Religion or Worldview: Enhancing Dialogue in the Public Square

Discussions involving religion’s place today in politics, the academy, the media, even in shaping public policy, in essence the public square, is not without its controversy, misunderstandings and challenges. At what point, however, does use of the term religion become counter-productive or serve to impede that discussion. At what point does its use limit our understanding of the variety of other beliefs and values equally at play in the public square? Might a more inclusive term, implemented at certain times and in certain situations, be more helpful in understanding the variety of beliefs, values and principles operating in the public square? This paper suggests that use of the term worldview, rather than exclusively religion, might enhance dialogue, broaden the discussion and expand the parameters to create a more level playing field, and to examine other perspectives which contrast or compete with religion in the public square

Perspectives on the Delta Waterfowl Research Station-Ducks Unlimited Canada Marsh Ecology Research Program

Present wetland management has been developed largely on a trial and error basis (Figure 1 ). The effects of many important environmental variables on wetland productivity 253 are not known, consequently management results have not been predictable with a high degree of accuracy (Weller 1981 ). Many marsh management techniques have been described; however, consistently successful marsh management requires a more comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of wetland systems. Although there have been numerous observational studies, major advances in our understanding will result from tightly controlled experimentation which permits the integration of simultaneous research efforts by a number of different scientific disciplines (Reichle 1975, Weller 1978). Because wetlands are temporally dynamic, this type of multi-disciplinary ecosystem analysis must also span a number of years to document the annual and long-term variability within the system. By better understanding the structure and function of wetlands, managers will be better able to design management techniques and strategies suited to their particular situation and therefore realize greater success in manipulating the productivity of these systems (Figure I)

Administrative Capacity-Building in 2021-27 – Priorities, Strategies and Implementation : Report to the 55th IQ-Net meeting

Managing Cohesion Policy programmes is one of the most important and complex tasks in the EU, undertaken within an unstable environment with many implementation challenges arising frequently. Administrative capability is therefore needed to ensure timely, legal and effective spending. The key questions for this IQ-Net paper are how administrative capacity-building (ACB) is working in the 2021-27 period, and what is the value of different support instruments and tools. In this respect the paper will analyse priorities, strategies and the implementation of ACB. The paper has reviewed the 2019 ‘Annex Ds’, and IQ-Net partners were asked to identify internal and external factors that influence the implementation of Cohesion Policy. In this respect, Human Resources are identified as an important internal factor of programme implementation, and administrative capacity for beneficiaries is for all IQ-Net partners an important external factor that needs in most cases, improvement. In terms of strategic approach, regardless of whether a formal administrative capacity building roadmap has been developed, all IQ-Net partners are actively monitoring the dynamics and are seeking ways to improve the implementing of Cohesion Policy programmes. Building capacity of beneficiaries and stakeholders is a multi-actor, multi-level, long-term process that can be achieved by combining events, training sessions and personal contacts between programme authorities and beneficiaries. Given the importance of human resources for the successful implementation of programmes, IQ-Net partners have developed numerous measures and tools to retain qualified and motivated staff. These can be grouped into three categories, training, good working conditions and opportunities for collaboration. The paper also analyses IQ-Net partners’ use of Technical Assistance (TA), as it is a powerful facilitator of administrative capacity building initiatives and may provide the necessary financing to implement tools and capacity building measures. The review of administrative capacity building measures in this paper provides only a snapshot of all the measures and activities that are going on. Fundamentally, what this paper shows is that, as we strive to seek improvements to the implementation of Cohesion policy programmes, administrative capacity building is for everyone, everywhere, all the time

Closing the innovation gap

Background briefing paper for the MEZ policy dialogue

Using mobile phones to improve educational outcomes : an analysis of evidence from Asia

The article reviews available evidence regarding the educational benefits that mobile phones may provide in the developing world. It explores the results of six mLearning (or e-learning) projects that took place in several developing countries in Asia – the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential of mobile phone-facilitated mLearning as well as with indications for possible future areas of research. Analysis of the projects indicates that while there is important evidence for mobile phones facilitating increased access, much less evidence exists as to how mobiles promote new learning

The genome of the endangered dryas monkey provides new Insights into the evolutionary history of the vervets

