Fortieth Day Research Articles

Pisum sativum L. ‘Eso’: Metabolic Profiling of Yellow Seeds to Define the Optimal Harvest Time

The yellow pea (Pisum sativum L. ‘Eso’, sin. Lathyrus oleracaeus Lam.(YP)) is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Fabaceae family. Peas, along with other legumes, are an excellent source of proteins and essential amino acids; the yellow variety is known for maintaining a good protein profile even if subjected to industrial processing. However, the presence of antinutrients, such as phytates and oligosaccharides, limits its consumption as a fresh legume to its use as a source of isolated proteins or for animal feed. The aim of the study is to evaluate the changes in the entire phytochemical profile of YP seeds as a function of the harvest time. YPs harvested at about 40, 50, 60, and 70 days from sowing were examined by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy employing 1H-NMR, 1H-1H TOCSY, and 1H-13C HSQC. In total, 40 molecular species were identified and quantified; it was observed that there was a monotonous decrease in amino acids, carbohydrates, and secondary metabolites as a function of time. Antinutrient levels increased, but only in later sampling times. This study identified the optimal harvest time for yellow peas “Eso” in the fortieth day from sowing, adding new information about the best nutritional outcome for humans.

Dynamics of the microorganisms’ number in the soil mass of podzolized chernozem after treatment with fungicides of various origins

In a laboratory model experiment, the dynamics of the number of bacteria and micromycetes in the soil mass of podzolized chernozem after a one-time treatment of its surface with fungicides of various origins investigated. Chemical fungicides based on the active substances carbendazim, tebuconazole and azoxystrobin, and biological fungicides based on the antagonistic fungi Trichoderma viride (lignorum) and Chaetomium cohliodes were used. The soil mass for the experiment was taken from the arable layer of the soil on the site without fertilizers in the field experiment of the Department of Agrochemistry NSC "Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O. N. Sokolovsky" (NSC "ISSAR") on the territory of SE "EF Hrakivske" (Noviy Korotych village, Kharkiv district, Kharkiv region). During 110 days of composting at a constant temperature, changes in the state of microbial communities, in particular soil micromycetes, and the speed and completeness of their recovery compared to soil not treated with fungicides evaluated. The state of the microflora was monitored four times during the study period according to the parameters of the number of microorganisms belonging to various ecological-trophic and taxonomic groups, the total biological index (TBI) and indicators reflecting the functional state of microbial coenoses (oligotrophy and mineralization indices, the coefficient of microbial transformation of soil organic matter (MTSOM). On the fifth day after treatment with fungicides, the number of bacteria and micromycetes in the samples of the treated soil mass was slightly higher higher than in the control samples, and on the twentieth day, on the contrary, it was significantly lower. The number of bacteria was lower by 20-46 %, micromycetes by 16-34 % compared to the control. On the fortieth day, a partial restoration of the number of bacteria to the level of the untreated control soil observed, and the number of micromycetes remained lower by 9-36 % compared to the control in the case of chemical fungicides. When using biological fungicides, the number of micromycetes approached the values in control soil and accounted for 84-94 % of them. On the one hundred and tenth day, the number of microflora in the soil treated with chemical fungicides according to TBI was 79-89 % of the control values, and in the soil treated with biofungicides it was 102-104 %. The number of micromycetes decreased to a lesser extent and recovered most completely and quickly in the case of the application of the biological fungicide Hetomic. Given the important role of soil micromycetes in the functioning of soils, a decrease in their number due to the accumulation of residual amounts of chemical fungicides in the soil can have a negative impact on many soil-biological processes, in particular the decomposition of plant residues and further transformation of organic matter, as well as on the phytosanitary state of the soil. Therefore, in order to avoid the possible consequences of their excessive or repeated application and the associated threat of soil contamination, it is necessary to carry out microbiological monitoring of soils in areas with a high fungicide load.

Evaluation of traditional methods applied by mothers in infant care: A comparison between Turkish and Lebanese mothers.

