U.S. Religious Landscape on Twitter

Religiosity is a powerful force shaping human societies, affecting domains as diverse as economic growth or the ability to cope with illness. As more religious leaders and organizations as well as believers start using social networking sites (e.g., Twitter, Facebook), online activities become important extensions to traditional religious rituals and practices. However, there has been lack of research on religiosity in online social networks. This paper takes a step toward the understanding of several important aspects of religiosity on Twitter, based on the analysis of more than 250k U.S. users who self-declared their religions/belief, including Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Specifically, (i) we examine the correlation of geographic distribution of religious people between Twitter and offline surveys. (ii) We analyze users' tweets and networks to identify discriminative features of each religious group, and explore supervised methods to identify believers of different religions. (iii) We study the linkage preference of different religious groups, and observe a strong preference of Twitter users connecting to others sharing the same religion.Comment: 10 page

The Creative Echoes of Żeromski’s Neurotic Youth, or Writing Derived from Diaries

Until now, Stanisław Żeromski’s writings have not been viewed with regard to literature common to the age of anxiety from the turn of the eighties and nineties of the 19th century, though there are numerous common aspects shared by both. These are clearly discernible in the early works of the writer, written in his youthful days, and shaped among others by J. Ochorowicz’s literary piece Z dziennika psychologa (“From a psychologist’s diary”) concerning the latter’s views on the neuropsychological system of man, the acquired habitual self-analysis and autobiographism rooted in the practical activities of a diarist; all of which surface both in the subject matter, the singularity of style, narration, as well as the composition of later works by the author. By devoting the majority of space and attention to identifying and tracing literary awareness in his intimate notes from 1882 to 1891 – of which one volume carries the title Dziennik człowieka nerwowego (“Diary of the anxious man”) – R. Okulicz-Kozaryn portrays its role in Siłaczka (“The Strongwoman”), Mogiła (“The Grave”) and Źródło (“The Source”), also in Ludzie bezdomni (“The Homeless”). He further claims that Żeromski’s Dzienniki (“Diaries”) should be presented as its laboratory sample, whereas the entire literary output of the writer ought to be interpreted as more advanced consequences of the then initiated experiment.Until now, Stanisław Żeromski’s writings have not been viewed with regard to literature common to the age of anxiety from the turn of the eighties and nineties of the 19th century, though there are numerous common aspects shared by both. These are clearly discernible in the early works of the writer, written in his youthful days, and shaped among others by J. Ochorowicz’s literary piece Z dziennika psychologa (“From a psychologist’s diary”) concerning the latter’s views on the neuropsychological system of man, the acquired habitual self-analysis and autobiographism rooted in the practical activities of a diarist; all of which surface both in the subject matter, the singularity of style, narration, as well as the composition of later works by the author. By devoting the majority of space and attention to identifying and tracing literary awareness in his intimate notes from 1882 to 1891 – of which one volume carries the title Dziennik człowieka nerwowego (“Diary of the anxious man”) – R. Okulicz-Kozaryn portrays its role in Siłaczka (“The Strongwoman”), Mogiła (“The Grave”) and Źródło (“The Source”), also in Ludzie bezdomni (“The Homeless”). He further claims that Żeromski’s Dzienniki (“Diaries”) should be presented as its laboratory sample, whereas the entire literary output of the writer ought to be interpreted as more advanced consequences of the then initiated experiment

Cellular and molecular regulation of the primate endometrium: a perspective

This contribution will trace some of the many seminal studies on the female uterus (endometrium) over the centuries and conclude with a description of some current research initiatives in our laboratory. Numerous contributions from many investigators over the years have contributed to our current understanding of endometrial function. The historical section of this chapter is intended to be a brief overall description of some of these efforts and not exhaustive. Additional information can be found in the review articles and books cited herein

Cross-Border cooperation through universities: are educational preferences of students in Belarus similar to those in Lithuania?

