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Project acronym ARTTOUCH
Project Generating artificial touch: from the contribution of single tactile afferents to the encoding of complex percepts, and their implications for clinical innovation
Researcher (PI) Rochelle ACKERLEY
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS5, ERC-2017-COG
Summary Somatosensation encompass a wide range of processes, from feeling touch to temperature, as well as experiencing pleasure and pain. When afferent inputs are degraded or removed, such as in neuropathies or amputation, exploring the world becomes extremely difficult. Chronic pain is a major health issue that greatly diminishes quality of life and is one of the most disabling and costly conditions in Europe. The loss of a body part is common due to accidents, tumours, or peripheral diseases, and it has instantaneous effects on somatosensory functioning. Treating such disorders entails detailed knowledge about how somatosensory signals are encoded. Understanding these processes will enable the restoration of healthy function, such as providing real-time, naturalistic feedback in prostheses. To date, no prosthesis currently provides long-term sensory feedback, yet accomplishing this will lead to great quality of life improvements. The present proposal aims to uncover how basic tactile processes are encoded and represented centrally, as well as how more complex somatosensation is generated (e.g. wetness, pleasantness). Novel investigations will be conducted in humans to probe these mechanisms, including peripheral in vivo recording (microneurography) and neural stimulation, combined with advanced brain imaging and behavioural experiments. Preliminary work has shown the feasibility of the approach, where it is possible to visualise the activation of single mechanoreceptive afferents in the human brain. The multi-disciplinary approach unites detailed, high-resolution, functional investigations with actual sensations generated. The results will elucidate how basic and complex somatosensory processes are encoded, providing insights into the recovery of such signals. The knowledge gained aims to provide pain-free, efficient diagnostic capabilities for detecting and quantifying a range of somatosensory disorders, as well as identifying new potential therapeutic targets.
Somatosensation encompass a wide range of processes, from feeling touch to temperature, as well as experiencing pleasure and pain. When afferent inputs are degraded or removed, such as in neuropathies or amputation, exploring the world becomes extremely difficult. Chronic pain is a major health issue that greatly diminishes quality of life and is one of the most disabling and costly conditions in Europe. The loss of a body part is common due to accidents, tumours, or peripheral diseases, and it has instantaneous effects on somatosensory functioning. Treating such disorders entails detailed knowledge about how somatosensory signals are encoded. Understanding these processes will enable the restoration of healthy function, such as providing real-time, naturalistic feedback in prostheses. To date, no prosthesis currently provides long-term sensory feedback, yet accomplishing this will lead to great quality of life improvements. The present proposal aims to uncover how basic tactile processes are encoded and represented centrally, as well as how more complex somatosensation is generated (e.g. wetness, pleasantness). Novel investigations will be conducted in humans to probe these mechanisms, including peripheral in vivo recording (microneurography) and neural stimulation, combined with advanced brain imaging and behavioural experiments. Preliminary work has shown the feasibility of the approach, where it is possible to visualise the activation of single mechanoreceptive afferents in the human brain. The multi-disciplinary approach unites detailed, high-resolution, functional investigations with actual sensations generated. The results will elucidate how basic and complex somatosensory processes are encoded, providing insights into the recovery of such signals. The knowledge gained aims to provide pain-free, efficient diagnostic capabilities for detecting and quantifying a range of somatosensory disorders, as well as identifying new potential therapeutic targets.
Project acronym ELHO
Project The Age of Hostility: Understanding the Nature, Dynamics, Determinants, and Consequences of Citizens' Electoral Hostility in 27 Democracies
Researcher (PI) Michael BRUTER
Host Institution (HI) LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Summary 'I hate Brexiteers, they betrayed my future'. Those words of an 18 year old on Brexit Referendum Night represent a growing and worrying phenomenon: electoral hostility. Electoral disagreements have long been seen as results of social divisions, but recent research shows that they have become a basis of antagonism in their own right in the US. Two comparative pilots I ran also found electoral hostility widespread in recent French and British elections but rare in South Africa and Australia. In the UK Brexit referendum, 51% of citizens felt anger towards opposite voters and 46% disgust. I define electoral hostility as negative feelings (frustration, anger, contempt, disgust) held towards individuals or groups as a result of their effective or perceived electoral preferences. It may occur in the campaign, post-election, and reinforce into self-perpetuating cycles of hostility as it is structured as a Mokken scale which can become 'stages' of hostility. While scepticism of political elites is well-studied, hostility towards fellow voters takes electoral negativity to a new level. Electoral hostility may have far reaching consequences, leading citizens to resent one another due to electoral stances and drift apart in increasingly divided societies, but also to the delegitimization of electoral outcomes and negative attitudes towards solidarity. ELHO will answer the following research question: What are the causes and consequences of electoral hostility at individual, group, and aggregate levels and how does it develop over time? The project's innovative methods combine a 27 country multi-level panel survey, visual, physiological and field experiments, election diaries, family focus groups, a scoping survey of Election Management Bodies, and campaign and atmosphere coding. The project will also explore possible mitigation in ambitious partnership with psychiatrists, ergonomists, lawyers, EMBs and IGOs creating new Electoral Hostility Research Centre and Observatory.
'I hate Brexiteers, they betrayed my future'. Those words of an 18 year old on Brexit Referendum Night represent a growing and worrying phenomenon: electoral hostility. Electoral disagreements have long been seen as results of social divisions, but recent research shows that they have become a basis of antagonism in their own right in the US. Two comparative pilots I ran also found electoral hostility widespread in recent French and British elections but rare in South Africa and Australia. In the UK Brexit referendum, 51% of citizens felt anger towards opposite voters and 46% disgust. I define electoral hostility as negative feelings (frustration, anger, contempt, disgust) held towards individuals or groups as a result of their effective or perceived electoral preferences. It may occur in the campaign, post-election, and reinforce into self-perpetuating cycles of hostility as it is structured as a Mokken scale which can become 'stages' of hostility. While scepticism of political elites is well-studied, hostility towards fellow voters takes electoral negativity to a new level. Electoral hostility may have far reaching consequences, leading citizens to resent one another due to electoral stances and drift apart in increasingly divided societies, but also to the delegitimization of electoral outcomes and negative attitudes towards solidarity. ELHO will answer the following research question: What are the causes and consequences of electoral hostility at individual, group, and aggregate levels and how does it develop over time? The project's innovative methods combine a 27 country multi-level panel survey, visual, physiological and field experiments, election diaries, family focus groups, a scoping survey of Election Management Bodies, and campaign and atmosphere coding. The project will also explore possible mitigation in ambitious partnership with psychiatrists, ergonomists, lawyers, EMBs and IGOs creating new Electoral Hostility Research Centre and Observatory.
Project acronym GlobalGoals
Project Global Governance through Goals? Assessing and Explaining the Steering Effects of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Researcher (PI) Frank BIERMANN
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT
Summary Achieving sustainable development worldwide remains probably the biggest political challenge of our time. In 2015, the international community adopted 17 'Sustainable Development Goals' with no less than 169 'targets' as part of a global '2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'. The ambition expressed in these goals is unprecedented. But can such goal-setting, as a new central approach in global governance, help resolve the pressing challenges of economic development, poverty eradication, social justice and global environmental protection? Nobody knows at this stage. While the United Nations and its member states place high hopes on this novel strategy, there is little scientific knowledge on whether such global goals can live up to exceedingly high expectations. Sustainability research has tended to focus on concrete institutions, actors and practices – not on aspirational goals that bring little in terms of normative specificity, stable regime formation or compliance mechanisms. How can 'global governance through goals' nonetheless be effective – and under which conditions? GLOBALGOALS will address this puzzle and break new ground in sustainability and global governance theories. It offers the first and most comprehensive data compilation, network mapping and comparative institutional analysis of the evolution, effectiveness and future prospects of 'global governance through goals' as a central novel steering mechanism in world politics. This 5–year study programme deploys a unique set of cutting-edge methodologies, including social network analysis and online surveys, to assess and explain the steering effects of nine Sustainable Development Goals through a detailed investigation of their institutional arrangements and actor networks, at international and national levels. GLOBALGOALS makes a crucial knowledge contribution to both the theory of global sustainability governance and the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Achieving sustainable development worldwide remains probably the biggest political challenge of our time. In 2015, the international community adopted 17 'Sustainable Development Goals' with no less than 169 'targets' as part of a global '2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'. The ambition expressed in these goals is unprecedented. But can such goal-setting, as a new central approach in global governance, help resolve the pressing challenges of economic development, poverty eradication, social justice and global environmental protection? Nobody knows at this stage. While the United Nations and its member states place high hopes on this novel strategy, there is little scientific knowledge on whether such global goals can live up to exceedingly high expectations. Sustainability research has tended to focus on concrete institutions, actors and practices – not on aspirational goals that bring little in terms of normative specificity, stable regime formation or compliance mechanisms. How can 'global governance through goals' nonetheless be effective – and under which conditions? GLOBALGOALS will address this puzzle and break new ground in sustainability and global governance theories. It offers the first and most comprehensive data compilation, network mapping and comparative institutional analysis of the evolution, effectiveness and future prospects of 'global governance through goals' as a central novel steering mechanism in world politics. This 5–year study programme deploys a unique set of cutting-edge methodologies, including social network analysis and online surveys, to assess and explain the steering effects of nine Sustainable Development Goals through a detailed investigation of their institutional arrangements and actor networks, at international and national levels. GLOBALGOALS makes a crucial knowledge contribution to both the theory of global sustainability governance and the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Project acronym HiggsSelfCoupling
Project Uncovering the Origins of Mass: Discovery of the di-Higgs Process and Constraints on the Higgs Self-Coupling
Researcher (PI) Cigdem ISSEVER
Host Institution (HI) HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN
Summary The Standard Model of particle physics describes the elementary constituents of matter and their interactions. In 2012, its last ingredient, the Higgs boson, was discovered at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The exploration of the Higgs boson is now one of the most exciting avenues to explore for New Physics beyond the Standard Model and allows some of the most pressing problems in theoretical physics to be addressed, such as the origins of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. This important mechanism gives elementary particles their masses but the nature of this mechanism remains a mystery. A particularly crucial measurement is the production cross-section of Higgs boson pairs, which provides unique information on the Higgs self-coupling and on the underlying nature of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. Most feasibility studies of the Higgs self-coupling conclude that there will be insufficient data for this measurement in the coming decade. However, my recent feasibility studies indicate that by using the Higgs pair production process with four bottom quarks in the final state, the discovery of the di-Higgs process and its cross section measurement can be made much earlier. This project aims to develop and complete the first measurement of the di-Higgs cross section and most stringent bounds on the Higgs self-coupling before 2023. To achieve this goal I will develop new experimental techniques to improve the background reduction rates and enhance the signal. The objectives are the development of novel bottom quark energy reconstruction algorithms, new bottom quark and Higgs identification techniques, and neural network analysis tools. Analysis of ATLAS data will then enable searches for New Physics and ultimately the di-Higgs cross section measurement to constrain the Higgs self-coupling. This landmark measurement will lead to the confirmation of how particles acquire mass and open new avenues to understand what lies beyond the Standard Model.
