Can paranoia be a mode of historical emplotment? The catastrophe of the First World War produced a genre of pessimistic writing. Oswald Spengler’s Decline of the West was among the most widely read. Still, the era produced dozens similar: Francesco Nitti’s The Decadence of Europe: The Path To Reconstruction (1923), Albert Demangeon’s Le Déclin de l’ Europe (1923), Wythe Williams’ Dusk of Empire: The Decline of Europe And The Rise Of The United States (1937), and Arturo Labriola’s Le Crépuscule de la Civilisation: L’Occident et les peoples de couleur (1936). In all, the coming historical consciousness of the colonized world figures significantly. Drawing on Hayden White’s notion of historical emplotment, this presentation will examine the paranoid structure of such writing.

William Dudley, senior advisor, Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies, Princeton University; and former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York In conversation with Markus Brunnermeier, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Economics, and Director of the Bendheim Center for Finance, Princeton University Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building, Room 399 Co-sponsored by The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies (GCEPS) and Bendheim Center for Finance (BCF) Open to the Princeton University Community Group of 30 Report Publication, G30 Working Group on the 2023 Banking Crisis, chaired by William Dudley

Join the Program in Judaic Studies and the Department of Religion on Tuesday, November 19, for this talk delivered by Ilana Pardes. Lunch will be available before the event's start, between 11:30am–12:00pm only. The account of the rise of Israelite kingship in the Book of Samuel is one of the greatest narratives of antiquity that has been passed down to us. Far from being a dry chronicle, it offers both an unblinking perspective on political realities and a daring representation of the humanness, the nakedness, of royal figures. The talk will revolve around the encounter of King David and the wise woman of Tekoa (2 Samuel 14). Special attention will be given to the dramas behind the scenes, to the hidden links between the parabolic tale of the wise woman and the story of the House of David. All are welcome to attend, but space is limited – please RSVP to judaic@princeton.edu and note any dietary needs. More about Ilana Pardes Ilana Pardes is the Katharine Cornell Professor of Comparative Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is currently a Visiting Professor in the Program in Judaic Studies Program at Princeton University. Her work has focused on the nexus of Bible, literature, and culture as well as on questions of gender, aesthetics, and hermeneutics. She is the author of Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach (Harvard University Press, 1992), The Biography of Ancient Israel: National Narratives in the Bible (University of California Press, 2000), Melville's Bibles (University of California, 2008), Agnon's Moonstruck Lovers: The Song of Songs in Israeli Culture (The Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies, University of Washington Press, 2013), The Song of Songs: A Biography (Princeton University Press, Lives of Great Religious Books, 2019), and Ruth: A Migrant’s Tale (Yale University Press, Jewish Lives, 2022).

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NASA scientists used a neural network called ExoMiner to examine data from Kepler, increasing the total tally of confirmed exoplanets in the universe.

