The First Three Bibles that Entered the Early Life of Martin Luther

He was surprised that the Bible contained more than the Gospel- and the Epistle-lessons of the church-year. He was pleased with the story of Hanna and Samuel. But he had not had before, nor did he have now or for the next two years, any predilection for the Bible. We know of no instance nor occasion during the years of his adolescence when he ever expressed a desire or eagerness to study the Scriptures

Studying Disability Rhetorically

Produced by Hawai'i University Affiliated Program on Disabilities, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i, Frank Sawyer School of Management, Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts, and School of Social Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas for The Society for Disability Studies

THE INFLUENCE OF TWO DIFFERENT BRACES ON LATERAL PATELLAR DISPLACEMENT – A CADAVERIC STUDY

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) often occurs in young and physically active athletes (Taunton et al., 2002, Adirim & Cheng, 2003).It is generally accepted that a cause of PFPS is a malalignment of the patellofemoral joint. Bracing supply is commonly used for the treatment of PFPS. Several studies have shown that patellar bracing and taping improved PFPS (Lun et al., 2005, Warden et al., 2008). Crossley et al. (2009) found a reduced lateral patellar displacement and a decreased mean pain (mean pain was recorded on a 100 mm visual analog scale during single-leg squats) after patellar taping. A more medial displacement of the patella and a decrease in patellofemoral stress could lead to less patellofemoral pain (Powers et al., 2004). A more medial patellar displacement could result in a more centered patella. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two different braces on the alignment of the patella

In vitro activity of BAY 12-8039, a novel 8-methoxyquinolone, compared to activities of six fluoroquinolones against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis

The in vitro activity of a novel 8-methoxyquinolone, BAY 12-8039, against recent clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 404), Haemophilus influenzae (n = 330), and Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 250) was evaluated. Activity was compared to those of six other fluoroquinolones: ciprofloxacin, clinafloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin and trovafloxacin. BAY 12-8039 and clinafloxacin had the highest levels of activity against S. pneumoniae, both with a MIC at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited (MIC90) of 0.06 microg/ml. Trovafloxacin and sparfloxacin were the next most active agents versus S. pneumoniae (MIC90s = 0.12 microg/ml). No differences in activity against penicillin-susceptible, -intermediate, or -resistant strains of S. pneumoniae were noted for any of the fluoroquinolones tested. MIC90s for the seven fluoroquinolones ranged from 0.008 to 0.06 microg/ml versus H. influenzae and from 0.008 to 0.12 microg/ml for M. catarrhalis. The MICs for two strains of S. pneumoniae and one strain of H. influenzae were noted to be higher than those for the general population of organisms for all of the fluoroquinolones tested. Finally, the activity of BAY 12-8039 versus S. pneumoniae was found to be diminished when MIC determinations were performed with incubation of agar dilution plates or broth microdilution trays in 5 to 7% CO2 versus ambient air

Controlled lasing from active optomechanical resonators

Planar microcavities with distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) host, besides confined optical modes, also mechanical resonances due to stop bands in the phonon dispersion relation of the DBRs. These resonances have frequencies in the sub-terahertz (10E10-10E11 Hz) range with quality factors exceeding 1000. The interaction of photons and phonons in such optomechanical systems can be drastically enhanced, opening a new route toward manipulation of light. Here we implemented active semiconducting layers into the microcavity to obtain a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). Thereby three resonant excitations -photons, phonons, and electrons- can interact strongly with each other providing control of the VCSEL laser emission: a picosecond strain pulse injected into the VCSEL excites long-living mechanical resonances therein. As a result, modulation of the lasing intensity at frequencies up to 40 GHz is observed. From these findings prospective applications such as THz laser control and stimulated phonon emission may emerge

Antimicrobial-drug use and changes in resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to antimicrobial drugs is increasing. To investigate the relationship between antimicrobial use and susceptibility of S. pneumoniae isolates at 24 U.S. medical centers, we obtained data on outpatient antimicrobial-drug use for the regions surrounding 23 of these centers. We found an association between decreased penicillin susceptibility and use of beta-lactam antimicrobial drugs

Retention of gait stability improvements over 1.5 years in older adults:effects of perturbation exposure and triceps surae neuromuscular exercise

The plantarflexors play a crucial role in recovery from sudden disturbances to gait. The objective of this study was to investigate whether medium (months)- or long(years)-term exercise-induced enhancement of triceps surae (TS) neuromuscular capacities affects older adults' ability to retain improvements in reactive gait stability during perturbed walking acquired from perturbation training sessions. Thirty-four adult women (65 +/- 7 yr) were recruited to a perturbation training group (n = 13) or a group that additionally completed 14 wk of TS neuromuscular exercise (n = 21), 12 of whom continued with the exercise for 1.5 yr. The margin of stability (MoS) was analyzed at touchdown of the perturbed step and the first recovery step following eight separate unexpected trip perturbations during treadmill walking. TS muscle-tendon unit mechanical properties and motor skill performance were assessed with ultrasonography and dynamometry. Two perturbation training sessions (baseline and after 14 wk) caused an improvement in the reactive gait stability to the perturbations (increased MoS) in both groups. The perturbation training group retained the reactive gait stability improvements acquired over 14 wk and over 1.5 yr. with a minor decay over time. Despite the improvements in TS capacities in the additional exercise group. no benefits for the reactive gait stability following perturbations were identified. Therefore, older adults' neuromotor system shows rapid plasticity to repeated unexpected perturbations and an ability to retain these adaptations in reactive gait stability over a long time period, but an additional exercise-related enhancement of TS capacities seems not to further improve these effects. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Older adults' neuromotor system shows rapid plasticity to repeated exposure to unexpected perturbations to gait and an ability to retain the majority of these adaptations in reactive recovery responses over a prolonged time period of 1.5 yr. However, an additional exercise-related enhancement of TS neuromuscular capacities is not necessarily transferred to the recovery behavior during unexpected perturbations to gait in older adults

