Missionaries on a Pilgrimage, or Pilgrims on a Mission? Elements of Pilgrimage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary Experience

The purpose of this paper is to consider the ways in which proselytizing missions by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are pilgrimage-like. After outlining the historical and theological background behind the Church’s missionary efforts and discuss how this missionary work is organized both practically and social, the similarities between Church missions and religious pilgrimage are compared based on six themes: journeying and the sacred, liminality, communitas, hardships, status, and change and failure

Music Making in Elderly Community Program for Korean Immigrants in Canada

This integrated-article dissertation explores music making in a community program for Korean older adult immigrants in Canada. Drawing upon WHO’s active aging framework and theoretical concepts of active aging, Erickson’s 8th stage, and lifelong learning, this research investigates social participation and engagement through music making among seniors. The first article uses ethnographic research tools to explore a culturally specific community program for Korean elderly immigrants called Canada Enoch Seniors’ College. Through engaging musically in familiar songs in their mother tongue, participants re-defined/claimed identity and group membership. Music plays an important role as participants collectively remember their shared culture. The following article is an ethnography of five Korean Canadian first-generation immigrant seniors. After surviving great historical turmoil, including oppression through Japanese rule and the Korean War, these elders chose to move to a foreign land, where they faced many barriers, in order to offer their children a better life. Now participants in the Enoch College, these older adults happily connect and recreate memories of their Korean homeland through music and shared activities in a church-based context. Their stories illuminate how music has been integral to their lives. The third article assesses the program’s impact using a health-related quality of life survey SF-36v. This survey measures health -related quality of life and overall well-being. The results are statistically significant and suggest that the program provides positive effects to these elderly participants. This research considers the power of music to promote wellness and active ageing among Korean Canadian seniors. Having a strong sense of meaning and purpose that music can afford is not only associated with well-being in old age, but also relates positively to successful coping with pain and illness. Although limited to a specific population in a particular time and context, this study contributes to growing body of research, filling. Voices of these Korean Canadian seniors offer valuable insights for music educators, community musicians, researchers, community program directors, health care providers as well as those guiding government policy

Electrophoretic extraction and proteomic characterization of proteins buried in marine sediments

Proteins are the largest defined molecular component of marine organic nitrogen, and hydrolysable amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are important components of particulate nitrogen in marine sediments. In oceanic systems, the largest contributors are phytoplankton proteins, which have been tracked from newly produced bloom material through the water column to surface sediments in the Bering Sea, but it is not known if proteins buried deeper in sediment systems can be identified with confidence. Electrophoretic gel protein extraction methods followed by proteomic mass spectrometry and database searching were used as the methodology to identify buried phytoplankton proteins in sediments from the 8-10 cm section of a Bering Sea sediment core. More peptides and proteins were identified using an SDS-PAGE tube gel than a standard 1D flat gel or digesting the sediment directly with trypsin. The majority of proteins identified correlated to the marine diatom, Thalassiosira pseudonana, rather than bacterial protein sequences, indicating an algal source not only dominates the input, but also the preserved protein fraction. Abundant RuBisCO and fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c binding proteins were identified, supporting algal sources of these proteins and reinforcing the proposed mechanisms that might protect proteins for long time periods. Some preserved peptides were identified in unexpected gel molecular weight ranges, indicating that some structural changes or charge alteration influenced the mobility of these products during electrophoresis isolation. Identifying buried photosystem proteins suggests that algal particulate matter is a significant fraction of the preserved organic carbon and nitrogen pools in marine sediments

Mutant Prevention Concentrations of Some Aminoglycoside Antibiotics for Fecal Isolates of Escherichia coli under different Growth Temperatures

