Tightrope Walk Research Articles

The Tightrope of Individual Liberties amid Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Agenda

This doctrinal research article explores the nuances, pitfalls, and opportunities within this intricate landscape. This doctrinal research delves into the intricate balance between individual liberties and Pakistan's counter-terrorism agenda, navigating the complex terrain where security imperatives intersect with fundamental rights. As Pakistan grapples with persistent security threats from terrorism, its response has often entailed the implementation of stringent measures aimed at thwarting terrorist activities and ensuring public safety. However, these measures have raised concerns about their impact on civil liberties, including freedoms of expression, association, and privacy. Drawing upon legal frameworks, policy documents, and judicial precedents, this research critically examines the evolving landscape of counter-terrorism laws and practices in Pakistan and their implications for individual liberties. It scrutinizes the compatibility of counter-terrorism measures with constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards, assessing the extent to which security imperatives have encroached upon fundamental rights and freedoms. Furthermore, this research explores the role of judicial oversight, executive discretion, and legislative reforms in reconciling the tension between security concerns and individual liberties within Pakistan's legal framework. It analyses landmark court decisions, legislative enactments, and government policies to elucidate the legal and institutional mechanisms aimed at safeguarding individual liberties while countering terrorism effectively. Moreover, this research situates Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts within the broader context of regional security dynamics, highlighting the interconnectedness of domestic security challenges with regional conflicts, geopolitical rivalries, and transnational terrorist networks. It underscores the importance of regional cooperation, information sharing, and diplomatic engagement in addressing common security threats while respecting individual liberties across borders. By critically examining the tightrope walk between individual liberties and Pakistan's counter-terrorism agenda, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the challenges and trade-offs inherent in balancing security imperatives with respect for fundamental rights.

Navigating the Transition Tightrope: Challenges Posed by African Union Mission in Somalia Transition on Kenya’s National Security

This study examined Kenya's national security threats resulting from the withdrawal of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). This was in light of previous Peace Support Operation Transitions (PSO) in Iraq and Afghanistan, where regional instability resulted from troop withdrawals. Therefore, it analysed the impact of PSO experiences on national security, aiming to identify potential threats to the national security of Troop-Contributing Countries (TCC) resulting from PSO involvement. The study was a descriptive survey design, and it adopted a mixed-methods approach. The sample size for the study was 400 respondents and 49 key informants. The survey was informed by functionalist theory and strategic theory. Kenyan border counties are predisposed to the security effects of the KDF transition from AMISOM. The study's findings indicated a complex security landscape; that is, weak Somali security forces, insufficient funding for the transition, a short time frame, and the likelihood of a resurgent Al-Shabaab all present significant threats to Kenya's national security. These issues are exacerbated by increased border security problems, such as smuggling and unresolved territorial conflicts. However, the studies indicated that Kenya could mitigate these risks. Influencing the Security Transition Plan (STP) to prioritise strong border security measures can strengthen Kenya's defences. Strengthening the Jubaland buffer zone and helping Somalia's disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) initiatives can help weaken terrorist organisations. Furthermore, efforts in Kenya's border counties' socioeconomic development can reduce the attraction to extreme ideas. Implementing comprehensive border security measures provides an additional avenue for improving overall security. According to the analysis, AMISOM's transition represents a complicated security tightrope walk for Kenya. To counteract the problem, Kenya must address the highlighted dangers while capitalising on existing opportunities. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated an F statistic of 139.893 and a p value of 0.000<0.05, implying that the transition of the Kenyan contingent in the African Union mission in Somalia significantly predicts Kenya’s national security. The regression weights model showed that the transition of the Kenyan contingent in the African Union mission in Somalia had a negative and significant influence on Kenya’s national security (β = -0.368, P =.000<.05). Recommendations include actively shaping the STP, strengthening the Jubaland buffer zone, and stationing enough security personnel along the border. Promoting bilateral and multilateral engagement with Somalia is critical for resolving lingering concerns and maintaining regional stability. By taking these steps, Kenya can protect its national security throughout AMISOM's handover.

