Toward a dialectical understanding of power: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the theology of the cross

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that a dialectical motif of power runs paradigmatically throughout Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology, finding its ultimate expression in his theology of the cross. Power and weakness serve as a matrix through which Bonhoeffer approached life. Thus, what began as an implicit theological category for him gradually became an intentionally explicit motif, the terms of which gained their meaning increasingly according to Luther's theologia crucis.By examining how power and weakness manifest themselves dialectically in his understanding of God, humanity, and sin, one can see how Bonhoeffer offers a fresh understanding of divine and human power, and how these concepts gain renewed meaning methodologically and materially according to Luther's theologia c r u c i s . Because of this sustained analysis of the meaning of power in Bonhoeffer's theology, we then examine his notion of the "arcane discipline" as a viable model for power in contemporary theology. Having ascertained the meaning associated with Bonhoeffer's dialectical concept of human and divine power, the ethical ramifications of his theological concept are discussed. In so doing, Bonhoeffer's novel definition and model of power yield a new theological and ethical language from within its overall structure

Open Space – a collaborative process for facilitating Tourism IT partnerships

The success of IT projects depends on the success of the partnerships on which they are based. However past research by the author has identified a significant rate of failure in these partnerships, predominantly due to an overly technical mindset, leading to the question: “how do we ensure that, as technological solutions are implemented within tourism, due consideration is given to human-centred issues?” The tourism partnership literature is explored for additional insights revealing that issues connected with power, participation and normative positions play a major role. The method, Open Space, is investigated for its ability to engage stakeholders in free and open debate. This paper reports on a one-day Open Space event sponsored by two major intermediaries in the UK travel industry who wanted to consult their business partners. Both the running of the event and its results reveal how Open Space has the potential to address some of the weaknesses associated with tourism partnerships

Free Fall Plasma-Arc Reactor for Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes in Microgravity

High temperatures inside the plasma of a carbon arc generate strong buoyancy driven convection which has an effect on the growth and morphology of the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). To study the effect of buoyancy on the arc process, a miniature carbon arc apparatus was designed and developed to synthesize SWNTs in a microgravity environment substantially free from buoyant convective flows. An arc reactor was operated in the 2.2- and 5.18-second drop towers at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The apparatus employed a 4 mm diameter anode and was powered by a portable battery pack capable of providing in excess of 300 amps at 30 volts to the arc for the duration of a 5-second drop. However, the principal result is that no dramatic difference in sample yield or composition was noted between normal gravity, 2.2-and 5-second long microgravity runs

The Upsilon Spectrum from Lattice QCD with 2+1 Flavors of Dynamical Quarks

We describe the bottomonium spectrum obtained on the MILC configurations which incorporate 2+1 flavors of dynamical quarks. We compare to quenched and 2 flavor results also on MILC configurations. We show that the lattice spacing determination using different quantities shows clear signs of convergence with 2+1 flavors and give results for the leptonic width and hyperfine splitting, in the form of the ratio of the 1st excited state of the Upsilon to that of the ground state.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, Lattice2002(heavyquark