The Standard Model of particle physics describes the elementary constituents of matter and their interactions. In 2012, its last ingredient, the Higgs boson, was discovered at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The exploration of the Higgs boson is now one of the most exciting avenues to explore for New Physics beyond the Standard Model and allows some of the most pressing problems in theoretical physics to be addressed, such as the origins of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. This important mechanism gives elementary particles their masses but the nature of this mechanism remains a mystery. A particularly crucial measurement is the production cross-section of Higgs boson pairs, which provides unique information on the Higgs self-coupling and on the underlying nature of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. Most feasibility studies of the Higgs self-coupling conclude that there will be insufficient data for this measurement in the coming decade. However, my recent feasibility studies indicate that by using the Higgs pair production process with four bottom quarks in the final state, the discovery of the di-Higgs process and its cross section measurement can be made much earlier. This project aims to develop and complete the first measurement of the di-Higgs cross section and most stringent bounds on the Higgs self-coupling before 2023. To achieve this goal I will develop new experimental techniques to improve the background reduction rates and enhance the signal. The objectives are the development of novel bottom quark energy reconstruction algorithms, new bottom quark and Higgs identification techniques, and neural network analysis tools. Analysis of ATLAS data will then enable searches for New Physics and ultimately the di-Higgs cross section measurement to constrain the Higgs self-coupling. This landmark measurement will lead to the confirmation of how particles acquire mass and open new avenues to understand what lies beyond the Standard Model.
Project acronym HISTOID
Project A Human iPS Cell-Derived Artificial Skeletal Muscle for Regenerative Medicine, Disease Modelling and Drug Screening
Researcher (PI) Francesco Saverio TEDESCO
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Summary Skeletal muscle is the most abundant human tissue and contains mainly post-mitotic nuclei. It also expresses the largest gene known in nature – dystrophin – whose mutations cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most frequent and incurable childhood muscle disorder. These characteristics create hurdles that negatively impact on the development of therapies for muscle diseases, ranging from acute tissue loss to chronic neuromuscular disorders. Moreover, a lack of humanised models of muscle regeneration delays the understanding of its regenerative dynamics. My work has pioneered the use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate genetically corrected myogenic cells for the autologous cell therapy of muscular dystrophies. Here I propose to exploit this technology together with biocompatible materials to develop three dimensional, iPS cell-derived, patient-specific artificial muscles. These bioengineered skeletal muscles will provide a model to study human muscle regeneration and a platform for tissue engineering and therapy development for severe muscle diseases. The project will be developed in two phases. First we will develop the iPS cell-derived muscle in vitro, introducing cell types and stimuli necessary to obtain a functional tissue. In the second phase we will exploit the muscle "organoids" for regenerative medicine and drug development. Specifically, we will investigate the artificial muscle potential for tissue replacement in vivo and then model different muscular dystrophies in vitro to screen drugs with therapeutic relevance. Finally, we will combine the tools and knowledge developed in the two aforementioned areas into a novel platform to optimise skeletal muscle gene and cell therapies. This project will bring together tissue engineering, drug development and cell therapy under the same translational technology, advancing the understanding of pathogenesis and the development of therapies for muscle diseases.
Skeletal muscle is the most abundant human tissue and contains mainly post-mitotic nuclei. It also expresses the largest gene known in nature – dystrophin – whose mutations cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most frequent and incurable childhood muscle disorder. These characteristics create hurdles that negatively impact on the development of therapies for muscle diseases, ranging from acute tissue loss to chronic neuromuscular disorders. Moreover, a lack of humanised models of muscle regeneration delays the understanding of its regenerative dynamics. My work has pioneered the use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate genetically corrected myogenic cells for the autologous cell therapy of muscular dystrophies. Here I propose to exploit this technology together with biocompatible materials to develop three dimensional, iPS cell-derived, patient-specific artificial muscles. These bioengineered skeletal muscles will provide a model to study human muscle regeneration and a platform for tissue engineering and therapy development for severe muscle diseases. The project will be developed in two phases. First we will develop the iPS cell-derived muscle in vitro, introducing cell types and stimuli necessary to obtain a functional tissue. In the second phase we will exploit the muscle "organoids" for regenerative medicine and drug development. Specifically, we will investigate the artificial muscle potential for tissue replacement in vivo and then model different muscular dystrophies in vitro to screen drugs with therapeutic relevance. Finally, we will combine the tools and knowledge developed in the two aforementioned areas into a novel platform to optimise skeletal muscle gene and cell therapies. This project will bring together tissue engineering, drug development and cell therapy under the same translational technology, advancing the understanding of pathogenesis and the development of therapies for muscle diseases.
Project acronym HOPE
Project Host Protective Engineering of Cancer Immunity by Targeting the Intracellular Immune Checkpoint NR2F6
Researcher (PI) Gottfried BAIER
Host Institution (HI) MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAT INNSBRUCK
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS7, ERC-2017-ADG
Summary "Because of its biological complexity, cancer is still poorly understood. Chronic inflammation has been shown, both experimentally and epidemiologically, to be a predisposition to, and also an inseparable aspect of clinically prevalent cancer entities. Therefore, a detailed understanding of both tumour and immune cell functions in cancer progression is a prerequisite for more successful therapeutic startegies. My team was the first to reveal the lymphocyte-intrinsic PKC/NR2F6 axis as an essential signalling node at the crossroads between inflammation and cancer. It is the mission of this project to identify molecular signatures that influence the risk of developing tumours employing established research tools and state-of-the-art genetic, biochemical, proteomic and transcriptomic as well as large scale CRISPR/Cas9 perturbation screening-based functional genomic technologies. Defining this as yet poorly elucidated effector pathway with its profoundly relevant role would enable development of preventive and immune-therapeutic strategies against NSCLC lung cancer and potentially also against other entities. Our three-pronged approach to achieve this goal is to: (i) delineate biological and clinical properties of the immunological PKC/NR2F6 network, (ii) validate NR2F6 as an immune-oncology combination target needed to overcome limitations to ""first generation anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors"" rendering T cells capable of rejecting tumours and their metastases at distal organs and (iii) exploit human combinatorial T cell therapy concepts for prevention of immune-related adverse events as well as of tumour recurrence by reducing opportunities for the tumour to develop resistance in the clinic. Insight into the functions of NR2F6 pathway and involved mechanisms is a prerequisite for understanding how the microenvironment at the tumour site either supports tumour growth and spread or prevents tumour initiation and progression, the latter by host-protective cancer immunity."
"Because of its biological complexity, cancer is still poorly understood. Chronic inflammation has been shown, both experimentally and epidemiologically, to be a predisposition to, and also an inseparable aspect of clinically prevalent cancer entities. Therefore, a detailed understanding of both tumour and immune cell functions in cancer progression is a prerequisite for more successful therapeutic startegies. My team was the first to reveal the lymphocyte-intrinsic PKC/NR2F6 axis as an essential signalling node at the crossroads between inflammation and cancer. It is the mission of this project to identify molecular signatures that influence the risk of developing tumours employing established research tools and state-of-the-art genetic, biochemical, proteomic and transcriptomic as well as large scale CRISPR/Cas9 perturbation screening-based functional genomic technologies. Defining this as yet poorly elucidated effector pathway with its profoundly relevant role would enable development of preventive and immune-therapeutic strategies against NSCLC lung cancer and potentially also against other entities. Our three-pronged approach to achieve this goal is to: (i) delineate biological and clinical properties of the immunological PKC/NR2F6 network, (ii) validate NR2F6 as an immune-oncology combination target needed to overcome limitations to ""first generation anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors"" rendering T cells capable of rejecting tumours and their metastases at distal organs and (iii) exploit human combinatorial T cell therapy concepts for prevention of immune-related adverse events as well as of tumour recurrence by reducing opportunities for the tumour to develop resistance in the clinic. Insight into the functions of NR2F6 pathway and involved mechanisms is a prerequisite for understanding how the microenvironment at the tumour site either supports tumour growth and spread or prevents tumour initiation and progression, the latter by host-protective cancer immunity."
