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Building on the success of EUP's highly acclaimed Atlas of Global Christianity, this volume is the seventh in a series of reference works that takes the analysis of worldwide Christianity to a deeper level of detail. It focuses on Christianity in North America, covering every country and offering both reliable demographic information and original interpretative essays by locally based scholars and practitioners. It maps patterns of growth and decline, assesses major traditions and movements, analyzes key themes, and examines current trends. As a comprehensive account of the presence of Christianity in every part of North America, this volume will become a standard work of reference in its field.
Being married may protect late-life cognition. Less is known about living arrangement among unmarried adults and mechanisms such as brain health (BH) and cognitive reserve (CR) across race and ethnicity or sex/gender. The current study examines (1) associations between marital status, BH, and CR among diverse older adults and (2) whether one’s living arrangement is linked to BH and CR among unmarried adults.
Method:
Cross-sectional data come from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (N = 778, 41% Hispanic, 33% non-Hispanic Black, 25% non-Hispanic White; 64% women). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of BH included cortical thickness in Alzheimer’s disease signature regions and hippocampal, gray matter, and white matter hyperintensity volumes. CR was residual variance in an episodic memory composite after partialing out MRI markers. Exploratory analyses stratified by race and ethnicity and sex/gender and included potential mediators.
Results:
Marital status was associated with CR, but not BH. Compared to married individuals, those who were previously married (i.e., divorced, widowed, and separated) had lower CR than their married counterparts in the full sample, among White and Hispanic subgroups, and among women. Never married women also had lower CR than married women. These findings were independent of age, education, physical health, and household income. Among never married individuals, living with others was negatively linked to BH.
Conclusions:
Marriage may protect late-life cognition via CR. Findings also highlight differential effects across race and ethnicity and sex/gender. Marital status could be considered when assessing the risk of cognitive impairment during routine screenings.
The interaction of opposite-signed twist waves on vortex tubes can lead to vortex bursting, a process where the core expands into a double ring-like structure with strong swirling flows. Previous works have studied vortex bursting on rectilinear vortices by axially perturbing the initial core size to generate the twist waves, and observed largely axisymmetric bursting dynamics. In this work, we numerically study bursting on vortical structures with curved centrelines, analysing the interaction between the centreline dynamics, twist wave generation and propagation, and vortex bursting. We focus on axially perturbed helical vortex tubes with small radius-to-pitch ratios up to $0.0625$, as well as vortex rings with a large radius-to-core size ratio $10$, both at a circulation-based Reynolds number $5000$. The results show that though the initial twist wave propagation speeds are relatively unaffected by the curvature and torsion of the centreline, the bursting process is altered significantly compared with rectilinear vortices. The self-induced rotation of the centreline of the helical tube induces a non-axisymmetric distortion of the bursting structure, which rapidly breaks up the vortex core into small-scale helical structures. A similar destabilization of the bursting structure also occurs on vortex rings. The enstrophy increase and accelerated energy decay associated with bursting are predominantly determined by the twist wave strength, rather than the curvature and torsion of the centreline. Combined, our findings imply that bursting could play an important role in transferring and dissipating energy of vortical structures in wakes, and turbulent flows in general.