Amsterdam is a city of contrasts, where historic charm meets vibrant modernity. A city break in Amsterdam offers a chance to explore picturesque canals, world-renowned museums, and eclectic neighbourhoods, all within a compact and walkable setting. In this guide, I’ll take you through an unforgettable three-day itinerary designed to capture the essence of Amsterdam. From strolling along cobblestone streets to indulging in Dutch delicacies, here’s how to make the most of your Amsterdam city break. Considering taking a cruise to Amsterdam? Arriving by sea is not only a unique way to start your adventure but also offers breathtaking views of the city from the water. Cruises often include extras like guided tours or exclusive shore excursions, making it a convenient option for those looking to experience Amsterdam’s maritime charm from the moment they arrive. Day 1: Uncovering Amsterdam’s Historic Canals and Culinary Scene Morning: Arrive and Settle In If you’re arriving by cruise, you’ll dock at the Port of Amsterdam, just a stone’s throw away from the city centre. Once you’ve disembarked and checked into your accommodation, it’s time to start exploring. Begin your visit with a leisurely walk through Amsterdam’s Canal Belt, a UNESCO World Heritage site that embodies the city’s rich history and iconic architecture. As you wander, you’ll find charming bridges, historic houseboats, and narrow townhouses adorned with ornate gables. Each canal has its own character, but Prinsengracht, Herengracht, and Keizersgracht are among the most famous. You’ll quickly see why these canals are one of Amsterdam’s most photographed attractions. Afternoon: Dive into Amsterdam’s Maritime History with a Canal Cruise One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the city’s history is to take a canal cruise. Various operators offer guided tours, ranging from hour-long excursions to multi-course dinner cruises. As you glide along the water, you’ll get a sense of how Amsterdam’s intricate canal system helped shape its trade and commerce over the centuries. Plus, you’ll enjoy views of iconic landmarks like the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and Westerkerk from a unique vantage point. Evening: Sample Amsterdam’s Diverse Culinary Offerings Amsterdam’s food scene is as diverse as its population. For your first evening, treat yourself to a traditional Dutch dinner. Try local dishes like stamppot, a hearty blend of potatoes, vegetables, and sausage, or erwtensoep, a thick pea soup perfect for chilly evenings. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, don’t miss poffertjes—tiny pancakes dusted with powdered sugar. For a more eclectic dining experience, Amsterdam is home to countless international restaurants, reflecting its role as a global melting pot. You’ll find everything from Indonesian rijsttafel (a feast of small dishes) to Middle Eastern mezze. Many restaurants are located along the canals, offering atmospheric outdoor seating and views of the water. Day 2: Art, Parks, and Local Markets Morning: Explore the Treasures of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is a haven for art lovers, and the Rijksmuseum is a must-visit. Housing masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through Dutch art and history. Set aside at least a couple of hours to explore the galleries, as the collection is extensive. For an insider’s tip, arrive early to avoid crowds, especially if you want to get a close-up view of Rembrandt’s renowned pieces. If you’re visiting during spring or summer, don’t miss the museum’s garden, which features beautiful sculptures and tranquil spots for a mid-morning break. Afternoon: Discover Van Gogh’s Vibrant World and Stroll Through Vondelpark Just a short walk from the Rijksmuseum is the Van Gogh Museum, dedicated to the life and work of one of the most iconic artists in history. With over 200 paintings, including famous works like Sunflowers and The Bedroom, this museum provides an intimate look at Van Gogh’s creative genius and turbulent life. After you’ve soaked in Van Gogh’s vivid colours and swirling brushstrokes, take a break in nearby Vondelpark. This sprawling green space is a favourite among locals and visitors alike, offering a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Pack a picnic or grab a coffee from one of the park’s cafés, and spend some time people-watching, cycling, or simply soaking up the scenery. Evening: Dinner in De Pijp and a Stroll Through the Albert Cuyp Market For dinner, head to De Pijp, a lively neighbourhood known for its multicultural vibe and delicious food scene. Here, you’ll find everything from trendy eateries to traditional eetcafés, where you can enjoy hearty Dutch fare in a casual setting. While you’re in De Pijp, be sure to explore the Albert Cuyp Market, the largest outdoor market in Europe. With over 250 stalls selling everything from fresh produce and cheese to clothing and souvenirs, it’s a fantastic place to soak up the local atmosphere. Grab a snack like a freshly made stroopwafel, or pick up some Dutch cheese to take home as a tasty souvenir. Day 3: History and Shopping in Amsterdam’s Iconic Neighbourhoods Morning: Reflect on History at the Anne Frank House Begin your day with a visit to the Anne Frank House, where the young diarist and her family hid during World War II. The museum offers a poignant glimpse into the hardships faced by Anne and her family, as well as the resilience of those who lived through the era. Due to its popularity, it’s best to book tickets in advance to avoid long wait times. If you’re interested in exploring more of Amsterdam’s wartime history, consider adding a visit to the Resistance Museum, which offers further insights into the city’s experiences during the German occupation. Afternoon: Shop and Dine in the Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) Next, head to the Negen Straatjes, or Nine Streets, a charming area within the Canal Belt known for its quirky boutiques, vintage shops, and cosy cafés. This is the perfect place to indulge in some retail therapy, with stores selling everything from high-end fashion and handmade jewellery to unique home decor and antique books. Take your time browsing the shops, and be sure to stop for lunch at one of the many cafés lining the streets. The area is famous for its atmospheric coffee shops and bakeries, offering everything from freshly baked pastries to artisanal sandwiches. For a sweet treat, try a slice of Dutch apple pie, which pairs perfectly with a strong espresso. Evening: Wrap Up Your Trip at a Cosy Brown Café As your city break in Amsterdam comes to a close, spend your last evening unwinding at a traditional Dutch brown café. These cosy pubs are named for their dark wood interiors and smoky atmospheres, and they’re a staple of local culture. Café Hoppe and Café De Dokter are both great choices, offering a warm ambiance and a selection of Dutch beers to sample. Whether you’re sharing a drink with friends or simply savouring a quiet moment, the relaxed atmosphere of a brown café is the perfect way to end your Amsterdam adventure. Tips for an Unforgettable Amsterdam City Break When to Visit: Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Amsterdam, as the weather is mild, and there are fewer tourists. Spring is particularly beautiful due to the blooming tulips, while autumn offers colourful foliage along the canals. Getting Around: Amsterdam’s public transport system includes trams, buses, and ferries, making it easy to navigate the city. However, the city centre is highly walkable, and cycling is a popular way to get around. Many hotels offer bike rentals, or you can rent one from a local shop. Accommodations: Amsterdam offers a wide range of accommodation options, from boutique hotels and cosy bed-and-breakfasts to trendy hostels and luxurious canal-side apartments. Consider staying in a central area like the Jordaan or De Pijp for easy access to the city’s top attractions. Must-Try Foods: Beyond traditional Dutch dishes like stamppot and haring (raw herring), Amsterdam is known for its cheese, with varieties like gouda and edam readily available. Street foods like patat (thick-cut fries) served with mayo and bitterballen (fried meatballs) are also popular, especially at local markets and pubs. Cultural Etiquette: While Amsterdam is known for its liberal attitudes, it’s essential to respect local customs. Keep in mind that cycling is a primary mode of transportation, so be cautious when crossing bike lanes, and always look both ways.

The post Amsterdam City Break: Discovering the Heart of the Netherlands in Three Magical Days appeared first on Geeky Traveller.