Objective: Traditional practices for infants vary across communities and may sometimes pose risks to infant health. Healthcare professionals must be aware of these practices during infant- child visits. This study aims to investigate the traditional practices of Turkish and Lebanese mothers on infants, explore the relationship between these practices and compare the similarities and differences between the two cultures. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey involving Turkish and Lebanese mothers living in Istanbul. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire inquiring about sociodemographic information about the family, general information about the baby, and traditional practices performed by the mothers. Statistically, Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's Exact test, and independent t-test were applied. Results: The study included 382 mothers, comprising 200 who were Turkish and 182 who were Lebanese. In both groups, the proportion of mothers who received information about infant care was approximately 90%. The most common source of information was the internet in both groups, 35% (63) of Turkish and 53.2% (92) of Lebanese mothers used the internet as a source of information. The second source of data used for baby care were the family elders in the Lebanese mothers (28%), and the health personnel in the Turkish mothers (24%). Turkish mothers practised celebrating the fortieth day, salting, using amber necklaces for teething, and giving pacifiers more frequently than Lebanese mothers. In the case of jaundice, Turkish mothers frequently breastfeed, while Lebanese mothers consult a doctor. The use of potentially risky practices is rare in both groups. No significant relationship was found between maternal education levels and the use of traditional practices. Conclusion: This study highlights the widespread use of traditional practices among both Turkish and Lebanese mothers during child-rearing. The study's results could inform health strategies to reduce the prevalence of potentially risky traditional practices among mothers and promote adopting safe, evidence-based child-rearing practices.

Effect of perinatal and postnatal thiamine deficiency on auditory pathway of the Wistar-Albino rats.

In this study, we created an animal model to demonstrate the effects of thiamine on the hearing pathways of new-borns during pregnancy and lactation by inducing a dietary thiamine deficiency in the mother. The study included 16 female Wistar albino rats. The animals were separated into four groups and provided the appropriate amounts of dietary thiamine according to their groups during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and lactation periods. Three pups from each mother were included in the study, and 12 pups were selected from each group. On the fortieth day after birth, the auditory pathways of 48 pups in the 4 groups were examined electro physiologically and ultra-structurally. In Group N-N, morphology of hair cells stereocilia degeneration was not obtained in all turns of cochlea. In Group N-T, Inner Hair Cells (IHCs) and Outher Hair Cells (OHCs) stereocilia didn't show degeneration in all turns of cochlea but had rupture inrows of HCs stereocilia. In group T-N IHCs stereocilia less degeneration was observed in all turns of cochlea. OHC stereocilia partial loss was observed only in basal turn of cochlea. In Group T-T IHCs stereocilia was observed less degeneration and rupture in all turns of cochlea. Thiamine is vital for the development of cochlear hair cells during both prenatal and postnatal periods. Even partial deficiency of thiamine causes significant degeneration to the auditory pathway. The level of evidence of this article is 5. This article is an experimental animal and laboratory study.

Traditions and beliefs about Kirkhtokma (the ceremony “Fortieth Day”) in the regions Karabakh and Nakhchivan

Traditions and beliefs about Kirkhtokma (the ceremony “Fortieth Day”) in the regions Karabakh and Nakhchivan

“Death Itself May be Overcome…” (Thanatological Plot in “The Brothers Karamazov” by Dostoevsky)

The article reveals how the writer’s personal drama was reflected in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” The unexpected death of their three-year-old son on May 16, 1878 was a tragic shock for the Dostoevskys. The causes of his death have not yet been clarified: there is no critical analysis of documentary sources, no diagnosis has been made, the described symptoms (fever, diarrhea, vomiting) may be related to several childhood diseases, family legends about the disease are unreliable. Dostoevsky’s pilgrimage to the Optina Hermitage had a personal reason along with his creative interest in the plot of the new novel. The writer sought to say goodbye to the earthly life of baby Alexey on the fortieth day of his death at Optina, but he was late. During the trip, Dostoevsky had an important conversation with Vladimir Solovyov, in which the writer revealed the idea of his future novel: the Church “as a positive social ideal.” After Dostoevsky’s pilgrimage to the Optina Hermitage, his novel took final shape. The thanatological motifs in the work include scenes in the monastery, Ivan Karamazov’s “collection” of facts, the death of elder Zosima, the illness and death of his brother Markel, Ilyusha Snegirev, and other heroes. These motifs play a key role in forming the poetic idea of the novel. The thanatological theme of the novel has Easter significance. Dostoevsky wrote a novel in which he not merely describe an event, he articulated the meaning of being: in the person of Alexey Fyodorovich Karamazov, he resurrected his son in the name and prototype of the deceased Alexei Fyodorovich Dostoevsky. With every proclamation and glorification of the hero, Dostoevsky proclaimed the immortality of his son.

