A Sign of the Times- How Ethnonationalist Executives Affect Democracy

In the immediate post-Cold War era, proponents of democracy envisioned a world with few barriers to the spread of democracy and its institutions globally. However, a clear trend has been definitively established in the recent academic discourse pointing to a marked decline in the quality of democracies in several democratizing states. While the root causes for this decline continue to be a contentious subject, much of the existing literature depends on institutional theory to explain the cause of democratic backsliding. Concurrently, we have seen a dramatic stream of news about the state of democracy in two of the world’s most significant democracies- the US and India. Given the seeming influence of right-wing leaders in these countries, the question then arises about the effect an ethnonationalist executive would have on a multicultural democracy. With this, I seek to establish first: what constitutes an ethnonationalist executive, secondly: whether or not ethnonationalism as a manifest ideology in these cases lead to democratic decline logically, and thirdly: whether former President Trump and current PM Modi, if determined to be ethnonationalist executives, have instituted policy that clearly stems from normative ethnonationalist arguments, with a demonstrable decline in the appropriate democratic metrics. The goal of this project is meant to better understand the competing ideologies that are of apparent importance to democracy and its maintenance and aims to be of assistance to both policymakers and researchers alike

How do young people 'do' family where there is a diagnosis of dementia?

This article presents data arising from a project that explored 22 children and young people’s experiences of having a parent with dementia. A key theme from the interviews highlighted the implications dementia has for the relationship between children and their parents – specifically, how individuals ‘do’ and display family when their parent’s personality and capacity to function as previously has been undermined. The data illustrate how these young people experience disruptions to existing family practices, and how they perpetuate a relationship with their parent in the face of dementia. It also indicates that these changes in practices – the disruption and acquired significance – contribute to children’s reconceptualisation of their relationship with their parent. This article seeks to add to the literature on family practices (Morgan, 2011) and display (Finch, 2007) by using the experience of dementia to illustrate the importance of family practices when a family experiences ‘crisis’

Acoel and platyhelminth models for stem-cell research

Acoel and platyhelminth worms are particularly attractive invertebrate models for stem-cell research because their bodies are continually renewed from large pools of somatic stem cells. Several recent studies, including one in BMC Developmental Biology, are beginning to reveal the cellular dynamics and molecular basis of stem-cell function in these animals

Postembryonic Polarity Modification in the Acoel Convolutriloba longifissura

Metazoans establish the bilateral body plan early in embryogenesis by patterning orthogonal body axes with polarity that is unaltered during the lifetime of most animals. While some organisms re-establish/modify body axes during regeneration and asexual reproduction, the acoel flatworm Convolutriloba longifissura is unusual in its ability to modify left-right (L-R) axis polarity during longitudinal fission. We have developed C. longifissura as a model for studying the mechanisms of L-R polarity modification during postembryonic development. Regeneration experiments have elucidated the temporal dynamics of midline re-specification, suggesting that parallel L-R axes replace the pre-existing midline prior to longitudinal fission. We have characterized the spatiotemporal expression of genes encoding ligands and receptors of signaling pathways with conserved functions in polarity specification and axial patterning. Expression domains of BMP, Notch, and Slit/Robo signaling components are dynamic prior to and during longitudinal fission. RNAi-mediated gene knockdown of Notch and Slit/Robo signals disrupt longitudinal fission while BMP disrupted normal midline patterning suggesting a role in modulating changes in L-R axis polarity

Mechanisms of axial polarity modification during postembryonic development of the basal bilaterian Convolutriloba macropyga

Acoel flatworms have varied modes of asexual reproduction that involve dramatic postembryonic modification of their anterior-posterior (AP) axis. The acoel species Convolutriloba macropyga reproduces through a reversed polarity budding process in which offspring develop from two posterior budding sites with a complete reversal of the AP axis compared to the parent. Reversed polarity budding is preceded by the development of a zone of tissue with disorganized musculature that is incapable of regeneration, suggesting a transient loss of axis polarity at each budding site. For this reason, these tissues are titled the polarity transition zone (PTZ). While this alteration of existing axial polarity seems to be required for subsequent reversal of the AP axis in the budding progeny, the mechanisms that allow for temporary axis modification and reversal are not known. Wnt, Hedgehog, and other signal transduction pathways have conserved roles in AP axis development and reestablishment during both metazoan embryogenesis and regeneration, suggesting these signals may function in mediating changes in axis polarity during budding in C. macropyga. Here, we have used a pharmacological screen to perturb conserved signaling pathways in Convolutriloba tissues and observed loss of axial polarity in tissues exposed to inhibitors of the Hedgehog pathway. Given the putative role of Hedgehog signal transduction in mediating alterations in axial polarity during budding, we have quantified changes in the expression of Hedgehog signaling components and regulators in budding tissues using qPCR. Hedgehog signaling was downregulated within the PTZ when compared to neighboring polarized tissues. RNAi mediated knockdown of Hedgehog gene products resulted in phenotypes of delayed bud detachment and failure to initiate future budding events. These data support Hedgehog as a key signaling pathway involved in the modification of AP axis polarity during asexual reproduction and may provide key insights towards better understanding the evolution of asexual reproduction strategies in other taxa