Cate Blanchett intepreta Catherine Ravenscroft, uma famosa jornalista investigativa que recebe anonimamente um romance no qual ela é, indiscutivelmente, a personagem central

The genetic testing company 23andMe announced it will cut 40% of its workforce, or 200 jobs, and halt the work on therapies it was developing. As the BBC notes, the company is fighting for survival after hackers gained access to personal information of millions of its users, causing the stock to crater by more than 70%. All seven of its independent directors also resigned in September, following a protracted negotiation with founder and Chief Executive Anne Wojcicki over her plan to take the company private. The BBC reports: On Tuesday, the company warned investors of "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue operating, as it reported that revenue had fallen to $44 million between July and September compared to $50 million in the same period last year. Losses fell to $59 million from $75 million. The job cuts are expected to lead to one-off costs of $12 million, including severance pay, for the plan that will result in savings of $35 million. "We are taking these difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships," Ms Wojcicki said. The company also said it is considering what to do with the therapies it had in development, including licensing or selling them. 23andMe is a giant of the growing ancestor-tracing industry. It offers genetic testing from DNA, with ancestry breakdown and personalised health insights. Its customers include famous names, from rapper Snoop Dogg to multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffett. The company was valued at roughly $3.5 billion when it listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2021 and its share price peaked at $17.65. But they have since tumbled and are currently trading at less than $5.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NBC News: Former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years for stealing classified information from the Pentagon and sharing it online, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts announced. Teixeira received the sentence before Judge Indira Talwani in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In March, the national guardsman pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act. He was arrested by the FBI in North Dighton, Massachusetts, in April 2023 and has been in federal custody since mid-May 2023. According to court documents, Teixeira transcribed classified documents that he then shared on Discord, a social media platform mostly used by online gamers. He began sharing the documents in or around 2022. A document he was accused of leaking included information about providing equipment to Ukraine, while another included discussions about a foreign adversary's plot to target American forces abroad, prosecutors said. [...] While the documents were discovered online in March 2023, Teixeira had been sharing them online since January of that year, according to prosecutors.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The governing body of the International Criminal Court on Monday announced an external investigation into alleged misconduct by chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who has denied the allegations.

Get a taste of Japan — without leaving San Francisco! I’m excited to see my latest post is up on Thrillist. Some of my favorite Japan-inspired things to do and ways to experience Japanese history, art, and culture here in the Bay Area. Check it out: How to Experience Japan in San Francisco

The article EIT Elsewhere | How to Experience Japan in San Francisco originated at EverInTransit.com

President-elect Donald Trump will begin his second term by putting pieces of his first one back in place, according to incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Wiles made […]

The post Trump's New Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Discloses His Day One Plans: Report appeared first on The Western Journal.

Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean you’re wrong. And for any supporters of President-elect Donald Trump who feel that they’ve been unfairly targeted by the government, but were summarily […]

The post Fired FEMA Worker Reveals Discrimination Against Trump Supporters Was Even Worse Than First Reported appeared first on The Western Journal.

Alexander Kupers and Oscar Randal-Williams
J. Amer. Math. Soc. 38 (), 63-178.
Abstract, references and article information

Numerous iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins with diverse functions are present in the matrix and respiratory chain complexes of mitochondria. Although [4Fe-4S] clusters are the most common type of Fe-S cluster in mitochondria, the molecular mechanism of [4Fe-4S] cluster assembly and insertion into target proteins by the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) maturation system is not well-understood. Here we report a detailed characterization of two late-acting Fe-S cluster-carrier proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, NFU4 and NFU5. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation studies demonstrated interaction of both the NFU4 and NFU5 proteins with the ISCA class of Fe-S carrier proteins. Recombinant NFU4 and NFU5 were purified as apo-proteins after expression in Escherichia coli. In vitro Fe-S cluster reconstitution led to the insertion of one [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster per homodimer as determined by UV-visible absorption/CD, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopy, and analytical studies. Cluster transfer reactions, monitored by UV-visible absorption and CD spectroscopy, showed that a [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster-bound ISCA1a/2 heterodimer is effective in transferring [4Fe-4S]2+ clusters to both NFU4 and NFU5 with negligible back reaction. In addition, [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster-bound ISCA1a/2, NFU4, and NFU5 were all found to be effective [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster donors for maturation of the mitochondrial apo-aconitase 2 as assessed by enzyme activity measurements. The results demonstrate rapid, unidirectional, and quantitative [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster transfer from ISCA1a/2 to NFU4 or NFU5 that further delineates their respective positions in the plant ISC machinery and their contributions to the maturation of client [4Fe-4S] cluster-containing proteins.

