Arenas of judgement: an analysis of matrimonial cases brought before different types of courts in the Eastern region of Ghana in the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-sixties

Domestic rights & duties in Southern Ghan

Longing for Health. A Practice of Religious Healing and Biomedicine Compared

The standard notion is that biomedicine and religious healing are two completely different practices in modern Western societies. In this article, this notion is questioned by comparing in the Netherlands one practice of religious healing, namely the ‘Services of salvation and healing’ of the Pentecostal Levensstroom gemeente (Livingstream Church) of Jan Zijlstra, and one practice of biomedicine, namely the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Cancer Hospital (AvL). What are the differences and possible similarities between these two? Starting from a cultural approach and after the description of these two practices, they are compared with respect to four points: concepts and objects, means and methods, ‘healers’ and patients, and effects and expectations. It is argued that these practices have at least five principle points in common: a tendency to objectivation of the underlying framework, a very instrumental way of working, ‘healers’ with a high ascribed status, efficacy along the indirect line of symbolic healing, and a comparable way of dealing with unknown and uncontrolled forces. What can these practices learn from each other

Securitization, Islamic chaplaincy, and the issue of (de)radicalization of Muslim detainees in Dutch prisons

What position does organized Muslim chaplaincy in Dutch prisons take with respect to the prevention of radicalization and to the de-radicalization of detainees with a Muslim background? After describing the process of securitization of Salafism in the Netherlands, discussing the use of context-related concepts as radicalization, extremism and terrorism, and sketching the context and the making of Muslim chaplaincy, the article provides a brief overview of recent research on the relation between detention and (de)radicalization. Then, the stance of Islamic prison chaplaincy towards (de-)radicalization of Muslim prisoners is described and analyzed in terms of goals, policy and practice. An expansive oligopolistic system of chaplaincy, representing various organized religions, seems to facilitate a relatively a-political type of Islamic chaplaincy, which often acts as a countervailing force to the dominant trend of securitization

Twisted algebra R-matrices and S-matrices for bn(1)b_n^{(1)} affine Toda solitons and their bound states

We construct new $U_q(a^{(2)}_{2n-1})$ and $U_q(e^{(2)}_6)$ invariant $R$-matrices and comment on the general construction of $R$-matrices for twisted algebras. We use the former to construct $S$-matrices for $b^{(1)}_n$ affine Toda solitons and their bound states, identifying the lowest breathers with the $b^{(1)}_n$ particles.Comment: Latex, 24 pages. Various misprints corrected. New section added clarifying relationship between R-matrices and S-matrice

Differential redox-regulation and mitochondrial dynamics in normal and leukemic hematopoietic stem cells:A potential window for leukemia therapy

The prognosis for many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poor, mainly due to disease relapse driven by leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Recent studies have highlighted the unique metabolic properties of LSCs, which might represent opportunities for LSC-selective targeting. LSCs characteristically have low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which apparently result from a combination of low mitochondria] activity and high activity of ROS-removing pathways such as autophagy. Due to this low activity, LSCs are highly dependent on mitochondrial regulatory mechanisms. These include the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2, which also has crucial roles in regulating the mitochondrial membrane potential, and proteins involved in mitophagy. Here we review the different pathways that impact mitochondrial activity and redox-regulation, and highlight their relevance for the functionality of both HSCs and LSCs. Additionally, novel AML therapy strategies that are based on interference with those pathways, including the promising BCL-2 inhibitor Venetoclax, are summarized

Farm water productivity in conventional and organic farming: Case studies of cow-calf farming systems in North Germany

The increase of organic agriculture in Germany raises the question of how water productivity differs from conventional agriculture. On three organic and two conventionally farming systems in Germany, water flows and water related indicators were quantified. Farm water productivity (FWP), farm water productivity of cow-calf production (FWPlivestock), and farm water productivity of food crop production (FWPfood crops) were calculated using the modeling software AgroHyd Farmmodel. The FWP was calculated on a mass and monetary basis. FWPlivestock showed the highest productivity on a mass basis occurring on a conventional farm with 0.09 kg m-3Winput, whereas one organic farm and one conventional farm showed the same results. On a monetary basis, organic cow-calf farming systems showed the highest FWPlivestock, with 0.28 € m-3Winput. Since the productivity of the farm depends strongly on the individual cultivated plants, FWPfood crops was compared at the level of the single crop. The results show furthermore that even with a precise examination of farm water productivity, a high bandwidth of temporal and local values are revealed on different farms: generic FWP for food crops and livestock are not within reach

Jews and Muslims in London and Amsterdam

This book focuses on the development of bilateral Jewish-Muslim relations in London and Amsterdam since the late-1980s. It offers a comparative analysis that considers both similarities and differences, drawing on historical, social scientific, and religious studies perspectives. The authors address how Jewish-Muslim relations are related to the historical and contemporary context in which they are embedded, the social identity strategies Jews and Muslims and their institutions employ, and their perceived mutual positions in terms of identity and power. The first section reflects on the history and current profile of Jewish and Muslim communities in London and Amsterdam and the development of relations between Jews andMuslims in both cities. The second section engages with sources of conflict and cooperation. Four specific areas that cause tension are explored: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; antisemitism and Islamophobia; attacks by extremists; and the commemoration of wars and genocides. In addition to ‘trigger events’, what stands out is the influence of historical factors, public opinion, the ‘mainstream’ Christian churches and the media, along with the role of government. The volume will be of interest to scholars from fields including religious studies, interfaith studies, Jewish studies, Islamic studies, urban studies, European studies, and social sciences as well as members of the communities concerned, other religious communities, journalists, politicians, and teachers who are interested in Jewish-Muslim relations