274 research outputs found
Physical and symbolic geography: Constructions of space and early christian identities
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher.A link with a homeland, whether physical or symbolic, is often seen as characteristic of
ethnic groups, and a contrast is therefore commonly drawn between Jewish ethnic
particularism, tied to a particular land, and Christian universalism, that has no such
territorial connections. After briefly outlining some examples, particularly from Philo
and Josephus, that illustrate the diversity of Jewish perspectives on homeland, the focus
turns to the construction of space and geographical ideology in two New Testament
authors: Paul and Hebrews. Here we find topocentric constructions of space that give
Jerusalem a central place, and indicate ongoing âsymbolic attachmentâ to this
âhomeland.âArts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC
The moral vision of the Bible: a New Testament approach
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Brill via the DOI in this recordâŻThe title given to this essay is that originally allocated by the organizers of the seminar in which it was presented, and it makes a deliberate allusion to the title of Richard Haysâ magnum opus The Moral Vision of the New Testament, sub-titled A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. Indeed, Richard Hays was originally scheduled to present a paper under this title, but was un-fortunately prevented from doing so by illness. I mention these aspects of the essayâs Vorgeschichte because they are crucial to its aims and scope. My overall aim is to outline the methodological foundations for one approach to New Testament ethics, and to illustrate that approach in practice by drawing on my own collaborative work connecting biblical exegesis and ecological ethics. I begin by outlining the approach taken by Hays in his landmark work, in order to establish some of the key concerns central to discussing âthe moral vision of the Bible,â and also to distinguish my own approach through a critical dialogue with Hays. After a discussion of Haysâ book, I present these constructive methodological proposals, before finally illustrating their practical application in ecological interpretation. It should, I hope, go without sayingâand be clear from the tone of my discussionâthat this engagement with Hays presumes the importance and value of his work, and engages this work in critical conversation precisely because of its significance. Haysâ work is also important as a benchmark for comparison because of the space it gives, unlike many works on New Testament ethics, to issues of methodology, hermeneutics, and con-temporary application
UV-Independent Induction of Beta Defensin 3 in Neonatal Human Skin Explants
In order to determine the effect of UV radiation on β-defensin 3 (BD3) expression in human skin, freshly-isolated UV-naïve skin was obtained from newborn male infants undergoing planned circumcision. Skin explants sustained ex vivo dermis side down on RPMI media were exposed to 0.5 kJ/m2 UVB, and biopsies were taken from the explant through 72 hours after radiation. mRNA expression was measured by qRTPCR and normalized to TATA-binding protein. BD3 expression at each time point was compared with an untreated control taken at time 0 within each skin sample. Extensive variability in both the timing and magnitude of BD3 induction across individuals was noted and was not predicted by skin pigment phenotype, suggesting that BD3 induction was not influenced by epidermal melanization. However, a mock-irradiated time course demonstrated UV-independent BD3 mRNA increases across multiple donors which was not further augmented by treatment with UV radiation, suggesting that factors other than UV damage promoted increased BD3 expression in the skin explants. We conclude that BD3 expression is induced in a UV-independent manner in human skin explants processed and maintained in standard culture conditions, and that neonatal skin explants are an inappropriate model with which to study the effects of UV on BD3 induction in whole human skin
Melanocortin 1 Receptor: Structure, Function, and Regulation
The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is a melanocytic Gs protein coupled receptor that regulates skin pigmentation, UV responses, and melanoma risk. It is a highly polymorphic gene, and loss of function correlates with a fair, UV-sensitive, and melanoma-prone phenotype due to defective epidermal melanization and sub-optimal DNA repair. MC1R signaling, achieved through adenylyl cyclase activation and generation of the second messenger cAMP, is hormonally controlled by the positive agonist melanocortin, the negative agonist agouti signaling protein, and the neutral antagonist β-defensin 3. Activation of cAMP signaling up-regulates melanin production and deposition in the epidermis which functions to limit UV penetration into the skin and enhances nucleotide excision repair (NER), the genomic stability pathway responsible for clearing UV photolesions from DNA to avoid mutagenesis. Herein we review MC1R structure and function and summarize our laboratoryâs findings on the molecular mechanisms by which MC1R signaling impacts NER
Divergence of cAMP Signalling Pathways Mediating Augmented Nucleotide Excision Repair and Pigment Induction in Melanocytes
Lossâofâfunction melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) polymorphisms are common in UVâsensitive fairâskinned individuals and are associated with blunted cAMP second messenger signalling and higher lifetime risk of melanoma because of diminished ability of melanocytes to cope with UV damage. cAMP signalling positions melanocytes to resist UV injury by upregulating synthesis of UVâblocking eumelanin pigment and by enhancing the repair of UVâinduced DNA damage. cAMP enhances melanocyte nucleotide excision repair (NER), the genome maintenance pathway responsible for the removal of mutagenic UV photolesions, through cAMPâactivated protein kinase (protein kinase A)âmediated phosphorylation of the ataxia telangiectasiaâmutated and Rad3ârelated (ATR) protein on the S435 residue. We investigated the interdependence of cAMPâmediated melanin upregulation and cAMPâenhanced DNA repair in primary human melanocytes and a melanoma cell line. We observed that the ATRâdependent molecular pathway linking cAMP signalling to the NER pathway is independent of MITF activation. Similarly, cAMPâmediated upregulation of pigment synthesis is independent of ATR, suggesting that the key molecular events driving MC1Râmediated enhancement of genome maintenance (eg PKAâmediated phosphorylation of ATR) and MC1Râinduced pigment induction (eg MITF activation) are distinct