Guoan Chen
Apr 1, 2002; 1:304-313
Research

In animals, the response to chronic hypoxia is mediated by prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) that regulate the levels of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor α (HIFα). PHD homologues exist in other types of eukaryotes and prokaryotes where they act on non HIF substrates. To gain insight into the factors underlying different PHD substrates and properties, we carried out biochemical and biophysical studies on PHD homologues from the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, and the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, both lacking HIF. The respective prolyl-hydroxylases (DdPhyA and TgPhyA) catalyze prolyl-hydroxylation of S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (Skp1), a reaction enabling adaptation to different dioxygen availability. Assays with full-length Skp1 substrates reveal substantial differences in the kinetic properties of DdPhyA and TgPhyA, both with respect to each other and compared with human PHD2; consistent with cellular studies, TgPhyA is more active at low dioxygen concentrations than DdPhyA. TgSkp1 is a DdPhyA substrate and DdSkp1 is a TgPhyA substrate. No cross-reactivity was detected between DdPhyA/TgPhyA substrates and human PHD2. The human Skp1 E147P variant is a DdPhyA and TgPhyA substrate, suggesting some retention of ancestral interactions. Crystallographic analysis of DdPhyA enables comparisons with homologues from humans, Trichoplax adhaerens, and prokaryotes, informing on differences in mobile elements involved in substrate binding and catalysis. In DdPhyA, two mobile loops that enclose substrates in the PHDs are conserved, but the C-terminal helix of the PHDs is strikingly absent. The combined results support the proposal that PHD homologues have evolved kinetic and structural features suited to their specific sensing roles.

Torin Greenwood, Jonathan Kariv and Noah Williams
Math. Comp. 93 (), 2959-2983.
Abstract, references and article information

Constantin Carle and Marlis Hochbruck
Math. Comp. 93 (), 2611-2641.
Abstract, references and article information

AO-Koun posted a photo:

Christian Weiss
Theor. Probability and Math. Statist. 111 (), 199-209.
Abstract, references and article information

Marko Voutilainen, Lauri Viitasaari and Pauliina Ilmonen
Theor. Probability and Math. Statist. 111 (), 181-197.
Abstract, references and article information

Olha Prykhodko and Kostiantyn Ralchenko
Theor. Probability and Math. Statist. 111 (), 123-135.
Abstract, references and article information

Gabriele Benedetti, Johanna Bimmermann and Kai Zehmisch
Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 152 (), 5367-5372.
Abstract, references and article information

N. Kuznetsov
St. Petersburg Math. J. 35 (), 467-472.
Abstract, references and article information

Infiltration of peripheral immune cells after blood-brain barrier dysfunction causes severe inflammation after a stroke. Although the endothelial glycocalyx, a network of membrane-bound glycoproteins and proteoglycans that covers the lumen of endothelial cells, functions as a barrier to circulating cells, the relationship between stroke severity and glycocalyx dysfunction remains unclear. In this study, glycosaminoglycans, a component of the endothelial glycocalyx, were studied in the context of ischemic stroke using a photochemically induced thrombosis mouse model. Decreased levels of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate and increased activity of hyaluronidase 1 and heparanase (HPSE) were observed in ischemic brain tissues. HPSE expression in cerebral vessels increased after stroke onset and infarct volume greatly decreased after co-administration of N-acetylcysteine + glycosaminoglycan oligosaccharides as compared with N-acetylcysteine administration alone. These results suggest that the endothelial glycocalyx was injured after the onset of stroke. Interestingly, scission activity of proHPSE produced by immortalized endothelial cells and HEK293 cells transfected with hHPSE1 cDNA were activated by acrolein (ACR) exposure. We identified the ACR-modified amino acid residues of proHPSE using nano LC–MS/MS, suggesting that ACR modification of Lys139 (6-kDa linker), Lys107, and Lys161, located in the immediate vicinity of the 6-kDa linker, at least in part is attributed to the activation of proHPSE. Because proHPSE, but not HPSE, localizes outside cells by binding with heparan sulfate proteoglycans, ACR-modified proHPSE represents a promising target to protect the endothelial glycocalyx.

Cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) proteins are a conserved family of divalent transition metal cation transporters. CDF proteins are usually composed of two domains: the transmembrane domain, in which the metal cations are transported through, and a regulatory cytoplasmic C-terminal domain (CTD). Each CDF protein transports either one specific metal or multiple metals from the cytoplasm, and it is not known whether the CTD takes an active regulatory role in metal recognition and discrimination during cation transport. Here, the model CDF protein MamM, an iron transporter from magnetotactic bacteria, was used to probe the role of the CTD in metal recognition and selectivity. Using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches, the binding of different metals to MamM CTD was characterized. Results reveal that different metals bind distinctively to MamM CTD in terms of their binding sites, thermodynamics, and binding-dependent conformations, both in crystal form and in solution, which suggests a varying level of functional discrimination between CDF domains. Furthermore, these results provide the first direct evidence that CDF CTDs play a role in metal selectivity. We demonstrate that MamM's CTD can discriminate against Mn2+, supporting its postulated role in preventing magnetite formation poisoning in magnetotactic bacteria via Mn2+ incorporation.

Review: Decolonization and its discontents The World Today mhiggins.drupal 1 August 2022

Jenna Marshall on a lively if flawed argument to find a way forward in a debate that has descended ‘into acrimony’.

Against Decolonization: Taking African Agency Seriously
Olufemi Taiwo, Hurst, £14.99

Decolonization was once heralded as a moment of potential and possibility for the formerly imperial world to chart a new way forward no longer tied to the apparatus of empire.