Project acronym MEMCIRCUIT
Project Deconstruction of a neural circuit for working memory: hubs, coding mechanisms, and signal routing
Researcher (PI) Simon JACOB
Host Institution (HI) KLINIKUM RECHTS DER ISAR DER TECHNISCHEN UNIVERSITAT MUNCHEN
Summary Working memory is the basis of cognition. It allows behaviour to be governed by internal goals rather than by reflexive stimulus-response mappings. The neural mechanisms of memory maintenance are heavily contested. Animal electrophysiology studies suggest a pivotal role of persistent spiking activity in single neurons of the prefrontal cortex, whereas human neuroimaging points to sub-threshold synaptic activity distributed across sensory cortex. This double dissociation of storage mechanisms and storage sites could result from the comparison of different recording methods, which measure distinct neuronal signals. Alternatively, there might be a fundamental difference between humans and animals. My key objective is to formulate general principles of working memory coding at the cellular and circuit level by integrating across previously disconnected lines of research. I will address two central questions. First, where and how is the memorized information stored? I will use an innovative approach to record large-scale single-unit activity from a cognitive (prefrontal) and a sensory (auditory) region in awake neurosurgical patients and directly compare the data to recordings from mice performing the same auditory working memory task. This will allow me to determine whether the mnemonic fingerprints are species-specific or shared across humans and rodents. Second, what neural pathways support the flow of information during working memory? Using the animal model, I will disrupt cross-regional interactions in the memory network with millisecond-precise, projection-specific optogenetic tools in order to dissect the contribution of each hub to memory storage and memory access. This project provides an unprecedented one-to-one matching of behavioural tasks and recording methods with single-cell and split-second resolution in humans and rodents. It represents a major step forward in understanding the cellular and circuit basis of a critical cognitive brain function.
Working memory is the basis of cognition. It allows behaviour to be governed by internal goals rather than by reflexive stimulus-response mappings. The neural mechanisms of memory maintenance are heavily contested. Animal electrophysiology studies suggest a pivotal role of persistent spiking activity in single neurons of the prefrontal cortex, whereas human neuroimaging points to sub-threshold synaptic activity distributed across sensory cortex. This double dissociation of storage mechanisms and storage sites could result from the comparison of different recording methods, which measure distinct neuronal signals. Alternatively, there might be a fundamental difference between humans and animals. My key objective is to formulate general principles of working memory coding at the cellular and circuit level by integrating across previously disconnected lines of research. I will address two central questions. First, where and how is the memorized information stored? I will use an innovative approach to record large-scale single-unit activity from a cognitive (prefrontal) and a sensory (auditory) region in awake neurosurgical patients and directly compare the data to recordings from mice performing the same auditory working memory task. This will allow me to determine whether the mnemonic fingerprints are species-specific or shared across humans and rodents. Second, what neural pathways support the flow of information during working memory? Using the animal model, I will disrupt cross-regional interactions in the memory network with millisecond-precise, projection-specific optogenetic tools in order to dissect the contribution of each hub to memory storage and memory access. This project provides an unprecedented one-to-one matching of behavioural tasks and recording methods with single-cell and split-second resolution in humans and rodents. It represents a major step forward in understanding the cellular and circuit basis of a critical cognitive brain function.
Project acronym MHINT
Project Genetic, behavioural and cognitive mechanisms underpinning the association between mother and offspring mental health problems: mental (M) health (H) intergenerational transmission (INT) -(MHINT)
Researcher (PI) Rebecca Marie PEARSON
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Summary Despite decades of research, and the introduction of parenting interventions, children of mentally ill mothers remain substantially more likely to have mental health problems themselves. I propose to shed new light on why mental health problems in a mother are passed on to her child, and help break this reinforcing cycle of mental health risk across generations. In order to harness the potential of modifying parenting for the prevention of child mental health risk, I will study parenting using more detailed, ecologically valid and genetically sensitive designs than have been done before. Objectives: 1: To investigate the respective role of genetic and environmental (chiefly parenting) mechanisms in explaining associations between mother and child mental health. HOW: using a consortium of international cohorts with intergenerational genetic and phenotypic data (n>10,000) and, for the first time, modeling genetic risk which is and is not transmitted from mother to child to test alternative hypotheses. 2: To identify behavioural manifestation of maternal mental health, in observed mother-infant interaction, in an ecologically valid way. HOW: recording 300 mother- child dyads at home, using novel wearable cameras, in the next generation of a key cohort (ALSPAC-G2). 3: To identify cognitive underpinnings of maternal behaviour. HOW: including cognitive tasks (with eye tracking) as new measures in ALSPAC-G2, applying computational models to cognitive and (uniquely) real life data (measured in 2). 4: To establish whether modification of maternal parenting (highlighted in 1-3), changes child mental health. HOW: systematic review of parenting intervention trials and new synthesis methods to extract which intervention components reduce child mental health problems. My study will provide critical new evidence regarding the nature of parenting interventions that have potential to improve child mental health and break intergenerational transmission of mental health problems.
Despite decades of research, and the introduction of parenting interventions, children of mentally ill mothers remain substantially more likely to have mental health problems themselves. I propose to shed new light on why mental health problems in a mother are passed on to her child, and help break this reinforcing cycle of mental health risk across generations. In order to harness the potential of modifying parenting for the prevention of child mental health risk, I will study parenting using more detailed, ecologically valid and genetically sensitive designs than have been done before. Objectives: 1: To investigate the respective role of genetic and environmental (chiefly parenting) mechanisms in explaining associations between mother and child mental health. HOW: using a consortium of international cohorts with intergenerational genetic and phenotypic data (n>10,000) and, for the first time, modeling genetic risk which is and is not transmitted from mother to child to test alternative hypotheses. 2: To identify behavioural manifestation of maternal mental health, in observed mother-infant interaction, in an ecologically valid way. HOW: recording 300 mother- child dyads at home, using novel wearable cameras, in the next generation of a key cohort (ALSPAC-G2). 3: To identify cognitive underpinnings of maternal behaviour. HOW: including cognitive tasks (with eye tracking) as new measures in ALSPAC-G2, applying computational models to cognitive and (uniquely) real life data (measured in 2). 4: To establish whether modification of maternal parenting (highlighted in 1-3), changes child mental health. HOW: systematic review of parenting intervention trials and new synthesis methods to extract which intervention components reduce child mental health problems. My study will provide critical new evidence regarding the nature of parenting interventions that have potential to improve child mental health and break intergenerational transmission of mental health problems.
Project acronym MiCaBra
Project Mitochondrial Cannabinoid Receptors in the Brain
Researcher (PI) Giovanni MARSICANO
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE
Summary Brain activity critically depends on the high energetic support provided by mitochondria, the cell organelles transforming energy sources into molecularly usable ATP. The pathological effects of chronic mitochondrial dysfunctions in the brain are under scrutiny, but the impact of physiological modulation of mitochondrial activity on ongoing brain functions is almost unknown. Cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1) are amongst the G Protein-Coupled receptors (GPCR) expressed at highest levels in the brain, and they are key regulators of behaviour. We recently showed that CB1 receptors are present at brain mitochondrial membranes (mtCB1), where they regulate bioenergetic processes, thereby mediating amnesic effects of cannabinoids. Thus, the physiological roles of the brain endocannabinoid system formed by CB1 receptors and endogenous ligands, and the pharmacological effects of cannabinoid drugs (e.g. the psychotropic compound of the plant cannabis sativa, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) partially rely on the regulation of brain mitochondrial activity. Using a bottom-up approach at micro-, meso- and macro-scale levels, MiCaBra will reveal cell biological features, signalling properties and behavioural impact of mtCB1 receptors in the brain. First, we will address the cell biology of mtCB1 receptors, determining the structural and molecular requirements for their mitochondrial trafficking. To define how this GPCR modulate mitochondrial activity and what are the functional consequences of these effects, we will study downstream intra-mitochondrial signalling of mtCB1 receptors and the eventual impact on cellular processes controlled by the organelle. Finally, we will tackle the role of mtCB1 receptors in the (endo)cannabinoid control of brain circuits and behaviour. Thus, MiCaBra has the ambitious aim to understand the impact of regulation of bioenergetic processes on ongoing brain functions, thereby determining a novel framework in the study of behavioural pathophysiology.
