The Bridge

This introduction to the first volume of The Bridge: A Yearbook of Judaeo-Christian Studies was written by Msgr. John L. McNulty, President of Seton Hall University

The Bridge

This introduction to the first volume of The Bridge: A Yearbook of Judaeo-Christian Studies was written by Msgr. John L. McNulty, President of Seton Hall University

Characterization of lymphocyte subsets over a 24-hour period in Pineal-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (PALT) in the chicken

BACKGROUND: Homeostatic trafficking of lymphocytes in the brain has important relevance to the understanding of CNS disease processes. The pineal gland of the chicken contains large accumulations of lymphocytes that suggest an important role related to homeostatic circadian neuro-immune interactions. The purpose of this initial study was to characterize the lymphocyte subsets in the pineal gland and quantitate the distribution and frequency of lymphocyte phenotypes at two time points over the 24-hour light:dark cycle. RESULTS: PALT comprised approximately 10% of the total pineal area. Image analysis of immunocytochemically stained sections showed that the majority of lymphocytes were CD3(+ )(80%) with the remaining 20% comprising B-cells and monocytes (Bu-1(+)), which tended to distribute along the periphery of the PALT. T-cell subsets in PALT included CD4(+ )(75–80%), CD8(+ )(20–25%), TCRαβ/Vβ(1)(+ )(60%), and TCRγδ(+ )(15%). All of the T-cell phenotypes were commonly found within the interfollicular septa and follicles of the pineal gland. However, the ratios of CD8(+)/CD4(+ )and TCRγδ(+)/TCRαβ/Vβ(1)(+ )within the pineal tissue were each 1:1, in contrast to the PALT where the ratios of CD8(+)/CD4(+ )and TCRγδ(+)/TCRαβ/Vβ(1)(+ )each approximated 1:4. Bu-1(+ )cells were only rarely seen in the pineal interstitial spaces, but ramified Bu-1(+ )microglia/macrophages were common in the pineal follicles. Effects of the 24-h light:dark cycle on these lymphocyte-pineal interactions were suggested by an increase in the area of PALT, a decline in the density of TCRαβ/Vβ(1)(+ )cells, and a decline in the area density of Bu-1(+ )microglia at the light:dark interphase (1900 h) compared to the dark:light interphase (0700 h). CONCLUSION: The degree of lymphocyte infiltration in the pineal suggests novel mechanisms of neuro-immune interactions in this part of the brain. Our results further suggest that these interactions have a temporal component related to the 24-hour light:dark cycle and that CD8(+ )and TCRγδ(+ )T-cells are preferentially recruited to the pineal follicles. Pineal microglia/macrophages were common and represent an important candidate for mediating these lymphocyte-pineal interactions via secretion of cytokines and chemokines

Mapping research across the undergraduate curriculum in UCC

UCC identifies itself as a research-led University and has stated the ambition to strengthen the integration of research, teaching and learning by maximising opportunities for students to participate in research programmes throughout their undergraduate studies. The number of undergraduate programmes with student-involved research from first year onwards is an important measure of this ambition. A curriculum analytics project was enacted by CIRTL staff and Academic Systems Administration to gather evidence of research-oriented and research-based teaching in undergraduate programmes offered to students via the CAO system in 2015/2016. The review showed that 55% of undergraduate programmes make explicit mention of research and inquiry in their programme learning outcomes. Analysis of module learning outcomes further showed that 45% of the reviewed programmes provide students with exposure to research-based or research-oriented teaching across the duration of their programme. The project provides an important baseline of existing research in the undergraduate curriculum, it uncovers exemplar activities across a range of subject areas and disciplines, and extends the vocabulary around research and inquiry to include discipline-specific approaches and understandings. Future work will include gathering feedback from staff and qualitative research with students to correct any inaccuracies in the data with a view to refining the search query and running a regular, more automated analysis

I Spit Upon the Noble: The Epicurean Critique of Love of Honor and the Origins of Modernity