Objective: The article provides a comparison on educational preferences of student in Belarus and Lithuania. If the educational preferences of students from Belarus and Lithuania are similar, then this contributes to cross-border cooperation between the universities of these two countries. Methods: The reliable research methods that the author used in the study were: literature review, questioning and statistical processing of questionnaires, verification of statistical hypotheses. Results: It was statistically proved that educational preferences in Belarus and Lithuania are similar. This means that student educational preferences in Belarus and Lithuania are in cognitive proximity. The difference must not be taken into account in planning Cross-Border cooperation Belarusian and Lithuanian universities. The results are highly statistically significant (99,0%). In this case, you have a decision-making process with accurate, controlled probability. Conclusion: The difference of the educational preferences of Belarusian and Lithuanian students is not a barrier to the construction of Cross-Border cooperation in the field of higher education. This scientific fact is in a good practical significance for Cross-Border cooperation in higher education. For example, for creation of knowledge networks

Microarray profiling of progesterone-regulated endometrial genes during the rhesus monkey secretory phase

BACKGROUND: In the endometrium the steroid hormone progesterone (P), acting through its nuclear receptors, regulates the expression of specific target genes and gene networks required for endometrial maturation. Proper endometrial maturation is considered a requirement for embryo implantation. Endometrial receptivity is a complex process that is spatially and temporally restricted and the identity of genes that regulate receptivity has been pursued by a number of investigators. METHODS: In this study we have used high density oligonucleotide microarrays to screen for changes in mRNA transcript levels between normal proliferative and adequate secretory phases in Rhesus monkey artificial menstrual cycles. Biotinylated cRNA was prepared from day 13 and days 21–23 of the reproductive cycle and transcript levels were compared by hybridization to Affymetrix HG-U95A arrays. RESULTS: Of ~12,000 genes profiled, we identified 108 genes that were significantly regulated during the shift from a proliferative to an adequate secretory endometrium. Of these genes, 39 were up-regulated at days 21–23 versus day 13, and 69 were down-regulated. Genes up-regulated in P-dominant tissue included: secretoglobin (uteroglobin), histone 2A, polo-like kinase (PLK), spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase 2 (SAT2), secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and metallothionein 1G (MT1G), all of which have been previously documented as elevated in the Rhesus monkey or human endometrium during the secretory phase. Genes down-regulated included: transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI or BIGH3), matrix metalloproteinase 11 (stromelysin 3), proenkephalin (PENK), cysteine/glycine-rich protein 2 (CSRP2), collagen type VII alpha 1 (COL7A1), secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4), progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1), chemokine (C-X-C) ligand 12 (CXCL12) and biglycan (BGN). In addition, many novel/unknown genes were also identified. Validation of array data was performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR of two selected up-regulated genes using temporal (cycle day specific) endometrial cDNA populations. This approach confirmed up-regulation of WAP four-disulfide core domain 2 (WFDC2) and SLPI during the expected window of receptivity. CONCLUSION: The identification of P-regulated genes and gene pathways in the primate endometrium is expected to be an important first step in elucidating the cellular processes necessary for the development of a receptive environment for implantation

From the Editorial Team

Wprowadzenie do numeru Poeci za bramą utopii

W gościnie i u siebie. Karol Irzykowski w „Skamandrze”, „Ponowie” i „Krokwiach”