Brain activity critically depends on the high energetic support provided by mitochondria, the cell organelles transforming energy sources into molecularly usable ATP. The pathological effects of chronic mitochondrial dysfunctions in the brain are under scrutiny, but the impact of physiological modulation of mitochondrial activity on ongoing brain functions is almost unknown. Cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1) are amongst the G Protein-Coupled receptors (GPCR) expressed at highest levels in the brain, and they are key regulators of behaviour. We recently showed that CB1 receptors are present at brain mitochondrial membranes (mtCB1), where they regulate bioenergetic processes, thereby mediating amnesic effects of cannabinoids. Thus, the physiological roles of the brain endocannabinoid system formed by CB1 receptors and endogenous ligands, and the pharmacological effects of cannabinoid drugs (e.g. the psychotropic compound of the plant cannabis sativa, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) partially rely on the regulation of brain mitochondrial activity. Using a bottom-up approach at micro-, meso- and macro-scale levels, MiCaBra will reveal cell biological features, signalling properties and behavioural impact of mtCB1 receptors in the brain. First, we will address the cell biology of mtCB1 receptors, determining the structural and molecular requirements for their mitochondrial trafficking. To define how this GPCR modulate mitochondrial activity and what are the functional consequences of these effects, we will study downstream intra-mitochondrial signalling of mtCB1 receptors and the eventual impact on cellular processes controlled by the organelle. Finally, we will tackle the role of mtCB1 receptors in the (endo)cannabinoid control of brain circuits and behaviour. Thus, MiCaBra has the ambitious aim to understand the impact of regulation of bioenergetic processes on ongoing brain functions, thereby determining a novel framework in the study of behavioural pathophysiology.
Project acronym MIDNIGHT
Project Neural mechanism underlying vocal interactions in duetting nightingales
Researcher (PI) Daniela Vallentin
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Summary Humans and many animals produce complex vocal sequences in order to communicate with each other. What are the neuronal mechanisms that integrate the auditory information and permit the production of a coordinated motor response during a vocal interaction? I will address this issue in the nightingale, a songbird species that is capable of duetting with rivals. During vocal interactions, nightingales have to precisely alternate between singing and listening, and I will test whether premotor centers are differentially sensitive to auditory input during these two states. In zebra finches, I have shown that the impact of a father's song on premotor circuitry can be regulated by inhibitory interneurons during developmental song learning. Here I ask whether this same regulation of auditory input can rapidly change to support real-time vocal coordination in a duetting songbird. To measure neuronal activity during listening and singing, I will use intracellular recordings to assay the synaptic inputs and outputs of a premotor circuit. I will use a motorized intracellular microdrive that I helped to develop during my postdoc in order to enable these measurements in the freely behaving bird. A custom built vocal robot will be used to dynamically interact with birds during neural recordings. These experiments will reveal the synaptic profile of neurons during sensorimotor integration and clarify how nightingales are able to sing a temporally precise duet. The aims of my research proposal are 1) to investigate how auditory input influences the motor program, 2) how this auditory input is gated depending on behavioral demands and 3) how a song motif is generated on a neuronal population level. I will elucidate neural dynamics essential for vocal interactions, which may provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in human communication. As a result, this work would also generate new implications for our understanding of speech disorders and impairments to social function.
Humans and many animals produce complex vocal sequences in order to communicate with each other. What are the neuronal mechanisms that integrate the auditory information and permit the production of a coordinated motor response during a vocal interaction? I will address this issue in the nightingale, a songbird species that is capable of duetting with rivals. During vocal interactions, nightingales have to precisely alternate between singing and listening, and I will test whether premotor centers are differentially sensitive to auditory input during these two states. In zebra finches, I have shown that the impact of a father's song on premotor circuitry can be regulated by inhibitory interneurons during developmental song learning. Here I ask whether this same regulation of auditory input can rapidly change to support real-time vocal coordination in a duetting songbird. To measure neuronal activity during listening and singing, I will use intracellular recordings to assay the synaptic inputs and outputs of a premotor circuit. I will use a motorized intracellular microdrive that I helped to develop during my postdoc in order to enable these measurements in the freely behaving bird. A custom built vocal robot will be used to dynamically interact with birds during neural recordings. These experiments will reveal the synaptic profile of neurons during sensorimotor integration and clarify how nightingales are able to sing a temporally precise duet. The aims of my research proposal are 1) to investigate how auditory input influences the motor program, 2) how this auditory input is gated depending on behavioral demands and 3) how a song motif is generated on a neuronal population level. I will elucidate neural dynamics essential for vocal interactions, which may provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in human communication. As a result, this work would also generate new implications for our understanding of speech disorders and impairments to social function.


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Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles is now available on PC and consoles
Categories: Anime, News, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Screenshots, Videos, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
The first video game adaptation of the popular and thrilling Demon Slayer series, which has already captivated millions worldwide, is out now.
Sega and Cyberconnect2 announced today that Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles has gone into early access for those who bought the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
A recreation that anime fans will love
If there's one thing we can say about CyberConnect2's anime-based games, it's that the majority of them have very clear ideas and an unmistakable stamp: exquisite cel-shaded graphics, jaw-dropping video sequences, unhealthy respect for the original material, and gameplay that's too simple and straightforward to be pushed to the background.
In this new Sega release, we are presented with a new 3D fighting game in which we may freely travel through the situations while facing our opponents and putting a series of easy combinations and strong techniques into practice. Maintaining an aesthetic that is extremely close to manga and anime, this title is one of the most authentic recreations to date.
As you might expect from such a restricted title, the controls are extremely easy mechanically speaking, as we will only have three basic combinations of strikes that we may extend and chain, adding special techniques in between and calling our partner to deliver an aid attack.
More playable demons and post-launch performance mode
As you may have heard from the game's announcement back in August, you can expect new playable demons to be introduced to the game roster in a series of three distinct free game updates, among other things.
Additionally, as part of a free post-launch update, the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Steam versions of the game will include a 60FPS performance mode with 60FPS gameplay and 30FPS cutscenes.
The Digital Deluxe Edition is available now. Meanwhile, the Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles standard edition is currently available for pre-order on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The standard edition is out on Friday.
Watch the launch trailer of the game here on Game Freaks 365!
Tags: Cyberconnect2, Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles, Sega
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You certainly do get different answers on the issue depending on which lens you look through, don't you? Which is the lens we should look through in our society? A religious one that results in unequal treatment for some people? Or a secular one that denies a beautiful theology of family and the dignity of human sexuality? I'm going to let God worry about it, not me. I do know that heterosexuals have done more to destroy the sanctity of marriage and a dignified human sexual expression that a pair of committed gay people ever could.
This is a beautiful and honest post. I respect you for writing it and I don't disagree with anything you say. Thank you.
I have been so out of this issue because it hit the fan during our fair, and I just haven't had the time or energy to tune in to it totally until now. My gut feeling is that this issue is NOT for us to decide. I kind of lead my life, to an extent, with the idea that if it is not harming me and my family, then it is not my place to judge. I, like you, also believe that most gay people are living a life they had no choice in if they are living their true life. I would hate to live in a world that required me to me someone other than my true self and forgo true love. I just think, this issue is bigger than me, and I will let Him have the last say when that time comes.
Nice job in expressing your feelings. All those of us who went to CFA wanted was for Dan Cathy to be able to express his, as well.
Thank you, Amy for expressing your thoughts so kindly.
I did not go to Chik-Fil-A yesterday, because I too, don't have the patience to wait in line for over an hour. But I have many friends who did and I was glad that they took time out of their lives to support Dan Cathy's right to not only share his beliefs without being harassed for them but also his right to invest his money into those beliefs.
I believe in traditional marriage. I am well aware of the divorce statistics--heck, I am one--but that doesn't negate the value of marriage.
I would never support a person or a company that intentionally bullies the LGBT community--but I also claim the privilege of worshipping God how I want to, and supporting the causes I believe in, and afford everyone else the same right.
It is troubling that there is so much debate about this in the news, when we have much larger problems infesting our societies. I wonder what would happen if we put as much time and focus upon the poor and needy in our midst?
We could do so much more if we worked together on what's really important.
LOVE this post. I think it's one of your best. It might have been hard to write, but it wasn't hard to read. I myself am not actually boycotting Chick Fil-A. But I'm not supporting them either. Will I NEVER eat there again? Not likely, because let's face it, their chicken ROCKS! But I'm not going to eat there today or tomorrow.
Thank you for this post, Amy. This is exactly how I feel, too. I just don't know how I feel on the subject. Torn, for sure. I'm glad I am not the only one.
I don't eat meat, and we don't have Chick-Fil-A here, but this issue is more than just chicken for many people. I wish I knew where the line was drawn, but I don't. And I don't think I have to know. God only asks me to love people the way He loves them. Everything else is in His hands, and it's okay of I haven't got it all figured out.
i do understand your feelings. it is not my job to judge what other people choose to do or don't do with their lives. it is my job to stick to my morals and beliefs. but i refuse to join the big hoopla surrounding this topic and many others.
i always applaud someones right to express their opinion, even if it doesn't agree with my own lol i can debate and talk for hours about topics like this. i can argue either side too - when i graduated from high school i wanted to go to law school. i think i would have liked the debate part - but i don't think i could defend someone that did something terrible!


We can't let this happen. Tell Governor Dayton and your state leaders that cutting transit is unacceptable.
Our state has not invested enough in bus, rail, bicycling or walking as it is. Now these drastic cuts put our economic vitality, our environment, and our quality of life at risk. They would have a devastating impact on the elderly, low-income workers, communities of color, people with disabilities, and all who depend on transit to get around.
Under legislation that has already passed in the House, all 151 Metro Transit express and local bus routes would either be reduced or eliminated – up to 70 routes could disappear entirely.
The proposed legislation also explicitly limits any future light rail expansion and bars the Met Council from using funds for the Southwest Green Line Extension.
Negotiations are underway at the State Capitol. Don't wait to raise your voice.