Carbon allocation and carbon isotope fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum: a review

The terrestrial carbon (C) cycle has received increasing interest over the past few decades, however, there is still a lack of understanding of the fate of newly assimilated C allocated within plants and to the soil, stored within ecosystems and lost to the atmosphere. Stable carbon isotope studies can give novel insights into these issues. In this review we provide an overview of an emerging picture of plant-soil-atmosphere C fluxes, as based on C isotope studies, and identify processes determining related C isotope signatures. The first part of the review focuses on isotopic fractionation processes within plants during and after photosynthesis. The second major part elaborates on plant-internal and plant-rhizosphere C allocation patterns at different time scales (diel, seasonal, interannual), including the speed of C transfer and time lags in the coupling of assimilation and respiration, as well as the magnitude and controls of plant-soil C allocation and respiratory fluxes. Plant responses to changing environmental conditions, the functional relationship between the physiological and phenological status of plants and C transfer, and interactions between C, water and nutrient dynamics are discussed. The role of the C counterflow from the rhizosphere to the aboveground parts of the plants, e.g. via CO<sub>2</sub> dissolved in the xylem water or as xylem-transported sugars, is highlighted. The third part is centered around belowground C turnover, focusing especially on above- and belowground litter inputs, soil organic matter formation and turnover, production and loss of dissolved organic C, soil respiration and CO<sub>2</sub> fixation by soil microbes. Furthermore, plant controls on microbial communities and activity via exudates and litter production as well as microbial community effects on C mineralization are reviewed. A further part of the paper is dedicated to physical interactions between soil CO<sub>2</sub> and the soil matrix, such as CO<sub>2</sub> diffusion and dissolution processes within the soil profile. Finally, we highlight state-of-the-art stable isotope methodologies and their latest developments. From the presented evidence we conclude that there exists a tight coupling of physical, chemical and biological processes involved in C cycling and C isotope fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere system. Generally, research using information from C isotopes allows an integrated view of the different processes involved. However, complex interactions among the range of processes complicate or currently impede the interpretation of isotopic signals in CO<sub>2</sub> or organic compounds at the plant and ecosystem level. This review tries to identify present knowledge gaps in correctly interpreting carbon stable isotope signals in the plant-soil-atmosphere system and how future research approaches could contribute to closing these gaps

The employee as 'Dish of the Day’:human resource management and the ethics of consumption

This article examines the ethical implications of the growing integration of consumption into the heart of the employment relationship. Human resource management (HRM) practices increasingly draw upon the values and practices of consumption, constructing employees as the ‘consumers’ of ‘cafeteria-style’ benefits and development opportunities. However, at the same time employees are expected to market themselves as items to be consumed on a corporate menu. In relation to this simultaneous position of consumer/consumed, the employee is expected to actively engage in the commodification of themselves, performing an appropriate organizational identity as a necessary part of being a successful employee. This article argues that the relationship between HRM and the simultaneously consuming/consumed employee affects the conditions of possibility for ethical relations within organizational life. It is argued that the underlying ‘ethos’ for the integration of consumption values into HRM practices encourages a self-reflecting, self-absorbed subject, drawing upon a narrow view of individualised autonomy and choice. Referring to Levinas’ perspective that the primary ethical relation is that of responsibility and openness to the Other, it is concluded that these HRM practices affect the possibility for ethical being

Diclofenac Prolongs Repolarization in Ventricular Muscle with Impaired Repolarization Reserve

Background: The aim of the present work was to characterize the electrophysiological effects of the non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug diclofenac and to study the possible proarrhythmic potency of the drug in ventricular muscle. Methods: Ion currents were recorded using voltage clamp technique in canine single ventricular cells and action potentials were obtained from canine ventricular preparations using microelectrodes. The proarrhythmic potency of the drug was investigated in an anaesthetized rabbit proarrhythmia model. Results: Action potentials were slightly lengthened in ventricular muscle but were shortened in Purkinje fibers by diclofenac (20 mM). The maximum upstroke velocity was decreased in both preparations. Larger repolarization prolongation was observed when repolarization reserve was impaired by previous BaCl 2 application. Diclofenac (3 mg/kg) did not prolong while dofetilide (25 mg/kg) significantly lengthened the QT c interval in anaesthetized rabbits. The addition of diclofenac following reduction of repolarization reserve by dofetilide further prolonged QT c . Diclofenac alone did not induce Torsades de Pointes ventricular tachycardia (TdP) while TdP incidence following dofetilide was 20%. However, the combination of diclofenac and dofetilide significantly increased TdP incidence (62%). In single ventricular cells diclofenac (30 mM) decreased the amplitude of rapid (I Kr ) and slow (I Ks ) delayed rectifier currents thereby attenuating repolarization reserve. L-type calcium current (I Ca ) was slightly diminished, but the transient outward (I to ) and inward rectifier (I K1 ) potassium currents were not influenced. Conclusions: Diclofenac at therapeutic concentrations and even at high dose does not prolong repolarization markedly and does not increase the risk of arrhythmia in normal heart. However, high dose diclofenac treatment may lengthen repolarization and enhance proarrhythmic risk in hearts with reduced repolarization reserve