Factors leading visionary entrepreneurial laity to start new ministries

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1503/thumbnail.jp

Explosive Remnants of War: A Deadly Threat to Refugees

The deadly legacy of explosive remnants of war (ERW), including landmines, improvised explosive devices (IED) and unexploded ordnance (UXO) is increasingly a threat to refugee populations, economic migrants and internally displaced persons (IDP) in countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia

Values and recovery in forensic mental health

Background: Strength-based approaches to working with Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDOs) move from a focus on mental disorder and risk to a wider consideration of the individual that considers their strengths, personal priorities and competencies. There is an increasing emphasis on values and recovery in health and forensic mental health services. This represents a shift in perspective from a deficit focus to an abilities focus. There is however a paucity of research into values and strength-based approaches. This thesis portfolio aims to contribute to this area of research. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to review strengthbased approaches for mentally disordered offenders in forensic mental health settings. Four databases (MELINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE and SCOPUS) were searched and 10 studies were included in the review. The outcomes measures in the included studies were recovery, quality of life, violence/risk, recidivism, mental health symptoms, therapeutic milieu, and engagement. In the empirical study, a Grounded Theory Methods was used to build a theory of values of men in a medium secure unit who have offended. Interviews were conducted with nine inpatients in a Scottish medium secure unit. Results: The findings of the systematic review, although limited, suggest that a strength-based approach will facilitate outcomes in quality of life, recovery, mental health symptoms, violence, risk, recidivism, and engagement. Limited evidence was found and there was also a lack of consistent findings. Further consideration of the long-term impact of such an approach and further high-quality research is needed to establish the effectiveness of strength-based approaches. In the empirical paper, a model of values in mentally disordered offenders was produced. The expressed values of MDOs were made up four separate categories relating to: (1.) connecting with others; (2.) living a healthy life; (3.) being productive and contributing; and (4.) having agency and being in control. As part of the model, a consideration is given to the development of values throughout life and the barriers and opportunities that impact on an individual’s life and the impact that has on values. Conclusions: The findings of this thesis indicate that there is a benefit to using strength-based and values informed approaches to working with mentally disordered offenders. The findings of this research support the view that mentally disordered offenders share similar values to non-offenders. Further research is needed, to be able to clearly support the effectiveness of strength-based approaches and also to evaluate the use of values to guide clinical care and treatment

Epigenetic programming of pediatric high-grade glioma: Pushing beyond proof of concept to clinical benefit

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) are a molecularly diverse group of malignancies, each incredibly aggressive and in dire need of treatment advancements. Genomic analysis has revolutionized our understanding of these tumors, identifying biologically relevant subgroups with differing canonical mutational profiles that vary based on tumor location and age. In particular, the discovery of recurrent histone H3 mutations (H3K27M in diffuse midline glioma, H3G34R/V in hemispheric pediatric high-grade gliomas) as unique “oncohistone” drivers revealed epigenetic dysregulation as a hallmark of pediatric high-grade gliomas oncogenesis. While reversing this signature through epigenetic programming has proven effective in several pre-clinical survival models, early results from pediatric high-grade gliomas clinical trials suggest that epigenetic modifier monotherapy will likely not provide long-term disease control. In this review we summarize the genetic, epigenetic, and cellular heterogeneity of pediatric high-grade gliomas, and highlight potential paths forward for epigenetic programming in this devastating disease