Genomic data can be a powerful tool for inferring ecology, behaviour and conservation needs of highly elusive species, particularly when other sources of information are hard to come by. Here we focus on the dryas monkey, an endangered primate endemic to the Congo Basin with cryptic behaviour and possibly less than 250 remaining individuals. Using whole genome data we show that the dryas monkey represents a sister lineage to the vervet monkeys and has diverged from them at least 1 million years ago with additional bi-directional gene flow 590,000 – 360,000 years ago. After bonobo-chimpanzee admixture, this is the second reported case of gene flow that most likely involved crossing the Congo River, a strong dispersal barrier. As the demographic history of bonobos and dryas monkey shows similar patterns of population increase during this time period, we hypothesise that the fluvial topology of the Congo River might have been more dynamic than previously recognised. As a result of dryas monkey - vervet admixture, genes involved in resistance to the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) have been exchanged, possibly indicating adaptive introgression. Despite the presence of several homozygous loss-of-function mutations in genes associated with reduced sperm mobility and immunity, we find high genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding and genetic load in the studied dryas monkey individual. This suggests that the current population carries sufficient genetic variability for the long-term survival of this species. We thus provide an example of how genomic data can directly improve our understanding of elusive species

Clinical and Angiographic Factors Associated With Asymptomatic Restenosis After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BACKGROUND: Angiographic restenosis after percutaneous coronary interventional procedures is more common than recurrent angina. Clinical and angiographic factors associated with asymptomatic versus symptomatic restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention were compared. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients with angiographic restenosis from the BENESTENT I, BENESTENT II pilot, BENESTENT II, MUSIC, WEST 1, DUET, FINESS 2, FLARE, SOPHOS, and ROSE studies were analyzed. Multivariate analysis evaluated 46 clinical and angiographic variables, comparing those with and without angina. The 10 studies recruited 2690 patients who underwent percutaneous revascularization and 6-month follow-up angiography (86% of those eligible). Restenosis (>/=50% diameter stenosis) occurred in 607 patients and was clinically silent in 335 (55%). Male sex (P=0.008), absence of antianginal therapy with nitrates (P=0.0002) and calcium channel blockers (P=0.02) at 6 months, greater reference diameter after the procedure (P=0.04), greater reference diameter at follow-up (P=0.004), and lesser lesion severity (percent stenosis) at 6 months (P=0.0004) were univariate predictors of asymptomatic restenosis. By multivariate analysis, only male sex (P=0.04), greater reference diameter at follow-up (P=0.002), and lesser lesion severity at 6 months (P=0.0001) were associated with restenosis without angina. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of patients with angiographic restenosis have no symptoms. The only multivariate predictors of silent restenosis at 6 months were male sex, greater reference diameter at follow-up, and lesser lesion severity on follow-up angiography

Between delivering chronic care and answering patients' burdens: Understanding HIV specialist nurses' experiences in the age of treatment

Aim(s): To understand the experiences of HIV nurses in the context of ambivalence between biomedical treatment advancements and the continuing burden for people living with HIV and negative representations of HIV. Design: An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted using in-depth interviews. Methods: Twenty-one interviews with nurses were conducted between November 2021 and March 2022. A thematic analysis was performed. Results: Six themes related to the nurses' experiences emerged. Despite effective treatment for most people with HIV, nurses identify patient populations that require additional care. Nurses are flexible in making extra appointments to accommodate complex issues in these patients. Nurses develop a unique relationship with their patients based on trust and empathy, linked to patient's experiences with stigma and discrimination for people with HIV. Nurses perceive their tasks as becoming increasingly complex. There is explicit awareness about the changes in HIV care from acute to chronic care and how this affects nurses' tasks. Nurses continue to differentiate HIV from other chronic conditions. Conclusion: Biomedical advancements change the organization of HIV care while public health concerns remain and patient population has particular needs due to negative social representations of HIV. Nurses navigate these issues in their everyday care. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: A potential re-evaluation of the role of nurses in providing chronic HIV care. Impact: Our study addresses the roles of HIV nurses as care is shifting towards chronic care models. The unique relationship between nurses and patients is key in understanding the importance of nurses in the care trajectory. These findings impact the institutional role of nurses in HIV treatment centres and the institutional organization of HIV care. Report Method: The COREQ guideline was used. Patient or Public Contribution: Amsterdam UMC (AMC) staff, the national organization of HIV Nurses and patient organizations contributed to the study design

DNA Methylation Signatures Identify Biologically Distinct Subtypes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract: We hypothesized that DNA methylation distributes into specific patterns in cancer cells, which reflect critical biological differences. We therefore examined the methylation profiles of 344 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clustering of these patients by methylation data segregated patients into 16 groups. Five of these groups defined new AML subtypes that shared no other known feature. In addition, DNA methylation profiles segregated patients with CEBPA aberrations from other subtypes of leukemia, defined four epigenetically distinct forms of AML with NPM1 mutations, and showed that established AML1-ETO, CBFb-MYH11, and PML-RARA leukemia entities are associated with specific methylation profiles. We report a 15 gene methylation classifier predictive of overall survival in an independent patient cohort (p < 0.001, adjusted for known covariates)