Preliminary Preservation of the Bodies of the Deceased in the Funeral Rites of Kazakhs (Based on the Materials of Archaeological, Historical and Folklore-Literary Sources)

Purpose. The authors tried to reveal the reasons, duration and place of temporary preservation of the bodies of the Kazakhs on the basis of archaeological, historical and folklore-literary sources. The authors also tried to trace the historical continuity in the funeral and memorial rites of nomads.Results. The tradition of delayed burials is associated with the natural conditions and economic cycle of nomads. Based on ethnographic data, the authors analyze various options for preserving the body before burial. According to it, the practice of performing deferred burials originates from the period of early nomads of the Eurasian steppes. Archaeological materials contain evidence of the usage of deferred burials of notable individuals among the Turks. The article also discusses the special veneration of ancestors, which can also be traced in the funeral rites of early nomads. The large burial mounds were build in their honor, and they were buried in clothes adorned with gold, with a large quantity of supporting equipment. The funeral and memorial rites of the nomadic Kazakh people also include the veneration of ancestral spirits. They tried to bury their khans, batyrs and biys in the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. And to do this, they had to temporarily bury the body and save it until burial.Conclusion. Islam brought changes in the funeral rites of the steppe population. However, the Kazakh people tried to preserve the traditions that do not contradict the Sharia, in some cases without changes, in others, some customs were transformed in accordance with the norms and teachings of Islam. The Kazakhs managed to unite the two worlds, and for a life of peace and prosperity, with the blessing of aruakh, arranged memorial dinners on the third, seventh, fortieth day, the annual “as”, sacrifices, but in many traditions and customs, the reading of prayers from the Koran was introduced.

A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Psyllium Husk Ethanolic Extract on Hyperlipidemia, Hyperglycemia, and Oxidative Stress Induced by Triton X-100 Injection in Rats.

Simple SummaryHyperlipidemia contributes to the emergence and development of circulatory diseases, which commonly causes morbidity and mortality. The present study evaluated the psyllium husk ethanolic extract (PHEE) effect on hyperlipidemia induced by Triton X-100. This study proved that Triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats with PHEE administration reduced hyperlipidemia by hepatic and pancreatic protective effects. The administration of PHEE lowered lipid peroxidation, increased antioxidant activity, and improved leptin and adiponectin hormone levels.The aim of this study is to assess the efficiency of psyllium husk ethanolic extract (PHEE) on Triton X-100 induced hyperlipidemic rats by studying the changes in hepatic and pancreatic function and histopathology. Forty male albino rats (bodyweight 175–188 g) were grouped randomly into four sets with ten rats. The experimental groups included: (1) control group (CON); (2) Triton X-100 induced hyperlipidemic group—rats were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of Triton X-100 (100 mg/kg body weight) on the 21st day of Trial onset; (3) PHEE group—PHEE was orally administered (100 mg/kg body weight dissolved in 1 mL of distilled water) by gastric tube from the first day of the experiment until the fortieth day, once daily, (PHEE); (4) PHEE +Triton group, which received PHEE orally with the induction of hyperlipidemia. Treating hyperlipidemic rats with PHEE showed a decrease in the total serum lipids, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), atherogenic index (AI), and malondialdehyde (MDA) with an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. PHEE administration alleviated the negative impact of Triton on the serum levels of glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA IR index), leptin hormone, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and proteinogram. The Triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats showed extensive histopathological changes in the liver and pancreas, which were alleviated with PHEE administration. It could be concluded that PHEE has potent effects against hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and oxidative stress due to its biologically active constituents detected by GC-MS analysis. This study’s findings may help develop a novel trial against the effects of hyperlipidemia in the future.