A return to strong radio flaring by Circinus X-1 observed with the Karoo Array Telescope test array KAT-7
Circinus X-1 is a bright and highly variable X-ray binary which displays
strong and rapid evolution in all wavebands. Radio flaring, associated with the
production of a relativistic jet, occurs periodically on a ~17-day timescale. A
longer-term envelope modulates the peak radio fluxes in flares, ranging from
peaks in excess of a Jansky in the 1970s to an historic low of milliJanskys
during the years 1994 to 2007. Here we report first observations of this source
with the MeerKAT test array, KAT-7, part of the pathfinder development for the
African dish component of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), demonstrating
successful scientific operation for variable and transient sources with the
test array. The KAT-7 observations at 1.9 GHz during the period 13 December
2011 to 16 January 2012 reveal in temporal detail the return to the
Jansky-level events observed in the 1970s. We compare these data to
contemporaneous single-dish measurements at 4.8 and 8.5 GHz with the HartRAO
26-m telescope and X-ray monitoring from MAXI. We discuss whether the overall
modulation and recent dramatic brightening is likely to be due to an increase
in the power of the jet due to changes in accretion rate or changing Doppler
boosting associated with a varying angle to the line of sight.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS 14 May 201
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On-Road Development of John Deere 6081 Natural Gas Engine: Final Technical Report, July 1999 - January 2001
Report that discusses John Deere's field development of a heavy-duty natural gas engine. As part of the field development project, Waste Management of Orange County, California refitted four existing trash packers with John Deere's prototype spark ignited 280-hp 8.1 L CNG engines. This report describes the project and also contains information about engine performance, emissions, and driveability
Chronic disease self-management education courses: utilization by low-income, middle-aged participants
BACKGROUND: Individuals living in lower-income areas face an increased prevalence of chronic disease and, oftentimes, greater barriers to optimal self-management. Disparities in disease management are seen across the lifespan, but are particularly notable among middle-aged adults. Although evidence-based Chronic Disease Self-management Education courses are available to enhance self-management among members of this at-risk population, little information is available to determine the extent to which these courses are reaching those at greatest risk. The purpose of this study is to compare the extent to which middle-aged adults from lower- and higher-income areas have engaged in CDSME courses, and to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of lower-income, middle aged participants.
METHODS: The results of this study were produced through analysis of secondary data collected during the Communities Putting Prevention to Work: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program initiative. During this initiative, data was collected from 100,000 CDSME participants across 45 states within the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
RESULTS: Of the entire sample included in this analysis (19,365 participants), 55 people lived in the most impoverished counties. While these 55 participants represented just 0.3% of the total study sample, researchers found this group completed courses more frequently than participants from less impoverished counties once enrolled.
CONCLUSION: These results signal a need to enhance participation of middle-aged adults from lower-income areas in CDSME courses. The results also provide evidence that can be used to inform future program delivery choices, including decisions regarding recruitment materials, program leaders, and program delivery sites, to better engage this population
Collaborative action for person-centred coordinated care (P3C): an approach to support the development of a comprehensive system-wide solution to fragmented care
BACKGROUND: Fragmented care results in poor outcomes for individuals with complexity of need. Person-centred coordinated care (P3C) is perceived to be a potential solution, but an absence of accessible evidence and the lack of a scalable 'blue print' mean that services are 'experimenting' with new models of care with little guidance and support. This paper presents an approach to the implementation of P3C using collaborative action, providing examples of early developments across this programme of work, the core aim of which is to accelerate the spread and adoption of P3C in United Kingdom primary care settings. METHODS: Two centrally funded United Kingdom organisations (South West Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care and South West Academic Health Science Network) are leading this initiative to narrow the gap between research and practice in this urgent area of improvement through a programme of service change, evaluation and research. Multi-stakeholder engagement and co-design are core to the approach. A whole system measurement framework combines outcomes of importance to patients, practitioners and health organisations. Iterative and multi-level feedback helps to shape service change while collecting practice-based data to generate implementation knowledge for the delivery of P3C. The role of the research team is proving vital to support informed change and challenge organisational practice. The bidirectional flow of knowledge and evidence relies on the transitional positioning of researchers and research organisations. RESULTS: Extensive engagement and embedded researchers have led to strong collaborations across the region. Practice is beginning to show signs of change and data flow and exchange is taking place. However, working in this way is not without its challenges; progress has been slow in the development of a linked data set to allow us to assess impact innovations from a cost perspective. Trust is vital, takes time to establish and is dependent on the exchange of services and interactions. If collaborative action can foster P3C it will require sustained commitment from both research and practice. This approach is a radical departure from how policy, research and practice traditionally work, but one that we argue is now necessary to deal with the most complex health and social problems
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