The Role of the Horse in Mughal Miniature Paintings

The Mughal Empire lasted from 1526 until 1858 in present day Northern India and Pakistan, but was under strong imperial control until 1707. The Mughal emperors were Islamic invaders who combined their culture with that of the native Hindus. This especially showed in their miniature paintings, illustrations in books and manuscripts. Books were considered a commodity, and required a patron who could afford an entire workshop of artisans. Mughal artists created a unique style, drawing from Persian and Indian influences with heavy input from their patrons. The paintings were heavily stylized, but the stylizations were specific. No previous study has used the horse as a focus to analyze miniatures, so this research utilizes detailed information about horse conformation and coat coloring to understand the visual language of the miniatures. By combing these two fields, it is possible to gain new information about the painting methods, and assuming involvement of royal patronage, the importance of the horse in Mughal society. In order to accurately analyze the artistic stylization, it is necessary to explore the overall appearance of horse breeds at the time. Contemporary observations can be compared with modern understandings of equine breeds, conformation, and color. The research indicates that artists attempted to accurately portray animals that resemble modern breeds from the area; the horses in the paintings, like their modern counterparts, had arched necks, long, slender legs, and thin tails, but the miniatures portrayed animals with large bodies, which contrasts the lean build of modern breeds. In terms of coloration, the paintings usually portrayed colors correctly, except that animals with black-based coat patterns never showed black on their ears, as real animals would. This would imply that techniques such as cropping the ears was common place, thus the black was removed. The lack of certain colors and high appearance of others shows the importance appearance among the royalty. The consistency in coat colors between two paintings of the same scene show a desire to maintain historical accuracy. Overall, by combining knowledge and careful study of horse breeds, colors, and conformation with miniatures, new insight can be uncovered about Mughal society

Native Plant Allelopathy: A Potential Approach to Limit Invasive Grass Encroachment in Thorn Forest Restoration

Less than 5% of the Tamaulipan thorn forest remains in the United States. For this reason, there have been many attempts at restoration of this ecosystem. Oftentimes these attempts are unsuccessful due to the high prevalence of invasive African grasses that outcompete the seedlings. In an effort to improve the efficacy of these restoration efforts, native plant allelopathy has been examined for its ability to exclude invasive guineagrass. Native species were surveyed and selected species were tested for allelopathy in laboratory bioassays. The species that exhibited allelopathy in the laboratory were then evaluated in pot experiments for their ability to reduce fungal infection in guineagrass roots, grass stem mortality, and grass growth, and in the field as mulch for their ability to reduce guineagrass cover and growth. There were several potentially allelopathic species identified, stem mortality was increased by E. ebano, V. schaffneri, and Z. fagara. The mulch of Z. fagara almost entirely excluded invasive grass growth and mulch from E. anacua and V. schaffneri reduced invasive grass growth. These experiments suggest that mulch from Z. fagara could be very useful in restoration due to its ability to prevent guineagrass growth

The Quality Literature Quadrant (QLQ): A Reflective Tool for Examining Stereotypes in Texts

Because texts often reflect the culture and values of a society and can either disrupt or reinforce stereotypes, it is imperative that faculty and their students alike participate in critical analysis and reflection of the literature and texts used in their classrooms. Critical reflection can reveal whose voices are privileged and whose voices are left out of the literature. In this paper, the authors discuss how faculty and students can use a reflective tool--the Quality Literature Quadrant (QLQ), as a means to examine stereotypes in literature and texts

“We’re, like, the Most Unhealthy People in the Country”: Employing an Equity Lens to Reduce Barriers to Healthy Food Access in Rural Appalachia

Introduction Obesity disproportionately affects rural communities, and Appalachia has some of the highest obesity rates in the nation. Successful policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions to reduce obesity must reflect the circumstances of the population. We used a health equity lens to identify barriers and facilitators for healthy food access in Martin County, Kentucky, to design interventions responsive to social, cultural, and historical contexts. Methods We conducted 5 focus groups in Martin County, Kentucky, in fall 2019 to obtain perspectives on the local food system and gauge acceptability of PSE interventions. We used grounded theory to identify perceived barriers and facilitators for healthy eating. Results Thirty-four adults (27 women; median age, 46 years) participated in 5 groups. One prominent theme was declining interest in farming; many participants believed this decline was generational. One participant noted, “Most of my adult male relatives worked in the coal mines, and they worked 6 days a week. . . . My grandpa had the garden, but then my dad’s generation is the one quit gardening.” Another shared, “You would probably have to have someone to teach [gardening].” Instead of enhancing farmers markets, participants suggested building community capacity for home gardens to increase vegetable consumption. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the importance of obtaining community input on the development of PSE interventions to mitigate inequities in obesity. Although farmers market interventions were deemed not feasible, other solutions to enhance access to produce were identified. Developers of community-responsive PSE interventions to improve healthy eating in rural, food-insecure locations should consider using an equity-oriented prevention framework to ensure acceptable interventions

