-distance migrant shorebirds, their geomorphology and ecology are very distinct. 4. At both areas the biodiversity of benthic animals was very high compared with other intertidal soft sediment areas across in the world. In Roebuck Bay, 368 species were found, and at Eighty Mile Beach 156 species, providing a total of 433 species/taxa. The most diverse group were the Polychaeta with 167 species, followed by Crustacea (74), Bivalvia (59), Gastropoda (59), and Echinodermata (35). All other groups total less than 12 species. 5. The two areas have 92 species in common, which in the case of Eighty Mile Beach means that 60% of the species also occur in Roebuck Bay. Major groups not found at Eighty Mile Beach were Asteroidea, Brachiopoda, Hirudinea, Oligochaeta, Platyhelminthes, Polyplacophora, and Pycnogonida. Most of these groups were also rare in Roebuck Bay, but the absence of Brachiopoda (lamp-shells) and Pycnogonida (seaspiders) at Eighty Mile Beach came as a surprise. Some species, including two species of Spionidae (Polychaeta) common at Eighty Mile Beach were either absent or extremely rare at Roebuck Bay. Furthermore, a small seacucumber with dark coloured spots all over its body, another larger seacucumber Paracaudina chilensis, two bivalve species of the genus Tellina, and two species of anemones were not found in Roebuck Bay. Yet, Roebuck Bay had many more species (277) not found at Eighty Mile Beach, the most common of these was the relatively large bivalve Tellina piratica, followed by the smooth tusk shell (Laevidentalium lubricatum), and the polychaete family Sternaspidae. 6. The large difference in biodiversity between Roebuck Bay and Eighty Mile Beach may be caused by different factors. Roebuck Bay has a greater variety of sedimentary habitats than Eighty Mile Beach. Eighty Mile Beach is completely exposed to the waves of Indian Ocean, while Roebuck Bay is protected by the peninsula on which Broome is situated. Therefore, notorious ‘ecosystem engineers’ such as the seagrasses occur quite extensively on the intertidal area of Roebuck Bay, but are not found at Eighty Mile Beach. These seagrass mats of Halodula uninervis and Halophila ovalis form special habitat for e.g. the little snail Smaragdia souverbiana. The influence of Broome city by episodic sewage and fertilizer releases, of which blooms of the cyanobacteria Lyngbya are an indication, can may well have a negative influence; opportunistic widespread species other than Lyngbya may of course benefit from the additional nutrient inputs. 7. Local communities and the land-owners actively participated in both expeditions. Several DPAW ranger groups (Yawuru, Karajarri and Nyangumarta) joined the sampling and also aided in the identification of species. Angela Rossen (WAMSI) spearheaded a biodiversity project that involved pupils from Cable Beach Primary School. We believe that we have raised wide awareness and generated considerable enthusiasm for the ecology of a unique contribution of northwest Australia to the world. 8. Based on their outstanding universal values, we recommend that the WA government consider an application of the joint marine reserves of Eighty Mile Beach and Roebuck Bay for World Heritage Status, thus joining China and South Korea in acknowledging and protecting this shared heritage

Jupiter Thermospheric General Circulation Model (JTGCM): Global structure and dynamics driven by auroral and Joule heating

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94793/1/jgre1837.pd

Role of nonhuman primate models in the discovery and clinical development of selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs)

Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) represent a new class of progesterone receptor ligands that exert clinically relevant tissue-selective progesterone agonist, antagonist, partial, or mixed agonist/antagonist effects on various progesterone target tissues in an in vivo situation depending on the biological action studied. The SPRM asoprisnil is being studied in women with symptomatic uterine leiomyomata and endometriosis. Asoprisnil shows a high degree of uterine selectivity as compared to effects on ovulation or ovarian hormone secretion in humans. It induces amenorrhea and decreases leiomyoma volume in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of follicular phase estrogen concentrations. It also has endometrial antiproliferative effects. In pregnant animals, the myometrial, i.e. labor-inducing, effects of asoprisnil are blunted or absent. Studies in non-human primates played a key role during the preclinical development of selective progesterone receptor modulators. These studies provided the first evidence of uterus-selective effects of asoprisnil and structurally related compounds, and the rationale for clinical development of asoprisnil

The United States Congress and nuclear war powers: explaining legislative nonfeasance

Scholarly debate over the role of the United States Congress in approving military action has focused on the respective war powers granted the executive and legislature by the United States Constitution. Although a voluminous literature has examined the institutional and partisan politics shaping their exercise, a conspicuous lacuna concerns nuclear war powers. Despite periodic but mostly ineffective reassertions of congressional prerogatives over war, the decision to employ nuclear weapons has been left entirely to presidential discretion since 1945. Explaining this consistent refusal by Congress to rein in the ultimate presidential power and exercise co-responsibility for the most devastating form of war relies less on disputatious constitutional grounds than on three arguments about congressional dysfunctionality, legislative irresponsibility, and the relative costs of collective action by federal lawmakers on perilous national security questions