It marked a period of transition to nation states – and an expansion of a rights-based international community that would dispense with the morally bankrupt regime of racism, dispossession and subjugation that characterized colonialism.  
 

The descent of the decolonization debate

Half a century later, the debate surrounding decolonization has descended into acrimony. Some factions cast the issue of decolonization as a sustained attack on British and western culture writ large; other disparate voices coalesce around related social justice issues such as inequality, climate change and education. 

Decolonization has become ubiquitous in the public domain – and its ubiquity is the problem. In Against Decolonization, Olufemi Taiwo renounces a concept he conceives as having been emptied of serious study and analytical purchase; one incapable of addressing the complexities of modern global politics and more importantly, Africa’s place in it. 

Although the book attacks the inexhaustible ways in which the ‘trope of decolonization’ has been deployed, Taiwo is less bothered by the purported failures of scholars he deems ‘decolonizers’ and focuses his attention instead on the political landscape of African countries, past and present. 

Central to the book’s argument are two distinct scholarly strands on decolonization. The first, legal focus, centres on the political and economic forces of state-building. The second essays an ‘ideology’ of decolonization that rests on ‘forcing an ex-colony to forswear on pain of being forever under the yoke of colonization any and every cultural, political, intellectual, social and linguistic artefact, idea, process, institution and practice that retains even the slightest whiff of the colonial past’. 

Whether one should characterize the latter as simply a field of study or a potential set of policy arrangements remains unclear – yet what is certain is that it is too nebulous, too elastic, too open-ended to offer any substantive model or mechanism to understand postcolonial Africa. 
 

Correcting Eurocentric narcissism

 The decolonization research agenda in Africa came to prominence during the Cold War period of national liberation struggles.

The intellectual project that followed centred on dismantling Eurocentrism as colonial subjugation through its promotion of the West as the crucible of legitimate and scientific knowledge. Since then, scholars have argued that decolonization itself has become compromised by its enduringly Eurocentric gaze at the expense of the agency of African thinkers, creatives and statesmen and women. 

Taiwo seeks to correct this narcissism – and the omissions left in its wake – by introducing lesser-known Africans and pan-African scholars and cultural figures. These voices, he hopes, will illuminate issues often ignored by ‘decolonizers’ and spark a ‘renewed interest in an appreciation of the many different ways in which African thinkers have responded to the colonial experience’.
 

The decolonization of language

Taiwo challenges the decolonization of language as an oversold promise.

Romanticizing an imagined, pristine African pre-colonial past, he says, ultimately leads to nativism and atavism. As a case in point, Taiwo highlights bureaucratic instances of ‘language policy planning’ to deploy African languages in places such as Niger, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria that were hindered by multilingualism, education and high rates of illiteracy.

The author goes on to confront the abstract language of decolonization, which, he says, allows western scholars to unproblematically engage with the concept without any serious consideration of their own complicity in upholding systems of exclusion. It entrenches their own institutional power within the academy, amplifies their perspectives at the expense of others, and limits the possibilities for understanding the problems of world politics with deleterious effects on policy.

It is a serious claim, but there are issues to be addressed: Taiwo assumes there is coherence among scholars of decolonization, which is not the case. 

When Taiwo approaches how to foster political systems that cater to the needs of their citizens he dismantles the binary of ‘West as modern’ v ‘Africa as traditional’. Chieftaincies as traditional African governance, he points out, were the product of colonial anthropology, not Africans themselves. From the Fanti Confederation of 1871 to the Egba United Government in what is now Nigeria, Taiwo demonstrates that there has been a sustained tradition towards demands for democratic values. 

As he concedes an intellectual neglect of African philosophers that underlies the design and operations of Africa’s political institutions, Taiwo’s initial dismissal of the significance of cultural decolonization deserves another look. How should political and economic drives toward self-determination be advanced in the absence of knowledge shaped and mediated through African lived experiences?

In this respect, the tale of two decolonizations – the legal alongside the ideological – suggest an unhelpful, if not false, binary.
 

The problem of reconciling modernity and colonialism

What resonates throughout the book is the idea that Europe cannot profess to hold an exclusive intellectual claim to modernity. Its universal aspirations are open to all of humanity, allowing those who have historically been marginalized to be worldmakers. 

The idea that modernity and colonialism are irreconcilable is problematic. For instance, Taiwo argues that the curtailment of capitalism in Africa by restricting the growth of the middle classes while limiting competition between African capitalists and the metropole is the consequence of colonialism.

Yet the celebrated cultural anthropologist Sidney Mintz established an understanding that the matter for debate is not whether non-westerners were part of the modern system, but how and to what degree they were included and able to actualise its ideals. 

The emerging capitalist world economy needed non-western lands and labour, and so they were conscripted to this end. Recent abolitionist and black radical scholarship has built on this argument to maintain that capitalism not only requires inequality for it to function but that race – as a mechanism for producing ‘difference’ – enshrines it.

Acknowledging the unacknowledged

In the end, Taiwo communicates a palpable frustration at the state of academic discourses on contemporary Africa under the guise of emancipatory and radical scholarship. He offers an alternative approach whereby African students might rid themselves of a faddism that is ‘at best unsatisfactory’ and at worst produces ‘confusion, obscurantism, if not outright distortion and falsification’.

