Interfaith Grand River: The Potential and Limits of Dialogue to Transform Participants and Impact Communities

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the dynamics between an interfaith dialogue group and its community. While interfaith dialogue is used for various reasons, I will study how Interfaith Grand River (IGR) deals with issues of religion in Canadian society through their monthly discussions. IGR began in September 2001 as an initiative to ensure different religious adherents in the Kitchener/Waterloo and surrounding area could meet regularly to discuss different faith topics and develop relationships. IGR serves as an illustration to compliment the theoretical works on the limits and possibilities of dialogue. Data on IGR has been derived through participant observation and interviews which is complimented by a literature study. In order to understand the multifaith context of North America Diana Eck provides insight into the challenges pluralistic endeavors face. Gadamer, Abu-Nimer, and Panikkar provide the philosophical backdrop from which to answer the research question: what are the limits and possibilities of interfaith dialogue? Through this analysis the intent is to address concerns of religious diversity in Kitchener/Waterloo and the degree to which interfaith dialogue can positively impact its participants and the community at large

Establishment of concentration ratios for riparian and shrub steppe areas of the eastern Washington Columbia basin

Concentration ratios are used to determine the transfer of nuclides from soil to biota to fauna. Some nuclides have limited associated data though, this has not prevented predictions from being performed at sites without associated data. These ratios are site specific and are not fully applicable when applied to other locations. A recent literature review for a waste repository performance assessment determined that a significant portion of the environmental data was based on recursively published material. To address this deficiency neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to determine concentration ratios of certain biota. Three sites, two riparian and one shrub steppe, were sampled in the eastern Washington Columbia basin, near the Hanford site. Two hundred and fifty eight samples of opportunity were collected. This included 15 soil samples, 10 water and sediment samples, 40 different species of biota, and 2 terrestrial animal species and 3 aquatic animal species. These samples were prepared for NAA by drying, weighing, and in certain cases ashing to improve detection efficiency. After activation, the samples were placed in a HPGe detector to perform spectral analysis. The concentration results of 26 elements of interest are presented, along with newly established concentration ratios for all of the species sampled

Attractor-like dynamics in belief updating in schizophrenia

Subjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Scz) overweight unexpected evidence in probabilistic inference: such evidence becomes 'aberrantly salient'. A neurobiological explanation for this effect is that diminished synaptic gain (e.g. hypofunction of cortical N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors) in Scz destabilizes quasi-stable neuronal network states (or 'attractors'). This attractor instability account predicts that i) Scz would overweight unexpected evidence but underweight consistent evidence, ii) belief updating would be more vulnerable to stochastic fluctuations in neural activity, and iii) these effects would correlate.Hierarchical Bayesian belief updating models were tested in two independent datasets (n=80 and n=167, male and female) comprising human subjects with schizophrenia, and both clinical and non-clinical controls (some tested when unwell and on recovery) performing the 'probability estimates' version of the beads task (a probabilistic inference task). Models with a standard learning rate, or including a parameter increasing updating to 'disconfirmatory evidence', or a parameter encoding belief instability were formally compared.The 'belief instability' model (based on the principles of attractor dynamics) had most evidence in all groups in both datasets. Two of four parameters differed between Scz and non-clinical controls in each dataset: belief instability and response stochasticity. These parameters correlated in both datasets. Furthermore, the clinical controls showed similar parameter distributions to Scz when unwell, but were no different to controls once recovered.These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that attractor network instability contributes to belief updating abnormalities in Scz, and suggest that similar changes may exist during acute illness in other psychiatric conditions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSubjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Scz) make large adjustments to their beliefs following unexpected evidence, but also smaller adjustments than controls following consistent evidence. This has previously been construed as a bias towards 'disconfirmatory' information, but a more mechanistic explanation may be that in Scz, neural firing patterns ('attractor states') are less stable and hence easily altered in response to both new evidence and stochastic neural firing. We model belief updating in Scz and controls in two independent datasets using a hierarchical Bayesian model, and show that all subjects are best fit by a model containing a belief instability parameter. Both this and a response stochasticity parameter are consistently altered in Scz, as the unstable attractor hypothesis predicts

Carbon dioxide storage : research priorities for India

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) has been shown to be a viable technology for mitigating emissions from energy-intensive industries. CCUS is highlighted as a strategic priority in the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations. Despite considerable expansion of renewable energy, coal will remain important for power generation in India whilst also achieving net zero emissions by 2070. Furthermore, heavy industries such as refining, fertiliser, steel and cement are also vital for underpinning India's economy. CCUS will therefore be required to reduce resultant emissions from these industries and fossil-based power generation. Following recent discussions with industrial, academic and policy stakeholders in India, we have identified research priorities to support the feasibility assessment of the geological storage of carbon dioxide

A transgenic Camelina sativa seed oil effectively replaces fish oil as a dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid in mice