Udeido: strategically amplifying disruptive Papuan narratives in Indonesia’s art centre

In 2021, the Biennale Jogja turned its vision eastward. Among the artists chosen from eastern Indonesia and Oceania, the Udeido collective (artists and intellectuals from West Papua, now based in Yogyakarta) garnered a great deal of attention. Through their installations, the group repositioned deceased Papuan leaders within a local mythology that prophesises a redemptive saviour and a promised land (Koreri), fusing folk tales from West Papua’s Biak region with imagery drawing on cultural sources ranging from poster art to bark painting, and the kind of phallic appropriation familiar from the (Euro-American) feminist avant-garde of 1970s. While much attention has focused on the subversive nature of exhibiting such overt critiques of Indonesian militarism, toxic masculinity and human rights, less has been paid to Udeido’s tight-rope walk between cultural revivalism, strategic essentialism and tentative assimilation. This extraordinary balancing act peaked in late 2022 when Udeido spokesman Dicky Takndare demanded that discourse and curriculum on curatorial practice in Indonesia attend to the stories of those cultural workers, whose contributions have largely been ignored. This paper will investigate the conception, negotiation and creation of the Koreri Projection, and the creative process behind this work that simultaneously projects a vibrant connection to ancestral traditions, bears witness to ongoing atrocities and proposes future common ground through contemporary art.

From Diagnosis to Management: Navigating the Complex Terrain of Granulomatous Disease

In the realm of granulomatous diseases, the convergence of pathophysiology, epidemiology, and therapeutic strategies presents a labyrinth of complexity with far-reaching clinical implications. This review embarks on a scholarly expedition through the intricate landscape of granulomatous inflammation, dissecting the multifaceted presentations ranging from infectious etiologies to enigmatic autoimmune disorders. With a discerning eye on recent advancements and literature, we unravel the nuanced interactions between host defenses and granuloma formation, alongside the pivotal role of cytokines and mononuclear cells in orchestrating these responses. Beyond a mere academic exercise, our exploration delves into the clinical juxtaposition of common and esoteric causes, offering a panoramic view on diagnostic methodologies that straddle the traditional and the innovative. The management of granulomatous diseases, often a tightrope walk balancing efficacy and toxicity, is critically examined, shedding light on conventional and emerging therapies that promise to reshape the therapeutic landscape. By weaving together threads of current research, this review aspires to enhance the understanding of granulomatous diseases and catalyze future inquiries into their mysteries. In doing so, it stands as a beacon for clinicians.

Functional ataxia in a specialized ataxia center

BackgroundFunctional gait is a disorder of ambulation and balance internally inconsistent and incongruent with the phenotypic spectrum of neurological gait disorders. Objectives: This paper aims to clinically characterize patients with functional ataxia. Methods: Patients with functional ataxia were analyzed out of 1350 patients in Ataxia Unit of the Federal University of São Paulo circa 2008 to 2022. Results: Thirteen patients (1 %) presented with functional ataxia; all female, with a median age of 34.8 years. Six (46.2 %) had psychiatric comorbidities and 7 (53.8 %) endorsed a trigger. Diagnostic features included variable base and stride (100 %), “huffing and puffing” (30.7 %), knee-buckling (30.7 %), uneconomic posturing (38.5 %), tightrope walking (23 %), and trembling gait (15.4 %). Remarkably, no falls were reported in any case. 53.8 % recovered fully or partially, despite no treatment. Conclusions: Variability of base and stride are universal features of functional ataxia, yet falls are inconspicuous. Functional Ataxia is rare even in a specialized ataxia center.