Take action now: Tell Governor Dayton and your state legislators to reject transit cuts and fund better transportation options for the metro and for all Minnesotans.


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The UK's impending departure from the European Union will bring change for businesses of every size and sector.
While some companies are already planning for the challenges and opportunities ahead, Chambers of Commerce believe that all firms – not just those directly and immediately affected – should be undertaking a Brexit 'health check', and a broader test of existing business plans.
Time spent thinking through the changes that Brexit may bring to your firm could yield real dividends in future. While the final settlement between the UK and the European Union is still to be negotiated, there are steps that businesses of all sizes can take now to start planning ahead.
The British Chambers of Commerce has developed a Brexit Hub which has plenty of useful information including;
Post-Transition Brexit Checklist – This checklist has been created to help businesses consider the changes that Brexit may bring to your firm, and to help business planning at both operational and Board levels.
Brexit Risk Register – the ultimate test of any Brexit deal is whether it delivers clear answers to the practical, real-world questions businesses face. Firms of every size and sector need clarity in order to take decisions, invest and prepare for the future. As HM Government negotiates a future partnership between the UK and the EU, the British Chambers of Commerce is assessing progress on 24 business-critical issues…
'No deal' Guidance Dashboard – Businesses do not want a messy and disorderly exit, but with a 'no-deal' scenario still possible, firms need clear and precise answers to the many questions this would pose for their business…
The Chamber of Commerce can also help with your Brexit planning. If you would like to arrange a 'Brexit readiness' audit of your business, please contact the International Trade team on 01772 706589.
The UK Government has launched a major new public information campaign called "The UK's new start: let's get going" to give everyone the facts that they will need to be ready for 1 January 2021. A straightforward checker tool at gov.uk/transition will quickly identify the specific steps any business or individual needs to take to be ready, and will allow companies to sign up for bespoke updates. Taking these steps will equip businesses for when we exit the transition period.
The Border Operating Model
On 1 January 2021 the transition period with the European Union will end, and the United Kingdom will operate a full, external border as a sovereign nation. This means that controls will be placed on the movement of goods between Great Britain and the EU. To afford industry extra time to make necessary arrangements, the UK Government has taken the decision to introduce the new border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021. Read more here.
See also – Import, export and customs for businesses
The UK Points-Based Immigration System
The UK Government is introducing a points-based immigration system from 2021. The new system will require those applying via the skilled worker route to accrue points by meeting a number of relevant criteria, such as having a job offer at the appropriate skill level, the ability to speak English and meeting the salary threshold. Find out what you need to know here.
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BREXIT SUPPORT: 26/01/2021 We will hold a webinar by expert speakers from the Brabners Business Immigration team wi… https://t.co/jIv8KoSM74
Northern Powerhouse Virtual Trade Mission recruitment webinar- Inviting the UK's Northern companies based in the No… https://t.co/a9ae83eZQl


SHOWING MERCY OR A MERCY RECEIVED?
On Lake Street, in the south-metro area of Minneapolis, the work and mission of FOCUS Minnesota, an Orthodox Christian outreach to the urban poor and needy, is confronted daily with the fundamental directives and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. FOCUS centers in various cities throughout the US, are engaged in real grassroots Christian outreach to people among us – our brothers and sisters in Christ, our neighbors – who are disadvantaged and needing in ways material, emotional, and spiritual.
In the Gospel of Luke, 10:25-37 we hear the famous story of the Good Samaritan, a parable that Jesus used to answer a question posed to Him by a young man well versed in Jewish law.
Mercy suggests a gift of kindness, often unmerited and sometimes unexpected. It is not simply kindness; it is kindness in face of an opportunity to do otherwise. The reason why the Samaritan is called "good" and is described as "showing mercy" is that, as a stranger among the Jews, the Samaritan acted outside of his comfort zone and against his own history and community interest. He showed mercy when in fact he would have been justified to walk on by.Yet he didn't; and we shouldn't either.
There is a lot to discuss about service to the urban poor. And I mean specifically service in function of the gospel teachings of Christ. Having spent the last three years involved with an Orthodox outreach to those in need, I can tell you that we're confronted with the real deal and we find ourselves engaged with authentic urban grassroots community work. The need is overwhelming and constant, and we try to return what we find with love. So the initial or fundamental task is to love on another, to serve and to encounter living icons that are made in the image and according to the likeness of God, just like you and me. So to 'go and do likewise,' we will emulate the Samaritan and will perceive in people: You need, you want, you are hurting, you are dirty, you're sick, you're drunk, you're lonely, you scare me…this isn't in my comfort zone. But when we understand that the neighbor is the one who showed mercy, we will perceive: you are funny, you are sweet, you're confused, you're searching, you're thankful, you're interested, you're worried, you're trying hard…. just like I am.
We run a food shelf at FOCUS Minnesota on Thursday afternoons. One day a woman came in, Jan, who we see occasionally; she's been to food shelf a few times, has come for clothing at our free weekly clothes closet and sometimes will come and eat at our Sunday night community meal. It was the typical rush right at 3pm when we open our doors and invariably there's a line of people waiting for groceries. In the buzz, Jan walks up to the table and we assume she's here for food. When we ask her for her ID in order to look her up in our file of clients, she fumbles with a piece of paper in her pocket, folds it and quietly just pushes it across the distribution table to one of our volunteers. The volunteer opens the piece of paper and discovers a money order for $25. A little confused he looks at Jan and she says "you helped me when I really needed help, and I know there are others who are in the situation I was in a few weeks ago, so I just want you to use this to buy food for the food shelf so you can help someone else." She didn't take food, but smiled and turned and headed for the door. There is no question that Jan could have used the $25, just as there is no question that I would be extremely happy to have an extra or unspoken-for $25 in my wallet. Who is my neighbor? Well clearly it was Jan that day, who showed mercy to FOCUS, or to those in need through us, and we were humbled for we knew that we needed that $25 to help feed the poor. It will be the person who crosses the road for you who is your neighbor.
Eternal life,love, service, mercy,salvation …wow. Showing mercy upon those whom we encounter and who are in need is being obedient to Jesus' teachings. But living a full life in Christ means taking on the possibilities, even more so the opportunities, to recognize and to receive mercy from others. You can come into this sort of exchange by stretching, flexing, and sticking your neck out so that you may come to understand – and be blown away by – the reality of encountering who your neighbor can be.


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Domestic Hitchcock: Shadow of a Doubt
This post takes part in the third annual film-preservation blogathon For the Love of Film, hosted by Ferdy on Films, the Self-Styled Siren, and This Island Rod.
This year's blogathon is devoted to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Funds raised will help the National Film Preservation Foundation stream an early film on which Hitchcock worked, The White Shadow, on the internet for several months—and record a new score for this silent film. Please click on the photo above to donate to this worthy cause. Films are perishable, and they need our help!
Now, on to MY Hitchcock contribution……
Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, and Patricia Collinge in "Shadow of a Doubt"
As a food writer I often find it difficult to write about films, particularly films like those of Hitchcock, in which action and suspense are key. The characters have little time for cooking and eating. So for this essay I turn to Hitchcock's most domestic motion picture—some might say his ONLY domestic motion picture—Shadow of a Doubt.
Released in 1943, Shadow of a Doubt has long been one of my favorite Hitchcock films in large part because it is domestic. The house in which most of the action is set is almost a character in the story. Viewers get to know its hallways, doorways, and rooms. And many plot points are worked out at the dinner table.
Since Shadow is a Hitchcock film the domesticity it explores is dark. It is domesticity nonetheless, however, and the picture features sympathetic and complex female characters.
Indeed, the film is primarily experienced through one of those characters, Young Charlie (Teresa Wright). A recent high-school graduate who still lives with her family in an old-fashioned home in Santa Rosa, California, Charlie is restless.
She finds family life tedious and is particularly concerned with that life's effect on her mother Emma, who seems to spend her days going from one dispiriting household task to another. Charlie senses that she and her mother are trapped. "All I'm waiting for now is a miracle," she tells her kindly but weak father Joe (Henry Travers).
The miracle comes almost immediately in the form of a prospective visit from her mother's brother Charlie (the handsome, velvet-voiced Joseph Cotten), after whom young Charlie was named. The namesake feels a special kinship with her uncle, a far-off glamorous figure who sends wonderful presents but rarely shows his face in Santa Rosa.
The family gathers around Uncle Charlie at the dinner table.
Charlie believes she has a psychic bond with Uncle Charlie, a bond Hitchcock famously emphasized from the start of the picture by introducing both Charlies in the same position—lying on a bed looking despondent.
Charlie is even happier when she sees the effect the news of her uncle's imminent arrival has on her mother Emma (Patricia Collinge). Emma's voice lifts and her face lights up as she speaks of her long-ago childhood with Uncle Charlie, the spoiled baby of her family.
Uncle Charlie's arrival is all that Young Charlie and Emma have hoped for. He brings laughter to the house and showers his relatives with gifts. Almost immediately, however, Charlie begins to wonder about her uncle. He has isolated moments of scary violence. He is trying to hide something. And the gorgeous emerald ring he gives her is inscribed with the initials of a dead woman.
Young Charlie begins to feel uncomfortable with Uncle Charlie. Papa Joe looks on at right.
Hitchcock brought in Thornton Wilder to work on the screenplay for Shadow. The film was shot on location in Santa Rosa, an attractive, medium-sized town, and the director believed that the playwright of Our Town could add a certain authenticity to this story of America's heartland.