Acoel and Platyhelminth Models for Stem-cell Research

Acoel and platyhelminth worms are particularly attractive invertebrate models for stem-cell research because their bodies are continually renewed from large pools of somatic stem cells. Several recent studies, including one in BMC Developmental Biology, are beginning to reveal the cellular dynamics and molecular basis of stem-cell function in these animals. See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-213X/9/69. Adult somatic stem cells can play critical roles in postembryonic developmental processes such as tissue renewal, growth, repair, and regeneration [1]. Understanding how such cells are maintained and produce differentiated progeny is thus of general interest in developmental biology, in addition to being of clear biomedical relevance. Invertebrate models have great potential for elucidating the cellular and molecular basis of stem-cell function. However, in the main invertebrate models used for dissecting the details of animal development, including Drosophila and Caenorhabditis, adult somatic tissues are primarily post-mitotic and are largely or entirely devoid of adult stem cells, which limits the use of these established models for stem-cell research. Representatives of two groups of soft-bodied worms, the Acoela and the Platyhelminthes, possess large pools of adult somatic stem cells, making them useful invertebrate models for stem-cell biology. These organisms are now beginning to provide new insights into the cellular and molecular basis of adult stem-cell function

Breaking the A-P axis: Evolution of diverse asexual reproduction strategies in Convolutriloba acoels

The defining characteristic of the Bilateria is the presence of a distinct head end and tail end, which defines the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis, a feature that is established during embryogenesis and generally remains unaltered during the lifetime of an organism. While a few bilaterians have evolved asexual reproduction strategies that allow them to subdivide the A-P axis, acoels in the genus Convolutriloba have an unparalleled ability to alter the A-P axis during modes of transverse fission, longitudinal fission, and reversed polarity budding. Convolutriloba acoels thus offer an exceptional opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that allow for the radical modification of an already established A-P body axis and to explore the evolution and development of diverse asexual reproduction strategies among related species. In this study, I reconstruct the evolutionary history of asexual reproduction in the Convolutriloba and compare the diverse modes of asexual reproduction at the level of body-wall musculature, nervous system development, and cell proliferation while also exploring the regenerative potentials of tissues across species with different modes of asexual reproduction. In addition, I further explore the unusual process of A-P axis reversal that occurs during reversed polarity budding in C. retrogemma through studies of body patterning and regeneration. The results of these analyses suggest that a rich developmental toolkit of regenerative abilities, including the ability to utilize both epimorphosis and morphallaxis, to regenerate all parts of its body even from a small fragment, and to produce bifurcated A-P axes were present in the ancestor of the Convolutriloba allowing for the evolution of A-P axis modifications unlike any other bilaterian group. This toolkit along with the evolution of a seemingly unpatterned zone of tissue within the body of C. retrogemma capable of generating new anterior axes appear to have allowed this species to evolve the ability to form reversed A-P axes during budding

Mammalian soil disturbance, plant cover, and soil nitrogen in a prairie restoration

Small mammal disturbances in tallgrass prairies are known to influence a variety of ecosystem properties, including plant establishment, plant diversity, and soil nutrient dynamics. We explored direct and indirect effects of mammalian soil disturbance on a newly established grassland restoration site. In 2016–2017, we measured variation in small mammal soil disturbance, plant cover, and total inorganic nitrogen, all within the same plots. Within our site, interior plots had greater disturbance than plots located near site edges. On average, plots with high soil disturbance in 2016 had high disturbance in 2017, and disturbance in the first year was greater than in the second year. Soil disturbance was associated with an overall decline in grass cover and an increase in forb cover (especially Asteraceae). However, there were no associations between soil disturbance and either inorganic nitrogen or plant species richness/diversity on the new restoration site. Our study supports the important link between prairie plant communities and small mammal soil disturbance, potentially creating heterogeneity that is important for tallgrass prairie restoration and conservation

‘It’s just limboland’ : parental dementia and young people’s life courses

Drawing on narrative interviews from a study exploring the perceptions and experiences of children and young people who have a parent with young onset dementia, this article explores the ways in which the condition impacted their life courses. Dementia is degenerative, terminal and has an unpredictable timeframe that affected young people’s time perspectives, life planning and the ways they conceptualized their lives. This article contributes to the literature around young people’s life courses by illustrating how the concept of liminality can inform understandings of the impact of parental illness on the life course. Using a constructionist perspective we explore the impact of parental dementia on life planning in relation to education/career, mobilities and personal lives. For some, the future was a source of deep anxiety, whilst others were preoccupied with the present and unable to contemplate life beyond their parents’ illness. On the whole, participants felt their lives were in ‘limbo’ until their parents’ death. The data indicate that nuanced approaches towards the life course are required in order to better understand ‘being in limbo’ and to inform support