Cognitive equilibrium and instability : Lyapunov stability analysis in mental health research

Mental well-being is often seen as a fragile state, akin to a tightrope walk of balance. In our paper, “Cognitive Equilibrium and Instability: Lyapunov Stability Analysis in Mental Health Research,” we explore the nuanced dance between consistency and change in the realm of cognitive function. Drawing on Lyapunov Stability principles from the study of dynamic systems, we offer new perspectives on mental health mechanics. We propose that the mind is in a state of perpetual flux, constantly adjusting to a spectrum of influences to maintain cognitive balance. Our work involves identifying these points of balance and assessing their robustness using Lyapunov Stability Analysis. We examine how various factors, such as stress, environmental changes, and biological variations, can disrupt this balance, possibly leading to states of well-being or illness. Through our models, we illuminate the evolution and path of mental health conditions. Our methodology is a synthesis of theoretical models and real-world data, including neuroimaging, clinical, and psychological evaluations. Case studies in our paper demonstrate the application of our models to conditions like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, revealing the fluid nature of these ailments. This work goes on to discuss the practical implications of our findings in the clinical setting. By identifying pivotal points of potential instability, our model serves as a tool for early identification of mental health concerns, guiding the creation of specific therapeutic interventions. Additionally, our work supports a tailored approach to mental health care, appreciating the individual cognitive patterns unique to each person. Our paper contributes to the burgeoning field of computational psychiatry, blending mathematical analysis with a perspective centered on the human experience. It sets the stage for future interdisciplinary research aimed at decoding the intricacies of the human psyche.

The regulation of the apoptotic pore-An immunological tightrope walk.

Apoptotic pore formation in mitochondria is the pivotal point for cell death during mitochondrial apoptosis. It is regulated by BCL-2 family proteins in response to various cellular stress triggers and mediates mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). This allows the release of mitochondrial contents into the cytosol, which triggers rapid cell death and clearance through the activation of caspases. However, under conditions of low caspase activity, the mitochondrial contents released into the cytosol through apoptotic pores serve as inflammatory signals and activate various inflammatory responses. In this chapter, we discuss how the formation of the apoptotic pore is regulated by BCL-2 proteins as well as other cellular or mitochondrial proteins and membrane lipids. Moreover, we highlight the importance of sublethal MOMP in the regulation of mitochondrial-activated inflammation and discuss its physiological consequences in the context of pathogen infection and disease and how it can potentially be exploited therapeutically, for example to improve cancer treatment.

Voluntary abstinence from food and fluid. The relatives' perspective: An integrative review

Voluntary abstinence from food and fluid. The relatives' perspective: An integrative review Abstract. Background: Unbearable states of suffering can cause a premature wish to die. Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) offers a way to autonomously realize this wish. Relatives play a significant role in the process of realizing VESD. So far, it is unclear how relatives experience the supporting process. Aim: This review intends to systematically record experiences of accompanying relatives. Method: Within the framework of an integrative review, we conducted research in MEDLINE®, CINAHL® and PsychINFO®, as well as supplementary research. The selection was based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. For the synthesis, we used a thematic model. Results: From the four included studies, it emerged that the accompanying relatives accepted the family members' wish to die. They defended the realization of this wish with responsibility and advocacy until the death of the person wishing to die. As a result of their caring commitment, they neglected their own needs. Most relatives assessed the accompaniment as peaceful and dignified. Conclusion: Accompanying the VSED process represents an emotional tightrope walk with unfamiliar challenges for relatives. The results can contribute to a deeper understanding of relatives' needs. In this way, the findings can stimulate the derivation of suitable support offers.

The Role of Reflection in Teaching: Perceptions and Benefits

Abstract Teaching is a challenging career that calls for a continuous tightrope walk, making resilience and adaptability pivotal to teacher survival. Teachers need to be able to be aware of their previous practices and to constantly examine and assess their effectiveness, attitudes, and accomplishments. This awareness comes through the coherent and sustained practice of reflective thinking, in which they can cultivate the habits of inquiry and reflection that are so needed in the teachers’ profession. This paper presents a detailed inquiry of the reflective practices of 10 experienced educational practitioners (primary school teachers; all female, aged 38–55 years, average age 44) as they self-study their teaching practices to discover how reflection in practice impacts their growth as teachers. The data was collected through a structured reflective journal (based on Smyth’s model for personal and professional empowerment) and a focus group interview. After the analysis of the data extracted from the focus group, two main themes emerged: a shift in perception about reflective practice and the impact of the use of reflection on teachers as professionals. Findings suggest that having a structure can help teachers become more conscious of one’s experiences, as they purposefully inquire and critique their practice. The potential benefits of deliberately engaging in reflective activities are discussed.

