One and I : Dimensions of Ritual Unity and Individuality in the Liturgical Practice of the Catholic Nicene Creed

Catholicism is a global religion with members who come from a diverse array of countries and sociocultural backgrounds, yet the Catholic Church and its members throughout the world value a shared set of traditional practices. This complex relationship between collective orthodoxy and personal variation among Catholics is particularly visible in the liturgical ritual of the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that is professed as part of every Sunday Mass. Based upon contextual cases from the Lewiston Prince of Peace Catholic Parish, I argue that when the Nicene Creed is performed, elements of unity and individuality coexist and contribute to a Catholic community whose members value the same traditions in different ways. This thesis utilizes scholarly theory on ritual performance, ethnographic observations from my participation in church services, and interviews with local Catholics to analyze the complex dimensions of liturgical engagement with the Creed. My study stresses the importance of recognizing how individualized signification complicates institutionalized unification. Differences in identity, experience, and interpretation allow for diversity within even the most orthodox religious practices, such as the Nicene Creed. These insights may inform other studies of religious traditions, especially those in Catholicism. Additionally, I address my position as a scholar-believer analyzing my own faith: being both a Catholic and a student situates me with intersecting identities in this study, and this stance relates to ongoing academic discussion of ethnographic ethics and practices

Early reconstitution of effector memory CD4+ CMV-specific T cells protects against CMV reactivation following allogeneic SCT.

Reactivation of CMV is a common complication following allogeneic haematopoietic SCT and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The relative importance of the CD4+ and CD8+ components of the CMV-specific immune response in protection from reactivation is unclear. The CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ immune response was measured at serial time points in 32 patients following allogeneic HSCT. Intracellular cytokine staining following CMV lysate stimulation and HLA-peptide tetramers were used to determine CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ responses, respectively. A deficient CMV-specific CD4+ T-cell immune response within the first 30-50 days post transplant was associated with high risk of viral reactivation. Patients with combined impairment of the CD4+ and CD8+ immune response within the first 100 days were susceptible to late viral reactivation. The frequency of CMV-specific CD4+ T cells correlated with CMV-specific CD8+ T cells, comprising 10% of the whole T-cell repertoire. Early CMV-specific CD4+ T-cell reconstitution was dominated by effector memory cells with normal levels of IL-2 resuming 6 months following transplantation. In summary, both CD4 and CD8 CMV-specific immune reconstitution is required for protection from recurrent activation. Measurement of the magnitude of the CMV-specific CD4+ immune response is useful in managing viral reactivation following HSCT

Exploratory fuel-cell research: I. Direct-hydrocarbon polymer-electrolyte fuel cell. II. Mathematical modeling of fuel-cell cathodes

A strong need exists today for more efficient energy-conversion systems. Our reliance on limited fuel resources, such as petroleum for the majority of our energy needs makes it imperative that we utilize these resources as efficiently as possible. Higher-efficiency energy conversion also means less pollution, since less fuel is consumed and less exhaust created for the same energy output. Additionally, for many industrialized nations, such as the United States which must rely on petroleum imports, it is also imperative from a national-security standpoint to reduce the consumption of these precious resources. A substantial reduction of U.S. oil imports would result in a significant reduction of our trade deficit, as well as costly military spending to protect overseas petroleum resources. Therefore, energy-conversion devices which may utilize alternative fuels are also in strong demand. This paper describes research on fuel cells for transportation

