The Rev. James Long and the Protestant Missionary Policy in Bengal 1840-1872.

This thesis is a study, against the background of Protestant missionary thinking and activities in Bengal from 1840 to 1872, of the career of the Rev. James Long, a controversial Protestant missionary, educationist, linguist and social reformer, and a figure widely respected among Indians. Initially, attention is focussed on Long's educational background, on his motives in becoming a missionary and on his reasons for joining the Church Missionary Society in 1832. His early experience of missionary work in Calcutta, which largely accounts for his reaction against Dr. Duff's system of education through English, is considered. Particular attention is paid to Long's career from 1850 to 1861. During this period his originality clearly emerges: he became involved in the indigo and other controversies and work was crowned with considerable achievement. His Activities in vernacular education, his concern with the training of converts and the development of Bengali churches, his literary and social activities and his enthusiasm for social reform are all discussed in the broad context of Protestant missionary thinking and policy; and an attempt is made to show how his activities and particular point of view affected his relations with other missionaries, as well as with other Europeans and the Bengali community. The significance of the indigo dispute, the events leading up to Long's trial and imprisonment in 1861 and reactions to the Nil Darpan case in India and England have also been considered. In the latter part of the thesis closer attention is paid to Long's basic objectives. In the 1850's he became increasingly involved in activities which he regarded as preparation for missions rather than in evangelism itself. His philosophy of missions had, in fact, been changing ever since the 1840's and, by 1872, his concept of the missionary's task in India was somewhat different from what was generally accepted by other missionaries, who paid greater attention to evangelism in their own day and generation

The expression of Clcn7 and Ostm1 in osteoclasts is coregulated by microphthalmia transcription factor

Microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) regulates osteoclast function by controling the expression of genes, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and cathepsin K in response to receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)-induced signaling. To identify novel MITF target genes, we have overexpressed MITF in the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 subclone 4 (RAW/C4) and examined the gene expression profile after sRANKL-stimulated osteoclastogenesis. Microarray analysis identified a set of genes superinduced by MITF overexpression, including Clcn7 (chloride channel 7) and Ostm1 (osteopetrosis-associated transmembrane protein 1). Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we identified two MITF-binding sites (M-boxes) in the Clcn7 promoter and a single M-box in the Ostm1 promoter. An anti-MITF antibody supershifted DNA-protein complexes for promoter sites in both genes, whereas MITF binding was abolished by mutation of these sites. The Clcn7 promoter was transactivated by coexpression of MITF in reporter gene assays. Mutation of one Clcn7 M-box prevented MITF transactivation, but mutation of the second MITF-binding site only reduced basal activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that the two Clcn7 MITF binding and responsive regions in vitro bind MITF in genomic DNA. The expression of Clcn7 is repressed in the dominant negative mutant Mitf mouse, mi/mi, indicating that the dysregulated bone resorption seen in these mice can be attributed in part to transcriptional repression of Clcn7. MITF regulation of the TRAP, cathepsin K, Clcn7, and Ostm1 genes, which are critical for osteoclast resorption, suggests that the role of MITF is more significant than previously perceived and that MITF may be a master regulator of osteoclast function and bone resorption