Yet out of this irritation, Taiwo’s greatest contribution in Against Decolonization might be to urge an acknowledgement of how and to what degree decolonization has become subdued and its political possibilities curtailed. He ultimately urges us to reconsider the purpose of the decolonization academic movement as an ethics to abide by rather than a social theory of the postcolonial world. 

This requires those ‘decolonizers’ on whose careers the term is built to adopt greater intellectual humility – to resist the posture of the anarchist radical scholar armed for the ‘good fight’. Instead, they should apply a scholarly curiosity to genuinely engage with those already on the battlefield, so to speak; those ‘doing the work’ in practice, but who have been unacknowledged until now.

Toma Keser
Dec 29, 2020; 0:RA120.002433v1-mcp.RA120.002433
Research

Alba Simats
Dec 1, 2020; 19:1921-1935
Research

Ji Eun Kim
Dec 20, 2020; 0:RA120.002159v1-mcp.RA120.002159
Research

N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are endogenous lipid-signaling molecules derived from fatty acids that regulate numerous biological functions, including in the brain. Interestingly, NAEs are elevated in the absence of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and following CO₂-induced ischemia/hypercapnia, suggesting a neuroprotective response. Tetracosahexaenoic acid (THA) is a product and precursor to DHA; however, the NAE product, tetracosahexaenoylethanolamide (THEA), has never been reported. Presently, THEA was chemically synthesized as an authentic standard to confirm THEA presence in biological tissues. Whole brains were collected and analyzed for unesterified THA, total THA, and THEA in wild-type and FAAH-KO mice that were euthanized by either head-focused microwave fixation, CO₂ + microwave, or CO₂ only. PPAR activity by transient transfection assay and ex vivo neuronal output in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens by patch clamp electrophysiology were determined following THEA exposure. THEA in the wild-type mice was nearly doubled (P < 0.05) following ischemia/hypercapnia (CO₂ euthanization) and up to 12 times higher (P < 0.001) in the FAAH-KO compared with wild-type. THEA did not increase (P > 0.05) transcriptional activity of PPARs relative to control, but 100 nM of THEA increased (P < 0.001) neuronal output in MSNs of the nucleus accumbens. Here were identify a novel NAE, THEA, in the brain that is elevated upon ischemia/hypercapnia and by KO of the FAAH enzyme. While THEA did not activate PPAR, it augmented the excitability of MSNs in the nucleus accumbens. Overall, our results suggest that THEA is a novel NAE that is produced in the brain upon ischemia/hypercapnia and regulates neuronal excitation.

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Despite continuous advances, the identification of key molecular signatures in the hyper-acute phase of ischemic stroke is still a primary interest for translational research on stroke diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Data integration from high-throughput -omics techniques has become crucial to unraveling key interactions among different molecular elements in complex biological contexts, such as ischemic stroke. Thus, we used advanced data integration methods for a multi-level joint analysis of transcriptomics and proteomics data sets obtained from mouse brains at 2 h after cerebral ischemia. By modeling net-like correlation structures, we identified an integrated network of genes and proteins that are differentially expressed at a very early stage after stroke. We validated 10 of these deregulated elements in acute stroke, and changes in their expression pattern over time after cerebral ischemia were described. Of these, CLDN20, GADD45G, RGS2, BAG5, and CTNND2 were next evaluated as blood biomarkers of cerebral ischemia in mice and human blood samples, which were obtained from stroke patients and patients presenting stroke-mimicking conditions. Our findings indicate that CTNND2 levels in blood might potentially be useful for distinguishing ischemic strokes from stroke-mimicking conditions in the hyper-acute phase of the disease. Furthermore, circulating GADD45G content within the first 6 h after stroke could also play a key role in predicting poor outcomes in stroke patients. For the first time, we have used an integrative biostatistical approach to elucidate key molecules in the initial stages of stroke pathophysiology and highlight new notable molecules that might be further considered as blood biomarkers of ischemic stroke.

Pour beaucoup de personnes, la perte de poids rime obligatoirement avec une période de privation. Mais contrairement à ces idées reçues, il est bien possible d’observer un régime pour perdre du poids tout en vous faisant plaisir. Découvrez notre recette minceur de biscuits croquants sans beurre aux flocons d’avoine qui raviront vos papilles sans pour autant vous apporter […]

L’article Quelle est la meilleure recette minceur à base de biscuits aux flocons d’avoine ? est apparu en premier sur Ortho Doc France.