Coarctation Repair in an Adult Funambulist (Dombari)

Five to seven percent of all congenital cardiac disorders are caused by aortic coarctation. Funambulism or tight rope walking is a part of street circus acts earning livelihood for Dombari community, which requires utmost upper and lower limb strength and balance. Coarctation can be repaired surgically or with interventional approach. End-to-end anastomosis, subclavian flap aortoplasty, and extra-anatomic bypass grafts are a few surgical fixes. However, these approaches are not without risks involving the subclavian artery and spinal arteries thus putting limbs in jeopardy. Interventional procedures include balloon angioplasty and use of bare metal or covered stents but are associated with complications like repeated interventions or surgery, migration of stents compromising branches of aorta, thereby causing limb paresis or plegia, and are not very cost effective. The authors hereby discuss a cost-effective surgical management and spinal protection strategy for coarctation in a funambulist patient.

Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–Associated Endocrinopathies: A Tight Rope Walk

Managing endocrine side effects of cancer immunotherapy: A tight rope walk for the oncologist.

WALKING THE LEADERSHIP TIGHTROPE

AbstractThe author, the CEO of a management consulting firm, explains his concept of “Visual Leadership” also expressed as “VisuaLeadership.” He describes it as “one of the most effective ways to think, to communicate, to connect, to coach, and to lead is via the use of visual imagery and visual language. This could include anything from pictures and props to mental models, metaphors, and stories.” He employs as example and metaphor the tightrope walking of Nik Wallenda’s famous 2013 Grand Canyon wire‐walk. He outlines in more detail ten concepts, which in his words are 1. You’re not alone up there; 2. Know who to listen to—and when; 3. There are people rooting for you… to fall; 4. Don’t look down, and don’t look back; 5. Stop and catch your breath occasionally; 6. Keep your eyes on the prize; 7. Confidence is key; 8. Don’t start with the Grand Canyon; 9. Practice, Practice, Practice; 10. Don’t Forget to Reflect, Celebrate, and Share the Success. For instance, with the latter: “Too often, we move on to the next challenge before making the time and taking the time to reflect on and to celebrate our accomplishments…along with recognizing the contributions of the people who helped us along the way.”

Male ‘play-garden’ versus female ‘tightrope walking’: an exploration of gendered embodiment in Dutch higher education

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of gendered practices in academia by further exploring the embodiment of gender; we do so by comparing these practices between the experiences of female and male respondents concerning gender stereotypes and the individual embodiment thereof in academics within research universities in the Netherlands. Our analysis includes interviews with 26 female and male associate professors – thirteen pairs matched at the department and discipline levels – which enabled us to compare academic experiences of each gender. A significant proportion of the interviewed academics perceived the Dutch academic context as a gendered and embodied professional setting and implied women are not only considered less eligible for promotion because of their gender; notably, some male respondents were blind to these stereotypes. Several of the reported stereotypes refer to the appearance of the female body and the behaviour of women and provided clarification of different career progressions.

