The converging politics of water scarcity and renewable energy in Pakistan’s Thar Desert

Drought in Pakistan’s Thar Desert is a commonplace occurrence, resulting in high casualties and long term health problems for communities. Marielle Velander explores the strengths and weaknesses of a major initiative to address the water shortages, which also sheds light on the interrelationship between water and energy concerns in the area

The three worlds of Indian citizenship: an evening with Professor Niraja Gopal Jayal

On 2nd December 2014, Niraja Gopal Jayal, Professor at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, visited LSE to talk about her latest book. Marielle Velander reports on the event

Epistemologies of water: in search of new approaches to the looming South Asian crisis

In December 2014, LSE MSc student Marielle Velander attended a workshop which looked at the various ways in which knowledge about water is shaped and communicated. Here she reviews some of the research presented and considers how the discussions can contribute to tackling the looming water crisis in South Asia

Begging for answers: film review of “Beggars of Lahore”

LSE Visiting Fellow Dr Sheba Saeed recently screened her film “Beggars of Lahore” on the campus. Marielle Velander writes that the documentary makes a powerful statement about the complex factors underpinning the problem of begging but leaves viewers feeling the issue is too big to chew—let alone digest

Throw your heart out into the world: a tribute concert to Pakistani human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud

The Southbank Centre’s Alchemy Festival last month featured a concert in tribute to Sabeen Mahmud, a Pakistani activist and champion of cultural expression who was murdered in Karachi in April. Marielle Velander attended the event, and here highlights Sabeen’s contribution to the arts scene, as well as the excitement and vibrance of the performance itself

ORAL TREATMENT OF HEMOPHILIA

Disclosed herein is a simple method for the treatment of antigen-deficiency diseases, by orally administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of the deficient antigen, wherein the antigen is not present in a liposome. In one embodiment, the method increases hemostasis in a subject having hemophilia A or B, by orally administering to the hemophiliac a therapeutically effective amount of the appropriate clotting factor other than in a liposome, sufficient to induce oral tolerance and supply exogenous clotting factor to the subject

PRODUCTION OF HIGH LEVELS OF TRANSGENC FACTOR IX WITHOUT GENE RESCUE, AND ITS THERAPEUTIC USES

A non-human transgenic mammalian animal, as described above, contains an exogenous double stranded DNA sequence stably integrated into the genome of the animal, which comprises cis-acting regulatory units operably linked to a DNA sequence encoding human FIX protein without the benefit of the presence of a complete milk gene sequence for gene rescue, and a signal sequence is active in directing newly expressed Factor IX into the milk of the animal at levels in an unactivated form that is suitable for Subsequent processing for therapeutic applications in treating Hemophilia B. The transgenic mammals are preferably pigs, cows, sheep, goats and rabbits. The applications include milk derivatives for oral delivery and oral tolerization in the treatment of Hemophilia B

INDUCTION OF TOLERANCE BY ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF FACTOR VIII AND TREATMENT OF HEMOPHILA

Disclosed herein is a simple method for the treatment of antigen-deficiency diseases, by orally administering to a Subject a therapeutically effective amount of the deficient anti gen, wherein the antigen is not present in a liposome. In one embodiment, the method increases hemostasis in a subject having hemophilia A or B, by orally administering to the hemophiliac atherapeutically effective amount of the appropriate clotting factor other than in a liposome, Sufficient to induce oral tolerance and Supply exogenous clotting factor to the subject

The mass distribution in an assembling super galaxy group at z=0.37z=0.37

We present a weak gravitational lensing analysis of supergroup SG1120$-$1202, consisting of four distinct X-ray-luminous groups, that will merge to form a cluster comparable in mass to Coma at $z=0$. These groups lie within a projected separation of 1 to 4 Mpc and within $\Delta v=550$ km s$^{-1}$ and form a unique protocluster to study the matter distribution in a coalescing system. Using high-resolution {\em HST}/ACS imaging, combined with an extensive spectroscopic and imaging data set, we study the weak gravitational distortion of background galaxy images by the matter distribution in the supergroup. We compare the reconstructed projected density field with the distribution of galaxies and hot X-ray emitting gas in the system and derive halo parameters for the individual density peaks. We show that the projected mass distribution closely follows the locations of the X-ray peaks and associated brightest group galaxies. One of the groups that lies at slightly lower redshift ($z\approx 0.35$) than the other three groups ($z\approx 0.37$) is X-ray luminous, but is barely detected in the gravitational lensing signal. The other three groups show a significant detection (up to $5 \sigma$ in mass), with velocity dispersions between $355^{+55}_{-70}$ and $530^{+45}_{-55}$ km s$^{-1}$ and masses between $0.8^{+0.4}_{-0.3} \times 10^{14}$ and $1.6^{+0.5}_{-0.4}\times 10^{14} h^{-1} M_{\odot}$, consistent with independent measurements. These groups are associated with peaks in the galaxy and gas density in a relatively straightforward manner. Since the groups show no visible signs of interaction, this supports the picture that we are catching the groups before they merge into a cluster.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication by Astronomy & Astrophysic