W latach 1919–1922 Karol Irzykowski podejmował współpracę z trzema czasopismami literackimi: „Skamandrem”, „Ponową” i „Krokwiami”. Okoliczności i przebieg tej współpracy za każdym razem były różne, ale motywacja podobna – krytyk, po I wojnie światowej mieszkający na co dzień w Warszawie, próbował bowiem nie tylko zdobyć orientację w nowych, gwałtownie rozwijających się ruchach poetyckich, ale też uzyskać na nie wpływ. Uważał, że stanowią one – często nieuświadamianą przez ich uczestników – kontynuację awangardowych idei i eksperymentów sprzed wojny, w których brał wydatny udział. Dlatego skamandrytów i ich konkurentów z „Ponowy” obejmował wspólną nazwą Najmłodsza Polska. Od wszystkich wymagał najwyższej świadomości artystycznej wyrażającej się nie tylko w utworach, ale i w programach. Na charakterystyczną dla autorów „Skamandra” niechęć do ich formułowania zareagował słynnym artykułem polemicznym Programofobia. W „Ponowie” docenił skłonności programotwórcze, lecz miał wiele zastrzeżeń do praktyki związanych z nią poetów. Pomimo przynależności do komitetów redakcyjnych obu czasopism jawnie dawał wyraz swoim zastrzeżeniom do ich linii oraz zawartości, stając się dość osobliwym, starszym recenzentem, co prowokowało młodych autorów do ironicznych czy złośliwych reakcji. Inaczej wyglądała współpraca Irzykowskiego z założonym przez Romana Zrębowicza i udatnie nawiązującym do tradycji „Chimery” czasopismem „Krokwie”. Skupione wokół niego środowisko próbowało wylansować kierunek stworzony jeszcze w przedwojennym Lwowie, zwany konstrukcjonalizmem. Krytyk, który uczestniczył wówczas w zebraniach konstrukcjonalistów, sprzyjał ich zamiarom również po wojnie. W ich organie zamieścił rzeczy dla siebie szczególnie cenne: wiersze zmarłego przyjaciela – Stanisława Womeli – i esej Alchemia ciała. Można przypuszczać, że wiązał z „Krokwiami” nadzieje na rozwój twórczości własnej, dla której w „Skamandrze” i „Ponowie” nie znalazłby dogodnego miejsca. Niestety, po wydrukowaniu dwóch zeszytów Zrębowicz musiał zaprzestać wydawania swojego czasopisma

Picie alkoholu przez piętnastoletnią młodzież a praktyki wychowawcze rodziców

Aim: To assess, in the context of other socialization factors, importance of alcohol specific parenting practices for adolescents drinking behaviors.Method: Questionnaire data collected from the random sample of Warsaw 15-year old students (N = 984) on: alcohol use and getting drunk, perception of parental rules and attitudes toward alcohol use by a child, child’s monitoring and support by parents, school climate and support by peers.Results: Logistic regression analysis confirmed that parental disapproval of alcohol use by teenagers and setting clear rules forbidding alcohol use are significant protective factors. Among adolescents who already drink, the risk of getting drunk is lower if they communicate openly with parents about their alcohol related behaviors. Parental factors seem to be more significant for girls than for boys and for those who have not initiate alcohol use yet.Conclusions: More research and preventive activities is needed to strengthen parents in their alcohol specific parenting behaviors

A jednak monady mają okna, czyli jak otworzyć zamknięte na siebie światy literackie

After all the monads have the windows, or how to open the literary worlds that look inwardsThe author reviews the pioneering work of Mindaugas Kvietkauskas dedicated to multilingual literature, which was created in Vilnius at the beginning of the 20th century. The book of the Lithuanian historian of literature emphasises multicultural and multi-ethnical trait of the early literary modernism in Vilnius that was created in five different languages: Lithuanian, Polish, Yiddish, Belarussian and Russian. It proves that what is the most interesting in the multilingual cultural environment takes place at the crossroads of apparently looking inwards and isolated worlds of different language and different literature.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity and hepatitis B vaccine responses, in vivo markers of cellular and humoral immune function, and the risk of AIDS or death

Background: Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) test responsiveness is associated with HIV disease progression; however it is unknown whether other immune markers, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine seroresponse, also predict HIV outcomes. Methods: Eligible participants received HBV vaccine after HIV diagnosis, had non-anergic DTH testing at the time of last HBV vaccination, and available post-vaccine HBV antibody responses. The risk of progression to AIDS or death from the time of last HBV vaccination was evaluated. Results: Of 369 eligible participants with non-anergic DTH responses, 148 (40%) were HBV vaccine responders. In a multivariate model adjusted for age, CD4 count, viral load, and number of vaccinations, HBV vaccine non-responders had an increased risk of progression to AIDS or death (HR 1.81; 95% CI, 1.03–3.19). Conclusions: HBV vaccine seroresponses were independent of DTH responses which suggest that nonresponse to HBV vaccine is not solely due to cell-mediated immune dysfunction in HIV-infected persons