Varia Americana and race:Kuyper as antagonist and protagonist

This article explores the place of African Americans in the account of Abraham Kuyper’s 1898 American séjour found in his untranslated text Varia Americana. Utilizing Wellman’s Portraits of White Racism, its working definition of racism includes both intentional and unintentional acts that support a prejudicial racial status quo. In that light, Kuyper’s text is read as intentionally critiquing American society as racist, while also unintentionally furthering the narrative that maintained the racism he wished to condemn. As such, the article aims to prompt more nuanced engagement with the ‘deep logic’ of Kuyper’s thought, in order to aid his later inheritors in their task of reading Kuyper against himself on the topic of race.</jats:p

Some benefits of going organic: Herman Bavinck’s theology of the visible church

The thought of the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) has aroused a great deal of interest of late as a result of the publication of a newly-translated English edition of his magisterial Reformed Dogmatics. James Eglinton’s study of his doctrine of the Church comes as a timely reminder that it is possible to maintain the essential balance in ecclesiological thinking between the visible and invisible Church in a creative way

Scientific Theology? Herman Bavinck and Adolf Schlatter on the Place of Theology in the University

Abstract This article, primarily historical in focus, explores the contributions of Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) and Adolf Schlatter (1852-1938) to discussion on the place of theology within the university. Schlatter’s belief that theology is a science belonging within the academy is explored via his debate with Paul Jäger on the possibility of ‘atheistic theology’. Bavinck’s similar convictions, it is seen, were formed in response to the Higher Education Act (1876), a piece of legislation which sought to marginalise theology in a Dutch academic context. The article concludes by tentatively encouraging twenty-first century theology to see itself as a necessary subject (on the grounds of its divine object and power to bring coherence among the sciences) within the contemporary university. </jats:sec

Herman Bavinck's 'My Journey to America'

This travel account was written in 1892 by Herman Bavinck, then professor of systematic theology at the Theological School in Kampen, following a séjour in North America. His account of this trip deals with (i) land and nature, (ii) American culture (intentionally viewed from the bottom), (iii) towns and cities, (iv) houses and home life, (v) the character of the inhabitants, and the (vi) social, (vii) moral, and (viii) religious lives of late nineteenth century Americans

Lipid biomarkers in Symbiodinium dinoflagellates : new indicators of thermal stress

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2013. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Coral Reefs 32 (2013): 923-934, doi:10.1007/s00338-013-1076-3.Lipid content and fatty acid profiles of corals and their dinoflagellate endosymbionts are known to vary in response to high temperature stress. To better understand the heat stress response in these symbionts, we investigated cultures of Symbiodinium goreauii type C1 and Symbiodinium clade subtype D1 grown under a range of temperatures and durations. The predominant lipids produced by Symbiodinium are palmitic (C16) and stearic (C18) saturated fatty acids and their unsaturated analogs, docosahexaenoic (C22:6, n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and a variety of sterols. The relative amount of unsaturated acids within the C18 fatty acids in Symbiodinium tissue decreases in response to thermal stress. Prolonged exposure to high temperature also causes a decrease in abundance of fatty acids relative to sterols. These shifts in fatty acids and sterols are common to both types C1 and D1, but the apparent thermal threshold of lipid changes is lower for type C1. This work indicates that ratios among free fatty acids and sterols in Symbiodinium can be used as sensitive indicators of thermal stress. If the Symbdionium lipid stress response is unchanged in hospite, the algal heat stress biomarkers we have identified could be measured to detect thermal stress within the coral holobiont.. These results provide new insights into the potential role of lipids in the overall Symbiodinium thermal stress response.This research was supported by Award No. USA 00002 to K. Hughen made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).2014-12-0

Oscillometric central blood pressure and central systolic loading in stroke patients:Short-term reproducibility and effects of posture and fasting state

Background This study examined the short-Term reproducibility of non-invasive estimates of central and peripheral blood pressure and markers of central systolic loading (augmentation index [AIx; a measure of central systolic loading] and AIx75 [AIx standardised to 75 b ·min-1 heart rate]) and the effect of posture and fasting state on these variables in patients with acute stroke. Methods Twenty-Two acute stroke patients (72 ± 10y) had blood pressure measured using the SphygmoCor XCEL in supine and seated postures and whilst fasted and non-fasted. Results Acceptable short-Term reproducibility (ICC &gt;0.75) was reported for all peripheral and central variables in all conditions (ICC = 0.77-0.90) and for AIx and AIx75 in both fasted postures (ICC = 0.78-0.81). Food consumption significantly lowered all blood pressures (p &lt;0.05; η2; p = 0.20-0.55). The seated posture resulted in a significantly greater AIx than supine (p &lt;0.05; η2; p = 0.22). Fasting state had significant main effects on AIx and AIx75 (p &lt;0.05; η2; p = 0.14-0.22). Conslusions Oscillometric estimates of central blood pressure have high short-Term reproducibility in different postures and fasting states but markers of systolic load should be assessed whilst fasted. Fasting state has a large effect on central and peripheral blood pressures and on measures of systolic loading. It is important for clinicians to be aware of optimal assessment conditions without this impacting on patient wellbeing. Trial registration Clinical trial registry name: NCT02537652.</p

Oscillometric central blood pressure and central systolic loading in stroke patients:Short-term reproducibility and effects of posture and fasting state

<div><p>Background</p><p>This study examined the short-term reproducibility of non-invasive estimates of central and peripheral blood pressure and markers of central systolic loading (augmentation index [AIx; a measure of central systolic loading] and AIx75 [AIx standardised to 75 b·min^-1 heart rate]) and the effect of posture and fasting state on these variables in patients with acute stroke.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Twenty-two acute stroke patients (72 ± 10y) had blood pressure measured using the SphygmoCor XCEL in supine and seated postures and whilst fasted and non-fasted.</p><p>Results</p><p>Acceptable short-term reproducibility (ICC >0.75) was reported for all peripheral and central variables in all conditions (ICC = 0.77–0.90) and for AIx and AIx75 in both fasted postures (ICC = 0.78–0.81). Food consumption significantly lowered all blood pressures (<i>p</i> <0.05; η²_p = 0.20–0.55). The seated posture resulted in a significantly greater AIx than supine (<i>p</i> <0.05; η²_p = 0.22). Fasting state had significant main effects on AIx and AIx75 (<i>p</i> <0.05; η²_p = 0.14–0.22).</p><p>Conslusions</p><p>Oscillometric estimates of central blood pressure have high short-term reproducibility in different postures and fasting states but markers of systolic load should be assessed whilst fasted. Fasting state has a large effect on central and peripheral blood pressures and on measures of systolic loading. It is important for clinicians to be aware of optimal assessment conditions without this impacting on patient wellbeing.</p><p>Trial registration</p><p><b>Clinical trial registry name</b>: <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02537652" target="_blank">NCT02537652</a>.</p></div