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The notion of enchantment has been largely imagined as relating to religion, broadly defined, including magic, sorcery, and the transcendental. The idea that the world has largely become disenchanted has been associated with science, modernity, and rationality, among other things. Along with others such as William E. Connolly, Jason Ā. Josephson-Storm, and Jane Bennett, I challenge the dominant configuration and narrative of (dis)enchantment. Building on their work, I argue that a reclaimed notion of enchantment is pivotal for the reconceptualization of human/non-human animal relations and sustainable life on earth.

Introduction: Brain health is neglected in public health, receiving attention after something goes wrong. Neuroplasticity research illustrates that preventive steps strengthen the brain's component systems; however, this information is not widely known. Actionable steps are needed to scale proven population-level interventions.Objectives: This pilot tested two main objectives: (1) the feasibility/ease of use of an online platform to measure brain health, deliver training, and offer virtual coaching to healthy adults and (2) to develop a data driven index of brain health. Methods: 180 participants, ages 18–87, enrolled in this 12-week pilot. Participants took a BrainHealth Index™ (BHI), a composite of assessments encompassing cognition, well-being, daily-life and social, pre-post training. Participants engaged in online training with three coaching sessions. We assessed changes in BHI, effects of training utilization and demographics, contributions of sub-domain measures to the BHI and development of a factor analytic structure of latent BrainHealth constructs.Results: The results indicated that 75% of participants showed at least a 5-point gain on their BHI which did not depend on age, education, or gender. The contribution to these gains were from all sub-domains, including stress, anxiety and resilience, even though training focused largely on cognition. Some individuals improved due to increased resilience and decreased anxiety, whereas others improved due to increased innovation and social engagement. Larger gains depended on module utilization, especially strategy training. An exploratory factor analytic solution to the correlation matrix of online assessments identified three latent constructs.Discussion/Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of an online platform to assess changes on a composite BrainHealth Index and efficacy in delivering training modules and coaching. We found that adults, college age to late life, were motivated to learn about their brain and engage in virtual-training with coaching to improve their brain health. This effort intends to scale up to thousands, thus the pilot data, tested by an impending imaging pilot, will be utilized in ongoing machine learning (ML) algorithms to develop a precision brain health model. This pilot is a first step in scaling evidence-based brain health protocols to reach individuals and positively affect public health globally.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder whereby phenylalanine metabolism is deficient due to allelic variations in the gene for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). There is no cure for PKU other than orthotopic liver transplantation, and the standard of care for patients is limited to dietary restrictions and key amino acid supplementation. Therefore, Pah was edited in pig fibroblasts for the generation of PKU clone piglets that harbor a common and severe human mutation, R408W. Additionally, the proximal region to the mutation was further humanized by introducing 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to allow for development of gene editing machinery that could be translated directly from the pig model to human PKU patients that harbor at least one classic R408W allele. Resulting piglets were hypopigmented (a single Ossabaw piglet) and had low birthweight (all piglets). The piglets had similar levels of PAH expression, but no detectable enzymatic activity, consistent with the human phenotype. The piglets were fragile and required extensive neonatal care to prevent failure to thrive and early demise. Phenylalanine levels rose sharply when dietary Phe was unrestricted but could be rapidly reduced with a low Phe diet. Fibroblasts isolated from R408W piglets show susceptibility to correction using CRISPR or TALEN, with subsequent homology-directed recombination to correct Pah. This pig model of PKU provides a powerful new tool for development of all classes of therapeutic candidates to treat or cure PKU, as well as unique value for proof-of-concept studies for in vivo human gene editing platforms in the context of this humanized PKU allele.

This article maps the repercussions of the use of reasonable accommodation, a recent framework referenced inside and outside Canadian courtrooms to respond to religiously framed differences. Drawing on three cases from Ontario and Quebec, we trace how the notion of reasonable accommodation—now invoked by the media and in public discourse—has moved beyond its initial legal moorings. After outlining the cases, we critique the framework with attention to its tendency to create theological arbitrators who assess reasonableness, and for how it rigidifies ‘our values’ in hierarchical ways. We propose an alternative model that focuses on navigation and negotiation and that emphasizes belonging, inclusion and lived religion.