Erythropoietin therapy in a case of neonatal anemia after exposure to natalizumab throughout pregnancy

BackgroundNatalizumab is a monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. According to the current clinical recommendations, its use during pregnancy should be carefully evaluated only in women with highly active disease who plan a pregnancy or have an unplanned pregnancy, after accurate counseling about eventual maternal disease relapse due to therapy suspension.Case presentationThis brief case report describes a case of documented anemia that we observed in a newborn whose mother with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis was treated with an extended dosing protocol of natalizumab throughout pregnancy. The newborn received the infusion of erythropoietin every seven days from the fortieth day of life; subsequently, the status of anemia underwent clinical resolution.ConclusionsThis case report confirmed that natalizumab can cause disorders of hematopoiesis, including anemia, thrombocytopenia, or pancytopenia, in newborns of patients treated during pregnancy. A multidisciplinary team, including experienced pediatricians and pediatric hematologists, has a critical role in managing newborns delivered by women, being treated with natalizumab for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis during pregnancy.

Offering

WORLDLIT.ORG 75 a POETRY Offering by Olivia Elias Hunger strike, fortieth day* Your bodies flutter on the ceiling of the room I can see your slow gestures the small bones in the joints of your hands your eyes where the night rises I must cross the pain again listen to your heart that’s growing weaker & weaker witness this madness the body devouring itself your last offering to freedom around you the barking of the jailers and their dogs while your life goes just like that sacrificed to their senseless dream of conquest Translation from the French By Kareem James Abu-Zeid Olivia Elias, born in Haifa in 1944, is a poet of the Palestinian diaspora who writes in French. After a childhood in Beirut, she moved to Montreal, then Paris. Her first book in English translation, Chaos, Crossing and Other Poems, will be published by World Poetry Books in 2022. Kareem James Abu-Zeid is an award-winning translator of authors from across the Arab world. His most recent translation is Najwan Darwish’s Exhausted on the Cross, the subject of the featured review in the Spring 2021 issue of WLT. Author’s note: 1,700 Palestinian prisoners went on hunger strike in June 2017 to earn respect for their most basic rights. As of the fortieth day, 800 were still refusing to eat. ASMA GHANEM / COURTESY OF THE ARTIST ...

Similarities of the event in the procession of captives on the fortieth day

Similarities of the event in the procession of captives on the fortieth day

The Meaning of Kenduri Death in the Terong Island of Batam City

The purpose of this study is to explain the implementation of the tradition of death festivity on Terong Island, Batam City and explain more deeply the meaning contained in the tradition of death festivity. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. In this study data collection was carried out through direct observation to the object of research and to record a symptom and event related to the implementation and meaning of the tradition of death festivals, interviews directly and in depth (indepth interview) with religious leaders, community leaders, and the community as well documentation. Data analysis techniques using the Miles and Huberman model, namely data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing / verification. The results of this study explain that the implementation of the festivity of death in Batam City Terong Island begins with the festivity of the first day, the third day (nige), the seventh day, the twentieth day, the fortieth day and the hundredth day. The festivity is also decorated with cash dishes from Terong Island which are believed by the community to have a special meaning. The meaning of feast on the first day is transferring the mortal realm to the original baqa and wadaq originating from the ground and returning to the ground. The meaning of the feast on the third day is to perfect the four things, namely, earth, wind, fire and water, luamah, anger, sufiah, mutmainnah. The meaning of the seventh day feast is to perfect the skin and nails of the body. The meaning of feasting on the fortieth day is to perfect the nature of his father and mother in the form of blood, flesh, marrow, stomach contents, nails, hair, bones, and muscles. While the meaning of the implementation of the hundredth day is the same as the meaning of the festivity on the fortieth day. 
 Keywords: meaning, tradition, festivity, death, Batam City, Terong Island.