He did—as did the brilliant cast. Shadow of a Doubt both celebrates and critiques small-town life—and middle-class American life in general.
Like Uncle Charlie, the town of Santa Rosa is beautiful yet contains dark corners.
Like Uncle Charlie, Young Charlie and her mother Emma love the idea of home but long for something more stimulating and ultimately more dangerous.
At the end of the film Young Charlie's future appears almost as bleak as it does at the beginning. She has survived attempts on her life. Yet she appears doomed to marry the stolid MacDonald Carey and recreate her mother's humdrum housewifery.
As for Uncle Charlie, he feels forced by fate/fear/insanity to try to kill Young Charlie, whom he really does love.
Perhaps the saddest of the three is Emma. Young Charlie's mother is devastated when she learns near the end of the picture that her brother plans to leave Santa Rosa, although she is fortunately unaware that he is leaving because he will be arrested or killed if he stays.
"But I can't bear it if you go, Charles," she says in near despair. She adds to her guests but most of all to herself, "We were so close growing up, and then Charles went away, and I got married, and you know how it is. You sort of forget you're you. You're your husband's wife……"
Her tearful speech underlines the film's unsettling portrait of domesticity. Domestic life, Hitchcock and Thornton Wilder tell us, is full of longings, regrets, and even danger. (Young Charlie barely survives two attempts on her life that use the house and its contents as weapons.)
And yet, as Young Charlie learns, Americans in the 1940s, particularly American women, don't have a lot of other options.
The little cow sprinkles are meant to evoke black-and-white film--and to hide my icing errors!
Emma's Butterscotch Pound Cake with Maple Icing
Emma and Charlie prepare several meals in Shadow of a Doubt. The food to which the most detail is devoted is a cake Emma demonstrates making for two men who pretend to be conducting a survey about typical American families. They are in reality detectives hard on the trail of Uncle Charlie, whom they suspect of being a serial killer.
She informs the pair that this maple cake is a favorite of her brother Charles. Viewers don't get to see the entire baking process, but Emma makes it clear that the instructions include creaming butter and sugar and then adding eggs.
I hope her cake would have tasted something like this dense, rich pound cake with a maple topping. It's enough to make almost anyone—maybe even Hitchcock—feel more positive about domesticity.
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
for the icing:
confectioner's sugar as needed
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a mixer cream the butter. Add the brown sugar, and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Beat in the baking powder and salt.
On a low speed, blend in the flour until it is incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto the rack and let it cool completely before making your icing.
Whip the butter for the icing until fluffy; then beat in the maple syrup and sugar. You will need enough sugar to make the icing spreadable but not enough to make it too sweet; start with 1 cup and then add a little at a time as needed.
Serves 8 to 10.
Emma gets ready to bake her cake.
Tags: Alfred Hitchcock, Butterscotch Cake, Domesticity in the 1940s, Film Preservation, For the Love of Film Blogathon, Maple Icing, Shadow of a Doubt
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 4:00 am and is filed under Cakes, Pies, and Pastry, TV and Film History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
15 Responses to "Domestic Hitchcock: Shadow of a Doubt"
Yummy post! I adore Shadow of a Doubt and will simply have to try the delicious looking maple cake. I love Patricia Collinge in this film. Of course I also love Henry Travers and Hume Cronin and their delectable and gruesome fascination with murder.
I have seen this movie! What a brilliant explication. The cake looks good too.
Chef du Cinema says:
16 May 2012 at 12:32 pm
mmmmm…..
What a lovely post and what a yummy-sounding cake! I really like how you focus on the domestic aspects of this somewhat unusual film for Hitch. I'm glad he picked Wilder to write it instead of another writer on small-town life–Sinclair Lewis> Imagine how doubly dark it would have been.
Peter Nellhaus says:
The consensus is "Yummy" regarding the cake. Just as well that I can only enjoy it as a photograph, as advice such as "serves 8" is usually disregarded.
If you haven't seen it, Hitchcock's Frenzy has a sub-plot involving a detective with a wife who is always trying new recipes. There is also a scene with potatoes . . .
Grand Old Movies says:
Great post, with so many fascinating points! Hitchcock really does make domesticity look dark and fatalistic, in subtle ways. It's interesting, as you describe, how the family's house is one of comfort and security but also danger (especially to Charlie), plus it can be a trap. Oddly, the one character who's MOST in favor of the domestic woman is Uncle Charlie – his long speech condemning what he sees as 'useless' wealthy widows with nothing to do begins with a paean to the housewife and how busy and useful she is in the home. It adds another layer of ambiguity not only to what is presented as a happy domestic family but to Uncle Charlie himself.
Donna–I love that pair, too, both for the irony of their passion for murder but inability to see it under their own noses and for what THEY say about domestic life.
Pat, thanks! It was good.
Chef, I'm dying to try some of YOUR recipes.
Marilyn, so true–although "Our Town" is darker than many people think!
Peter, I'm definitely avoiding that potato scene if I can!
Grand, well put. As I said to Donna, I was tempting to discuss domesticity from the men's point of view. You're spot on about Uncle Charlie–and Papa Joe isn't much happier than the rest of the family.
Thank you all for visiting and commenting….
Christianne Benedict says:
That cake has me drooling. Worse! It's off my diet! Auuuugh!
The food in Shadow of a Doubt seems a LOT more wholesome than the food in Frenzy, but that's the joke, I guess. The potatoes in that movie aren't eaten. It may even put you off of them.
Love, love, love your blog, by the way. I love food and cooking and to heck with my doctor's orders. It's all about quality of life.
17 May 2012 at 10:54 am
Christianne–Yes, I was VERY careful to avoid Frenzy! Not my favorite Hitchcock.
The cake is off my diet, too. I made it when I knew I had to bring something to a pot luck. If my budget had permitted, I would have made the leg of lamb they bring out in another scene and referred to wolves in lambs' clothing or some such thing.
Trish says:
Terrific mix of your knowledge of food and movies, Tinky. I like this film very much, and I agree, there is a dread of domesticity. Patricia Collinge's character is a very sad woman. I suppose it doesn't help that the Travers and Cronyn characters are always talking about murder. I never thought that Charlie was headed for the same rut at the end of the film, but it's a great point. Thanks for the recipe!
Trish, we can HOPE that she'll escape the rut, but I have my doubts. Thank you for stopping by….
Joe Thompson says:
Tinky: I just ate dessert, but now I want a slice of cake. I like the way you describe Hitchcock's interpretation of the family's life. I think young Charlie will get away and lead a better life. Thanks for sharing this with us all.
Thank you, Joe! I wish I could have shared a piece of cake with you….
Feminema says:
What a great post about a film I love — I've always loved what Joseph Cotten could do, and Teresa Wright was just terrific. In some ways the plot structure reminds me of Suspicion: those building, yet contradictory clues that make the woman wonder about that mysterious man.
And now: pound cake with maple icing. I'm making it tonight — the sheer idea of maple icing was just too good to pass up. Many thanks for this great post — the best thing about the blog-a-thon is getting to know other people's work, and yours has such delectable appeal! Kudos on a great post.
I couldn't agree more about the blogathon; I loved your piece on Anny Ondra. Many thanks, Feminema! I hope your cake was tasty…..


In one of my mad moments, I thought it would be great for as many people that I know on Twitter, that can make it, to take a well-deserved weekend off and have a good catch up down in God's country on one of the UK's safest beaches, with St. Michaels Mount as a backdrop. Interested?
I'm hoping everyone will bring their friends and family's as Cornwall is very family friendly. St. Michaels Mount, "the jewel in the National Trusts crown" is also a must see whilst you are down. Marazion and Longrock beach is about two miles of almost flat sand so any children will have a great time. If you aren't a dog lover, the dog free area of the beach is just a few yards past where we are meeting so everyone can be on the same beach with those they love and still be part of the 'event'.
If you need accommodation, take a look at my twitter list for West Cornwall. There are plenty of local hoteliers and holiday home owners on there who will be happy to help or, give a shout out on Twitter using the #ImGoingToCornwall hashtag but, book early! This is West Cornwall on a bank holiday weekend.
If you have an idea or a suggestion, please mention it on Twitter @PDQProperty using the hashtag #ImGoingToCornwall If you are planning on attending, please add your name and how many people will be coming with you to the comments section below, thanks.


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About ACHEST
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AFRICA HEALTH JOURNAL
About the Health Systems Advocacy Partnership (HSAP) Project:
Written by Super User on 28 August 2018
The Health Systems Advocacy Partnership (HSAP) project funded by the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation is implemented by African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) in partnership with Amref Health Africa, Health Action International (HAI) and Wemos with a goal to enable communities realize their rights to the highest attainable sexual and reproductive health services.
The project aim is to contribute to achieving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by building capacity and creating space for a strong civil society to engage effectively with governments, the private sector and other stakeholders by holding them accountable for health systems to deliver equitable, accessible and high-quality SRHR services and commodities.
The project focuses on strengthening four of the six health systems building blocks as defined by the World Health Organization; Human Resources for Health, Essential Medicines and Commodities, Leadership/governance and health financing.
The HSAP project is implemented in five African countries; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia and in four geographical contexts that include; the African region, the European Union, Netherlands and the Global context.