Plant growth requires the integration of internal and external cues, perceived and transduced into a developmental programme of cell division, elongation and wall thickening. Mechanical forces contribute to this regulation, and thigmomorphogenesis typically includes reducing stem height, increasing stem diameter, and a canonical transcriptomic response. We present data on a bZIP transcription factor involved in this process in grasses. Brachypodium distachyon SECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP (SWIZ) protein translocated into the nucleus following mechanostimulation. Classical touch-responsive genes were upregulated in B. distachyon roots following touch, including significant induction of the glycoside hydrolase 17 family, which may be unique to grass thigmomorphogenesis. SWIZ protein binding to an E-box variant in exons and introns was associated with immediate activation followed by repression of gene expression. SWIZ overexpression resulted in plants with reduced stem and root elongation. These data further define plant touch-responsive transcriptomics and physiology, offering insights into grass mechanotranduction dynamics.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: In the U.S., over 4 million people including children experience transient periods of undernutrition annually. Cardio-metabolic and renal diseases are more prevalent in this population. We are investigating therapeutic strategies to reverse the long-term risk of these diseases in a rat model of transient undernutrition followed by refeeding. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Thirty six female Fischer rats (3-months of age) were initially divided into 2 groups. Half were fed regular chow (CT) while the other half were severely food restricted (sFR) by 60% from 0-2 weeks (wks) followed by refeeding from 2-14 wks (sFR-Refed). These 2 groups were then subdivided and treated ± metformin (Met) from wk 7 to wk 12 (n=9/group). High precision ultrasound was conducted on live rats to assess heart and kidney function immediately after the sFR period ended (wk 2) and at the end of the study (wk 14). At the conclusion of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed and the histology of the kidney and heart tissues were analyzed in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. The protein to DNA ratio was also calculated in homogenates from these tissues. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In sFR-Refed rats, cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR) and renal artery blood flow (RBF) were decreased by 11 ± 1.5%#, 7.0 ± 6.0% and 22 ± 0.6%#, respectively, compared to control (CT) rats; #p<0.05. Mean glomerular diameter was reduced in the kidneys of sFR-refed rats compared to CT and this effect was attenuated by metformin treatment [(µm): CT, 406 ± 31; sFR-Refed, 383 ± 11, p<0.06; CT+Met, 393 ± 18; sFR-Refed+Met, 407 ± 18*]. Furthermore, the mean cardiomyocyte thickness was reduced in sFR-Refed rats compared to controls while metformin treatment prevented this effect [(µm): CT, 16.4 ± 3.6; sFR-Refed, 11.5 ± 2.3#; CT+Met, 16.4 ± 3.6; sFR-Refed+Met, 15.9 ± 3.2*]. #p<0.05 vs. CT, same treatment; *p<0.05 vs. Met, same diet; two-way ANOVA. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings have promising implications for metformin use to mitigate long-term impairments in heart and kidney structure and function in individuals who have experienced bouts of undernutrition earlier in life for either voluntarily (e.g., very low calorie dieting) or involuntary (e.g., very low food security) reasons.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Hypertension is a major risk factor for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Our goal was to determine if hypertension worsens lung pathology induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in hamsters. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Male hamsters (7-8 weeks old) were infused with angiotensin II (AII; 200 ng/kg/min via osmotic minipump) for 4 weeks to induce hypertension. During the last week of the infusion, the hamsters were inoculated intranasally with vehicle (V) or SARS-CoV-2 (S; 1 x 105 plaque forming units/ml). Half of the hamsters were sacrificed 1 day post-inoculation (dpi-1) and the other half on dpi-6. Two scoring systems were applied to lung tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin to determine the degree and severity of lung pathology: the first system assessed all pertinent alterations in the lungs, while the second system only assessed the pathology related to the pulmonary vasculature. Lung histopathology scores were calculated as the sum of the airway and lung alveolar scores in arbitrary units (AU). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Studies revealed that the SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters exhibited a 76-fold higher total airway score compared to vehicle controls [(AU): V, 0.25 ± 0.1; S, 19.00 ±1.35; p<0.05; n=4]. Total lung alveolar scores (27-fold) [(AU): V, 0.30 ± 0.11; S, 8.0 ± 4.1; p<0.05; n=4] and total vascular scores (17-fold) [(AU): V, 0.35 ± 0.2; S, 6.0 ±1.4; p<0.05; n=4] were also markedly higher compared to controls on dpi-1. AII increased blood pressure, which was sustained through the 4-week infusion period. Under these conditions, body weight slightly dropped by 4.5%. Ongoing studies are assessing the effect of hypertension on the % of airway, alveoli and vessels affected, airway and alveolar severity, and bronchiolar epithelial and type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Establishing the hypertensive hamster as a small animal model of COVID-19 will facilitate investigations into why preexisting hypertension is a risk factor for disease severity. These studies could lead to the development of novel therapeuticsfor treating COVID-19 patients with hypertension.
