Buddhist mysticism and philosophy

The contemplative traditions of all the mayor religions have struggled with the relationship between the true Self and the ego-self and with the interior and exterior of Reality. Most wisdom teachings, at one stage or the other, have rejected the ego, thoughts or personality as a case of mistaken identity and the ‘world’ as an illusion. The True Self is the one who witnesses or observes everything and who cannot be identified with the observed.Book review : Turning-points in Buddhist mysticism and philosophy / Jacobus S. Kruger. ISBN: 978-0-6203-9731-5. Publisher: Aurora Press, New Mexico, pp. 192.http://www.hts.org.zahb201

Carbapenem-Resistant, Gram-Negative Bacilli: The State of the Art. The State of the Art

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a complex and longstanding process that has gathered much attention by outpacing the discovery and development of new antibiotics. Among Gram-negative bacilli, resistance has been progressive and unremitting in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In particular, the spread of carbapenem-resistant, Gram-negative bacilli during the last decade has escalated worldwide, resulting in severe infections, some of which respond to only a few therapeutic options. Often viewed as last-resort antibiotics, carbapenems are rendered inactive against bacteria via the production of carbapenem-hydrolyzing enzymes, utilization of impermeable cell wall porins, active expulsion of carbapenem molecules by efflux pumps, production of mutant penicillin-binding proteins, or a combination. This chapter describes the mechanisms and epidemiology of resistance to carbapenems in Gram-negative pathogens. It also sheds a light on laboratory detection of these pathogens and presents available control and therapeutic options for their containment

Metal biosorption onto dry biomass of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis and Chlorella vulgaris: Multi-metal systems

Binary and ternary systems of Ni2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ were investigated at initial metal concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM as competitive adsorbates using Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris as biosorbents. The experimental results were evaluated in terms of equilibrium sorption capacity and metal removal efficiency and fitted to the multi-component Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The pseudo second order model of Ho and McKay described well the adsorption kinetics, and the FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed metal binding to both biomasses. Ni2+ and Zn2+ interference on Pb2+ sorption was lower than the contrary, likely due to biosorbent preference to Pb. In general, the higher the total initial metal concentration, the lower the adsorption capacity. The results of this study demonstrated that dry biomass of C. vulgaris behaved as better biosorbent than A. platensis and suggest its use as an effective alternative sorbent for metal removal from wastewater. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior [0252/10-7, 0304/10-7

How to detect carbapenemase producers? A literature review of phenotypic and molecular methods

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. This review describes the current state-of-art of carbapenemase detection methods. Identification of carbapenemases is first based on conventional phenotypic tests including antimicrobial susceptibility testing, modified-Hodge test and carbapenemase-inhibitor culture tests. Second, molecular characterization of carbapenemase genes by PCR sequencing is essential. Third, innovative biochemical and spectrometric detection may be applied

The development of the human consciousness : can a ‘postmodern church’ accommodate ‘mythology’? Ken Wilber’s contribution to pastoral care

Hierdie artikel is ‘n verwerking van ‘n deel van I.W. Ferreira se MTh verhandeling getiteld ‘Die relevansie van Ken Wilber se integrale ontwikkelingsteorie vir die pastoraat’ onder studieleiding van prof. dr Yolanda Dreyer, voorgelê en aanvaar in Augustus 2008 deur die Departement Praktiese Teologie, Fakulteit Teologie, Universiteit van Pretoria.Postmodern theologians like Hal Taussig are not very optimistic about the future of Christianity. To them, the theistic (mythological) understanding of God is of little use in the postmodern world of the 21st century. Taussig prefers the grassroots Christianity, which has room for persons of all sexual orientations, and advocates ecological sensitivity. The question is: What do the followers of this spirituality teach their children about God? The solution is what Wilber calls ‘the conveyer belt’ and God’s ‘Kosmic address’. Everyone starts at square one, ‘traditional’ and grassroots Christians alike, and move along this conveyer belt. Along the way, there are seven stages and three perspectives, i.e. the first, second and third-person perspective, through which human consciousness could evolve. That means that any given person could have one of 21 different possible understandings and experiences of God. A questionnaire could assist pastors to determine at which stage or level of evolution an individual is, as well as the ‘Kosmic address’ that God has for that individual. Through spiritual exercises, pastors could then support the individual’s further growth towards mature human consciousness