Modern liberal democracies regard "pursuit of happiness" as one of the fundamental rights that governments are instituted to protect - but modern political thought has comparatively little to say about happiness itself. The modern view seems to suggest that happiness is something we ought to pursue in private, which would demote politics to an instrumental role. To understand and critique this view, I study one alternative - the philosophy of Epicurus, the ancient theorist of happiness in private life. Epicurus taught that the life of hedone or "pleasure" was the life of eudaimonia or "happiness." He advised his followers to "live unnoticed" - that is, to shun political participation on account of its coercive, unpleasant character. Epicurus' philosophy is often thought to be plainly anti-political. I argue - based on my study of Epicurean fragments and of the poem of Lucretius - that Epicureanism is, in fact, intensely political. Its hedonistic theory of the good is designed so as to deprecate love of honor and desire for public recognition: "I spit upon the noble," Epicurus declares, "when it provides no pleasure." Similarly, his physical theory describes a universe offering no support and no guidance for human politics. "Justice" has no intrinsic connection to the human end; it is a word we use to describe agreements for the sake of mutual advantage. Gone is the splendor of moral virtue, as depicted in Plato and Aristotle. I argue that early modern thought is in constant dialogue with Epicurean political philosophy. The moderns can, in general, be said to share Epicurus' hostility to "the noble" - which they disparage as "pride" or "vainglory." The more radical among them entertain Epicurus' notion of an indifferent universe, and his account of human political origins. This is not, however, in order to advocate a return to an Epicurean policy of philosophic withdrawal. The modern strategy, as epitomized by Hobbes, is to attempt to solve the problems associated with political justice by advocating for the general adoption of a democratized form of hedonism.Governmen

Municipal Ethical Standards: The Need for a New Approach Report

The New York State Commission on Government Integrity investigated numerous situations throughout the state that revealed just how bad the current law is. Our findings and a pro- posed municipal ethics act that we drafted to correct the law\u27s deficiencies are contained in the following report, Municipal Ethical Standards: The Need for a New Approach. Our pro- posed Act would set out the minimum ethical standards that should be observed in every municipality throughout the state. The premise here is that there are certain basic features to good government that make sense for all governments, no matter what their size or location - rural or suburban, upstate or downstate. If the proposed Act became law, localities would be able to enact more stringent regulations if they wanted to, but no local government could have standards that fell below the floor put in place by the Act. The Governor has had a bill introduced in the Legislature that is patterned after the law we proposed. The State Assembly has held public hearings on the bill and it is hopeful that in the 1990 legislative session, New Yorkers will get the strong municipal ethics law they need and deserve

Food neophobia across the life course: Pooling data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland

Food neophobia describes a reluctance to eat novel foods. Levels of food neophobia vary throughout life and are thought to peak in childhood. However, the trajectory of food neophobia across the life course is not fully clear. Using data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland we explored levels of food neophobia in males and females aged 1–87 years. In addition, we assessed the influence of sociodemographic factors, breastfeeding and parental food neophobia on food neophobia. Food neophobia was measured using the Food Neophobia Scale in adults and adolescents and with the Children\u27s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in preschool and school aged children. A total of 3246 participants (female, 49.9%) were included. Food neophobia increased with age from 1 to ∼6 years, then decreased until early adulthood where it remained stable until increasing with age in older adults (\u3e54 years). In adults, lower education level, social class and rural residency were associated with higher food neophobia. When preschool and school aged children surveys were pooled (ages 1–12), higher food neophobia was seen in males, children with lower parental education and those who were not breastfed. Sociodemographic factors were not significantly associated with food neophobia in adolescents. Breastfeeding duration was negatively associated with food neophobia in children and adolescents and parental food neophobia was positively associated with child\u27s food neophobia in preschool and school aged children. The influence of socioeconomic factors was more pronounced in adults than in children or adolescents. However, sociodemographic factors only explained a small proportion of the variation in food neophobia across all ages. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand how changes in age or socioeconomic circumstance influence food neophobia at an individual level