Implementation of SAMHSA-funded Offender Re-Entry Programs Addressing Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders among Justice Involved Latino Adults

Objectives: Racial and ethnic minorities have high rates of incarceration and persons entering the criminal justice system have disproportionate rates of mental health and substance use disorders Justice involved individuals do not receive adequate treatment resulting in greater risk of recidivism and relapse. This study examines the facilitators and barriers to implementing a SAMHSA-funded Offender Re-Entry Program (ORP) to better understand the factors that influence successful implementation of integrated bilingual/bicultural treatment, recovery, and re-entry services for recently incarcerated adult Latino individuals with substance use and co-occurring behavioral health disorders. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with leadership, direct staff, and non-direct staff involved in the development and implementation of the Rumbo a Casa ORP at Casa Esperanza, Inc. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we investigated the domains and constructs that were critical to successful implementation. Interviews were analyzed using NVivo 11 software. Results: Qualitative analyses show that across all domains, inner setting, particularly the implementation climate of an organization, is reported most often as influencing (positively or negatively) the implementation of the program. Findings show that the current process structure and the characteristics of individuals are greatly impacting program implementation as reported by direct staff. These findings demonstrate that the process of implementation which includes planning, engaging, executing, reflecting and evaluating constructs is essential for the successful implementation an offender-reentry program. Dedicated leadership is necessary to enhance implementation of fundamental program activities using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement cycle. Conclusion: An established implementation research framework can identify key issues critical to the implementation and evaluation processes. This study provides a deepened understanding of components critical to the successful implementation of an ORP and adds to the limited implementation research knowledge on evidence-based care approaches for justice involved Latino adults

Policy Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural America: Evidence from Appalachia

Rural communities are disproportionally affected by food insecurity, making them vulnerable to the consequences of supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While access to food was initially diminished due to food supply disruptions, little is known about the mechanisms through which federal emergency assistance programs impacted food access in rural populations. Through a series of five focus groups in spring 2021, we examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access in a rural Appalachian community in Kentucky. Data were analyzed using a Grounded Theory Approach. Findings revealed the following four primary themes: food scarcity in grocery stores; expanded federal food assistance; expanded community food resources; and expanded home gardening. Participants provided details regarding the way increased federal assistance, especially expanded benefits within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, allowed them to purchase greater quantities of nutritious food. This study unveils the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on one rural population, including the influence of some social determinants of health on food insecurity. Policymakers and stakeholders should recognize the layered protection of multiple federal emergency assistance programs against food insecurity and the potential for long-term population health promotion in rural areas

Direct Effects of the Home, School, and Consumer Food Environments on the Association between Food Purchasing Patterns and Dietary Intake among Rural Adolescents in Kentucky and North Carolina, 2017

Background: Obesity rates are higher among rural versus urban adolescents. To examine possible mechanisms for the rural-urban adolescent obesity disparity, we examined the direct and indirect effects of food purchasing patterns, and the home, school, and consumer food environments on dietary intake among rural adolescents. Methods: A baseline survey was conducted among adolescents in eight rural high schools (four in Eastern Kentucky, and four in Eastern North Carolina). Participants answered questions about food purchasing patterns, dietary intake, home food availability, and demographics. The school and consumer food environments were assessed using validated measures from the School Meals Cost Study (United States Department of Agriculture-Mathematica) and the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores, Restaurants, and Corner Stores. Results: Of 432 adolescents, 55% were normal weight, 24% were overweight, and 21% were obese. There was a direct association between unhealthy food purchasing patterns (shopping frequently at gas stations, fast food, and dollar stores) and consuming more added sugars, when compared to those with a healthy shopping pattern (shopping less frequently at gas stations, fast food, and dollar stores) [Odds Ratio = 2.41 (95% CI (confidence interval) 0.99, 3.82)]. Those who reported always having fruits and vegetables in the home consumed more servings of fruits and vegetables [OR = 0.31 cups (95% CI 0.22, 0.44)] compared to those who reported never having fruits and vegetables in the home. Adolescents attending a school with a low healthy food availability score consumed fewer servings of fruits and vegetables [−0.001 (95% CI −0.001, 0.0001)] compared to those attending a school with a high healthy food availability score. Conclusions: There are direct associations between food purchasing patterns, the home and school food environments, and dietary intake among rural adolescents. These cross-sectional results informed the development of the “Go Big and Bring it Home� program, a text messaging intervention to improve adolescents’ fruit, vegetable, and healthy beverage intake

