Fantastic facts : the supernatural in the ethnographic writings of Giraldus Cambrensis.

This thesis seeks to answer the question of what role supernatural themes and motifs played in allowing us a glimpse into Gerald of Wales’ sense of dualist identity. He is revered by many modern Welsh scholars as an early Welsh nationalist, even though Gerald did not always see himself that way, yet his life’s work was his battle for an independent Welsh see. I begin with a general discursive review of historiography in general and the various sub-genres by which Gerald’s work could be classified, followed, after a brief biography of Gerald himself, by a more detailed examination of the philosophical and theological classifications of the very meaning of the words ‘natural’ and ‘supernatural’ and how the two related to each other. With this contextual framework established specific examples from Gerald’s works are examined in greater depth, concluding with a discussion on the medieval definition of the ‘Other’ which, I believe was the key to understanding Gerald’s narratives and ultimately the man himself

Computational modeling of TC0583 as a putative component of the Chlamydia muridarum V-type ATP synthase complex and assessment of its protective capabilities as a vaccine antigen.

Numerous Chlamydia trachomatis proteins have been identified as potential subunit vaccines, of which the major outer-membrane protein (MOMP) has, so far, proven the most efficacious. Recently, subunit A of the V-type ATP synthase (ATPase; TC0582) complex was shown to elicit partial protection against infection. Computational modeling of a neighboring gene revealed a novel subunit of the V-type ATPase (TC0583). To determine if this newly identified subunit could induce protection and/or enhance the partial protection provided by subunit A alone, challenge studies were performed using a combination of these recombinant proteins. The TC0583 subunit alone and concurrently with TC0582, was used to vaccinate BALB/c mice utilizing CpG-1826 and Montanide ISA 720 VG as adjuvants. Vaccinated animals were challenged intranasally with Chlamydia muridarum and the course of the infection was followed. Mice immunized with individual antigens showed minimal alleviation of body weight reduction; however, mice immunized with TC0583 and TC0582 in combination, displayed weight loss levels close to those observed with MOMP. Importantly, immunization with a combination of recombinant subunit proteins reduced chlamydial inclusion forming units by approximately a log-fold. These protection levels support that, these highly conserved Chlamydia proteins, in combination with other antigens, may serve as potential vaccine candidates

The impact of celestial pole offset modelling on VLBI UT1 Intensive results

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Intensive sessions are scheduled to provide operational Universal Time (UT1) determinations with low latency. UT1 estimates obtained from these observations heavily depend on the model of the celestial pole motion used during data processing. However, even the most accurate precession-nutation model, IAU 2000/2006, is not accurate enough to realize the full potential of VLBI observations. To achieve the highest possible accuracy in UT1 estimates, a celestial pole offset (CPO), which is the difference between the actual and modelled precession-nutation angles, should be applied. Three CPO models are currently available for users. In this paper, these models have been tested and the differences between UT1 estimates obtained with those models are investigated. It has been shown that neglecting CPO modelling during VLBI UT1 Intensive processing causes systematic errors in UT1 series of up to 20 microarcseconds. It has been also found that using different CPO models causes the differences in UT1 estimates reaching 10 microarcseconds. Obtained results are applicable to the satellite data processing as well.Comment: 8 pp., accepted for publication in Journal of Geodes

Histopathological Effects on the Eye Development During Perinatal Growth of Albino Rats Maternally Treated with Experimental Phenylketonuria During Pregnancy

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder that is characterized by an inability of the body to utilize the essential amino acid, phenylalanine. The disease results from a deficiency in phenylalanine hydroxylase, the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine. Although, this inborn error of metabolism was among the first in humans to be understood biochemically and genetically, little is known about the mechanisms involved in the pathology of PKU during neonatal brain development. Elevated concentrations of plasma phenylalanine were induced in pregnant rats by oral administration of 50mg/100g body weight alpha-methylphenylalanine plus phenylalanine supplementation at a dosage of 60mg/100g body weight two times daily after 6th day of onset of gestation till 14 & 16 days prenatal as well as at parturition. Treatment with alpha-methylphenylalanine resulted in significant reduction of retinal cell layers of prenatal fetuses and delivered newborns.   Histological abnormalities were detected manifested by either hyaline degeneration of lens structure or inducing lens cataract as well as comparative atrophy of retina associated with the development of Malignant polypoid mass in the ganglionic cell layers in contact with the lens

How a Central-Place Forager (Callospermophilus lateralis) Modifies its Movement Behavior to Navigate a Risky Landscape and Maximize Fitness

