The Invention and Demonisation of an Ascetic Heresiarch: Philoxenus of Mabbug on the "Messalian' Adelphius

In a letter to the monk Patricius, Philoxenus told a cautionary tale about the downfall of the monk Adelphius. He was said to have accepted a Satanic vision of the Holy Spirit, abandoned ascetic labour and become the founder of the heresy of the ‘Messalians’. This article places Philoxenus’ account against the longer background of the invention of ‘Messaliainism’, and in particular of Adelphius as Messalian heresiarch. It shows how Philoxenus drew on traditions about monks receiving Satanic visions found in ascetic literature. It also demonstrates that Philoxenus’ story reflected polemical claims that the Messalians, like other heretics, were inspired by demons and Satan.</jats:p

Beyond the ruins of Embobut: Transforming landscapes and livelihoods in the Cherangani hills, Kenya

The Embobut Forest, western Kenya, can be described as an entanglement of ruins. These ruins are the materialisation of a series of contested ecological debates and political decisions pivoting on the questions of conservation and community rights to land that have resulted in the violent dislocation of local Sengwer and Marakwet communities. In the first instance, this paper aims to contextualise these debates by offering an analytic focus on the process of ruination in order to offer a more nuanced narrative of landscape modification and changing human lives over the past century. Subsequently, I look beyond processes of ruination and towards notions of transformation, in an attempt expound how Embobut has not become a static world of passive ruins but rather is constantly changing as novel forms of dwelling and new ecological relationships continue to unfold in a manner not envisaged by conservation policy

Diabolical appearances in late antiquity : the case of exorcism

This paper investigates the reasons why new images of the devil were introduced in the church, rather than seek reasons for explaining their previous non-existence. When one goes demon hunting in Christian art it is possible to find the presence of the Devil and his minions, but in surprising, and often subtly suggestive forms. The Devil’s presence is implied and required, if not depicted, in scriptural scenes of exorcism and temptation

Agropastoralists? Late Iron Age and historic forest livelihoods in the Cherangani Hills of north-west Kenya

Drawing upon new evidence emerging from Kenya's Cherangani Hills, this research project furthers current understanding of the archaeology of Late Iron Age forest-dwelling communities in East Africa, focusing on a series of intriguing earthworks deep inside forest environments that are reminiscent of the ‘Sirikwa’ tradition

The archaeology of South Sudan from c. 3000 BC to AD 1500

This paper reviews the current state of archaeological research within the boundaries of the modern country of South Sudan, with a particular focus on the period between c. 3000 BC and AD 1500. While various historical factors and more recent political unrest have long stymied concerted archaeological efforts in the region, such surveys as have been undertaken are summarised and synthesised here, most notably the four expeditions funded by the British Institute in Eastern Africa between 1977 and 1981. Though scant, the data recovered during these and other research projects point to great diversity within the archaeological record of South Sudan, highlighting the region’s importance for addressing such large-scale issues as the transition between (or indeed the co-occurrence of) Later Stone Age and Early Iron Age lifeways, including the spread of pastoralism, arable agriculture and iron-working technology from northern to eastern Africa. The region likewise appears to have been central to the occurrence of large-scale population movements during both the Early and Later Iron Ages. However, we also emphasise the relevance of the archaeology of this period for better understanding more localised trajectories of socio-cultural change, particularly for adding time-depth to historical narratives of relevance to contemporary South Sudanese communities. / Cet article passe en revue l’état actuel des recherches archéologiques à l’intérieur des frontières de l’État actuel du Sud-Soudan, mettant un accent particulier sur la période entre 3000 av. J.-C. et 1500 après J.-C. Divers facteurs historiques, aussi bien que des troubles politiques plus récents, ont longtemps entravé les efforts archéologiques concertés dans la région. Les enquêtes qui ont néanmoins pu être réalisées sont résumées et synthétisées ici, en particulier les quatre expéditions financées par le British Institute in Eastern Africa entre 1977 et 1981. Bien que minces, les données recueillies au cours de ces projets de recherche et d’autres font ressortir une grande diversité dans les données archéologiques du Sud-Soudan, soulignant l’importance de cette région pour traiter de questions aussi vastes que la transition entre (ou la contemporanéité) des moyens de subsistance de l’âge de pierre final et de l’âge du fer ancien, y compris l’extension du pastoralisme, de l’agriculture arable et de la technologie du travail du fer du nord vers l’est de l’Afrique. La région semble aussi avoir joué un rôle central dans des mouvements de population à grande échelle pendant l’âge du fer aussi bien ancien que plus récent. Cependant, nous soulignons également l’importance de l'archéologie de cette période pour une meilleure compréhension des trajectoires plus locales de changement socioculturel, et en particulier le potentiel qui s’offre de pouvoir ajouter de la profondeur aux récits historiques pertinents pour les communautés actuelles du Sud-Soudan

Modelling changes in excitability of the peripheral nervous system using compartmentalised microfluidic culture