Seeking God's shalom in South African cities through a new glocal togetherness

The objective of this article is to clearly reflect the reality of our modern world experiencing the convergence of two mighty movements meeting and flowing into each other. The first stream is the tidal wave of people migrating to the urban centres of our globalising world. The second stream is the result of a massive shift in the centre of Christianity away from its traditional rootedness in Western Christendom. The biggest challenge of our time is for this Christian Church, still stuck in the prevailing Christendom paradigm, to wake up to and actively engage this new post-Christendom context. This article would like to draw specific attention to the South African context where the traditional Western and now developing Southern Christianity find a common Developing World intersection. As �pilgrims or exiles� that is facing a strange and confronting new world, the Western Church should accept the new missiological challenge that globalisation and urbanisation presents. The Western Church must heed a very urgent call to stay relevant and be actively involved in God�s global missio Dei currently unfolding in our world. The only way for the Christian Church to be local instruments of God�s Kingdom in a new urban world, is to actively seek a new glocal togetherness.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The Western theological academy needs to urgently engage the social sciences in order to cooperate and collaborate in all areas of urban and social development, urban planning, community development and even urban advocacy for the needs of the urban poor and marginalised. The Christian Church, as God�s �missionary people�, is Biblically mandated and spiritually equipped to be actively involved in the urban challenges that globalisation and urbanisation present.</p

Die ontwikkeling van die menslike bewussyn: Die postmoderne vraag na God

The development of the human consciousness: The postmodern quest for God This article critically reflects upon ‘emerging Christians’ – those who have departed from a premodern (theistic) and modernist (secular) view of reality, and have rather embraced postmodernity in response to the cognitive dissonance they experience due to a clash of epistemological paradigms. The article discusses psychological theories on the development of human consciousness, and describes seven levels or stages of such development, namely the archaic, magical, mythological, rational, pluralistic, holistic and transpersonal levels. The article focuses on Ken Wilber’s integral psychological theory, better known as AQAL (All Quadrants, All Levels and All Lines), which also covers the internal and external dimensions of human consciousness, including an integral view on the so-called ‘states of human consciousness’. In doing so, the article aims to contribute to that aspect of pastoral care that focuses on psychological theory

Development of Algorithm Using Fuzzy Logic to Predict Estrus in Dairy Cows: Part I

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Development of Algorithm Using Fuzzy Logic to Predict Estrus in Dairy Cows: Part I. Manuscript IT 06 004. Vol. IX. September, 2007

The development of the human consciousness : theories of the development of human consciousness – discovering the ‘mystery of the soul’

A number of theories on the development of human consciousness have tried to incorporate all views on the subject into one integral theory. However, Ken Wilber is the first philosopher who managed to combine the external with the internal fields of study. Using Wilber’s integral theory, a number of researchers developed their own theories in their field of speciality. Jim Marion used Wilber’s development theory to show the evolution of consciousness from a Christian perspective. Steve McIntosh, an integral philosopher, takes Wilber’s ideas further, and even criticises him on a few points. Another important researcher following Wilber is Andre Marquis, who developed an integral questionnaire to help pastors gauge clients’ problems. James Fowler, Clare Graves and Bill Plotkin also researched the evolution of human consciousness. This article examines each of these researchers, and concludes with a glance at several viewpoints on the soul and the mystical union with God

Buddhist mysticism and philosophy

The contemplative traditions of all the mayor religions have struggled with the relationship between the true Self and the ego-self and with the interior and exterior of Reality. Most wisdom teachings, at one stage or the other, have rejected the ego, thoughts or personality as a case of mistaken identity and the ‘world’ as an illusion. The True Self is the one who witnesses or observes everything and who cannot be identified with the observed.Book review : Turning-points in Buddhist mysticism and philosophy / Jacobus S. Kruger. ISBN: 978-0-6203-9731-5. Publisher: Aurora Press, New Mexico, pp. 192.http://www.hts.org.zahb201