“Soothing My Child's Soul and My Own”: Dealing with Pregnancy Loss in Postcommunist Romania

AbstractIn Romania—where induced abortions were legally prohibited during communism and are now morally condemned by many—those who lose a pregnancy against their will have long been regarded with suspicion, confronted with a sense of culpability, and surrounded by silence. This ambiguity is reflected in the local terminology and the perceived etiology of loss. In this article, which is based on 15 months of fieldwork between 2012 and 2015, I illustrate the various meanings and manifestations of a silenced sense of culpability around involuntary pregnancy loss in the lives of women from Bucharest and a small town in Central Romania. I also show how many of these women attempt to break the silence around their lost fetuses and carve out a personal space of commemoration and consolation. Their informal use of forbidden religious rituals paradoxically allows them to confirm the existence of their lost little ones and to position themselves as caring, rather than culpable, mothers. [pregnancy loss, commemoration, culpability, postcommunist Romania]

The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros: A Seventeenth-Century African Biography of an Ethiopian Woman by Galawdewos

Reviewed by: The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros: A Seventeenth-Century African Biography of an Ethiopian Woman by Galawdewos Andrew Crislip (bio) Galawdewos. The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros: A Seventeenth-Century African Biography of an Ethiopian Woman. Translated and edited by Wendy Laura Belcher and Michael Kleiner, Princeton UP, 2015. xxxii + 500 pp. ISBN 978-0691164212, $39.95. Ethiopia is home to one of the most ancient forms of Christianity, the history of which can be traced to the fourth century. The classical language of Ethiopia, Ge'ez, preserves a large body of indigenous literature of religious and secular importance, as well as many early Jewish and Christian texts translated from Egyptian Copto-Arabic exemplars. Original composition in the classical language continued into the early modern period in a range of genres, among the most popular of which were saints' lives, developed in the distinctive Ethiopian genre of gädl, as reflected in the text translated here as The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros. The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros is an important witness to conflicts between Ethiopian Christians and proto-colonial Portuguese missions. In the 1520s and 1530s, the Habäša people became increasingly concerned with the advance of Islamic armies in Africa and, consequently, appealed to the Portuguese for help. After the Portuguese intervened, Jesuit missionaries set about attempting to convert the Habäša to Catholicism, hoping to rid them not only of their miaphysite (single nature) theology about the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ (which they share with Egyptian, Armenian, and Syrian churches), but also of their traditional customs that set them apart even from other miaphysite Christians, such as refusing pork and rabbit, keeping the Sabbath on Saturday and Sunday, and not baptizing children until the fortieth day. A new king, Susenyos, converted to Catholicism (he was from a non-Habäša people) and, with the Jesuits, tried to enforce conversion. The mission was culturally insensitive and met with widespread resistance from "among Habäša military ranks" (7) and among numerous Habäša noblewomen (7–10), foremost among whom was Walatta Petros (1592–1642 ce). The Catholic mission failed catastrophically, and no colonial attempt was made for another 250 years. Published by Princeton University Press, this deluxe edition of The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros is illustrated with 60 color images [End Page 366] from four Ethiopic manuscripts. It is also a technically demanding one (not least due to the complicated transliteration system and the Ethiopian Fidäl script), and the editors and press have produced it beautifully. Wendy Laura Belcher's introduction to the text covers the historical context and the distinctive features of the genre of gädl, which Belcher and Kleiner translate as "Life-Struggles" or, alternatively, "Life and Struggles." Belcher also discusses the manuscripts used for the translation based on painstaking collations of some dozen manuscripts (49–60). Belcher's description of the great efforts needed to produce this edition will be valuable to the many readers who do not come to this text familiar with the methods and complexities of manuscript editing and text criticism. The main audience for this thorough edition will likely be historians and students of ancient and medieval hagiography, as well as historians of early colonialism in Africa. For such readers, this edition offers rich resources for the study of Christian biography in Africa. On the other hand, the claim that this hagiography (which strikes me as typical in most ways of the genre) will aid "those seeking to problematize ideas of authorship, both supporting and challenging Saussurean ideas about language, not authors, speaking and Barthesian ideas about authors as facilitators not originators" seems rather unlikely (41). The edition itself is of a very high quality, although, since I do not read Ge'ez, I was unable to check or verify the translations. I will say, however, that the translation is exceptionally fluid throughout and heavily annotated. The translators identify biblical quotations, gloss names, traditions, and other matters that would not be clear to those unfamiliar with Ethiopia, and they note when they are translating more idiomatically, giving a...