This thesis describes the use of compartmentalised microfluidic devices to investigate changes in neuronal excitability. All studies carried out in this work were completed in line with principles of the NC3Rs (reduction, replacement and refinement). Particular interest was given to the study of the excitability of dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs) in the context of pain-based signalling. This also included the in vitro culture and characterisation of non-neuronal cells involved in inflammation and nociception. Current methods for In vitro modelling of pain pathways often fails to replicate the unique morphology of the DRG neurons. These pseudo-unipolar neurons detect nociceptive stimuli at the peripheral terminals, and transduce long range action-potentials to higher processing centres in the central nervous system. Unlike in vivo modelling of pain behaviours, in vitro models of nociception provide the capacity to monitor changes in neuronal function at a cellular and molecular level. However, until the development of technology such as microfluidics, the standard methods of culture failed to isolate the axons from the soma. The primary aim of this project was to develop a model capable of replicating the complex microenvironment that terminals of the DRG neurons encounter during the development and onset of pain. This involved the optimisation of cell culture methods for inflammatory cells used to induce changes in neuronal excitability, both from the context of the peripheral terminals, or from the CNS if desired. At a molecular level, the microfluidic model was also used to investigate the role of small non-coding RNA (microRNAs) on regulating DRG excitability in the context of nociception. This Thesis hypothesises that voltage-gated potassium channels form an interesting target for a microRNA of interest. However, it is widely acknowledged that microRNAs regulate the expression of multiple mRNAs. The use of functional studies using the microfluidic model have shown here that there are differences in the way in which a neuron responds to a stimulus, dependent on whether it is applied locally to the axon or the soma. Live cell imaging was used to measure evoked changes in Ca2+ transients as a proxy for cell excitability. As well as significant differences in the response to depolarising agents such as potassium chloride (KCL), the use of biologically relevant stimuli to the study of nociception was also developed. The culture of inflammatory cells such as bone marrow derived macrophages led to the development of cytokine-rich media which was used to evoke changes in neuronal excitability. By exploiting the microfluidic nature of the device, subsequent investigations to the role of microRNA 138-5p in regulating neuronal excitability were undertaken. The use of cell permeable microRNA inhibition showed a reduction in cell excitability if applied locally to the axons. Bioinformatics led to the development of Kv1.2 as a potential target for miR-138-5p in vivo, which could explain the effects of miR-138-5p in modulating excitability of the DRGs. The findings in this work have demonstrated the potential for development of more biologically relevant in vitro models using microfluidic compartmentalised cell culture. For example, fluidic isolation has characterised the role of miR-138-5p in regulating DRG excitability at the axons

A protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility study of an adolescent incentive intervention to increase uptake of HPV vaccination among girls

Background Uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the UK is good, but there are pockets of the community who remain unprotected. Immunisation teams usually require written parental consent for a girl to receive the vaccine. Evidence suggests that uptake of the vaccine might be improved by promoting consent form return (if returned, forms are likely to grant consent). Incentivising girls to return consent forms is a promising approach to promoting consent form return. Before testing the efficacy of an incentive intervention in a randomised controlled trial (RCT), we must first establish whether the RCT is feasible. In this randomised feasibility study, we aim to establish the feasibility of conducting a cluster RCT of an adolescent incentive intervention to increase uptake of HPV vaccination. Methods At least six schools will be randomised to either an incentive intervention arm or a standard invitation arm. Girls in standard invitation arm schools will receive the usual HPV vaccine programme invitation materials. Girls attending schools in the incentive intervention arm will receive the standard invitation and will also be told that they will receive an incentive if they return their consent form (regardless of whether consent is granted or denied). The incentive is being entered into a prize draw to win a retail voucher. Feasibility objectives include estimating the schools’ and parents’ willingness to participate in the study and be randomised; response rates to questionnaires; the extent of missing data; the girls’ and parents’ attitudes towards the incentive offered; school staff experiences of participating, fidelity to the trial procedures, data on any unintended consequences and the possible mechanisms of action, and proof-of-concept evidence of the effect of the intervention on consent form return rates and uptake of the vaccine. Analysis of feasibility outcomes will primarily be descriptive. Consent form return rates and uptake of the vaccine will be presented by trial arm without comparison. Discussion Incentivising HPV vaccine consent form return may promote HPV vaccine uptake. This study will provide the evidence needed to establish whether testing this incentive intervention using a RCT design in the future is feasible

Including non‐English language articles in systematic reviews: A reflection on processes for identifying low‐cost sources of translation support

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2021-01-29, rev-recd 2021-06-02, accepted 2021-06-20, pub-electronic 2021-08-23Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedFunder: Medical Research Council; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007155; Grant(s): MR/N013751/1Abstract: Non‐English language (NEL) articles are commonly excluded from published systematic reviews. The high cost associated with professional translation services and associated time commitment are often cited as barriers. Whilst there is debate as to the impact of excluding such articles from systematic reviews, doing so can introduce various biases. In order to encourage researchers to consider including these articles in future reviews, this paper aims to reflect on the experience and process of conducting a systematic review which included NEL articles. It provides an overview of the different approaches used to identify sources of low‐cost translation support and considers the relative merits of, among others, seeking support through universities, social media, word‐of‐mouth, and use of personal contacts