Mysticism and the reformation: a brief survey

A number of influential theologians over the past two centuries have denied that Protestant Christianity has a place for mysticism understood as the mingling of the divine and human natures. Today a more adequate understanding of the mystical element of Christianity as a deeper awareness of God’s presence in the life of believers suggests a new evaluation of the relation of Protestantism and mysticism, beginning Martin Luther, and continuing with figures like Johann Arndt, and a number of the “Spiritual Reformers,” such as Andreas Karlstadt, Sebastian Franck, Valentin Weigel, as well as the theosophical Lutheran Jacob Boehme. This essay is designed to reopen the question of the relation between Protestantism and mysticism

Triacylglycerol profiling of microalgae strains for biofuel feedstock by liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry

Biofuels from photosynthetic microalgae are quickly gaining interest as a viable carbon-neutral energy source. Typically, characterization of algal feedstock involves breaking down triacylglycerols (TAG) and other intact lipids, followed by derivatization of the fatty acids to fatty acid methyl esters prior to analysis by gas chromatography (GC). However, knowledge of the intact lipid profile could offer significant advantages for discovery stage biofuel research such as the selection of an algal strain or the optimization of growth and extraction conditions. Herein, lipid extracts from microalgae were directly analyzed by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) using a benchtop Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Phospholipids, glycolipids, and TAGs were analyzed in the same chromatographic run, using a combination of accurate mass and diagnostic fragment ions for identification. Using this approach, greater than 100 unique TAGs were identified over the six algal strains studied and TAG profiles were obtained to assess their potential for biofuel applications. Under the growth conditions employed, Botryococcus braunii and Scenedesmus obliquus yielded the most comprehensive TAG profile with a high abundance of TAGs containing oleic acid

A Phase I Dose Escalation Trial of Gemcitabine with Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer in the Treatment of Unresectable Chest Wall Recurrences

The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine when given concurrently with standard radiotherapy for the treatment of chest wall recurrences, and to compare actuarial rates of local-regional control with those achieved in historical controls. Patients with unresectable chest wall recurrences were enrolled in a phase I trial of concurrent gemcitabine and radiotherapy. Gemcitabine was increased at 150 mg/m 2 /week increments, starting at 300 mg/m 2 /week. Radiotherapy was delivered to the chest wall and regional nodes to a total of 60 to 70 Gy in 2 Gy daily fractions. Treatment toxicity was assessed and a comparison of treatment outcome was performed between study patients and historical groups treated with either radiotherapy alone or excision followed by radiotherapy. The dose-limiting toxicities of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred at the second planned dose of 450 mg/m 2 /week after accrual of only six patients, resulting in a MTD of 300 mg/m 2 /week. Myelosuppression and skin desquamation were commonly observed. Actuarial rates of local-regional control were 100%, 50%, and 90% at 2 years for the gemcitabine with radiotherapy, radiotherapy alone, and excision followed by radiotherapy groups, respectively ( p  = 0.105). The difference among the Kaplan–Meier curves for overall local-regional control was statistically significant at p  = 0.007 in favor of combined gemcitabine and radiotherapy. The MTD of gemcitabine is 300 mg/m 2 /week when gemcitabine is delivered concurrently with radiotherapy for unresectable chest wall failures. This novel approach suggests excellent local-regional control when compared to historical controls. A phase II trial is warranted. Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75565/1/j.1075-122X.2004.21305.x.pd

CRISPR/Cas9-Induced fad2 and rod1 Mutations Stacked With fae1 Confer High Oleic Acid Seed Oil in Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.)