Renal Allograft Aspergillus Infection Presenting With Obstructive Uropathy: A Case Report

BackgroundIsolated renal allograft aspergillosis is rare and usually presents with fever and decreased glomerular filtration rate. Presentation with obstructive uropathy caused by aspergillus fungal balls is much less common. We report a young male patient who presented with obstructive uropathy secondary to isolated renal allograft aspergillus infection 6 weeks after transplant. He was treated with nephrectomy and antifungal medications. Case presentationA 29-year-old Saudi male patient had a recent living non-related kidney transplantation in Pakistan. Early Post-transplant course was complicated by acute cellular rejection (Banff Class IB) which was managed successfully with pulse steroid and anti-thymocyte globulin. The patient presented again to our emergency room on fortieth day post-transplant with a complaint of decreased urine output and passing white particles in his urine. This presentation was three Three weeks after treatment for cellular rejection, the urine fungal culture showed growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, and ultrasound imaging of the allograft kidney revealed mild to moderate hydronephrosis with echogenic materials within the renal pelvis. Biopsy of the transplanted kidney showed severe necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and fungal elements consistent with aspergillus species. The patient was given voriconazole as an antifungal agent and was weaned from immunosuppressive medication. The patient eventually required intermittent hemodialysis and underwent surgical allograft nephrectomy. ConclusionSuboptimal environmental and infection prevention and control precautions can explain this type of infection. It is important for clinicians to have a high index of suspicion and to investigate for fungal infection as a rare cause of obstructive uropathy in high-risk patients.

Intervention for Behavioral Change in Funeral Ceremonies in Islamic Republic Of Iran

Background: Large-scale funeral ceremonies are commonplace among Iranians and start from the time of person’s death till the fortieth day and anniversary. These traditional ceremonies cause a lot of psychological, economical and unnecessary problems for the bereaved family. This interventional research aims to change the behavior and the way in which the funeral ceremonies are held to remove the unnecessary problems associated with them. Methods: In this interventional study, the behavioral intervention continued for six months with the cooperation of Friday prayer Imams and other responsible parties. Data were collected using the questionnaires before and after intervention and were analyzed by SPSS. Results: Some behavioral changes after the intervention were reported. A reduction was seen in the mean number of someone else’s house used as a venue for the funeral ceremonies, of fabric writing installations, of meals given in the funeral ceremonies, and of the individuals present at these meals and involved in the process. An increase was observed in the number of flower arrangements. The mean difference in all the studied variables before and after intervention was statistically significant (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Conducting conferences, distributing pamphlets, educational programs for the public will change the quality and type of funeral ceremonies. Similar program is recommended for other parts of Iran with similar cultural backgrounds.

A Femme Fatale of Whom ‘No One Spoke Ill’: Judith's Moral Muddle and Her Personification of Yahweh

Judith's behavior in the Assyrian camp has perplexed commentators for centuries. Even if the circumstances of war can justify the killing of an incursive enemy, Judith's deceit, seduction, and assassination of Holofernes are excessive. Previous scholars have tried to exculpate Judith in various ways, but none of these ways has proven satisfactory, nor have scholars appreciated the full extent of the problem. This article begins by highlighting all of Judith's unseemly actions, some of which have been overlooked by exegetes. After surveying and evaluating the main theories offered in defense of Judith's integrity, this article argues that Judith functions as a unique type of hero. Her role in the story is not exemplary but symbolic, reminding Israel of Yahweh's saving power even though he remains a Deus absconditus. Through her speech, her use of deceit and lethal force, and the type of praise she receives, Judith is depicted in the same manner as Israel's Divine Warrior, rescuing her people on the fortieth day of their distress. This characterization communicates an important message to the book's audience. God's providence has not waned but is paradoxically manifest by one of Israel's most marginalized members: a reclusive widow.