When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal ed. by Celes Tisdale

Reviewed by: When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal ed. by Celes Tisdale Timothy Bradford When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal ed. CELES TISDALE Durham, North Carolina. Duke University Press. 2022. 142 pages. HOW DOES ONE effectively respond to the injustice of state-sponsored violence, especially such violence directed at imprisoned people, numbering roughly 1.9 million in the US today, who lack agency on the inside and a voice on the outside? In September 1972 the now-famous uprising for better conditions and educational opportunities at Attica Correctional Facility was violently crushed by law enforcement, resulting in forty-three dead and ninety-one wounded. Eight months later, poet, educator, and actor Celes Tisdale from nearby Buffalo, New York, decided that offering poetry workshops was the best way he could respond. Through his connections with the Buffalo Black Drama Workshop and with the support of the New York State Council on the Arts and other organizations, Tisdale led weekly poetry workshops at Attica for nearly three years, during which he listened to the participants' concerns, helped them find their poetic voices, and grew to have deep respect for them as they did for him. While doing this, Tisdale discovered the power of such work to transform by providing identity and agency on the inside and a voice on the outside. When the Smoke Cleared documents this power, as well as the related process and struggle, through a blend of historical and contemporary texts. At the workshop participants' request, Tisdale helped to compile, edit, publish, and promote an anthology titled Betcha Ain't: Poems from Attica, which included excerpts from Tisdale's related journal entries; this anthology was published by Broadside Press in 1974. When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal is a republication of Betcha Ain't with a new preface by Tisdale, now in his eighties, a sharp, comprehensive introduction by poet and essayist Mark Nowak, and additional poems and journal entries from Tisdale's work in the 1970s. This new collection serves as a valuable glimpse into the beginnings of prison and justice writing programs in the US, especially ones focused on the African American experience, as well as a reminder of the historical and continued importance of such workshops in transforming the US carceral system. The power of these workshops is shown foremost through the work these incarcerated writers created. For example, "13th of Genocide," by Isaiah Hawkins, documents the slaughter that ended the uprising in quatrains and begins, "The clouds were low / when the sun rose that day. / For the white folks were coming / to lay some black brothers away." Much of the work in Betcha Ain't deals with similar themes of racism and violence, especially related to the recent uprising, in a system that was said to reform. There's also power in the imaginative space of the poem that gave the original collection its title, "Betcha Ain't," which begins, "Hey! / Betcha ain't / never seen a tangerine sun / kiss / the rolling hills and / mountain valleys of Africa." A handful of other poems in the collection take on similarly imaginative material and playful tones, and Tisdale's journal entries as well as letters from workshop participants further attest to the workshops' transformative power on teacher, students, and institutions. Nonetheless, difficulties abounded. In Tisdale's now expanded journal entries, we see the record of resistance and oppressive oversight by the prison administration, low morale and attendance by the participants, political tightrope walking, miscommunication resulting in misunderstandings between Tisdale and his students, lack of funding, road-blocking snowstorms, and, understandably, burnout on Tisdale's part. (As a volunteer with a prison writing group in Oklahoma, I've experienced many of the same difficulties.) And here's where the contemporary material, especially Nowak's introduction, adds a lot of perspective on the original publication and related [End Page 76] workshops. Nowak studiously outlines the historical context of the Attica uprising, Tisdale's entry into that world via his workshop, Tisdale's use of and connection to "the rich history of Black poetry" as well as the contemporary Black Arts Movement, the historical importance of this workshop, and again, the...

Parental Mental Health and Challenges in Parenting of Pre-schoolers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: This study aimed to understand the parental stress, psychological distress, and parenting practices of parents of pre-schoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and Materials: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with the parents of preschool children aged 3–6 years. Researchers used the Parental Stress Scale, Self-Reporting Questionnaire, and Parent Practice Interview to collect data from parents in the Southern Indian city of Bengaluru. Results: A total of 60 responses were obtained from the online survey. Moderate to a high level of parental stress and mild to moderate levels of psychological distress were found among the parents. Around 21 (35%) of parents were found in need of mental health consultation. The study found no group differences in parental stress and psychological distress among various socio-demographic variables. The study found a significant association between parental stress and the parenting practices of participants. Higher mean scores were observed on mothers in setting clear expectations of pre-schoolers. Conclusion: Parenting young pre-schoolers is a difficult task. COVID-19 pandemic has made the parenting process challenging for parents. Parents must engage the children at home, and helping them cope with the new environment is a tightrope walk. Such uncertainties are supposed cause distress and lead to poor parenting parents among the parents, especially with pre-schoolers who are more demanding. There is a need to address parents’ concerns and train them to deal with the situations effectively.