ACHESTs' added value:
Human Resources for Health in Africa has consistently had a low health worker to population ratio which is below WHO recommendations for respective health cadres, yet Human Resources for Health are essential for service delivery. The WHO states that Health services are only as effective as the persons responsible for delivering them are.
ACHEST therefore believes that for quality Sexual SRHR services and commodities to be attained, a multi-pronged approach is required; Good leadership and Governance, A motivated and supported Health Workforce and Equitable financing health sector.
ACHEST therefore leads the partnership in the human resources for health, leadership and governance components of the project given its wealth of experience and expertise in these areas.
Date: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
FINAL COMMUNIQUE of Special Consultation on Governance for Health in Africa 16 - 18 July,2019.
APHRH/ACHEST held a Special Consultation Meeting on Governance for Health in Africa
ACHEST at the "SDGs Implementation reflection in Africa conference, Kigali-Rwanda
The Director Office of Hideyo Noguchi Prize Counselor of Cabinet Office visited ACHEST secretariat.
ACHEST EMPHASIZES THE ROLE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF TWGs AT THE AFRICAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN HEALTH (AFREHealth) GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING
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Atlantic Magazine ranks Santa Cruz, Watsonville…
Atlantic Magazine ranks Santa Cruz, Watsonville in top 10 of country"s most artistic cities
Rick 'Ukulele Dick' McKee has collected recordings from Santa Cruz?s musicians for nearly 40 years.
By Marissa Fessenden and Santa Cruz Sentinel |
PUBLISHED: November 30, 2011 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 11, 2018 at 12:00 am
SANTA CRUZ – Santa Cruz County residents know that this area is special.
But, a little outside recognition is always welcome. Wednesday, The Atlantic Magazine ranked Santa Cruz and Watsonville No. 5 on a list of the Most Artistic Cities in America.
The list includes major metropolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Santa Cruz and Watsonville edged out competition because the calculation took into account the number of artists relative to the population. The only other small city to rank higher was Santa Fe, N.M.
"I think for those of us who have been artists or art administrators or even art supporters, it has been clear to us that we were one of the top ranked cities," said Abra Allen, founder and director of Santa Cruz Dance. "We just hadn"t been found yet."
Why is this county a mecca for the arts? It might be that as artists move into the area, they keep the creative juices flowing and entice more artists.
"People who can be famous anywhere else can walk down the street and not be noticed because there are so many people here," said Dennis Morton, president of Poetry Santa Cruz and co-host of the oldest radio poetry program in the country, The Poetry Show on KUSP.
Morton credits the presence of UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College as well as the town"s receptivity to the arts. "Arts don"t flourish without an audience," he said. "And here we have the audience for it."
A culture of creativity is important says Nina Simon, director of the Museum of Art & History at the McPherson Center in downtown Santa Cruz.
"Because we"re not just increasing the number of artists, but by increasing the number of people who feel art is connected to their lives," she said. The museum is furthering that mission by bringing local artists in to interact with the community, Simon said. The museum currently features "Forage Species," a giant sculptor created by artist Edward Martinez and visitors who hammered out more than 400 scrap metal fish for the work.
The natural beauty of the area draws tourists to Santa Cruz"s beaches and mountains and helps drive the economy. But, Simon said spotlighting local cultural resources is just as important for the city"s ecosystem.
"I loved the beach and the mountains so I came here and I"ve never left," said Rick "Ukelele Dick" McKee, who has collected recordings from Santa Cruz"s musicians for almost 40 years.
The Cultural Council of Santa Cruz Country recognizes individuals who inspire and culturally enrich the community. The awards have honored a handful of prominent local artists every year since 1995, including McKee as one of the 2011 recipients.
"When I first moved here I was struck by the friendliness of the people," said McKee. "I"ve traveled a lot but never found any place better than this area."
Last-inning rally lifts Scotts Valley in D39 Majors All-Stars Little League championship
Marissa Fessenden


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By: Christine A. Davis, ED.S. Director of Communications, Brevard Public Schools
This spring more than 5,000 students will don caps and gowns and walk in commencement ceremonies around Brevard County. Most of them will be about 18 years old, born in 1994, the last year known as Generation Y. The 2012 graduating class surpassed the state averages on the ACT college entrance exam, surpassed the national averages on the SAT exam, and Brevard seniors' AP test results exceeded the global average. In addition, more Brevard graduating seniors earned an AA degree through dual enrollment at Brevard Community College than in any other school district in Florida. They have been a part of championship sports teams, outstanding drama productions and musical performances, and state, national and internationally recognized extracurricular groups. Represented in the following pages are students from every public and private high school in Brevard. Each of them has begun to find a calling where they will take their skills and talents and make this world a better place. Most are attending Florida universities, two are going to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy – but all have fond memories of high school and friends, of individuals who inspired and influenced them to be what they are today, and of their accomplishments in everything from academics, to sports, to humanitarian efforts. As they proudly accept their diplomas, these high school graduates will have their futures ahead of them – futures that will be exhilarating and overflowing with new challenges, new opportunities, and new dreams. Class of 2012, I hope your futures take you to the corners of your smiles, to the heights of your dreams, to the doors of your opportunities, and to the most exceptional places your hearts have ever known.
Nicolas Fleig Viera High School
Nicolas' guidance counselor described him as a multi-faceted student that excels in all disciplines whether in the classroom or on the field, playing football or running track. He placed first in the nation in the Under Armor Combine, designed to provide a measure of each athlete's potential, in the summer of 2011. He also has a weighted 4.4 grade point average and has taken seven Advanced Placement classes.
Aaron Jordan Palm Bay High School
Aaron completed the rigorous Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) Program at MIT during which he fostered an interest in chemistry and material properties. Outside of his many academic achievements, he is also captain of the varsity soccer team and serves as a junior counselor through Club Esteem. Aaron is the recipient of the National Achievement Scholarship and plans to attend Georgia Institute of Technology.
Sufyan Dawoodjee Edgewood Jr/Sr High School
Sufyan is a 16-year-old who has completed 11 Advanced Placement courses and plans to complete his AA degree from Brevard Community College by graduation. He has a perfect 4.0 grade point average while taking all honors, AP and BCC classes. Sufyan plans to study electrical engineering at the University of South Florida because he enjoys learning how things work.
Aimee Ferguson Brevard Virtual Secondary School
Aimee's favorite high school experiences involve her opportunity to travel all over the United States to dance. "This has helped get training from so many different choreographers in so many different styles," she said. She plans to move to Los Angeles and launch a dance career in the performance industry and was recently selected to be on a television show about dance.
Danielle George Merritt Island High School
As a member of the South East Consortium of Minority Engineers Danielle was approached to work with NASA engineers to be the second high school in the nation to design, build, and potentially launch a CubeSat into outer space. For the past two years she has acted as the Project Manager and has even represented NASA at a satellite conference in Utah. She plans to study biomedical engineering.
Favian Upshaw Astronaut High School
Talented in the classroom and as an athlete, playing football and basketball, Favian earned a full scholarship to Florida International University to play football. He hopes to study sports management and become an agent. Voted the basketball MVP his junior and senior year and District player of the year for football, Favian's favorite high school memory is making the winning shot against Rockledge from half-court.
Carolyn Kreuzkamp Viera High School
Voted "Most likely to appear on the cover of Time magazine" by her peers, Carolyn's ultimate aspiration is to become a laboratory geneticist in the field of hereditary diseases. "To work with a renowned genetic engineering company in order to find the cause of such diseases, and then formulate a cure to prevent them, would be surreal," she said.
Abby Cullen Space Coast Jr/Sr High School
Abby's favorite memory is completing her last cross country race and earning a personal record. "I found my mom and we had this really intense hug. It was just perfect. I have a picture of it, every time I see it I tear up," she said. Abby aspires to be a surgeon one day, after majoring in physics at Florida State University.
Jamie Dodson Astronaut High School
As a cheerleader and the varsity cheer captain for 2 years Jamie has many great memories. "Some of my best memories have been from my experiences with cheerleading. Cheering really got me involved with many fun school activities and gave me a lot of school spirit." Jamie considers being accepted into Florida State University's Honors Program to be her biggest accomplishment.
Mariel McLaughlin Melbourne Central Catholic High School
Mariel will attend Louisiana State University and play on the women's soccer team. She was a state finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award in 2012 and counts playing soccer and making it to the Final Four as her favorite memory. She also served as Student Council president and Anchor Club president. She will study biology and hopes to one day become a pediatric oncologist.
William Morgan Melbourne Central Catholic High School
William Morgan is a compassionate student leader who volunteers in the community with several different organizations. He is particularly proud of completing his Eagle Scout project and earning the highest rank in scouting. His project benefited the Women's Center of South Brevard. He lettered in swimming all four years and plans to attend University of Central Florida.
Shelby Zarm Cocoa High School
At graduation Shelby will receive her Associate of Arts degree from Brevard Community College as well as her high school diploma. She will attend the University of West Florida and major in communications. Shelby's best memory in high school is winning the district bowling competition and going to state. "It was such an accomplishment!"
Raleigh Sims Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
Raleigh hopes to one day become a sports analyst because of his love for all sports. He plays varsity basketball and founded a Fellowship of Christian Athletes at his school. His favorite memory is being voted Mr. Tiger (Homecoming King) after a performance of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" in front of the whole school. He plans to study communications and minor in Spanish or Chinese.
