Good food is good medicine. [Blog post]

The growth of charitable food aid in the UK is a phenomenon that needs deep and persistent questioning. This was the reasoning behind our recent web-based Creative Conversation, and the motivation to co-write this piece as we reflected upon this experience. As the numbers of food banks and emergency food parcels given out have grown alongside the tonnes of surplus food redistributed, food insecurity levels have also increased, telling us, if we are willing to listen, that "food banks are no solution to poverty" and the conflation of the food surplus and food poverty problems must be addressed. This blog post, originally posted on 12 November 2021 and updated on 11 May 2022, reflects the authors conversation with Laura Chalmers as part of the RGU's Creative Conversations: Climate Change 2021 forum, 4-8 October 2021, Aberdeen, UK

Content Presentation and SMS-based E-Government

Bandung, Indonesi

The Cleansing of the Temple in the Fourth Gospel as a call to action for social justice

Historically, there has been the attitude that the writer of the Fourth Gospel, due primarily to his emphasis on the high Christology of Jesus, is uninterested, or even unconcerned, with the issues of social justice. The contention of this study is to show that this is just the opposite. By placing the Temple cleansing episode at the beginning of Jesus\u27 earthly ministry, instead of the end as the Synoptics do, the author of the Fourth Gospel uses Jesus\u27 Temple episode as the vehicle for showing the importance of caring for those in society who have no voice and no future. By considering the social implications of Jesus\u27 actions and the unlikeliness of Jesus surviving anything that looked like an insurrection against Roman rule, this work shows that the author must have had other reasons for leading off Jesus\u27 ministry with an action that would have spelled certain disaster at worst, and severely limiting his ministry\u27s effectiveness at best. After presenting the major obstacles that would have eliminated the possibility of future ministry, this work shows how contemporary believers can reinterpret the actions of Jesus, and the potential intentions of John, as direct evidence that care for the oppressed and marginalized were indeed issues close to the heart of the fourth Gospel\u27s author

Bone Dielectric Property Variation as a Function of Mineralization at Microwave Frequencies

A critical need exists for new imaging tools to more accurately characterize bone quality beyond the conventional modalities of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), ultrasound speed of sound, and broadband attenuation measurements. In this paper we investigate the microwave dielectric properties of ex vivo trabecular bone with respect to bulk density measures. We exploit a variation in our tomographic imaging system in conjunction with a new soft prior regularization scheme that allows us to accurately recover the dielectric properties of small, regularly shaped and previously spatially defined volumes. We studied six excised porcine bone samples from which we extracted cylindrically shaped trabecular specimens from the femoral heads and carefully demarrowed each preparation. The samples were subsequently treated in an acid bath to incrementally remove volumes of hydroxyapatite, and we tested them with both the microwave measurement system and a micro-CT scanner. The measurements were performed at five density levels for each sample. The results show a strong correlation between both the permittivity and conductivity and bone volume fraction and suggest that microwave imaging may be a good candidate for evaluating overall bone health

Ophthalmic manifestations of Cryptococcus gattii species complex: a case series and review of the literature

AIM: To report 4 cases of Cryptococcus gattii (C. gattii) species complex infection with diverse ophthalmic manifestations, and to review the literature to examine pathobiology of disease, classical ophthalmic presentations and outcomes, and treatment modalities for this emerging pathogen. METHODS: Cases of C. gattii meningoencephalitis with ophthalmic manifestations were identified via chart review at two institutions in Australia and one institution in the mid-west region of the United States and are reported as a case series. Additionally, a MEDLINE literature review was conducted to identify all reported cases of C. gattii with ophthalmic manifestations from 1990-2020. Cases were reviewed and tabulated, together with our series of patients, in this report. RESULTS: Four cases of C. gattii with ophthalmic manifestations are presented; three from Australia and one from the USA. A literature review identified a total of 331 cases of C. gattii with visual sequelae. The majority of cases occurred in immunocompetent individuals. Blurred vision and diplopia were the most common presenting symptoms, with papilloedema the most common sign, reported in 10%-50% of cases. Visual loss was reported in 10%-53% of cases, as compared to rates of visual loss of 1%-9% in C. neoformans infection. Elevated intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fungal burden, and abnormal neurological exam at presentation correlated with poor visual outcomes. The mainstays of treatment are anti-fungal agents and aggressive management of intracranial hypertension with serial lumbar punctures. CSF diversion procedures should be considered for refractory cases. Acetazolamide and mannitol are associated with high complication rates, and adjuvant corticosteroids have demonstrated higher mortality rates; these treatments should be avoided. CONCLUSION: Permanent visual loss represents a devastating yet potentially preventable sequelae of C. gattii infection. Intracranial hypertension needs to be recognised early and aggressively managed. Referral to an ophthalmologist/neuro-ophthalmologist in all cases of cryptococcal infection independent of visual symptoms at time of diagnosis is recommended