Functional connectivity alternations reveal complex mechanisms based on clinical and radiological status in mild relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) has provided important insights into functional reorganization in subjects with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at different stage of disease. In this cross-sectional study we first assessed, by means of rs-fMRI, the impact of overall T2 lesion load (T2LL) and MS severity score (MSSS) on resting state networks (RSNs) in 62 relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients with mild disability (MSSS<3). Independent Component Analysis (ICA) followed by dual regression analysis confirmed functional connectivity (FC) alterations of many RSNs in RRMS subjects compared to healthy controls. The anterior default mode network (DMNa) and the superior precuneus network (PNsup) showed the largest areas of decreased FC, while the sensory motor networks area M1 (SMNm1) and the medial visual network (MVN) showed the largest areas of increased FC. In order to better understand the nature of these alterations as well as the mechanisms of functional alterations in MS we proposed a method, based on linear regression, that takes into account FC changes and their correlation with T2LL and MSSS. Depending on the sign of the correlation between FC and T2LL, and furthermore the sign of the correlation with MSSS, we suggested the following possible underlying mechanisms to interpret altered FC: 1) FC reduction driven by MS lesions, 2) “true” functional compensatory mechanism, 3a) functional compensation attempt, 3b) “false” functional compensation, 4a) neurodegeneration, 4b) pre-symptomatic condition (damage precedes MS clinical manifestation). Our data shows areas satisfying 4 of these 6 conditions (i.e. 1,2,3b,4b), supporting the suggestion that increased FC has a complex nature that may exceed the simplistic assumption of an underlying compensatory mechanism attempting to limit the brain damage caused by MS progression. Exploring differences between RRMS subjects with short disease duration (MSshort) and RRMS with similar disability but longer disease duration (MSlong), we found that MSshort and MSlong were characterised by clearly distinct pattern of FC, involving predominantly sensory and cognitive networks respectively. Overall, these results suggest that the analysis of FC alterations in multiple large-scale networks in relation to radiological (T2LL) and clinical (MSSS, disease duration) status may provide new insights into the pathophysiology of relapse onset MS evolution

Adrenal Dysfunction in Hemodynamically Unstable Patients in the Emergency Department

Objective: Adrenal failure, a treatable condition, can have catastrophic consequences if unrecognized in critically ill ED patients. The authors' objective was to prospectively study adrenal function in a case series of hemodynamically unstable (high-risk) patients from a large, urban ED over a 12-month period. Methods: In a prospective manner, critically ill adult patients presenting to the ED were enrolled when presenting with a mean arterial blood pressure ≤60 mm Hg requiring vasopressor therapy for more than one hour after receiving fluid resuscitation (central venous pressure of 12-15 mm Hg or a minimum of 40 mL/kg of crystalloid). Patients were excluded if presenting with hemorrhage, trauma, or AIDS, or if steroids were used within the previous six months. An adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test was performed and serum cortisol was measured. Treatment for adrenal insufficiency was not instituted. Results: A total of 57 consecutive patients were studied. Of these, eight (14%) had baseline serum cortisol concentrations of <20 Μg/dL (<552 nmol/L), which was considered adrenal insufficiency (AI). Three additional patients (5%) had subnormal 60-minute post-ACTH-stimulation cortisol responses (<30 Μg/dL) and a delta cortisol ≤9 Μg/dL, which is the difference between the baseline and 60-minute levels. This is functional hypoadrenalism (FH). There were no laboratory abnormalities that distinguished patients with AI or FH from those with preserved adrenal function (PAF). Rates of survival to discharge did not differ between the AI group (7 of 8) and PAF patients (21 of 46; p = 0.052). Conclusions: Adrenal dysfunction is common in high-risk ED patients. Overall, it has a frequency of 19% among a homogeneous population of hemodynamically unstable vasopressor-dependent patients. The effect of physiologic glucocorticoid replacement in this setting remains to be determined.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71956/1/j.1553-2712.1999.tb00417.x.pd

Pair-breaking quantum phase transition in superconducting nanowires

A quantum phase transition (QPT) between distinct ground states of matter is a wide-spread phenomenon in nature, yet there are only a few experimentally accessible systems where the microscopic mechanism of the transition can be tested and understood. These cases are unique and form the experimentally established foundation for our understanding of quantum critical phenomena. Here we report the discovery that a magnetic-field-driven QPT in superconducting nanowires - a prototypical 1d-system - can be fully explained by the critical theory of pair-breaking transitions characterized by a correlation length exponent $\nu \approx 1$ and dynamic critical exponent $z \approx 2$. We find that in the quantum critical regime, the electrical conductivity is in agreement with a theoretically predicted scaling function and, moreover, that the theory quantitatively describes the dependence of conductivity on the critical temperature, field magnitude and orientation, nanowire cross sectional area, and microscopic parameters of the nanowire material. At the critical field, the conductivity follows a $T^{(d-2)/z}$ dependence predicted by phenomenological scaling theories and more recently obtained within a holographic framework. Our work uncovers the microscopic processes governing the transition: The pair-breaking effect of the magnetic field on interacting Cooper pairs overdamped by their coupling to electronic degrees of freedom. It also reveals the universal character of continuous quantum phase transitions.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

