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Political and personal religious attitudes: the role of religion in intragroup and intergroup conflicts (evidence from the Middle East)
Get PDFThis comparative study explores the relationship between political and personal religious attitudes and their impact on reconciliation and tolerance in conflicts. Using survey data from 2,171 respondents across Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia, the research highlights the mediating role of religious conflict perception in shaping attitudes toward reconciliation. The findings challenge deterministic views of religion’s role in protracted conflict, showing that while political–religious attitudes correlate with a rejection of reconciliation, personal religious attitudes do not. Rather, the interplay of religious attitudes, justice perceptions, and conflict narratives shapes these attitudes. In internal political conflicts, the adoption of religious attitudes does not always correlate with intolerance. The study integrates constructivist and instrumentalist perspectives, demonstrating that the role of religion in conflict is context-dependent. It also shows that, regardless of religious affiliation, political and personal religious orientations similarly influence attitudes toward reconciliation and tolerance, offering important insights for intergroup and conflict resolution strategies
Dataset for Quantifying the influences of epoxide binding in epoxide/CO2 ring opening copolymerization catalysis
No full textData supporting above publication which has been accepted at the Journal of the American Chemical Societ
Statius, Silvae 3.1 and 3.2: edited with a commentary
No full textThis work is a commentary upon the first two poems of Statius’ third book of Silvae, viz. Hercules Surrentinus Pollii Felicis (3.1) and Propempticon Maecii Celeris (3.2). The text of each poem has been constituted anew, and a facing translation provided. The commentary has essentially two objects: to ascertain, with the greatest possible precision, what the poet wrote and meant; and to place his work within a broader context. In this it extends the labours of recent commentators (Laguna [1992], Liberman [2010], Ganzenbacher [2018]), while also advancing criticism of the Silvae in new directions: more attention is given, e.g., to Statius’ engagement with Greek poetry (esp. Pindar, Apollonius, Callimachus, and the Hellenistic poets read by Nonnus), to his manipulation of narrative inconsistencies for literary effect, and to thematic continuities within and across the poems of Book 3. Particular regard is paid in the notes to matters of style, metre, and linguistic usage; and various poetic artifices are detected for the first time: word-plays, ‘proleptic’ allusions, creative re-imaginings of conventional topoi, etc. Archaeological and artistic evidence is brought in to illuminate both the historical context and particular literary devices, incl. word-choice and word-order.The commentary on 3.1 is preceded by an examination of the topography of Pollius’ estate, of his motives for enlarging Hercules’ temple, of the date of Statius’ poem, and of the literary and epigraphic precedents on which it is modelled and from which it departs. That on 3.2 begins with a review of what is known respecting the life of its honorand, Maecius Celer, about whom some new deductions and conjectures are offered, and of the poet’s debt not only to the genre of the propempticon but also to Argonautic poetry. As regards editing the text, a middle course is steered between the conservative principles of earlier editors and the freewheeling radicalism of more recent times. Some thirty new emendations are proposed, including four suspected interpolations, and a supplement to the repertory of Hall (2021) is appended
The role of courts in abortion decriminalization: The unmet potential of proportionality
Get PDFThis article explores the role that courts can play in advancing the decriminalization of abortion, understood as the removal of all specific criminal provisions and related offenses. Over the last two decades, several constitutional courts have addressed fundamental questions concerning the constitutionality of criminal abortion laws, paving the way for an era of abortion liberalization or partial decriminalization. Yet none of these abortion rulings—including recent decisions by the highest courts in South Korea, Thailand, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, and Mexico—have supported, or even been asked to consider, full decriminalization. Instead, courts have generally continued to accept criminal law as a legitimate form of abortion regulation, particularly for later gestations.This article examines how courts with the power of constitutional review could advance abortion decriminalization if such a petition were brought before them. We argue that, by deepening their constitutional analysis of criminal abortion laws through proportionality review, courts could meaningfully question the legality, rationality, necessity, and strict proportionality of criminalizing abortion at any stage of gestation. Our proposal does not suggest that abortion should go unregulated, nor that states are precluded from pursuing the protection of prenatal stages of life. Rather, it contends that criminal provisions governing abortion do not advance these goals. Abortion should instead be regulated as other areas of medical practice, subject to evidence-based healthcare laws and guidelines, and complemented by economic, social, and public health policies aimed at reducing unintended pregnancies and supporting motherhood for those who choose it