Nikki Kilborne Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
Among her many accomplishments, Nikki counts the completion of her school's yearbook while editor-in-chief as her biggest accomplishment so far. "I like to think of it as my first real job," she said. Nikki was also selected to attend the J. Kyle Braid leadership Ranch in Colorado. "The experience took me out of my comfort zone and helped me become a better leader for my school and in my community."
Catherine Psarakis Melbourne High School
Catherine's grandparents have had the greatest influence on the student. "They taught me to read, write and speak Greek, which has helped me throughout my schooling," she said. "They have encouraged me to strive for success and to truly find enjoyment in learning." Catherine plans to study biology and musical performance at Rollins College while continuing to play violin and piano and sing.
Jennifer Garrido West Shore Jr/Sr High School
Jennifer's future plans include attending the University of Florida and studying neurobiological sciences, trying out for the UF dance team and traveling during the summers as a dance camp instructor. Jennifer recently coordinated a breast cancer fundraiser, "Dance for a Cure" raising over $3,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It took her just six months to organize the event that she also performed in.
Andrew Cooper Eau Gallie High School
Andrew's many achievements include being the valedictorian of his class, something he considers to be a culmination of four years of hard work. "This recognition is something I can be proud of my entire life," he said. Andrew's favorite memory is playing at Carnegie Hall in New York City with fellow band students. "That really inspired me to continue playing music, not just in school but for my whole life."
Mackenzie Newell Bayside High School
Mackenzie was selected to play in the Macy's Great American Marching Band, one of only four students in the state who was chosen. She will attend Vanderbilt University and received the signature Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship, a full tuition scholarship and a stipend to study abroad for one summer – an honor that is only awarded to 1% of their applicants.
Justin Schindler Titusville High School
Justin is a student who excels in academics and dedicates his time to the community, volunteering at the North Brevard Museum and the Enchanted Forest. He was a member of the Student Government Association and the model student senate for two years. He has also been active in the Kiwanis Youth organization for the past eight years.
Laura Gamo Rockledge High School
Laura was born in Bogotá, Columbia and moved to the U.S. when she was 6 years old. She plans to study public administration and international affairs while minoring in modern languages. "My dream job would definitely be a translator for the United Nations." She was the senior class president, plays the violin and has volunteered over 300 hours of community service.
Lauren Beadle Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School
Named a senior of distinction by the faculty at her school, Lauren excels in sports and academics. She lettered in varsity dive and cheerleading and has a 4.52 weighted grade point average in the International Baccalaureate Program. She hopes to be an intellectual property attorney but her ultimate goal is becoming president of the United States.
Nathan Putira Florida Air Academy
Nathan earned the title of salutatorian of his class and plans to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He is a regional champion in gymnastics, vice president of National Honor Society and 3-time Academic All-American. His nomination stated that, "Nathan is an extremely hard worker and he does not let anything interfere with accomplishing his goals."
Morgan Kingston Satellite High School
Morgan plans to study management at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and begin her career as an officer in the Coast Guard. "It is an honor to be given the opportunity for a career like this," Morgan said. While attending Satellite High she played varsity softball for four years and became the captain for three years while also participating in varsity swimming and cheerleading.
Clarissa Findlay Heritage High School
Not only does Clarissa excel as a participant in sports, but she also supports the other athletic teams at Heritage as an athletic trainer. She has committed herself to preparing for her future education and career through her experiences in the sports medicine academy at Heritage. She has been awarded a scholarship to attend Brevard Community College and then plans to pursue a doctorate degree in physical therapy.
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Outsiders Get Face Time at USDA's Food Safety Shop
By Dan Flynn on June 21, 2012
USDA's top food safety officials continued to do a balancing act when it came to who got face time with them during the first quarter of 2012. The Food Safety and Inspection Service periodically publishes an "Officials' Calendar of Meetings" for the Under Secretary for Food Safety, the Deputy Under Secretary, Administrators, and Deputy Administrator. The appointment calendars show who from outside the federal government the officials met with privately, but usually not for some time after they occur. So, far for 2012, the meeting calendars have been released for January, February, and March. Elisabeth A. Hagen, the under secretary for food safety, and Al Almanza, FSIS's top administrator, do most of the meetings with outsiders. Hagen spent a lot of time explaining change during the 1st quarter. Poultry inspection and the addition of six more strains of E coli to FSIS's list of banned bacteria found Hagen doing one-on-one interviews with a long list of media, including Bloomberg News, CNN, Agri-Talk, Fox 45, NBC, Washington Post, and Food Safety News. Food safety was listed as the subject of 12 of the 45 meetings with outsiders during the quarter. About one-fourth of those private meetings were with industry representatives. Among the organizations getting face time were: National Meat Association, National Turkey Association, Food Marketing Institute, North American Meat Processors, Wal-Mart, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Cargill, Triumph Foods, Keystone Foods and McDonald's. The FSIS also continues to hold separate monthly meetings with both industry and consumer representatives and sometimes attend public events. Hagen participated in a roundtable discussion at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg in January. The Humane Society of the United States got a meeting with all four top officials on Feb. 21 over horse slaughter, downed calves and pigs, and the Federal Egg Bill. Hagen also met with Canadian trade officials on Feb.24 on "beyond the border" plans.
Tags: Al Almanza, Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, FSIS, USDA


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Indian-Origin Man Files Suit After Malaysian Flag is Mistaken for ISIS Symbol in U.S.
Malaysian flag.
Photo: Flickr
Kansas-based Malaysian man Munir Zanial says his celebration of his country's independence and Eid-Al-Adha was reported to the FBI for being an ISIS event.
By Little India Desk | March 21, 2018
A Malaysian Muslim man has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Spirit Boeing Employees' Association in Kansas after an employee of the organization reported his celebration of Malaysian independence and Eid-al-Adha as an Islamic State group (ISIS) meeting.
The Malaysian flag was mistaken for "an American flag desecrated with IS symbols" by the owners of the property, the Spirit Boeing Employees' Association (SBEA), where the celebration was taking place in Wichita, Kansas, according to the lawsuit filed on March 18 by the Kansas chapter of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in U.S. District Court in Kansas City on the behalf of aero-engineer Munir Zanial.
The SBEA filed a complaint with Spirit Aerosystems, the employers of Zanial, the Malaysian of Indian origin who organised the party. The firm then filed a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Even after the FBI cleared him when they recognized the "desecrated American flag" to be a Malaysian flag, the SBEA hired private investigators to look into Zanial's background and terminated his rental benefits.
"On Sept 2, 2017, Mr Zanial (Munir) hosted a party to celebrate Eid-al Adhara at the SBEA Recreational Lake in Wichita, Kansas. Following the party, SBEA reported Mr Zanial to the Spirit Aerosystems security team based on a concern that Mr Zanial was affiliated with radical Islamic terrorism and alleged that he had used the SBEA lake to hold an ISIS meeting. SBEA alleged that Mr Zanial and his guests had an American flag that had been 'desecrated by ISIS insignia' and were wearing 'Muslim garb'," the suit said, the Kansas City Star reported. It accuses the firm of engaging in "act of egregious racial profiling and blatant religious discrimination."
The celebration was attended by 45 guests, most of whom were Malaysians of Indian ancestry, with some female guests wearing the hijab.
It was several weeks later that Zanial was contacted by an FBI agent who recommended they would close the investigation against him. Despite this, he was barred from using SBEA's property in January this year because of the previous meeting.
"At no point in time did the SBEA personally discuss the allegations with (Munir) Zanial before terminating those benefits, and he was not notified of the termination until he again tried to reserve the recreational facilities at a later date. The ordeal has caused Zanial to experience a great deal of stress and anxiety," the complaint said.
It added: "He is concerned that the investigation could affect his lawful permanent residence status. He also feels distress and humiliation based on this experience of being singled-out because of his ethnicity, race and religion."
Zanial has been living in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife and two young children since 2011.
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A+E Networks and iHeartRadio have joined forces to present "Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America" on Friday, November 20 at 8PM ET/PT. The concert will be recorded at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, November 18th. The two-hour special event will air across the entire A+E Networks portfolio, including A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, H2, LMN and FYI, as well as the top 150 iHeartRadio music stations nationwide. The concert will kick off A+E Networks' campaign to promote unity and progress on racial equity, inspired by the response of the Mother Emanuel family members in Charleston and others working for reconciliation and change around the country.
The biggest names in music, including Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Jamie Foxx, Rhiannon Giddens, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Miguel, Pink, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Pharrell Williams, will join together to perform, including a once-in-a-lifetime series of duets, focused on creating reconciliation and positive change in local communities. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Immediately following the concert at 10pm ET/PT, A&E Network will air the one-hour special, "Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America," featuring artists engaging a diverse group of residents in local communities at the center of the national conversation on racial inequality and violence, including Charleston and Ferguson. Artists, including Pharrell Williams and John Legend, will spark solutions-focused conversations with community members with varying perspectives, including family members of victims, community leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy and organizations seeking to empower communities by fostering understanding, eliminating bias and addressing inequities that break along racial lines.
The concert and the ancillary programming will help raise money for the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by United Way Worldwide. The fund will provide grant funding to individuals and organizations fostering understanding, eliminating bias, as well as provide support to Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church and the broader A.M.E. denomination. The fund will support efforts to address racism and bias through public policy change, individual innovation, and community mobilization.
Tickets for the concert on November 18 will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, October 28 at 1pm ET through AEG Live at AXS.com and shrineauditorium.com. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by The United Way Worldwide.