A critical review of transhumanism: right to vulnerability in the Christian hope

El transhumanismo, y su posición más extrema posthumana, se ha convertido en los últimos tiempos en una de las claves para desentrañar el paradigma cultural en el que se juega la vida social, no ya del futuro, sino del presente. A pesar de la complejidad del debate y la variedad y divergencias de posiciones, en el origen del transhumanismo hemos detectado una pretensión que no es meramente científica, sino también religiosa: La pretensión de la salvación del hombre. La crítica que le realizamos se sostiene en el Derecho a la vulnerabilidad, raíz de la civilización que logrado condensar en los Derechos Humanos lo más propio del hombre: su razón y su libertad.Transhumanism, and its most extreme post-human position, has recently become one of the keys to unraveling the cultural paradigm in which social life is played, now and in the future. The complexity of the debate and the variety and divergence of positions, at the origin of transhumanism we have detected a claim that is not merely scientific, but also religious: The pretense of the salvation of man. The criticism we make is based on the Right to Vulnerability, the root of civilization that managed to condense into Human Rights the most characteristic of man: his reason and his freedom

Hamster-to-rat heart and liver xenotransplantation with FK506 plus antiproliferative drugs

Heterotopic hamster hearts transplanted to unmodified LEW rats underwent humoral rejection in 3 days. Survival was prolonged to a median of 4 days with 2 mg/kg/day FK506. As monotherapy, 15 mg/kg/day cyclophosphamide greatly prolonged graft survival-far more than could be accomplished with RS-61443, brequinar (BQR), mizoribine, methotrexate, or deoxyspergualin. However, when FK506 treatment, which was ineffective alone, was combined with a short induction course (14 or 30 days) of subtherapeutic BQR, RS-61443, or cyclophosphamide, routine survival of heart xenografts was possible for as long as the daily FK506 was continued. In addition, a single large dose of 80 mg/kg cyclophosphamide 10 days preoperatively allowed routine cardiac xenograft survival under FK506. The ability of these antimetabolites to unmask the therapeutic potential of FK506 correlated, although imperfectly, with the prevention of rises of preformed heterospecific cytotoxic antibodies immediately postoperatively. As an adjunct to FK506, azathioprine was of marginal value, whereas mizoribine, methotrexate, and deoxyspergualin (DSPG) were of intermediate efficacy. After orthotopic hepatic xenotransplantation, the perioperative survival of the liver with its well-known resistance to antibodies was less dependent than the heart on the antimetabolite component of the combined drug therapy, but the unsatisfactory results with monotherapy of FK506, BQR, RS-61443, or cyclophosphamide were changed to routine success by combining continuous FK506 with a short course of any of the other drugs. Thus, by breaking down the antibody barrier to xenotransplantation with these so-called antiproliferative drugs, it has been possible with FK506 to transplant heart and liver xenografts with consistent long-term survival of healthy recipients

Effect of visual feedback on the occipital-parietal-motor network in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is an elusive phenomenon that debilitates a large number of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients regardless of stage of disease, medication status, or deep brain stimulation implantation. Sensory feedback cues, especially visual feedback cues, have been shown to alleviate FOG episodes or even prevent episodes from occurring. Here, we examine cortical information flow between occipital, parietal, and motor areas during the pre-movement stage of gait in a PD-with-FOG patient that had a strong positive behavioral response to visual cues, one PD-with-FOG patient without any behavioral response to visual cues, and age-matched healthy controls, before and after training with visual feedback. Results for this case study show differences in cortical information flow between the responding PD-with-FOG patient and the other two subject types, notably, an increased information flow in the beta range. Tentatively suggesting the formation of an alternative cortical sensory-motor pathway during training with visual feedback, these results are proposed as subject for further verification employing larger cohorts of patients

Universal magnetic and structural behaviors in the iron arsenides

Commonalities among the order parameters of the ubiquitous antiferromagnetism present in the parent compounds of the iron arsenide high temperature superconductors are explored. Additionally, comparison is made between the well established two-dimensional Heisenberg-Ising magnet, K$_2$NiF$_4$ and iron arsenide systems residing at a critical point whose structural and magnetic phase transitions coincide. In particular, analysis is presented regarding two distinct classes of phase transition behavior reflected in the development of antiferromagnetic and structural order in the three main classes of iron arsenide superconductors. Two distinct universality classes are mirrored in their magnetic phase transitions which empirically are determined by the proximity of the coupled structural and magnetic phase transitions in these materials.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Asset accumulation strategies in 3 new settlement Missouri communities

"'Recent developments in the cultural identity literature can help us to move beyond a deficits approach to viewing culture not an obstacle but as a resource from which individuals draw to create strategies to function in various domains in society (Berry 2003). This approach shifts our attention to looking at what the newcomers offer and leads us to ponder how we can engage them in the future development and prosperity of the new settlement communities.' (Asset Accumulation Strategies, 2006) Vision - Newcomers and their families integrated to their new settlement communities; Thriving communities; Pluralism"--Premise.Includes bibliographical references

Asset accumulation strategies in 3 new settlement Missouri communities

"'Recent developments in the cultural identity literature can help us to move beyond a deficits approach to viewing culture not an obstacle but as a resource from which individuals draw to create strategies to function in various domains in society (Berry 2003). This approach shifts our attention to looking at what the newcomers offer and leads us to ponder how we can engage them in the future development and prosperity of the new settlement communities.' (Asset Accumulation Strategies, 2006) Vision - Newcomers and their families integrated to their new settlement communities; Thriving communities; Pluralism"--Premise.Includes bibliographical references