Optimizing raffinose family oligosaccharides content in plants: A tightrope walk.

Plants synthesize various compounds for their growth, metabolism, and stress mitigation, and one such group of compounds is the raffinose family of oligosaccharides (RFOs). RFOs are non-reducing oligosaccharides having galactose residues attached to a sucrose moiety. They act as carbohydrate reserves in plants, assisting in seed germination, desiccation tolerance, and biotic/abiotic stress tolerance. Although legumes are among the richest sources of dietary proteins, the direct consumption of legumes is hindered by an excess of RFOs in the edible parts of the plant, which causes flatulence in humans and monogastric animals. These opposing characteristics make RFOs manipulation a complicated tradeoff. An in-depth knowledge of the chemical composition, distribution pattern, tissue mobilization, and metabolism is required to optimize the levels of RFOs. The most recent developments in our understanding of RFOs distribution, physiological function, genetic regulation of their biosynthesis, transport, and degradation in food crops have been covered in this review. Additionally, we have suggested a few strategies that can sustainably reduce RFOs in order to solve the flatulence issue in animals. The comprehensive information in this review can be a tool for researchers to precisely control the level of RFOs in crops and create low antinutrient, nutritious food with wider consumer acceptability.

Diagnosis of psychogenic (functional) gait disorders

Psychogenic gait is common in patients with medically unexplained neurological symptoms and provides significant challenges to healthcare providers. Clinicians may arrive at a correct diagnosis earlier if distinctive positive signs are identified and acknowledged. Psychogenic disorders of posture and gait are common and are the major manifestation in 8–10 % of patients with psychogenic movement disorders. Psychogenic movement disorders can present with varied phenomenology that may resemble organic movement disorders. The diagnosis is based on clinical evaluation with a supporting history and classic features on neurologic examination. In functional gait disorders, walking is often bizarre and does not conform to any of the usual patterns observed with neurologic gait disorders. Astasia-abasia, an inability to stand (astasia) or walk (abasia) in the absence of other neurologic abnormalities, was the term applied by investigators in the mid to late 19thcentury to describe certain patients with a frankly functional gait. Other descriptive terms include gaits that resemble walking on ice, walking a sticky surface, walking through water (bringing to mind excessive slowness), tightrope walking, habitual limping, and bizarre, robotic, knock-kneed, trepidant, anxious, and cautious gaits. Ancillary testing, such as imaging and neurophysiologic studies, can provide supplementary information but is not necessary for diagnosis.

Review: The Reed Smoot Hearings: The Investigation of a Mormon Senator and the Transformation of an American Religion, edited by Michael Harold Paulos and Konden Smith Hansen