Urinary proteomics studies have primarily focused on identifying markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Here, we aimed to determine urinary markers of CKD renal parenchymal injury through proteomics analysis in animal kidney tissues and cells and in the urine of patients with CKD. Label-free quantitative proteomics analysis based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed on urine samples obtained from 6 normal controls and 9, 11, and 10 patients with CKD stages 1, 3, and 5, respectively, and on kidney tissue samples from a rat CKD model by 5/6 nephrectomy. Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis was performed for primary cultured glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) and proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) before and after inducing 24-h hypoxia injury. Upon hierarchical clustering, out of 858 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the urine of CKD patients, the levels of 416 decreased and 403 increased sequentially according to the disease stage, respectively. Among 2965 DEPs across 5/6 nephrectomized and sham-operated rat kidney tissues, 86 DEPs showed same expression patterns in the urine and kidney tissue. After cross-validation with two external animal proteome datasets, 38 DEPs were organized; only 10 DEPs, including serotransferrin, gelsolin, poly ADP-ribose polymerase 1, neuroblast differentiation-associated protein AHNAK, microtubule-associated protein 4, galectin-1, protein S, thymosin beta-4, myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate, and vimentin were finalized by screening human GECs and PTECs data. Among these ten potential candidates for universal CKD marker, validation analyses for protein S and galectin-1 were conducted. Galectin-1 was observed to have a significant inverse correlation with renal function as well as higher expression in glomerulus with chronic injury than protein S. This constitutes the first multi-sample proteomics study for identifying key renal-expressed proteins associated with CKD progression. The discovered proteins represent potential markers of chronic renal cell and tissue damage and candidate contributors to CKD pathophysiology.

Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) is an acute phase glycoprotein in blood, which is primarily synthetized in the liver and whose biological role is not completely understood. It consists of 45% carbohydrates that are present in the form of five N-linked complex glycans. AGP N-glycosylation was shown to be changed in many different diseases and some changes appear to be disease-specific, thus it has a great diagnostic and prognostic potential. However, AGP glycosylation was mainly analyzed in small cohorts and without detailed site-specific glycan information. Here, we developed a cost-effective method for a high-throughput and site-specific N-glycosylation LC-MS analysis of AGP which can be applied on large cohorts, aid in search for novel disease biomarkers and enable better understanding of AGP’s role and function in health and disease. The method does not require isolation of AGP with antibodies and affinity chromatography, but AGP is enriched by acid precipitation from 5 μl of bloodplasma in a 96 well format. After trypsinization, AGP glycopeptides are purified using a hydrophilic interaction chromatography based solid-phase extraction and analyzed by RP-LC-ESI-MS. We used our method to show for the first time that AGP N-glycan profile is stable in healthy individuals (14 individuals in 3 time points), which is a requirement for evaluation of its diagnostic potential. Furthermore, we tested our method on a population including individuals with registered hyperglycemia in critical illness (59 cases and 49 controls), which represents a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Individuals at higher risk of diabetes presented increased N-glycan branching on AGP’s second glycosylation site and lower sialylation of N-glycans on AGP’s third and AGP1’s fourth glycosylation site. Although this should be confirmed on a larger prospective cohort, it indicates that site-specific AGP N-glycan profile could help distinguish individuals who are at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Online Disinformation and Political Discourse: Applying a Human Rights Framework Research paper sysadmin 5 November 2019

Although some digital platforms now have an impact on more people’s lives than does any one state authority, the international community has been slow to hold to account these platforms’ activities by reference to human rights law.

This paper examines how human rights frameworks should guide digital technology.

Summary

• Online political campaigning techniques are distorting our democratic political processes. These techniques include the creation of disinformation and divisive content; exploiting digital platforms’ algorithms, and using bots, cyborgs and fake accounts to distribute this content; maximizing influence through harnessing emotional responses such as anger and disgust; and micro-targeting on the basis of collated personal data and sophisticated psychological profiling techniques. Some state authorities distort political debate by restricting, filtering, shutting down or censoring online networks.
• Such techniques have outpaced regulatory initiatives and, save in egregious cases such as shutdown of networks, there is no international consensus on how they should be tackled. Digital platforms, driven by their commercial impetus to encourage users to spend as long as possible on them and to attract advertisers, may provide an environment conducive to manipulative techniques.
• International human rights law, with its careful calibrations designed to protect individuals from abuse of power by authority, provides a normative framework that should underpin responses to online disinformation and distortion of political debate. Contrary to popular view, it does not entail that there should be no control of the online environment; rather, controls should balance the interests at stake appropriately.
• The rights to freedom of thought and opinion are critical to delimiting the appropriate boundary between legitimate influence and illegitimate manipulation. When digital platforms exploit decision-making biases in prioritizing bad news and divisive, emotion-arousing information, they may be breaching these rights. States and digital platforms should consider structural changes to digital platforms to ensure that methods of online political discourse respect personal agency and prevent the use of sophisticated manipulative techniques.
• The right to privacy includes a right to choose not to divulge your personal information, and a right to opt out of trading in and profiling on the basis of your personal data. Current practices in collecting, trading and using extensive personal data to ‘micro-target’ voters without their knowledge are not consistent with this right. Significant changes are needed.
• Data protection laws should be implemented robustly, and should not legitimate extensive harvesting of personal data on the basis of either notional ‘consent’ or the data handler’s commercial interests. The right to privacy should be embedded in technological design (such as by allowing the user to access all information held on them at the click of a button); and political parties should be transparent in their collection and use of personal data, and in their targeting of messages. Arguably, the value of personal data should be shared with the individuals from whom it derives.
• The rules on the boundaries of permissible content online should be set by states, and should be consistent with the right to freedom of expression. Digital platforms have had to rapidly develop policies on retention or removal of content, but those policies do not necessarily reflect the right to freedom of expression, and platforms are currently not well placed to take account of the public interest. Platforms should be far more transparent in their content regulation policies and decision-making, and should develop frameworks enabling efficient, fair, consistent internal complaints and content monitoring processes. Expertise on international human rights law should be integral to their systems.
• The right to participate in public affairs and to vote includes the right to engage in public debate. States and digital platforms should ensure an environment in which all can participate in debate online and are not discouraged from standing for election, from participating or from voting by online threats or abuse.