Bestrophinopathy: An RPE-Photoreceptor Interface Disease

Bestrophinopathies, one of the most common forms of inherited macular degenerations, are caused by mutations in the BEST1 gene expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Both human and canine BEST1-linked maculopathies are characterized by abnormal accumulation of autofluorescent material within RPE cells and bilateral macular or multifocal lesions; however, the specific mechanism leading to the formation of these lesions remains unclear. We now provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the molecular pathology of bestrophinopathies, and explore factors promoting formation of RPE-neuroretinal separations, using the first spontaneous animal model of BEST1-associated retinopathies, canine Best (cBest). Here, we characterize the nature of the autofluorescent RPE cell inclusions and report matching spectral signatures of RPE-associated fluorophores between human and canine retinae, indicating an analogous composition of endogenous RPE deposits in Best Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy (BVMD) patients and its canine disease model. This study also exposes a range of biochemical and structural abnormalities at the RPE-photoreceptor interface related to the impaired cone-associated microvillar ensheathment and compromised insoluble interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM), the major pathological culprits responsible for weakening of the RPE-neuroretina interactions, and consequently, formation of vitelliform lesions. These salient alterations detected at the RPE apical domain in cBest as well as in BVMD- and ARB-hiPSC-RPE model systems provide novel insights into the pathological mechanism of BEST1-linked disorders that will allow for development of critical outcome measures guiding therapeutic strategies for bestrophinopathies. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Bmp and Nodal Independently Regulate lefty1 Expression to Maintain Unilateral Nodal Activity during Left-Right Axis Specification in Zebrafish

In vertebrates, left-right (LR) axis specification is determined by a ciliated structure in the posterior region of the embryo. Fluid flow in this ciliated structure is responsible for the induction of unilateral left-sided Nodal activity in the lateral plate mesoderm, which in turn regulates organ laterality. Bmp signalling activity has been implied in repressing Nodal expression on the right side, however its mechanism of action has been controversial. In a forward genetic screen for mutations that affect LR patterning, we identified the zebrafish linkspoot (lin) mutant, characterized by cardiac laterality and mild dorsoventral patterning defects. Mapping of the lin mutation revealed an inactivating missense mutation in the Bmp receptor 1aa (bmpr1aa) gene. Embryos with a mutation in lin/bmpr1aa and a novel mutation in its paralogue, bmpr1ab, displayed a variety of dorsoventral and LR patterning defects with increasing severity corresponding with a decrease in bmpr1a dosage. In Bmpr1a-deficient embryos we observed bilateral expression of the Nodal-related gene, spaw, coupled with reduced expression of the Nodal-antagonist lefty1 in the midline. Using genetic models to induce or repress Bmp activity in combination with Nodal inhibition or activation, we found that Bmp and Nodal regulate lefty1 expression in the midline independently of each other. Furthermore, we observed that the regulation of lefty1 by Bmp signalling is required for its observed downregulation of Nodal activity in the LPM providing a novel explanation for this phenomenon. From these results we propose a two-step model in which Bmp regulates LR patterning. Prior to the onset of nodal flow and Nodal activation, Bmp is required to induce lefty1 expression in the midline. When nodal flow has been established and Nodal activity is apparent, both Nodal and Bmp independently are required for lefty1 expression to assure unilateral Nodal activation and correct LR patterning

Hiding the Bodies: Geographic Repression in Higher Educational Space

This article critiques the way that universities have acquired and developed campus space since World War II. Prompted by the need to increase student entry, British universities grew exponentially, with a demand to expand the campus in order to provide more teaching space and student accommodation. This article looks at the side effects of this expansion by providing a case study that demonstrates that land acquisition can have a deleterious effect on local residents. Using theories from urban studies, postmodern geography and cultural theory, this article presents the case study through a transdisciplinary lens, offering an original analysis of the heritage of an inherited cemetery