Augmenting Buried In Treasures With In-Home Uncluttering Practice: Pilot Study In Hoarding Disorder

Hoarding disorder is characterized by difficulty parting with possessions and by clutter that impairs the functionality of living spaces. Cognitive behavioral therapy conducted by a therapist (individual or in a group) for hoarding symptoms has shown promise. For those who cannot afford or access the services of a therapist, one alternative is an evidence-based, highly structured, short-term, skills-based group using CBT principles but led by non-professional facilitators (the Buried in Treasures [BIT] Workshop). BIT has achieved improvement rates similar to those of psychologist-led CBT. Regardless of modality, however, clinically relevant symptoms remain after treatment, and new approaches to augment existing treatments are needed. Based on two recent studies - one reporting that personalized care and accountability made treatments more acceptable to individuals with hoarding disorder and another reporting that greater number of home sessions were associated with better clinical outcomes, we tested the feasibility and effectiveness of adding personalized, in-home uncluttering sessions to the final weeks of BIT. Participants (n = 5) had 15 sessions of BIT and up to 20 hours of in-home uncluttering. Reductions in hoarding symptoms, clutter, and impairment of daily activities were observed. Treatment response rate was comparable to rates in other BIT studies, with continued improvement in clutter level after in-home uncluttering sessions. This small study suggests that adding in-home uncluttering sessions to BIT is feasible and effective

Re-starting smoking in the postpartum period after receiving a smoking cessation intervention: a systematic review

Aims: In pregnant smoking cessation trial participants, to estimate (1) among women abstinent at the end of pregnancy, the proportion who re-start smoking at time-points afterwards (primary analysis) and (2) among all trial participants, the proportion smoking at the end of pregnancy and at selected time-points during the postpartum period (secondary analysis). Methods: Trials identified from two Cochrane reviews plus searches of Medline and EMBASE. Twenty-seven trials were included. The included trials were randomized or quasi-randomized trials of within-pregnancy cessation interventions given to smokers who reported abstinence both at end of pregnancy and at one or more defined time-points after birth. Outcomes were validated biochemically and self-reported continuous abstinence from smoking and 7-day point prevalence abstinence. The primary random-effects meta-analysis used longitudinal data to estimate mean pooled proportions of re-starting smoking; a secondary analysis used cross-sectional data to estimate the mean proportions smoking at different postpartum time-points. Subgroup analyses were performed on biochemically validated abstinence. Results: The pooled mean proportion re-starting at 6 months postpartum was 43% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16–72%, I2 = 96.7%] (11 trials, 571 abstinent women). The pooled mean proportion smoking at the end of pregnancy was 87% (95% CI = 84–90%, I2 = 93.2%) and 94% (95% CI = 92–96%, I2 = 88%) at 6 months postpartum (23 trials, 9262 trial participants). Findings were similar when using biochemically validated abstinence. Conclusions: In clinical trials of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy only 13% are abstinent at term. Of these, 43% re-start by 6 months postpartum

Case Study: Wellness, tourism and small business development in a UK coastal resort: Public engagement in practice

This article examines the scope of well-being as a focus for tourism and its potential as a tool for small business development, particularly the opportunities for tourism entrepreneurs in coastal resorts. The study reports an example of public engagement by a research team and the co-creation of research knowledge with businesses to assist in business development by adapting many existing features of tourist resorts and extending their offer to wider markets. The synergy between well-being and public health interests also brings potential benefits for the tourism workforce and the host community. The Case Study outlines how these ideas were tested in Bournemouth, a southern coastal resort in the UK, in a study ultimately intended to be adopted nationally and with more wide reaching implications for global development of the visitor economy. Local changes ascribed to the study are assessed and its wider potential is evaluated