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is being domesticated as an oilseed cash cover crop to be grown in the off-season throughout temperate regions of the world. With its diploid genome and ease of directed mutagenesis using molecular approaches, pennycress seed oil composition can be rapidly tailored for a plethora of food, feed, oleochemical and fuel uses. Here, we utilized Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology to produce knockout mutations in the FATTY ACID DESATURASE2 (FAD2) and REDUCED OLEATE DESATURATION1 (ROD1) genes to increase oleic acid content. High oleic acid (18:1) oil is valued for its oxidative stability that is superior to the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) linoleic (18:2) and linolenic (18:3), and better cold flow properties than the very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) erucic (22:1). When combined with a FATTY ACID ELONGATION1 (fae1) knockout mutation, fad2 fae1 and rod1 fae1 double mutants produced ∼90% and ∼60% oleic acid in seed oil, respectively, with PUFAs in fad2 fae1 as well as fad2 single mutants reduced to less than 5%. MALDI-MS spatial imaging analyses of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species in wild-type pennycress embryo sections from mature seeds revealed that erucic acid is highly enriched in cotyledons which serve as storage organs, suggestive of a role in providing energy for the germinating seedling. In contrast, PUFA-containing TAGs are enriched in the embryonic axis, which may be utilized for cellular membrane expansion during seed germination and seedling emergence. Under standard growth chamber conditions, rod1 fae1 plants grew like wild type whereas fad2 single and fad2 fae1 double mutant plants exhibited delayed growth and overall reduced heights and seed yields, suggesting that reducing PUFAs below a threshold in pennycress had negative physiological effects. Taken together, our results suggest that combinatorial knockout of ROD1 and FAE1 may be a viable route to commercially increase oleic acid content in pennycress seed oil whereas mutations in FAD2 will likely require at least partial function to avoid fitness trade-offs

Recalled treatment by parents among college males and blood pressure- levels vs. variability

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31972/1/0000014.pd

The Decomposition of YBa₂Cu₃O₇₋δ Doped into Ba₂YRuO₆

One of the persistent criticisms of claims for observation of superconductivity in Ba2YRu1−uCuuO6 (O6) is that the diamagnetism is actually due to the decomposition of the material into YBa2Cu3O7−delta and other phases. We report a series of experiments in which YBa2Cu3O7−delta is doped into Ba2YRuO6 and carried through a series of sintering steps which were followed by magnetization, neutron diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy/microprobe measurements. It was found that the dopant YBa2Cu3O7−delta decomposed and failed to reform with cooling. It is concluded that the O6 phase is the stable high-temperature phase. The Cu released from the Y123 decomposition doped the host Ba2YRuO6, in partial substitution for Ru. This doping resulted in a small diamagnetic response with an onset temperature of ~84 K

Association of chromosome 22q11 deletion with isolated anomalies of aortic arch laterality and branching

AbstractOBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of chromosome 22q11 deletions in patients with isolated anomalies of the aortic arch and its branches.BACKGROUNDChromosome 22q11 deletions are often present in patients with certain forms of congenital cardiovascular disease, including tetralogy of Fallot, truncus arteriosus and interruption of the aortic arch. Among patients with these anomalies, chromosome 22q11 deletion is more common in those with abnormal aortic arch laterality or branching.METHODSWe studied 66 patients with isolated anomalies of the aortic arch and no associated intracardiac defects for deletions within chromosome 22q11, using fluorescence in situ hybridization with the cosmid probe N25 (D22S75). Arch anomalies included: double aortic arch (n = 22); right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery (n = 28); right aortic arch with mirror-image branching and a vascular ring formed by a left-sided ductus from the descending aorta (n = 5); right aortic arch with mirror-image branching and no vascular ring (n = 4); and left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery (n = 7). In addition, four patients had a cervical aortic arch, four had aortic coarctation and six had hypoplasia/atresia of the proximal pulmonary arteries.RESULTSChromosome 22q11 deletions were found in 16 patients (24%) across the full spectrum of anomalies studied. Among the morphologic variables analyzed, only hypoplasia/atresia of the proximal pulmonary arteries correlated with the deletion (p = 0.03). Among patients with a double arch, the frequency of chromosome 22q11 deletion was higher in those with an atretic minor arch than it was in those with a patent minor arch (p = 0.02).CONCLUSIONSChromosome 22q11 deletion is associated with isolated anomalies of laterality or branching of the aortic arch in 24% of cases in our series. These findings should alert the clinician to consider deletion screening in patients with isolated anomalies of the aortic arch

Why the idea of framework propositions cannot contribute to an understanding of delusions

One of the tasks that recent philosophy of psychiatry has taken upon itself is to extend the range of understanding to some of those aspects of psychopathology that Jaspers deemed beyond its limits. Given the fundamental difficulties of offering a literal interpretation of the contents of primary delusions, a number of alternative strategies have been put forward including regarding them as abnormal versions of framework propositions described by Wittgenstein in On Certainty. But although framework propositions share some of the apparent epistemic features of primary delusions, their role in partially constituting the sense of inquiry rules out their role in helping to understand delusions