For optimal efficacy, an antibiotic must achieve and sustain at the site of infection, a concentration that can inhibit growth of the bacteria. However, a bacterial infection may contain subpopulations of mutant variants with reduced susceptibility to the antimicrobial agent. There is a great need to periodically evaluate the mutant prevention concentration (MPC) of antibiotic to provide a basis for altering dosing regimens such that the growth of resistant organisms could be curtailed. To evaluate the mutant prevention concentrations (MPCs) of streptomycin, gentamicin and amikacin for fecal Escherichia coli isolates under different growth temperatures and determine the extent of recovery of resistant mutants at such temperatures. Fifty (50) isolates of E. coli were isolated from stools of patients attending Nasarawa State University Keffi Health Centre in Keffi, Nigeria and identified using standard protocol. Antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using macro-broth dilution method of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) with incubation for 24 h at 37°C and 41°C. MIC for 50% (MIC50) and 90% (MIC90) of isolates were then generated from the plot of cumulative frequency curve. MPCs were measured by spreading a series of agar plates containing known aminoglycoside concentrations with approximately 1010 CFU of E. coli culture and incubated for 48 h at 37°C and 41°C. The lowest aminoglycoside concentration that prevented the growth of resistant colonies was taken as the MPC. MPCs for 50% (MPC50) and 90% (MPC90) of isolates were then generated from the plot of cumulative frequency of the MPCs obtained. MPC/MIC ratios for 50% (MPC50/MIC50) and 90% (MPC90/MIC90) of isolates were also determined. Bacteria surviving (persisting) at MPC were isolated and quantified after 48 h. Statistical analyses of data were done by one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). For each of the drugs, MPC50 and MPC50/MIC50 were the same at both 37°C and 41°C. MPC50 values were: streptomycin (44.2 ?g/ml [?32.0 ?g/ml]); gentamicin (44.2 ?g/ml [?32.0 ?g/ml]); and amikacin (37.4 ?g/ml [?32.0 ?g/ml]); and MPC50/MIC50 ratios for each drug at both temperatures were ? 3. MPC90 and MPC90/MIC90 were the same for each drug at both 37°C and 41°C. MPC90 values were: streptomycin (253.2 ?g/ml [?256.0 ?g/ml]), gentamicin (209.0 ?g/ml [?256.0 ?g/ml]), and amikacin (128.0 ?g/ml); and MPC90/MIC90 ratios for each drug at both temperatures were ? 4. Mutant recoveries at the MPCs of the drugs for 50% of the isolates were significantly (P < 0.05) different both at 37°C (P = 0.0089) and 41°C (P = 0.0011). However, mutant recoveries at the MPCs of the drugs for 90% the isolates were insignificantly (P >0.05) different at 37°C (P = 0.0055) but significantly (P > 0.005) different at 41°C (P = 0.0080). Whether at normal body temperature or at a higher body temperature usually obtained during fever, E. coli selects and enrich for resistant mutants less easily against streptomycin than gentamicin or amikacin. The extent of recovery of mutants however, is higher at the higher temperature, justifying the common practice of administering high dosage of antimicrobial agent at high body temperature during therapy of bacterial disease. Keywords: Mutant Prevention Concentration, Escherichia coli, Aminoglycosid

Growth, Viability, and Death of Planktonic and Biofilm Sphingomonas desiccabilis in Simulated Martian Brines

This research was supported by the UK Science Technology and Facilities Council under Grant ST/M001261/1.Aqueous solutions on Mars are theorized to contain very different ion compositions than those on Earth. To determine the effect of such solutions on typical environmental micro-organisms, which could be released from robotic spacecraft or human exploration activity, we investigated the resistance of Sphingomonas desiccabilis to brines that simulate the composition of martian aqueous environments. S. desiccabilis is a desiccation-resistant, biofilm-forming microbe found in desert crusts. The viability of cells in both planktonic and biofilm forms was measured after exposure to simulated martian brines. Planktonic cells showed a loss of viability over the course of several hours in almost all of the seven brines tested. Biofilms conferred greater resistance to all the brines, including those with low water activity and pH, but even cells in biofilms showed a complete loss of viability in <6 h in the harsher brines and in <2 days in the less harsh brines. One brine, however, allowed the microbes to maintain viability over several days, despite having a water activity and pH lower and ionic strength higher than brines that reduced viability over the same timescales, suggesting important ion-specific effects. These data show that biofilm-forming cells have a greater capacity to resist martian aqueous extremes, but that evaporative or deliquescent brines are likely to be destructive to many organisms over relatively short timescales, with implications for the habitability of Mars and for micro-organisms dispersed by robotic or human explorers.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Antidiarrheal activity of some selected Nigerian plants used in traditional medicine