All animals need to optimize their foraging efforts to survive. Maximizing fitness, however, is more complicated than simply maximizing the net energy gained from foraging. While individuals move throughout their home ranges, they must also adopt strategies to reduce competition and predation. These conflicting behaviors can affect differential selection of food patches and how much time individuals may spend foraging in safe versus risky patch types. Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) are granivorous rodents that are widespread throughout mountainous regions of western North America. C. lateralis primarily depends on the ephemeral availability of seeds to survive the summer and winter torpor. Unlike their scatter-hoarding and pilfering competitors, C. lateralis larder-hoards seeds year-round in a central burrow. C. lateralis cannot always be at the burrow to defend the larder from pilferers, however, because they must leave to participate in other activities such as foraging. Additionally, when away from the burrow, individuals incur the cost of vigilance to avoid predation. Therefore, individuals must balance conflicting behaviors of larder defense, foraging activity, and antipredator vigilance to maximize fitness. I used resource selection functions and time local convex hull metrics to analyze the spatial and spatiotemporal characteristics of movement behavior for 10 C. lateralis individuals in 2014. I used 5 gram GPS loggers which recorded locations on a narrow time interval. Results suggested that seed availability, distribution of available seeds, and current energetic requirements were large factors in predicting where and how individuals traveled throughout their home ranges. Following winter torpor, energetic requirements were highest. The first seeds available existed in distinct clumps, not necessarily close to the burrow. Individuals traveled farther to access those profitable patches and selected matrices that were associated with high predation risk, but low energetic cost of travel. Individuals also spent more time in those high quality patches and less time vigilant at the burrow. When no seeds were available, individuals avoided risky matrices and stayed close to the burrow. Right before winter torpor, seeds were more randomly dispersed and individual movement patterns suggested that individuals gathered seeds closer to the burrow. Individuals may be more likely to stay closer to the burrow at this time of year to defend the larder from pilferers. Spatial analyses provided key insights as to which patches may be important to individuals seasonally, while spatiotemporal analyses indicated how much time and how frequently individuals visited these patches. Both analyses were important for understanding how individuals may be using behavioral trade-offs to maximize fitness in a dynamic and stressful environment. These same questions and analyses can be applied to many animals in many different ecosystems, and could be particularly important when making management decisions regarding species of conservation concern

Book Review: Jeffrey Hanson and Michael R. Kelly, eds. Michel Henry: The Affects of Thought

A review of Jeffrey Hanson and Michael R. Kelly, eds., Michel Henry: The Affects of Thought (London: Continuum, 2012), 177 pp

Alien Registration- Hefty, Ena G. (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/23238/thumbnail.jp

The Paisley Trove

“Shhhh, let’s sneak out before anyone knows we’re gone,” my mother whispered. On Saturday mornings, while my siblings sat inches from the console television set watching The Flintstones and Fat Albert, the two of us went to Kmart to hunt for blue-light specials, sample butterscotches in gold cellophane from the Brach\u27s Candy bin and enjoy Icees at the deli. Deciding between cherry or blue raspberry was a 10-year old’s version of Sophie’s Choice

Erma Bombeck Writing Competition: Human Interest Global Honorable Mention - She spins like Saturn

It\u27s the Audrey Hepburn of rings, my mother\u27s wedding band. Classic. Elegant. Perfect. The very day she put it on in 1969 it looked antique; a simple setting of thin white gold securing a slanted row of tiny diamonds, like the seven dwarfs on a teeter totter. Originally it hooked together with the engagement ring but the notch loosened over time and made them separate - quite symbolic of the marriage itself; one would spin around her finger like Saturn while the other one stayed put like the sun. The imperfection made it even more beautiful to me because, as she always used to say, nothing\u27s perfect

The Frobenius problem over real number fields

Given a number field $K$ that is a subfield of the real numbers, we generalize the notion of the classical Frobenius problem to the ring of integers $\mathfrak{O}_K$ of $K$ by describing certain Frobenius semigroups, $\mathrm{Frob}(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n)$, for appropriate elements $\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n\in\mathfrak{O}_K$. We construct a partial ordering on $\mathrm{Frob}(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n)$, and show that this set is completely described by the maximal elements with respect to this ordering. We also show that $\mathrm{Frob}(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n)$ will always have finitely many such maximal elements, but in general, the number of maximal elements can grow without bound as $n$ is fixed and $\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_n\in\mathfrak{O}_K$ vary. Explicit examples of the Frobenius semigroups are also calculated for certain cases in real quadratic number fields.Comment: 17 page