"Cinema is what we do": rhetorics of renewal and adaptation in post-independence Angolan cinema (1982-1992)
Get PDFThis thesis examines films made by four Angolan directors between 1982-1992. After 1975, the initial productivity of the early post-independence phase of Angolan cinema was followed by a prolonged crisis that would last until the early 2000s. Characterizations of this period as one of collapse, desolation and stagnation have been taken at face value and have shaped hegemonic perceptions of Angolan cinema from the 1980s and 1990s. Angolan national cinema has undoubtedly experienced major difficulties. The challenges faced by Angolan filmmakers should not be understated. However, this moment of crisis also brought creative renewal and self-examination. Responding to a complex political landscape and adverse cinematic conditions, several Angolan directors began to cultivate a new critical and artistic idiom through their films.This thesis offers a critical challenge to established narratives of collapse and decline and argues that films made during this important period of Angolan cinema demonstrate a radical expansion of the politically dogmatic national cinema that developed under the first MPLA government. I propose that looking to these films enables us to understand in greater depth the development and legacy of Angola’s militant revolutionary cinema, as well as the distinctive, personal cinematic languages of its pioneering directors. Innovations in form, content and aesthetics made by Angolan filmmakers during this period underline the need to reframe this juncture of crisis and “collapse” as an important moment of creative vision, energy, innovation and resilience in the history of Angolan cinema.Through close analysis of films directed by Asdrúbal Rebelo, Orlando Fortunato, Ruy Duarte de Carvalho and Mariano Bartolomeu, I focus on the themes of adaptation and dialogue to examine the rhetorical and aesthetic strategies of Angolan directors active during the 1980s and early 1990s. This thesis is the first substantial study on the development of Angolan cinema during these two decades
The power of diversity in neuroscience research models
No full textNeuroscience thrives on diversity-not only in the questions it asks but also in the models it uses to explore them. Across the field, different animal models have played pivotal roles in uncovering the principles governing brain function, development, and disease. Yet, the choice of model organisms remains a subject of debate. This editorial highlights the importance of embracing a wide range of animal models in neuroscience research. Each model offers unique strengths aligned with particular experimental approaches and scientific questions, contributing complementary insights that no single species alone can provide. By leveraging this diversity, we can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the brain across levels of organization, from molecular pathways to behavioral outputs at the organismal level. Beyond the scientific advantages, we also discuss ethical and practical considerations: A diverse approach can promote responsible animal use by tailoring species choice to specific research goals. It can also foster environmental sustainability by avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort and resources. We call on neuroscientists to reflect on the value of integrating insights across species and experimental approaches. By moving beyond entrenched preferences and disciplinary silos, the field can unlock new opportunities for discovery. In championing the use of diverse animal models, we aim to inspire a more inclusive, efficient, and impactful neuroscience that rises to the complexity of its subject
Evaluating the effectiveness of radio frequency interference removal algorithms for single pulse searches
Get PDFRadio frequency interference (RFI), the presence of artificial and/or terrestrial signals in astronomical data, poses a great challenge to the search for pulsars and radio transients, such as rotating radio transients (RRATs) and fast radio bursts (FRBs), by obscuring or distorting the signal of interest and resulting in large numbers of erroneous detections. RFI mitigation algorithms aim to remove this interference and improve the chance of detection of transients, but with the growing number of techniques, selecting the most appropriate method for a given survey can be problematic. The choice of method is particularly important in real-time searches planned for next-generation telescopes such as those of the SKAO, where there is no possibility to reprocess the data. In this paper, we explore the algorithm selection problem by injecting pulses into data which simulates several RFI environments. A set of these files is then cleaned using RFI mitigation algorithms and run through a single pulse search pipeline to analyse the recovery of the injected pulses. We examine the recovery of the injected single pulses with an emphasis on a number of cases spanning a range of pulse brightness, width, and dispersion measure. The efficacy and side effects of a few popular RFI excision methods, namely IQRM, SKF, and ZDMF are evaluated
The Role of Fibroblast–Epithelial Cross-Talk on the Distribution of Distinct Fibroblast Phenotypes in the Intestinal Crypt: The Role of Fibroblast–Epithelial..
