Religion and national belonging: do you have to be Christian to be “one of us?”

Is religion seen as core to national identity? Here Pew Research Center’s Bruce Stokes discusses the findings from Pew’s recent survey on public attitudes to religion and national belonging in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia. Whilst sizable segments of the public see religion as core to national belonging, language and customs matter more

The Challenge to Lead: U.S. Global Economic Responsibilities in the 21st Century

In response to concerns about the U.S. commitment to international economic leadership, CED commissioned The Challenge to Lead: U.S. Global Economic Responsibilities in the 21st Century by Bruce Stokes, Senior Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations and columnist for The National Journal. The study outlines the U.S. stake in a prosperous and orderly global economy, proposes a new model for U.S. leadership, and discusses strategies for reforming global finance, liberalizing markets, and mobilizing public support

2-Oxaadamantane-1-N,N,N-trimethylmethanaminium Iodide: Synthesis and Potential for Muscarinic Activity

The synthesis of the title compound from adamantanone is described. The series of steps include ring expansion and hydrolysis to endo-7-hydroxy-exo-3-bicyclo(3.3.1)nonane carboxylic acid, followed by oxidative ring closure using lead tetraacetate. The final, substituted oxaadamantane incorporates the key functional group elements known to be necessary for useful muscarinic activity into a molecular geometry not present in acetylcholine agonists or antagonists previously prepared

Designing Ukraines Recovery in the Spirit of the Marshall Plan: Principles, Architecture, Financing, Accountability - Recommendations for Donor Countries

US Secretary of State George C. Marshall, speaking at Harvard University 75 years ago, laid out a plan that combined aid to war-ravaged European countries with the strategic goal of building an alliance against Soviet expansionism.West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, speaking at Harvard University 50 years ago, presented the idea of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) as a gift to the American people, a sign of gratitude by the German people and a living memorial to the original Marshall Plan.Today, the idea of another Marshall Plan is in the air. For the first time since 1947, a project for an expansive recovery effort on the European continent is needed and realistic. Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine, with daily widespread devastation in the name of his neo-imperial plan, cries out for a strong, creative response by the global community of democracies. The vision of a free and democratic, modernized and European Ukraine is the answer to Putin's challenge.For decades, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) has supported the idea of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. It has supported the strengthening of civil society across Central and Eastern Europe. It has helped to generate and circulate ideas that honor the concept of enlightened self-interest and promote a collaborative, rules-based international order. At the core of GMF's work has always been the belief that the transatlantic community is stronger together.In July 2022, at an international conference in Lugano, Ukraine presented its National Recovery Plan. So far, its democratic partners have not responded in kind by agreeing on a plan to help the country rebuild after the war, leaving a void.This paper is an effort by GMF to help fill this void and to stimulate the debate about a meaningful Western plan for Ukraine's recovery. It is not a full blueprint for such an effort but a structured collection of recommendations for donor governments and international institutions. It limits itself to the challenges of designing and implementing such a plan and does not comment on Ukraine's National Recovery Plan. GMF hopes to follow this up with a broader, more comprehensive publication later in 2022 that will cover areas that this paper only touches upon, such as the role of civil society in the recovery process

A primary care research agenda for multiple long-term conditions:A Delphi study

BackgroundMultiple long-term conditions (MLTC, multimorbidity) has been identified as a priority research topic, globally. Research priorities from the perspectives of patients and research funders have been described. Although most care for MLTC is delivered in primary care, the priorities of academic primary care have not been identified. AimTo identify and prioritise the academic primary care research agenda for MLTC.Design and SettingThree-phase study with primary care MLTC researchers from the UK and other high-income countries.Method(i) Open-ended survey question; (ii) face-to-face workshop to elaborate questions with researchers from the UK and Ireland; (iii) and a two-round Delphi consensus survey with international multimorbidity researchers.ResultsTwenty-five primary care researchers responded to the initial open-ended survey and generated 84 potential research questions. In the subsequent workshop discussion (18 participants), this list was reduced to 31 questions. The long list of 31 research questions was included in round one of the Delphi; 27 of the 50 (54%) round one and 24 of the 27 to round two (89%) invitees took part in the Delphi. Ten questions reached final consensus. These focused broadly on addressing complexity of the patient group with (a) development of new models of care for multimorbidity, (b) methods and data development.ConclusionThese high priority research questions offer funders and researchers a basis upon which to build future grant calls and research plans. Addressing complexity in our research is needed to inform improvements in our systems of care and for prevention.<br/

Germany and the United States: Reliable Allies. But Disagreement on Russia, Global Leadership and Trade

This Pew Research Center report, in association with Bertelsmann Foundation, examines American and German attitudes toward each other and their respective geopolitical roles. This report is based on telephone surveys in the United States and Germany. In the U.S., interviews were conducted February 26 to March 1, 2015 among a national sample of 1,003 persons, 18 years of age or older. In Germany, interviews were conducted February 24-25, 2015 among a national sample of 963 persons, 18 years of age or older. For more details, see survey methods and topline results

Cow/Calf Production Record Software.

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The vertebral body growth plate in scoliosis: a primary disturbance of growth?

Study Design and Aims: This was an observational pilot study of the vertebral body growth plates in scoliosis involving high-resolution coronal plane magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and histological examination. One aim of this study was to determine whether vertebral body growth plates in scoliosis demonstrated abnormalities on MR imaging. A second aim was to determine if a relationship existed between MR and histological abnormalities in these vertebral body growth plates. Methods: MR imaging sequences of 18 patients demonstrated the vertebralbody growth plates well enough to detect gross abnormalities/ deficient areas/zones. Histological examination of ten vertebral body growth plates removed during routine scoliosis surgery was performed. Observational histological comparison with MR images was possible in four cases. Results: Four of the 18 MR images demonstrated spines with normal curvature and normal vertebral body growth plates. In 13 scoliotic spines, convex and concave side growth plate deficiencies were observed most frequently at or near the apex of the curve. One MR image demonstrated a 55° kyphosis and no convex or concave side deficiencies. The degree of vertebral body wedging was independent of the presence of vertebral body growth plate deficiency. Histological abnormalities of the vertebral body growth plates were demonstrated in four with MR imaging abnormalities. Conclusion: This study demonstrated MR image abnormalities of scoliotic vertebral body growth plates compared to controls. A qualitative relationship was demonstrated between MR imaging and histological abnormalities. The finding that vertebral body growth plate deficiencies occurred both on the convex and concave sides of the spine, closest to the apical vertebra of the scoliosis curve, implied that they are less likely to be the result of adaptive changes to the physical forces involved in the scoliotic deformity. One explanation is that they represent a primary disturbance of growth