EVerT: Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of verrucae - a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen versus patient daily self-treatment with 50% salicylic acid for the treatment of verrucae (plantar warts). DESIGN: A multicentre, pragmatic, open, two-armed randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. Randomisation was simple, with the allocation sequence generated by a computer in a 1 : 1 ratio. SETTING: Podiatry clinics, university podiatry schools and primary care in England, Scotland and Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were eligible if they presented with a verruca which, in the opinion of the health-care professional, was suitable for treatment with both salicylic acid and cryotherapy, and were aged 12 years and over. INTERVENTIONS: Cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen delivered by a health-care professional compared with daily patient self-treatment with 50% salicylic acid (Verrugon, William Ransom & Son Plc, Hitchin, UK) for a maximum of 8 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was complete clearance of all verrucae at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes were complete clearance of all verrucae at 12 weeks, controlling for age, whether or not the verrucae had been previously treated and type of verrucae, with a second model to explore the effect of patient preferences, time to clearance of verrucae, clearance of verrucae at 6 months, number of verrucae at 12 weeks and patient satisfaction with the treatment RESULTS: In total, 240 eligible patients were recruited, with 117 patients allocated to the cryotherapy group and 123 to the salicylic acid group. There was no evidence of a difference in clearance rates between the treatment groups in the primary outcome [17/119 (14.3%) in the salicylic acid group vs 15/110 (13.6%) in the cryotherapy group; p = 0.89]. The results of the study did not change when controlled for age, whether or not the verrucae had been previously treated and type of verrucae, or when patient preferences were explored. There was no evidence of a difference in time to clearance of verrucae between the two groups [hazard ratio (HR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 1.25; p = 0.33] or in the clearance of verrucae at 6 months (33.7% cryotherapy vs 30.5% salicylic acid). There was no evidence of a difference in the number of verrucae at 12 weeks between the two groups (incidence rate ratio 1.08, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.43; p = 0.62). Nineteen participants reported 28 adverse events, 14 in each group, with two treatment-related non-serious adverse events in the cryotherapy group. Cryotherapy was also associated with higher mean costs per additional healed patient (£101.17, 95% bias-corrected and accelerated CI £85.09 to £117.26). The probability of cryotherapy being cost-effective is 40% for a range of willingness-to-pay thresholds of £15,000-30,000 per patient healed. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence for a difference in terms of clearance of verrucae between cryotherapy and salicylic acid (at both 12 weeks and 6 months), number of verrucae at 12 weeks and time to clearance of verrucae. Cryotherapy was associated with higher mean costs per additional healed patient compared with salicylic acid. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN18994246. FUNDING: This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 15, No. 32. See the HTA programme website for further project information

Why Does Socially Prescribed Perfectionism Place People at Risk for Depression? A Five-Month, Two-Wave Longitudinal Study of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model

The Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) is a promising integrative model explaining relations between socially prescribed perfectionism (i.e., perceiving others require perfection) and depressive symptoms. Yet, the nature of the social disconnection proposed by the PSDM requires explication. Likewise, longitudinal tests of the PSDM are scarce. We addressed these important limitations by extending, testing, and supporting the PSDM in 127 undergraduates using a five-month, two-wave longitudinal design. Our model posited socially prescribed perfectionism generates depressive symptoms via two putative triggers: interpersonal discrepancies (i.e., viewing oneself as falling short of others' expectations) and social hopelessness (i.e., negative expectations concerning future interpersonal relationships). Congruent with the PSDM, bias-corrected bootstrapped tests of mediation revealed socially prescribed perfectionism conferred vulnerability for depressive symptoms five months later via interpersonal discrepancies and social hopelessness. Furthermore, results supported the specificity of our model beyond self-oriented perfectionism and other-oriented perfectionism. Findings lend credence and coherence to theoretical accounts suggesting socially prescribed perfectionism has a generative role in the development of psychosocial environments conducive to depressive symptoms. Moreover, our study offers investigators a conceptual framework for understanding the specific interpersonal mechanisms involved in the socially prescribed perfectionism-depressive symptom link

Pharmacological antagonism of interleukin-8 receptor CXCR2 inhibits inflammatory reactivity and is neuroprotective in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease

BACKGROUND: The chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and its receptor CXCR2 contribute to chemotactic responses in Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, properties of the ligand and receptor have not been characterized in animal models of disease. The primary aim of our study was to examine effects of pharmacological antagonism of CXCR2 as a strategy to inhibit receptor-mediated inflammatory reactivity and enhance neuronal viability in animals receiving intrahippocampal injection of amyloid-beta (Aβ(1–42)). METHODS: In vivo studies used an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease incorporating injection of full-length Aβ(1–42) into rat hippocampus. Immunohistochemical staining of rat brain was used to measure microgliosis, astrogliosis, neuronal viability, and oxidative stress. Western blot and Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) were used to determine levels of CXCR2 in animal tissue with the latter also used to determine expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Immunostaining of human AD and non-demented (ND) tissue was also undertaken. RESULTS: We initially determined that in the human brain, AD relative to ND tissue exhibited marked increases in expression of CXCR2 with cell-specific receptor expression prominent in microglia. In Aβ(1–42)-injected rat brain, CXCR2 and IL-8 showed time-dependent increases in expression, concomitant with enhanced gliosis, relative to controls phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or reverse peptide Aβ(42–1) injection. Administration of the competitive CXCR2 antagonist SB332235 to peptide-injected rats significantly reduced expression of CXCR2 and microgliosis, with astrogliosis unchanged. Double staining studies demonstrated localization of CXCR2 and microglial immunoreactivity nearby deposits of Aβ(1–42) with SB332235 effective in inhibiting receptor expression and microgliosis. The numbers of neurons in granule cell layer (GCL) were reduced in rats receiving Aβ(1–42), compared with PBS, with administration of SB332235 to peptide-injected animals conferring neuroprotection. Oxidative stress was indicated in the animal model since both 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and hydroethidine (HEt) were markedly elevated in Aβ(1–42) vs PBS-injected rat brain and diminished with SB332235 treatment. CONCLUSION: Overall, the findings suggest critical roles for CXCR2-dependent inflammatory responses in an AD animal model with pharmacological modulation of the receptor effective in inhibiting inflammatory reactivity and conferring neuroprotection against oxidative damage