Get PDFIntestinal crypts are test tube-like structures lined with an epithelial monolayer. Under homeostasis, mitotic forces drive epithelial cells to migrate up the crypt, from the stem cell niche. As the cells migrate up the crypt, they differentiate into specialised cells. This process is regulated by morphogen gradients established by distinct populations of subepithelial fibroblasts, and recent studies suggest fibroblasts and epithelial cells have co-evolved to maintain crypt structure and function via complementary morphogen expression. We present a mathematical model of fibroblast–epithelial cross-talk, in which fibroblast and epithelial phenotypes emerge from morphogen binding to cell surface receptors. The model predicts the formation of distinct zones of mutually supporting phenotypes at different crypt heights. These findings support the idea that fibroblast and epithelial cell phenotypes are an emergent property of the crypt microenvironment. We use the model to investigate how mutations in the fibroblasts may disrupt these phenotypic zones. Our results suggest that such mutations may lead to uncontrolled epithelial cell growth and, as such, indicate how dysfunctional fibroblasts may contribute to the emergence of colorectal cancer
Agents of the Ordu: unravelling Ilkhanid networks in Medieval Eurasia
Get PDFThis dissertation reinterprets Mongol diplomacy and governance by analysing the Ilkhanate, the Mongol polity ruling Persia from the mid-thirteenth to mid-fourteenth century. It argues that diplomacy was not limited to external relations but was embedded in internal governance, functioning as a continuous process of negotiation between rulers and diverse elites.The study introduces the category of the agent to describe individuals who mediated between the Ilkhans and their constituencies. These agents, whether nobles, Persian administrators, Nestorian clerics, Armenian kings, or Italian merchants, acted simultaneously as representatives of their communities and as servants of Mongol rulers. Their influence derived from their ability to occupy strategic positions within networks that linked otherwise disconnected groups. By applying concepts such as brokerage, the dissertation shows how agents exercised power through their capacity to extend their networks to bridge cultural, religious, and political divides.Persia’s religious diversity, contested frontiers, and central role in Eurasian geopolitics created conditions in which negotiation and compromise were indispensable. By examining the interactions of different groups at the ordu, the study defines “internal diplomacy” as the balancing of power within the empire, and demonstrates how these processes shaped external relations as well.The thesis is organised in two parts: the first analyses relations between the ilkhan, the military aristocracy, and the Persian administrative elite; the second explores outward diplomacy through Eastern Christians, Armenians, and Italian merchants. The conclusion reframes diplomacy in the Mongol world as a mode of governance sustained through compromise, brokerage, and negotiation
Composite and pragmatic measures in psoriatic arthritis: bridging trials and clinical feasibility
Get PDFPurpose of review Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a multidomain inflammatory disease where no instrument captures the full spectrum of activity or its impact on patients’ lives. Accurate outcome measurement is essential for research and personalised care. This review summarises advances in PsA outcome-measure refinement and harmonisation, with emphasis on psychometric validation, clinical feasibility, and treat-to-target (T2T) strategies.Recent findingsMultidomain composites such as the Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) remain the most comprehensive OMERACT measures, but their complexity limits clinical use. DAPSA and MDA are practical but limited: DAPSA evaluates fewer domains, while MDA’s binary format can miss meaningful partial improvements. The Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease-12 (PsAID-12) has undergone renewed validation with context-specific thresholds, reinforcing its value for assessing the lived burden of disease. Low-DAPSA/high-PsAID-12 discordance underscores the need for layered approaches integrating objective and patient-reported data. Although pragmatic 3VAS/4VAS tools have been proposed to enhance feasibility, recent OMERACT/GRAPPA syntheses show that no PsA randomised clinical trial (RCT) has yet used them, reflecting their very recent introduction. Digital PRO capture and wearable monitoring are emerging to improve real-world feasibility.SummaryA layered framework—rapid screening with DAPSA, target verification via MDA, deep evaluation using PASDAS or SF-36, and patient-anchored monitoring with PsAID-12—allows multidimensional assessment within minutes. Future directions emphasise outcome personalisation, integrating biomarkers, imaging, and PROs into adaptive algorithms that support shared decision-making. Ultimately, outcome measures should evolve from static scores into dynamic tools that guide both clinical trials and everyday PsA care