The landscape of North America is beautiful, pristine and wonderful. The land has majestic mountains such as the Rocky Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains, and freshwater lakes such as the Great Lakes of North America and Lake Tahoe. North America is surrounded by the world's two largest oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. The vast continent is covered by deserts, forests, prairies, meadows, forests, canyons and wilderness. It has countless small towns as well as highly populated metropolitan cities. The land was first inhabited by Native Americans and First Nations, who lived off the land and in harmony with creation. It is a magnificent land, composed of only five countries, Canada, the USA, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Greenland and Bermuda.
Just as the land is diverse and bountiful, so are the people who live in these five countries. Though their history is short compared with countries in such contexts as Asia, South America, Africa and Europe, it has been filled by devastation, horror and suffering. With the European conquest of Native land, the terror began for many Native and First Nations peoples as genocide was committed against them. The large-scale enslavement and importation of Africans brought further injustice, horror and suffering. During this horrific history, Christianity had a large presence and was part of the very fabric that caused the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans. Christian adoption of the Doctrine of Discovery and the perception of Africans as heathens made it theoretically justifiable to enslave them. In addition, Asians were viewed as heathens and foreigners, a perception which white Americans used to indenture them. Throughout this history of immigration, enslavement and conquest, Christianity was deeply implicated in colonialism, subjugation and domination.
Due to increased immigration and the entrance of refugees during the last 70 years, North America is a very racially diverse place. This diversity means that various languages are spoken and different cultural customs are lived out. Many people who came from difficult situations found opportunities to build a new life in North America. Some refugees were able to start fresh lives and contribute to the wider society. Coming from many different backgrounds, they have formed an enterprising people who have built one of the world's strongest economies.
The table that begins overleaf provides a quick-reference, country-by-country listing for Christianity and its major traditions for all the countries that appear in this volume. These statistics are found in the World Christian Database (see Methodology and Sources) and all figures relate to 1970 and 2020. Small numbers are left unrounded to distinguish known small populations from zero but do not represent precise estimates.
The columns are as follows:
• Country (name of country in English)
• Region in which country is located
• Total population of country (United Nations estimate, 1970, 2020) and total numbers and percentage of population in each tradition
• Percentage mean annual growth rate, 1970–2020.
The last page of the table presents regional totals.
While a number of compendia have recently been produced on the study of worldwide Christianity, the distinctive quality of this series arises from its examination of global Christianity through a combination of reliable demographic information and original interpretative essays by local scholars and practitioners. This approach was successfully pioneered by the Atlas of Global Christianity 1910–2010, published by Edinburgh University Press on the occasion of the centenary of the epoch-making Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference.
Using the same methodology, the Edinburgh Companions to Global Christianity take the analysis to a deeper level of detail and explore the context of the twenty-first century. The series considers the presence of Christianity on a continent-by-continent basis worldwide. Covering every country in the world, it maps patterns of growth and/or decline and examines current trends. The aim of the series is to comprehensively map worldwide Christianity and to describe it in its entirety. Country-specific studies are offered, all the major Christian traditions are analysed and current regional and continental trends are examined.
Each volume is devoted to a continent or sub-continent, following the United Nations classifications. Through a combination of maps, tables, charts and graphs, each of the successive volumes presents a comprehensive demographic analysis of Christianity in the relevant area. Commentary and interpretation are provided by essays on key topics, each written by an expert in the field, normally an indigenous scholar. By the use of these various tools each volume provides an accurate, objective and incisive analysis of the presence of Christian faith in the relevant area.
The volumes (published and projected) in the series are:
1. Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa (published 2017)
2. Christianity in North Africa and West Asia (published 2018)
3. Christianity in South and Central Asia (published 2019)
4. Christianity in East and Southeast Asia (published 2020)
5. Christianity in Oceania (published 2021)
6. Christianity in Latin America and the Caribbean (published 2022)
7. Christianity in North America
8. Christianity in Western and Northern Europe
9. Christianity in Eastern and Southern Europe
10. Compact Atlas of Global Christianity
As series editors, we rely heavily on the regional expertise of the dedicated third editor who joins us for each volume. Furthermore, each volume has its own editorial advisory board, made up of senior scholars with authoritative knowledge of the field in question.