Senescence Signatures Predict Hospitalization Risk and Severity in COVID-19 Patients

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in a global pandemic associated with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a particular risk for severe disease and mortality in the elderly population. The more aged you are the higher the risk for mortality and severity due to COVID-19. Why age is the single largest risk factor for severity in COVID-19 is not known. Together virus-induced cell senesence and aging are believed to play a central role in COVID-19 severity and pathogenesis. A deeper understanding of COVID-19 pathophysiology and the involvement of senescence/aging proteins is therefore required. This can help identify patients, at an earlier stage, who are more susceptible to acquiring a severe COVID-19 infection and those who are most likely to go on to develop post-COVID-19 syndrome. This early detection remains a major challenge however largely due to limited understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.In this study, we investigate whether the levels of senescence-specific plasma proteins from COVID-19 patients can be utilized to predict severity and post-COVID-19 syndrome. We performed proteomic profiling of plasma from COVID-19 patients (n = 400) using the Olink Explore 384 Inflammation Panel. Data analysis identified differences in plasma concentrations of proteins, which are linked to senescence while considering patient hospitalization status, age, and their World Health Organization (WHO) clinical progression score.The statistically significant changes were found in the senescence-associated plasma proteome of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized, more aged, and those with severe WHO classification (TPPI, CXCL10, HGF, VEGFA, SIRPB1, IL-6, TNFRSF11B, and B4GALT1; p < 0.05) and which may be linked to post-COVID-19 syndrome. Epigenetic analysis of the methylome, using the GrimAge Clock, found that biological and chronological age did not correlate in hospitalized patients. We also identified that PTX3, CXCL10, KYNU, and SIRPB1 genes had increased promoter methylation in hospitalized patients.Machine learning analysis showed that characteristic protein changes perform with a similar accuracy to that of a whole panel biomarker signature in terms of hospitalization, age, and WHO clinical progression score.This study revealed senescence specific protein changes (sendotypes) in the plasma of COVID-19 patients, which can be used as determinants for predicting COVID-19 severity, viral signature persistence, and ultimately which may lead to post-COVID-19 syndrome. We propose that the identification of such sendotypes could be exploited for therapeutic intervention via senolytics in COVID-19

Silicon uptake by a pasture grass experiencing simulated grazing is greatest under elevated precipitation

Background Grasses are hyper-accumulators of silicon (Si) and often up-regulate Si following herbivory. Positive correlations exist between Si and plant water content, yet the extent to which Si uptake responses can be mediated by changes in soil water availability has rarely been studied and never, to our knowledge, under field conditions. We used field-based rain-exclusion shelters to investigate how simulated grazing (shoot clipping) and altered rainfall patterns (drought and elevated precipitation, representing 50% and 150% of ambient precipitation levels, respectively) affected initial patterns of root- and shoot-Si uptake in a native Australian grass (Microlaena stipoides) in Si-supplemented and untreated soils. Results Si supplementation increased soil water retention under ambient and elevated precipitation but not under drought, although this had little effect on Si uptake and growth (tiller numbers or root biomass) of M. stipoides. Changes in rainfall patterns and clipping had strong individual effects on plant growth and Si uptake and storage, whereby clipping increased Si uptake by M. stipoides under all rainfall treatments but to the greatest extent under elevated precipitation. Moreover, above-ground–below-ground Si distribution only changed following elevated precipitation by decreasing the ratio of root:shoot Si concentrations. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of soil water availability for Si uptake and suggest a role for both active and passive Si transport mechanisms. Such manipulative field studies may provide a more realistic insight into how grasses initially respond to herbivory in terms of Si-based defence under different environmental conditions