Effects of Head-Down Bed Rest on the Executive Functions and Emotional Response

Prolonged bed rest may cause changes in the autonomic nervous system that are related to cognition and emotion. This study adopted an emotional flanker task to evaluate the effect of 45 days -6° head-down bed rest (HDBR) on executive functioning in 16 healthy young men at each of six time points: the second-to-last day before the bed rest period, the eleventh, twentieth, thirty-second and fortieth day during the bed rest period, and the eighth day after the bed rest period. In addition, self-report inventories (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI; Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, PANAS) were conducted to record emotional changes, and the participants’ galvanic skin response (GSR), heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed as measures of physiological activity. The results showed that the participants’ reaction time on the flanker task increased significantly relative to their responses on the second-to-last day before the period of bed rest, their galvanic skin response weakened and their degrees of positive affect declined during the bed rest period. Our results provide some evidence for a detrimental effect of prolonged bed rest on executive functioning and positive affect. Whether this stems from a lack of aerobic physical activity and/or the effect of HDBR itself remains to be determined.

Study on the optical property and biocompatibility of a tissue engineering cornea.

To study the optical property and biocompatibility of a tissue engineering cornea. : The cross-linker of N-(3-Dimethylaminoropyl)-N'ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) was mixed with Type I collagen at 10% (weight/volume). The final solution was molded to the shape of a corneal contact lens. The collagen concentrations of 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17.5% and 20% artificial corneas were tested by UV/vis-spectroscopy for their transparency compared with normal rat cornea. 10-0 sutures were knotted on the edges of substitute to measure the corneal buttons's mechanical properties. Normal rat corneal tissue primary culture on the collagen scaffold was observed in 4 weeks. Histopathologic examinations were performed after 4 weeks of in vitro culturing. The collagen scaffold appearance was similar to that of soft contact lens. With the increase of collagen concentration, the transparency of artificial corneal buttons was diminished, but the toughness of the scaffold was enhanced. The scaffold transparency in the 10% concentration collagen group resembled normal rat cornea. To knot and embed the scaffold under the microscope, 20% concentration collagen group was more effective during implantation than lower concentrations of collagen group. In the first 3 weeks, corneal cell proliferation was highly active. The shapes of cells that grew on the substitute had no significant difference when compared with the cells before they were moved to the scaffold. However, on the fortieth day, most cells detached from the scaffold and died. Histopathologic examination of the primary culture scaffold revealed well grown corneal cells tightly attached to the scaffold in the former culturing. Collagen scaffold can be molded to the shape of soft contact corneal lens with NHS/EDC. The biological stability and biocompatibility of collagen from animal species may be used as material in preparing to engineer artificial corneal scaffold.

Investigation of the water purification efficiency of land treatment system by using microbial community as an index

Artificial land treatment system was constructed to remove nutrient salt in the sewage by the physicochemical and biochemical mechanisms of plants, microorganisms and soil. The aims of this research were to investigate the relationship between the water purification efficiency using the land treatment system and the variation of microbial community, and to study the interactive relation between microbial community and flora by observing the flora succession. The results showed that the vegetation coverage facilitated the soil steadiness. After the fortieth day, the average moisture content of soil and capacity of cation exchange in the restoraion zone tended to steadiness due to the increase of vegetation coverage. Besides, the observed results indicated that the microbial community was affected by the flora succession. When composite plants became the dominant species, the Aeromonas family (Aeromonas hydrophila/caviae, Aeromonas salmonicida) and Burkholderia cepacia were the main species of bacteria in the two zones. However, when Burkholderia cepacia caused the phosphate-solubilizing so that removal rate of ortho-phosphate decreased. Summary all results displayed that microorganisms, plants and water quality have the interactive relation. Therefore, the study results of microbial community and flora succession could be used as an index for the water purification efficiency, which ensure that land treatment systems achieves optimal performance.