Reed Smoot (1862–1941) was a Republican senator from Utah who served in Congress from 1903 to 1933. The fact that Smoot was a high-ranking apostle in the Quorum of Twelve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) caused controversy when Smoot was first seated, resulting in nearly six years of Congressional hearings to determine whether a member of this widely despised new religion was worthy of office. Largely in conversation with Kathleen Flake’s The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle (2004), editors Michael Harold Paulos and Konden Smith Hansen have assembled eight essays in The Reed Smoot Hearings to reconsider various aspects of the Smoot case, both in terms of its implications for the evolution of American secularism and the twentieth-century trajectory of the LDS Church.After an introduction by Smith Hansen that lays out the historical background behind the Smoot controversy and previous scholarship on the subject, the first part of the book consists of four essays addressing the national context of the hearings. Smith Hansen’s discussion of the hearings shows how “the expanding notion of religious pluralism and secularity…during the Progressive Era” (25) provided a space for Mormons to achieve greater acceptance on the national stage. Such acceptance, however, came with a price, since it was predicated on the LDS Church making radical changes to conform to the “new secular–Protestant definition” (26) of what a legitimate religion should be. Specifically, this meant suppressing plural marriage and demonstrating subordination to the federal government. Paulos, in “Justice is Never Permanently Defeated Anywhere,” focuses on the secularizing strategy of Smoot’s defenders who argued that a citizen’s religious beliefs were private and therefore off-limits to determining fitness for national office, a position enshrined in the Constitution, but largely flouted in the nineteenth century. Bryan W. Daynes and Kathryn M. Daynes rehearse the long history of proposed constitutional amendments banning polygamy and their impact on the course of the hearings, while Kenneth L. Cannon II details the on-going anti-Mormon crusade of Utah Senator Frank J. Cannon that stretched well into the 1910s. Cannon specifically takes aim at Flake’s contention that the Smoot hearings were the high-water mark of anti-Mormon agitation in this country, but in my opinion Flake’s argument is still sound, with Frank J. Cannon’s personal crusade the exception that proves the rule.The second part of the book pivots from the larger national issues of the hearings to a look at four personalities who played important roles in the events. Kathryn Smoot Egan explores the stresses and strains on Smoot’s wife during this period, as the Smoots’ monogamy came under intense scrutiny as the new ideal of Mormon marriage. The appearance of LDS president Joseph F. Smith as a witness under subpoena is the subject of Paulos’ analysis of Smith’s congressional testimony as an example of political tightrope walking that had profound implications for Mormonism. This is a fascinating chapter, although for a fuller understanding of how Smith astutely used the hearings as an opportunity to shift the LDS Church away from polygamy, it needs to be read in conjunction with Flake. The last two chapters deal with Smoot’s long-suffering Mormon secretary, Carl Badger. Gary James Bergera and John Brumbaugh provide interesting insights into the impact of the hearings on the lives and careers of two men rooted in the Mormon Corridor of the intermountain West. The book concludes with a long list compiled by D. Michael Quinn of high Mormon officials who contracted new plural marriages after the Church’s 1890 Woodruff Manifesto seemingly banned polygamy, a contentious issue during the Smoot hearings.The Reed Smoot Hearings is an important addition to the ongoing reassessment of Mormon history in the twentieth century, providing much needed detail surrounding a signal event in that history. As this review makes clear, however, I strongly recommend that the book be read after reading The Politics of American Religious Identity since Flake provides the broad context necessary to better understand the specific concerns of the individual chapters. Indeed, I could see both books being used to great advantage as a unit in graduate seminars on Mormonism or American new religious movements in general, and in courses on secularism and the history of church and state in America.

PLAN B, a Gathering of Strangers (or) This Is Not Working by Goldendean

PLAN B, a Gathering of Strangers (or) This Is Not Working by Goldendean

Why are COVID-19 travel bubbles a tightrope walk? An investigation based on the Trans-Tasmanian case

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the transportation sector hard; particularly air transportation, as a major mode of long-distance transportation, has been affected tremendously. Since the dawn of COVID-19, politicians and policy makers have discussed the idea of introducing travel bubbles between countries (or counties), to allow for a continued exchange of people and goods. The eponymous Trans-Tasmanian travel bubble is a major example, involving quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand. While both countries have tried to form a travel bubble various times, recurring setbacks and difficulties were faced. In October 2021, this ambitious project presumably has come to an end, with both countries announcing the essential capitulation of their COVIDZero strategies and a planned opening towards broader international travel. In this study, we perform a close investigation of the history behind the Trans-Tasmanian travel bubble as an on-off relationship, identifying a set of drivers for the serious problems involving a sustainable setup and operation. We develop a framework which represents important factors for successful travel bubbles and believe that the satisfaction of all factors at once is extremely challenging. Our results and insights are not specific to the Trans-Tasmanian case only, although it is taken as a running example, but can be generalized to various scales and environments. We hope that our study contributes to the literature by improving our understanding of the highly buzzed travel bubble concept, while providing empirical evidence for the troubles that inherently make such bubbles a tightrope walk.