Context: Herbal preparations of the various parts of Vitellaria paradoxa, Neorautanenia mitis, Senna surattensis, and Hydnora abyssinica have been used in the Nigerian traditional medical practice to treat the symptoms of diarrhea in humans and animals. Aims: This study aims to validate claims of the traditional use of these plants in the treatment of diarrhea and provide a scientific basis for further studies. Materials and Methods: The median lethal dose (LD50) values of the extracts were obtained using the Limit test. Castor oil induced diarrhea and intestinal transit (motility) models in albino rats were used to determine the antidiarrheal activity. Graded doses of the extracts were administered to 3 test groups, while the positive control groups were given standard drugs (atropine and loperamide) and the negative control groups received distilled water per os. Results: The LD50 was considered higher than 2000 mg/Kg for all the extracts. In the castor oil-induced diarrhea model, the highest percentage inhibition of defecation was observed in the test groups treated with the extracts of H. abyssinica (82%) followed by S. surattensis (81%), N. mitis (66%), and V. paradoxa (32%). H. abyssinica extract significantly decreased the intestinal transit of charcoal meal compared to the other extracts. Conclusion: The antidiarrheal activities of all the extracts give credence to their traditional use. H. abyssinica comparatively had the best antidiarrheal activity and has the potential as an antidiarrheal agent. Thus, the need for further studies of this extract to investigate active fractions, isolate and characterize active compounds, and determine their activities and safety

Dust Morphology and Composition in FU Orionis Systems

FU Orionis stars are a small group of pre–main-sequence stars known for large-amplitude optical variability. These objects also exhibit multiwavelength phenomena suggestive of active accretion from a circumstellar disk. We present high spatial resolution mid-IR imaging and spectroscopy, submillimeter photometry, and 3–4 μm photometry of four FU Ori–class objects, RNO 1B and C, Z CMa, and Par 21, and one object classified as a pre–FU Ori star, V380 Ori. We resolve multiple IR sources and extended emission in the RNO 1B/C system, and we discuss in detail their association with disk activity and the source of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite far-IR and radio maser emission in this field. We derive dust temperatures and masses for all sources and discuss how dust composition and morphology is related to the evolutionary stage of these objects

A Spitzer Study of Comets 2P/Encke, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT)

We present infrared images and spectra of comets 2P/Encke, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) as part of a larger program to observe comets inside of 5 AU from the sun with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The nucleus of comet 2P/Encke was observed at two vastly different phase angles (20 degrees and 63 degrees). Model fits to the spectral energy distributions of the nucleus suggest comet Encke's infrared beaming parameter derived from the near-Earth asteroid thermal model may have a phase angle dependence. The observed emission from comet Encke's dust coma is best-modeled using predominately amorphous carbon grains with a grain size distribution that peaks near 0.4 microns, and the silicate contribution by mass to the sub-micron dust coma is constrained to 31%. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was observed with distinct coma emission in excess of a model nucleus at a heliocentric distance of 5.0 AU. The coma detection suggests that sublimation processes are still active or grains from recent activity remain near the nucleus. Comet C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) showed evidence for crystalline silicates in the spectrum obtained at 3.2 AU and we derive a silicate-to-carbon dust ratio of 0.6. The ratio is an order of magnitude lower than that derived for comets 9P/Tempel 1 during the Deep Impact encounter and C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp).Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal 48 pages, 15 figures, 10 table

An optical fiber double scrambler and mechanical agitator system for the Keck planet finder spectrograph

We present the design and test results of a double-scrambler and fiber agitator system for the Keck Planet Finder (KPF) spectrograph. The mechanical agitator for modal noise suppression is constructed from two linear stages with the fibers mounted in a “W” curve. When driven back-and-forth at different rates, the stages change the position of the fiber curves, and hence vary the modes propagating through the fiber. Near-field temporal centroid shifts caused by modal-noise are reduced by a factor of 100 by the agitator, while mid-range spatial frequencies have reduced power by a factor of ∼300 in the near-field, and ∼1000 in the far-field. The scrambling system incorporates two octagonal fibers, and a scrambler consisting of two identical cemented lenses ∼20 cm apart, which exchanges the optical near- and far-fields of the fibers. The scrambler shows scrambling gains >16,000 in the near-field, and >40,000 in the far-field. The measured throughput efficiency of 99.3% of the expected maximum demonstrates that scrambler-induced focal ratio degradation (FRD) is minimal. The scrambler also serves as the feed-through into the vacuum chamber where the spectrograph is housed, thereby removing concerns about stressing the fibers, and introducing FRD, at this interface. Our illumination stabilization system, consisting of two octagonal fibers, a two lens scrambler, and a mechanical agitator, produces very homogeneous fiber output in both the near and far-fields. When coupled to the Keck Planet Finder spectrograph, this system provides illumination stability corresponding to a velocity of 0.30 m s^(−1)