Background: Fish currently supplies only 40% of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) required to allow all individuals globally to meet the minimum intake recommendation of 500 mg/d. Therefore, alternative sustainable sources are needed. Objective: The main objective was to investigate the ability of genetically engineered Camelina sativa (20% EPA) oil (CO) to enrich tissue EPA and DHA relative to an EPA-rich fish oil (FO) in mammals. Methods: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 10 wk either a palm oil–containing control (C) diet or diets supplemented with EPA-CO or FO, with the C, low-EPA CO (COL), high-EPA CO (COH), low-EPA FO (FOL), and high-EPA FO (FOH) diets providing 0, 0.4, 3.4, 0.3, and 2.9 g EPA/kg diet, respectively. Liver, muscle, and brain were collected for fatty acid analysis, and blood glucose and serum lipids were quantified. The expression of selected hepatic genes involved in EPA and DHA biosynthesis and in modulating their cellular impact was determined. Results: The oils were well tolerated, with significantly greater weight gain in the COH and FOH groups relative to the C group (P < 0.001). Significantly lower (36–38%) blood glucose concentrations were evident in the FOH and COH mice relative to C mice (P < 0.01). Hepatic EPA concentrations were higher in all EPA groups relative to the C group (P < 0.001), with concentrations of 0.0, 0.4, 2.9, 0.2, and 3.6 g/100 g liver total lipids in the C, COL, COH, FOL, and FOH groups, respectively. Comparable dose-independent enrichments of liver DHA were observed in mice fed CO and FO diets (P < 0.001). Relative to the C group, lower fatty acid desaturase 1 (Fads1) expression (P < 0.005) was observed in the COH and FOH groups. Higher fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2), peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (Ppara), and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (Pparg) (P < 0.005) expressions were induced by CO. No impact of treatment on liver X receptor α (Lxra) or sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (Srebp1c) was evident. Conclusions: Oil from transgenic Camelina is a bioavailable source of EPA in mice. These data provide support for the future assessment of this oil in a human feeding trial

Virtual Field Reconnaissance to enable multi-site collaboration in geoscience fieldwork in Chile

The unique challenges of geological mapping in remote terrains can make cross- organisation collaboration challenging. Cooperation between the British and Chilean Geological Surveys and the Chilean national mining company used the BGS digital Mapping Workflow and virtual field reconnaissance software (GeoVisionary) to undertake geological mapping in a complex area of Andean Geology. The international team undertook a pre-field evaluation using GeoVisionary to integrate massive volumes of data and interpret high resolution satellite imagery, terrain models and existing geological information to capture, manipulate and understand geological features and re-interpret existing maps. This digital interpretation was then taken into the field and A field verified using the BGS digital data capture system (SIGMA.mobile)., t This allowed the production of final geological linework interpretation and creation of a geological map. This presentation describes the digital mapping workflow used in Chile and highlights the key advantages of increased efficiency and communication to colleagues, stakeholders and funding bodies

Master Recital

Program listing performers and works performe

Functional Characterization of the Arabidopsis β-Ketoacyl-Coenzyme A Reductase Candidates of the Fatty Acid Elongase

In plants, very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs; \u3e18 carbon) are precursors of sphingolipids, triacylglycerols, cuticular waxes, and suberin. VLCFAs are synthesized by a multiprotein membrane-bound fatty acid elongation system that catalyzes four successive enzymatic reactions: condensation, reduction, dehydration, and a second reduction. A bioinformatics survey of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome has revealed two sequences homologous to YBR159w encoding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-ketoacyl reductase (KCR), which catalyzes the first reduction during VLCFA elongation. Expression analyses showed that both AtKCR1 and AtKCR2 genes were transcribed in siliques, flowers, inflorescence stems, leaves, as well as developing embryos, but only AtKCR1 transcript was detected in roots. Fluorescent protein-tagged AtKCR1 and AtKCR2 were localized to the endoplasmic reticulum, the site of fatty acid elongation. Complementation of the yeast ybr159Δ mutant demonstrated that the two KCR proteins are divergent and that only AtKCR1 can restore heterologous elongase activity similar to the native yeast KCR gene. Analyses of insertional mutants in AtKCR1 and AtKCR2 revealed that loss of AtKCR1 function results in embryo lethality, which cannot be rescued by AtKCR2 expression using the AtKCR1 promoter. In contrast, a disruption of the AtKCR2 gene had no obvious phenotypic effect. Taken together, these results indicate that only AtKCR1 is a functional KCR isoform involved in microsomal fatty acid elongation. To investigate the roles of AtKCR1 in postembryonic development, transgenic lines expressing RNA interference and overexpression constructs targeted against AtKCR1 were generated. Morphological and biochemical characterization of these lines confirmed that suppressed KCR activity results in a reduction of cuticular wax load and affects VLCFA composition of sphingolipids, seed triacylglycerols, and root glycerolipids, demonstrating in planta that KCR is involved in elongation reactions supplying VLCFA for all these diverse classes of lipids

RNA Replicon Delivery via Lipid-Complexed PRINT Protein Particles

Herein we report the development of a non-viral lipid-complexed PRINT® (particle replication in non-wetting templates) protein particle system (LPP particle) for RNA replicon delivery with a view towards RNA replicon-based vaccination. Cylindrical bovine serum albumin (BSA) particles (diameter (d) 1 µm, height (h) 1 µm) loaded with RNA replicon and stabilized with a fully reversible disulfide cross-linker were fabricated using PRINT technology. Highly efficient delivery of the particles to Vero cells was achieved by complexing particles with a mixture of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) lipids. Our data suggest that: 1) this lipid-complexed protein particle is a promising system for delivery of RNA replicon-based vaccines, and 2) it is necessary to use a degradable cross-linker for successful delivery of RNA replicon via protein-based particles