"If you can, kill and, if you cannot, die!": the development of the concept of martyrdom in Islam

This study will provide a framework for understanding the concept of martyrdom in Islam and the development of the 'suicide bomber' as a form of martyrdom. I will argue that 'suicide bombing' as a form of martyrdom is not a simple development of traditional jurisprudential concepts of martyrdom or jihad, for either the Shi'a or the Sunni tradition. Its introduction as a form of martyrdom is due to the reinterpretation of Shi'a revivalist martyrdom ideologies into Sunni revivalist jihad ideologies. It is 'suicide bombings" martyrological origin within a Shi'a concept of'political martyrdom' that is responsible for the transformative nature of'suicide bombing' use as a tactic

Sumoylation delays the ATF7 transcription factor subcellular localization and inhibits its transcriptional activity

Over the past few years, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification has emerged as an important regulator of diverse pathways and activities including protein localization and transcriptional regulation. We identified a consensus sumoylation motif (IKEE), located within the N-terminal activation domain of the ATF7 transcription factor and thus investigated the role of this modification. ATF7 is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor, homologous to ATF2, that binds to CRE elements within specific promoters. This protein is able to heterodimerize with Jun or Fos proteins and its transcriptional activity is mediated by interaction with TAF12, a subunit of the general transcription factor TFIID. In the present article, we demonstrate that ATF7 is sumoylated in vitro (using RanBP2 as a E3-specific ligase) and in vivo. Moreover, we show that ATF7 sumoylation affects its intranuclear localization by delaying its entry into the nucleus. Furthermore, SUMO conjugation inhibits ATF7 transactivation activity by (i) impairing its association with TAF12 and (ii) blocking its binding-to-specific sequences within target promoters

Инфинитив как средство создания неопределенности в поэтическом тексте

Статья посвящена описанию некоторых особенностей функционирования в поэтическом тексте инфинитивов и их семантике. Инфинитив рассматривается как средство создания неопределенности в поэтическом тексте. Эта состав- ляющая его стилистического потенциала обусловлена лингвистической природой неопределенной формы глагола, что и описывается в данной статье.Стаття присвячена опису певних особливостей функціонування в поетичному тексті інфінітивів і їх семантиці. Інфінітив розглядається як засіб створення неозначеності в поетичному тексті. Ця складова його стилістичного потенціалу обумовлена лінгвістичною природою неозначеної форми дієслова, що й описується в цій статті.The article is devoted to the description of some features of functioning in the poetic text of infinitives and their semantics. An infinitive is examined as a means of creation of uncertainty in a poetic text. This constituent of its stylistic potential is conditioned by the linguistic nature of indefinite form of verb which is under consideration in this article

Spatial control of nucleoporin condensation by fragile X-related proteins

Nucleoporins (Nups) build highly organized nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) at the nuclear envelope (NE). Several Nups assemble into a sieve-like hydrogel within the central channel of the NPCs. In the cytoplasm, the soluble Nups exist, but how their assembly is restricted to the NE is currently unknown. Here, we show that fragile X-related protein 1 (FXR1) can interact with several Nups and facilitate their localization to the NE during interphase through a microtubule-dependent mechanism. Downregulation of FXR1 or closely related orthologs FXR2 and fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) leads to the accumulation of cytoplasmic Nup condensates. Likewise, models of fragile X syndrome (FXS), characterized by a loss of FMRP, accumulate Nup granules. The Nup granule-containing cells show defects in protein export, nuclear morphology and cell cycle progression. Our results reveal an unexpected role for the FXR protein family in the spatial regulation of nucleoporin condensation

Specific shifts in the endocannabinoid system in hibernating brown bears

In small hibernators, global downregulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is involved in modulating neuronal signaling, feeding behavior, energy metabolism, and circannual rhythms, has been reported to possibly drive physiological adaptation to the hibernating state. In hibernating brown bears (Ursus arctos), we hypothesized that beyond an overall suppression of the ECS, seasonal shift in endocannabinoids compounds could be linked to bear's peculiar features that include hibernation without arousal episodes and capacity to react to external disturbance. We explored circulating lipids in serum and the ECS in plasma and metabolically active tissues in free-ranging subadult Scandinavian brown bears when both active and hibernating. In winter bear serum, in addition to a 2-fold increase in total fatty acid concentration, we found significant changes in relative proportions of circulating fatty acids, such as a 2-fold increase in docosahexaenoic acid C22:6 n-3 and a decrease in arachidonic acid C20:4 n-6. In adipose and muscle tissues of hibernating bears, we found significant lower concentrations of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), a major ligand of cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2). Lower mRNA level for genes encoding CB1 and CB2 were also found in winter muscle and adipose tissue, respectively. The observed reduction in ECS tone may promote fatty acid mobilization from body fat stores, and favor carbohydrate metabolism in skeletal muscle of hibernating bears. Additionally, high circulating level of the endocannabinoid-like compound N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA) in winter could favor lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation in peripheral tissues. We also speculated on a role of OEA in the conservation of an anorexigenic signal and in the maintenance of torpor during hibernation, while sustaining the capacity of bears to sense stimuli from the environment

A pragmatic approach to managing antiretroviral therapy-experienced patients diagnosed with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis: impact of antiretroviral therapy adherence and duration

Cryptococcal meningitis accounts for 15% of all HIV-related deaths [1]. The overall number of cryptococcal meningitis cases has remained relatively stable in many low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) despite increasing roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Increasing numbers of patients are at risk of developing cryptococcal meningitis following ART failure or discontinuation, offsetting declines in those presenting for the first time with advanced HIV [2–4]. Over half of patients diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis in recent studies in sub-Saharan Africa are ART-experienced (i.e. currently receiving or previously received ART) [5,6]. Although there is robust evidence from prospective randomized trials that ART initiation should be delayed until 4–6 weeks after starting antifungal therapy in ART-naïve cryptococcal meningitis patients [7,8], the approach to ART management among ART-experienced cryptococcal meningitis patients lacks adequate evidence, with a paucity of published data

What Is Philo-Performance? A roundtable

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Emergent mechanical control of vascular morphogenesis

Vascularization is driven by morphogen signals and mechanical cues that coordinately regulate cellular force generation, migration, and shape change to sculpt the developing vascular network. However, it remains unclear whether developing vasculature actively regulates its own mechanical properties to achieve effective vascularization. We engineered tissue constructs containing endothelial cells and fibroblasts to investigate the mechanics of vascularization. Tissue stiffness increases during vascular morphogenesis resulting from emergent interactions between endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and ECM and correlates with enhanced vascular function. Contractile cellular forces are key to emergent tissue stiffening and synergize with ECM mechanical properties to modulate the mechanics of vascularization. Emergent tissue stiffening and vascular function rely on mechanotransduction signaling within fibroblasts, mediated by YAP1. Mouse embryos lacking YAP1 in fibroblasts exhibit both reduced tissue stiffness and develop lethal vascular defects. Translating our findings through biology-inspired vascular tissue engineering approaches will have substantial implications in regenerative medicine

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes