Beyond spheres of influence: the myth of the state and Russia’s seductive power in Kyrgyzstan

This article questions the analytical value of “spheres of influence” for understanding power and the state in the post-Soviet region and beyond, based on a critical deconstruction of the ontological and epistemological assumptions inherent in the concept. It proposes an alternative reading of power and the state, drawing on the concept of “seductive power” at a distance and Timothy Mitchell’s “state effect.” Rather than the concept of a sphere of influence, a highly politicized concept that conveys an ontology that flattens and divides space, essentializes the state, and relies on an intentionalist account of power, we need an analytical framework that can help us make sense of the multiple, varied spatialities and historical legacies that produce the state and power. I demonstrate this through an extended discussion of Russian power in Kyrgyzstan, a country often described as a Russian client state. Mobilizing recent re-conceptualizations of state and power in anthropology and political geography, I present an analysis of Russia’s seductive power in Kyrgyzstan and the way it contributes to producing Kyrgyz state-ness. I also show how Russia’s Great Power myth is itself evolving and conclude that the differentiated, relational production of space and power in either Kyrgyz or Russian myths of the state is not captured by a the concept of a return to spheres of influence

The MERIT(nTOF-11) High Intensity Liquid Mercury Target Experiment at the CERN PS

The MERIT(nTOF-11) experiment is a proof-of-principle test of a target system for a high power proton beam to be used as front-end for a neutrino factory or a muon collider. The experiment took data in autumn 2007 with the fast-extracted beam from the CERN Proton Synchrotron (PS) to a maximum intensity of 30 x 10{sup 12} per pulse. The target system, based on a free mercury jet, is capable of intercepting a 4-MW proton beam inside a 15-T magnetic field required to capture the low energy secondary pions as the source for intense muon beams. Particle detectors installed around the target setup measure the secondary particle flux out of the target and can probe cavitation effects in the mercury jet when excited by an intense proton beam. Preliminary results of the data analysis will be presented here

Proposal to study multiparticle-peripheral hadron physics at NAL

We propose to build a large wire chamber magnetic spectrometer at NAL to measure multi-body forward-going hadronic systems produced by {pi}'s, K's and protons up to 80 GeV/c. Specific reactions will be isolated in order to study the s and t dependencies of the cross sections for peripheral processes, search for new resonant states and attempt to measure {pi}{pi} and K{pi} inelastic scattering. We propose a physics program for the spectrometer which is initially limited to those processes easiest to measure and which nevertheless spans a large range of strong interaction problems. Technically, the proposed spectrometer is a relatively modest extension of presently operating systems in the 10-20 GeV/c region, and does not present a challenge of uncertain magnitude to construct

"More than just a run in the park": an exploration of parkrun as a shared leisure space

Over the last 13 years, parkrun has grown from a small time trial in Bushy Park, London, to become a global social movement. During this time, much has been claimed about the potential health-related benefits from participating, but comparatively little attention has been given to the social reasons for attending. The aim of this study was to better understand the meanings of participation for both runners and volunteers using an intrinsic case study that focused on a specific event, Colwick parkrun in Nottingham, England. Building on literature that positions leisure sites as third places, the article seeks to enhance our understanding of parkrun as a community-based initiative. Data collection included observation, participant observation, semi-structured interviews (N = 19), and a survey (N = 235). Several themes emerged, suggesting that participation in parkrun provides an inclusive leisure space for casual sociability, as well as facilitating a shared experience of exercising with others

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic