Saintmaking and Saintbreaking: An Empirical Analysis of the Mormon Experience

Why do fervent following adherents disaffiliate from the religion of their birth? In so doing oftentimes one’s culture, heritage, and perhaps all that has provided shape to a person’s life may be left behind as well. The extremely complex, controlling, and efficacious system of Latter-day Saint socialization within the Rocky Mountain West has served as the substrate by which a comparatively young and peculiar people have experienced a relative catapult into the global arena of religious philosophy, international politics, and economic commerce. To be sure, studies of departure from mainline churches abound. However, such research has neglected to specifically address the exit process of embedded Mormons. This exploration is unique in that I provide an articulation of elements that clarify what it means to possess an identity aligned with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within its home parameters of the Mormon culture region. Narrative data acquired from forty ex-LDS members who were born to, and raised by fervent following parents underneath the ideological shelter of the Mormon sacred canopy proffers a treasure trove of feelings, patterns, and expectations that offer insight and explanation into the mechanisms connected to LDS detachment, exit, and apostasy

The implications of policy settings on land use and agricultural technology adoption in North-West India

The irrigated rice-wheat cropping system is the predominant and most profitable farming system in north-west India, especially in Punjab. However, there are growing concerns about the environmental effects of the system, particularly with the practice of burning rice stubbles, due to its adverse effects on human health and air pollution. In this paper we consider the wide array of policy settings that tend to favour current land uses and management practices and their impact on the farming system over time. As part of an ACIAR-funded project, we assess the significance of these policies with a view to considering what additional or alternative policies could be put in place to encourage the adoption of approaches or technologies directly concerned with reducing the practice of stubble burning. We conclude that many of these policy settings limit the gains from technology adoption and might be better addressed prior to considering policies aimed at specific technological solutions.agricultural policy, air pollution, stubble burning, technology adoption, India, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use, Political Economy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Nova Mediates Experience Dependent Processing of Orb2A mRNA

Memory serves the vital function of associating disparate stimuli to modify future behavior for fitness. For instance, Drosophila melanogaster can learn to associate neutral odors with sweet metabolically available sugars and remember this association for days. Memory formation is thought to rely on stable changes in synaptic strength dictated by the internal state of the organism and the nature of the external stimuli it encounters. In flies, long-term memory requires the efficient oligomerization of the translation regulator Orb2, a process that is dependent on the protein isoform Orb2A. The mechanisms that regulate Orb2A protein levels will therefore determine which experiences become lasting memories. Here we show that Orb2A mRNA exists in a non-protein coding form in the brain via intron retention. Upon exposure to external stimuli sufficient to induce long-term memory, the amount of protein coding Orb2A mRNA increases. Furthermore, the protein coding form of Orb2A mRNA requires the Drosophila homologue of Nova-1/2, a well characterized mammalian nervous system specific alternative splicing factor. Our results implicate mRNA processing as a regulatory step in memory formation via the Nova dependent maturation of Orb2A mRNA

Women's status and experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in Uttar Pradesh: a mixed methods study using cultural health capital theory.

BackgroundMistreatment of women in healthcare settings during childbirth has been gaining attention globally. Mistreatment during childbirth directly and indirectly affects health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and the likelihood of delivering in a facility currently or in the future. It is important that we study patients' reports of mistreatment and abuse to develop a deeper understanding of how it is perpetrated, its consequences, and to identify potential points of intervention. Patients' perception of the quality of care is dependent, not only on the content of care, but importantly, on women's expectations of care.MethodsThis study uses rich, mixed-methods data to explore women's characteristics and experiences of mistreatment during childbirth among slum-resident women in Uttar Pradesh, India. To understand the ways in which women's social and cultural factors influence their expectations of care and consequently their perceptions of respectful care, we adopt a Cultural Health Capital (CHC) framework. The quantitative sample includes 392 women, and the qualitative sample includes 26 women.ResultsQuantitative results suggest high levels of mistreatment (over 57 % of women reported any form of mistreatment). Qualitative findings suggest that lack of cultural health capital disadvantages patients in their patient-provider relationships, and that women use resources to improve care they receive. Participants articulated how providers set expectations and norms regarding behaviors in facilities; patients with lower social standing may not always understand standard practices and are likely to suffer poor health outcomes as a result. Of importance, however, patients also blame themselves for their own lack of knowledge.ConclusionsLack of cultural health capital disadvantages women during delivery care in India. Providers set expectations and norms around behaviors during delivery, while women are often misinformed and may have low expectations of care