Review: Rediscovering Milan Kundera’s European tragedy The World Today mhiggins.drupal 28 March 2023

The Czech writer’s 40-year-old essay on the roots of Russia’s empire-building, ‘A Kidnapped West’, reads all too presciently, writes Stefan Auer.

A Kidnapped West: The Tragedy of Central Europe
Milan Kundera, Faber, £10

‘In November 1956, the director of the Hungarian News Agency, shortly before his office was flattened by artillery fire, sent a telex to the entire world with a desperate message announcing that the Russian attack against Budapest had begun. The dispatch ended with these words: “We are going to die for Hungary and for Europe.”’ Thus, Milan Kundera began his 1983 essay for the French journal Le Débat, reflecting on the 1956 Hungarian Uprising.

A seminal essay

The Czech author might well have written a near-identical passage about the fraught hours immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the event, Russian tanks failed to occupy Kyiv, unlike Budapest in 1956. Nevertheless, Faber has chosen this moment, 40 years later, to republish Kundera’s seminal essay on Europe and Russian aggression in its original translation for the New York Review of Books by Edmund White. How salient are its observations today?

The essay’s original French title, ‘Un Occident kidnappé ou la tragédie de l’Europe centrale’ (The Kidnapped West, or the Tragedy of Central Europe), described the fate of Hungary, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and, to an extent, Poland in 1980-81 at the hands of the Soviet Union. Owing to the Cold War division of Europe, the countries of Central Europe were denied their true destiny, Kundera thought, to be an integral part of the liberal, democratic West. Kundera himself fled Czechoslovakia for France in 1975.

The author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being might no longer be as well-known as he was at the height of his fame in the 1980s, but his novels and essays still deserve attention. So, it is pleasing to see Kundera’s masterpiece republished, even as it is awful to witness the enduring relevance of the questions it raises.

What did the Hungarian journalist mean when he declared his willingness to die for Europe, Kundera asked? That ‘Russians, in attacking Hungary, were attacking Europe itself. He was ready to die so that Hungary might remain Hungary and European’. The journalist did indeed die in the uprising.

It is a line that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his supporters abroad have echoed time and again: that Ukrainian soldiers are not just dying for their country, they are dying for Europe at large.

The ‘tragedy’ in Kundera’s essay was that the West didn’t care. ‘Europe hasn’t noticed the disappearance of its cultural home,’ Kundera wrote, ‘because Europe no longer perceives its unity as a cultural unity.’

In other words, as the cultural sphere in Central Europe continued to defy the political restrictions imposed by the Soviet empire, it embodied the western values of freedom and democracy more than the West itself did. The extent to which this analysis remains relevant today will prove decisive for Europe’s future.

As timely as ever

Kundera’s essay is as timely as ever but in ways that both vindicate and challenge his key arguments. His suspicion of Russia has been validated. His frustration about the indifference of the West less so. But the true tragedy of Ukraine would be if the West has not changed sufficiently. So far, the West appears to be doing enough to enable Ukraine to defend itself, but not enough to defeat the aggressor.

Faber has made an excellent decision in combining The Tragedy of Central Europe with a lesser-known text by Kundera: his 1967 speech to the Czech Writers’ Congress given the year before the ill-fated Prague Spring. In it, Kundera addressed what was to become a lifelong preoccupation: the fate of small nations. ‘For Czechs’, Kundera wrote, ‘nothing has ever constituted an indisputable possession – neither their language nor their belonging to Europe.’

Rather than reflecting the size of its territory or population, a small nation ‘is one whose very existence can be put in question at any moment; a small nation can disappear, and it knows it.’ In this way Ukraine, Europe’s largest country, apart from Russia, is fighting to avoid the fate of Kundera’s ‘small nation’.

Historically, the ‘small’ nations of Central Europe were threatened by both Germany and Russia. But after the Second World War, the threat was from the Soviet Union, which for Kundera was indistinguishable from Russia (tacitly including Ukraine). In its expansiveness, Russia was the opposite of Central Europe. While the latter was based on the principle of ‘the greatest variety within the smallest space’, the former represented ‘the smallest variety within the greatest space’.

In this sense, authoritarian communism was the fulfilment of Russian history, Kundera argued, writing that ‘Russian communism vigorously reawakened Russia’s old anti-western obsessions and turned it brutally against Europe’. Vladimir Putin’s Russia appears to build on these same pernicious impulses.

Kundera was widely criticized for observations in his essay that smack of civilizational racism (including by me) describing Russians as fundamentally different from us: ‘Russia knows another (greater) dimension of disaster, another image of space (a space so immense that entire nations are swallowed up in it), another sense of time (slow and patient), another way of laughing, living, and dying’.