Household Pesticides and the Risk of Wilms Tumor

BACKGROUND: Previous epidemiologic studies have suggested that exposure to pesticides in utero and during early childhood may increase the risk for development of childhood cancer, including Wilms tumor, a childhood kidney tumor. OBJECTIVES: In this analysis we evaluated the role of residential pesticide exposure in relation to the risk of Wilms tumor in children using data from a North American case–control study. METHODS: The National Wilms Tumor Study Group (NWTSG) collected information on exposure to residential pesticides from the month before pregnancy through the diagnosis reference date using detailed phone interviews from 523 case mothers and 517 controls frequency matched on child’s age and geographic region and identified by list-assisted random digit dialing. Pesticides were grouped according to type of pesticide and where they were used. RESULTS: A slightly increased risk of Wilms tumor was found among children of mothers who reported insecticide use [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–1.8; adjusted for education, income, and the matching variables]. Results from all other categories of pesticides were generally close to the null. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the largest case–control study of Wilms tumor to date. We were unable to confirm earlier reports of an increased risk for Wilms tumor among those exposed to residential pesticides during pregnancy through early childhood

Iron-catalysed alkene and heteroarene H/D exchange by reversible protonation of iron-hydride intermediates

C–H functionalisation reactions offer a sustainable method for molecular construction and diversification. These reactions however remain dominated by precious metal catalysis. While significant interest in iron-catalysed C–H activation reactions has emerged, the isolation, characterisation and mechanistic understanding of these processes remain lacking. Herein the iron-catalysed C(sp(2))–H bond hydrogen/deuterium exchange reaction using CD(3)OD is reported for both heterocycles and, for the first time, alkenes (38 examples). Isolation and characterisation, including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, of the key iron-aryl and iron-alkenyl C–H metallation intermediates provided evidence for a reversible protonation of the active iron hydride catalyst. Good chemoselectivity was observed for both substrate classes. The developed procedure is orthogonal to previous iron-catalysed H/D exchange methods which used C(6)D(6), D(2), or D(2)O as the deuterium source, and uses only bench-stable reagents, including the iron(ii) pre-catalyst. Further, a new mechanism of iron-hydride formation is reported in which β-hydride elimination from an alcohol generates the iron hydride. The ability to produce, isolate and characterise the organometallic products arising from C–H activation presents a basis for future discovery and development

The Unmaking of Marx’s Capital: Heinrich’s Attempt to Eliminate Marx’s Crisis Theory

Michael Heinrich’s recent Monthly Review article claims that the law of the tendential fall in the rate of profit (LTFRP) was not proved by Marx and cannot be proved. Heinrich also argues that Marx had doubts about the law and that, for this and other reasons, his theory of capitalist economic crisis was only provisional and more or less in continual flux. This response shows that Heinrich’s elementary misunderstanding of the law––his belief that it is meant to predict what must inevitably happen rather than to explain what does happen––is the source of his charge that it is unproved. It then shows that a simple misreading of Marx’s text lies at the basis of Heinrich’s claim that the simplest version of the LTFRP, “the law as such,” is a failure. Marx’s argument that increases in the rate of surplus-value cannot “cancel” the fall in the rate of profit is then defended against Heinrich’s attempt to refute it. Finally, the paper presents evidence that Marx was indeed convinced that the LTFRP is correct and that he regarded the crisis theory of volume 3 of Capital as finished in a theoretical sense

The Unmaking of Marx’s Capital: Heinrich’s Attempt to Eliminate Marx’s Crisis Theory

Michael Heinrich’s recent Monthly Review article claims that the law of the tendential fall in the rate of profit (LTFRP) was not proved by Marx and cannot be proved. Heinrich also argues that Marx had doubts about the law and that, for this and other reasons, his theory of capitalist economic crisis was only provisional and more or less in continual flux. This response shows that Heinrich’s elementary misunderstanding of the law––his belief that it is meant to predict what must inevitably happen rather than to explain what does happen––is the source of his charge that it is unproved. It then shows that a simple misreading of Marx’s text lies at the basis of Heinrich’s claim that the simplest version of the LTFRP, “the law as such,” is a failure. Marx’s argument that increases in the rate of surplus-value cannot “cancel” the fall in the rate of profit is then defended against Heinrich’s attempt to refute it. Finally, the paper presents evidence that Marx was indeed convinced that the LTFRP is correct and that he regarded the crisis theory of volume 3 of Capital as finished in a theoretical sense