Christian Academics Need to Increase their Publishing: A Study of CCCU Teaching Faculty and Librarians

This is the second of two articles that explains the results of an in-depth research study of teaching faculty and librarian scholarship within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The first article examined the nature and extent of that scholarship and this article examines its necessity

Current State of Scholarship in Christian Liberal Arts Schools A Study of CCCU Teaching Faculty and Librarians

This is the first of two articles that explains the results of an in-depth research study of teaching faculty and librarian scholarship within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). This article examines the nature and extent of that scholarship and the article examines its necessit

Chronic opioid pretreatment potentiates the sensitization of fear learning by trauma.

Despite the large comorbidity between PTSD and opioid use disorders, as well as the common treatment of physical injuries resulting from trauma with opioids, the ability of opioid treatments to subsequently modify PTSD-related behavior has not been well studied. Using the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) model for PTSD, we characterized the impact of chronic opioid regimens on the sensitization of fear learning seen following traumatic stress in mice. We demonstrate for the first time that chronic opioid pretreatment is able to robustly augment associative fear learning. Highlighting aversive learning as the cognitive process mediating this behavioral outcome, these changes were observed after a considerable period of drug cessation, generalized to learning about multiple aversive stimuli, were not due to changes in stimulus sensitivity or basal anxiety, and correlated with a marker of synaptic plasticity within the basolateral amygdala. Additionally, these changes were not observed when opioids were given after the traumatic event. Moreover, we found that neither reducing the frequency of opioid administration nor bidirectional manipulation of acute withdrawal impacted the subsequent enhancement in fear learning seen. Given the fundamental role of associative fear learning in the generation and progression of PTSD, these findings are of direct translational relevance to the comorbidity between opioid dependence and PTSD, and they are also pertinent to the use of opioids for treating pain resulting from traumas involving physical injuries

'Seasons of the Anthropocene': politicisation of the haze season in Southeast Asia

In the last three decades, a new ‘haze season’ has emerged in Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean societies to signify the recurring air pollution episode caused by the widespread burning of tropical peatlands. This study delves into the discursive framework of ‘seasonality’ surrounding the societal perception and response to haze, exploring ‘haze season’ as an adaptation context and ‘haze’ as a mitigation strategy. Deploying a three-step methodology, this paper identifies and analyses key storylines used by various political actors to attribute meaning to haze, namely (1) ‘it keeps coming back’, (2) ‘it will go away’, and (3) ‘it is normal’. Different political actors deploy these storylines for distinct purposes. The objectives of storyline deployment align mostly between governments and corporations seeking to explain, legitimise, and detract from mitigation inefficiencies and adaptation inadequacies, with civil society organisations being the sole challenges and critique of this patronage network structures, where governments and companies tolerate unsustainable agroforestry practices leading to haze. The study underscores the significance of understanding the politics involved in constructing ‘seasons of the Anthropocene’. Divergent framing of seasonality by different actors reveals the underlying mechanisms influencing environmental change mitigation and adaptation. The construction of Anthropocene seasons can be a double-edged sword, with familiarisation enhancing societal preparedness, while normalisation can lead to desensitisation and inertia towards mitigation. Untangling the divergent pathways of politicising Anthropocene seasonalities holds the key to determining whether and how societies can build a ‘liveable future’. By grasping the dynamics of the ‘haze season’ discourse, we can project effective environmental action and address the challenges posed by recurring haze episodes