Indigenization and Nationalism / Indigénisation et nationalisme

There was difference between Christians who retained pre-Christian customs and ideas and others who, for whatever reasons, were affected by a process of cultural alienation. The focus of this paper is therefore on indigenization as a conscious process of rediscovery and restoration of all that was considered valuable and worthwhile in the convert community's pre-Christian heritage. The movement, encouraged by a few missionaries and led almost entirely by tiny Western-educated minority of Indian Christians, grew and developed alongside and in some connection with rising national sentiment. There were, for example, obvious parallels between the Indian desire for control of British administration and the Indian Christians' struggle for indigenous leadership in Church and mission. But while national feeling was influential in this and in other developments such as the formation of the National Missionary Society, the ashram movement and the development of Indian forms of liturgy, worship and theology, other factors continued to be important in the process of domestication of Christianity during the period c. 1850-1947. These included the gradual growth of a more sympathetic attitude towards Indian religion and culture (among European as well as Indian Christians) and a continuing need to communicate the Gospel to non-Christians in their own cultural context.Une différence sensible s'est installée entre les chrétiens qui conservèrent des coutumes et des idées pré-chrétiennes et ceux qui se sont trouvés entraînés dans un processus d'aliénation culturelle. Aussi, cet article s'intéresse-t-il à l'indigénisation en tant que processus conscient de redécouverte et de restauration des éléments pré-chrétiens issus de la communauté d'origine du converti et considérés comme méritant d'être repris en raison de leur valeur propre. Cette démarche, encouragée par quelques missionnaires et menée presqu'uniquement par une poignée de chrétiens indiens éduqués à l'occidentale, a vu le jour et s'est développée parallèlement à et en lien avec la montée du sentiment national. Ainsi, des parallèles évidents apparaissent entre le désir exprimé par les Indiens d'exercer un contrôle sur l'administration britannique et la lutte menée par les chrétiens indiens pour l'accession un leadership indigène au sein de l'Eglise et des missions. Mais tandis que le sentiment national se faisait sentir avec force dans des domaines tels que la formation de la Société Missionnaire Nationale, le mouvement des ashram et le développement de formes indiennes de liturgie, de culte et de théologie, d'autres facteurs ont commencé à se faire sentir de façon de plus en plus pressante dans le processus de domestication du christianisme durant la période comprise entre 1850 et 1947. Notamment, une attitude de bienveillance grandissante à l'égard de la religion et de la culture indiennes (aussi bien de la part des chrétiens européens qu'indiens) et la nécessité de diffuser la Bonne Nouvelle aux non-chrétiens en tenant compte du contexte culturel.Existe una diferencia entre cristianos que conservarón costumbres e ideas pre-cristianas y otros que, por varios motivos, les afectó un proceso de alienación cultural. Por eso, este artículo focaliza en la indigenización como proceso conciente para descubrir de nuevo y restaurar los elementos pre-cristianos de la comunidad de origen del converso que son percibidos como identificadores propios. El movimiento que animarón algunos misionarios y que impulsaron algunos Indios cristianos, con educación de tipo occidental, nació y creció en forma paralela y ligada al desarrollo del sentimiento nacional. Aparecen con evidencia paralelos entre la voluntad expresada por Indios de tener control en la administración británica y la lucha de los Cristianos índicos por un liderazgo indígena en la Iglesia y sus misiones. Pero, al mismo tiempo que ganó fuerza el sentimiento nacional en este campo religioso, por ejemplo con la creación de la Sociedad Misionaria Nacional, el movimiento ashram o el desarrollo de formas nacionales de liturgia, de culto y de teologia, otros factores vinieron apareciendo y presionando en elproceso de domesticación del cristianismo entre 1850 y 1947. Particularmente una atención creciente por la religión y la cultura indias (de parte de cristianos europeos como índicos) y la necesidad de llegar la Buena Noticia evangelizadora tomando en cuenta el contexto cultural.Oddie Geoffrey. Indigenization and Nationalism / Indigénisation et nationalisme. In: Archives de sciences sociales des religions, n°103, 1998. L'indigénisation du christianisme en inde pendant la période coloniale (1498-1947) pp. 129-152

The Chinese in Victoria, 1870-1890

Deposited with permission of the author. © Geoffrey A. Oddie.The thesis covers the history of the Chinese in Victoria between 1870 and 1890. This includes growth and development of anti-Chinese movement, including objections to Chinese immigration and legal and economic factors

Shift in virus composition in honeybees (Apis mellifera) following worldwide invasion by the parasitic mite and virus vector Varroa destructor.

Invasive vectors can induce dramatic changes in disease epidemiology. While viral emergence following geographical range expansion of a vector is well known, the influence a vector can have at the level of the host's pathobiome is less well understood. Taking advantage of the formerly heterogeneous spatial distribution of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor that acts as potent virus vector among honeybees Apis mellifera, we investigated the impact of its recent global spread on the viral community of honeybees in a retrospective study of historical samples. We hypothesized that the vector has had an effect on the epidemiology of several bee viruses, potentially altering their transmissibility and/or virulence, and consequently their prevalence, abundance, or both. To test this, we quantified the prevalence and loads of 14 viruses from honeybee samples collected in mite-free and mite-infested populations in four independent geographical regions. The presence of the mite dramatically increased the prevalence and load of deformed wing virus, a cause of unsustainably high colony losses. In addition, several other viruses became more prevalent or were found at higher load in mite-infested areas, including viruses not known to be actively varroa-transmitted, but which may increase opportunistically in varroa-parasitized bees