The development of mission theology and praxis at Cliff College, with reference to its antecedents and history.

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the department of Theology and Religion, Faculty of Arts, Durham University 2005.This thesis is an examination and evaluation of evangelistic ministry at Cliff College and its major themes, or Charisms. It charts the rise of the College and its antecedents in section one, introducing the main characters and events. Section two introduces themes that have shaped the tradition of the College; the most significant being holiness teaching which finds its origins in the works of John Wesley. Though they differed in emphasis, most Principals were proponents of this doctrine. There developed at the College a theology which was biblical and evangelical but not fundamentalist or sectarian. The College espoused 'faith principles' but ensured supporters were aware of its needs. The College is known primarily for training people in evangelism. Section three charts this innovative ministry beginning with the joyful News Mission and continuing through the years of Cook, Chadwick and Broadbelt. Between 1939 and the late 1950s there was a dearth of creative thinking about evangelism. Meadley and Beiben laid the foundations that, in the late 1970s, gave rise to a new strategy which was given impetus through the 1980s. The innovative thinking of the first period is illustrated by reference to the Joyful News female evangelists and the trekkers. Section four examines the particular academic stance taken by College Principals. This was specifically to offer training, focussed on evangelistic ministry, to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity. A policy of open access was retained throughout, with the College seeking proper recognition. This eventually came with the validation of the College programmes by the University of Sheffield. Chapter eleven charts the emergence of missiology as a discipline in the academy. The conclusion identifies the ambivalent attitude of Methodism to the College, and that its major charisms continue to have a significant influence though in need of constant restatement

A theological examination of the non-directive approach to church and community development with a special reference to the nature of evangelism

.A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in Theology in the Theology Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Durham 1990.This thesis is an examination of the nature and value of the non-directive approach to church and community work. Special attention is paid to the suitability of the approach in the context of evangelical ministry. The thesis originates out of my seven years of pastoral ministry in Addiscombe Croydon. For many years I had been committed to an evangelistic ministry; this thesis describes the process of adopting a non-directive approach to that ministry, first of all intuitively and then systematically. The thesis charts the origins and rise of community development and the non- directive approach. It appropriates more recent discussion of the relationship between community work and community development. It then shows the adoption of community development ideas by a number of Christians and considers the nature of the directive and non-directive approaches and their application. Evangelistic ministry is analyzed by noting the characteristics common to all evangelicals and then constructing in some detail a typology of evangelicals against which to test the applicability of the non-directive approach. The thesis then sets out and critically reviews the theology of church and community development It tests out the non-directive against the biblical narrative, considering Jesus use of parable; the exercise of authority, and use of charismatic gifts within the church. It then examines three areas which seem predisposed to show dissonance between evangelistic ministry and the non-directive approach; decision-making, theology of evangelical conversion, and proclamation of the evangel. The thesis finds the biblical teaching supports the non-directive, whilst also recognizing certain aspects as non-negotiable. The thesis concludes that only one type of evangelical, fundamentalist evangelical, is incompatible with the non-directive approach. All the other types of evangelicals are capable of adopting this approach. It further concludes that the non-directive approach is not only consonant with evangelistic ministry but could be a vital partner to such a ministry and increase its effectiveness

Accumulation and distribution of doxorubicin in tumour spheroids: the influence of acidity and expression of P-glycoprotein

Purpose: The intra-tumour distribution of anticancer drugs remains an important, but often under-estimated, influence on drug efficacy. Tumour acidity and the presence of efflux pumps were examined for their influence on the distribution of doxorubicin in a solid tumour model. Methods: Anticancer drug distribution and overall accumulation was measured in tumour spheroids (TS) of varying sizes. The distribution profiles were examined in normoxic and hypoxic TS, the latter generating metabolic acidosis. Finally, the drug distribution profiles were related to efficacy using radial outgrowth assays. Results: In large tumour spheroids (TS) (d ∼500 μm), intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin was restricted to cells in the outermost layers and failed to accumulate within the viable cells in the intermediate hypoxic zone. A similar profile was obtained for another protonatable amine, 7-AAD. In contrast, the distribution of the non-ionisable drug (at physiological pH) BODIPY-Taxol was uniform throughout the TS. In order to independently model the hypoxic and normoxic zones of TS, we compared drug accumulation in small entirely normoxic TS (d ∼200 μm) with equivalent sized ones exposed to hypoxia in an anaerobic chamber. Exposure of TS to hypoxia caused a considerable reduction in the pH of the bathing medium and lower tissue accumulation of doxorubicin. Interstitial acidity reduces the proportion of doxorubicin in the non-ionised form. Conclusions: In TS, the accumulation and distribution of doxorubicin was influenced by both the expression of P-glycoprotein and hypoxia-induced acidity. Therefore, optimisation of doxorubicin chemotherapy for hypoxic tumours will require circumvention of both of these crucial pharmacokinetic determinants

Power Supplies and Equipment for Military Field Research : lessons from the British Service Dhaulagiri Research Expedition 2016

Introduction: The British Service Dhaulagiri Research Expedition (BSDMRE) took place from 27th March to 31st May 2016. The expedition involved 129 personnel, with voluntary participation in 9 different study protocols. Studies were conducted in three research camps established at 3600m, 4600m and 5140m and involved taking and storing blood samples, cardiac echocardiography and investigations involving a balance plate. Research in this remote environment requires careful planning in order to provide a robust and resilient power plan. In this paper we aim to report the rationale for the choices we made in terms of power supply, the equipment used and potential military applicability. Methods: This is a descriptive account from the expedition members involved in planning and conducting the medical research. Results: Power calculations were used to determine estimates of requirement prior to the expedition. The primary sources used to generate power were internal combustion engine (via petrol fueled electric generators), and solar panels. Having been generated, power was stored using lithium-ion batteries. Special consideration was given to the storage of samples taken in the field, for which electric freezers and dry-shippers were used. All equipment used functioned well during the expedition, with the challenges of altitude, temperature, and transport all overcome due to extensive prior planning. Conclusions: Power was successfully generated, stored, and delivered during the BSDMRE, allowing extensive medical research to be undertaken. The challenges faced and overcome are directly applicable to delivering military medical care in austere environments, and lessons learned can help with the planning and delivery of future operations, training exercises, or expeditions

Some general properties of the renormalized stress-energy tensor for static quantum states on (n+1)-dimensional spherically symmetric black holes

We study the renormalized stress-energy tensor (RSET) for static quantum states on (n+1)-dimensional, static, spherically symmetric black holes. By solving the conservation equations, we are able to write the stress-energy tensor in terms of a single unknown function of the radial co-ordinate, plus two arbitrary constants. Conditions for the stress-energy tensor to be regular at event horizons (including the extremal and ``ultra-extremal'' cases) are then derived using generalized Kruskal-like co-ordinates. These results should be useful for future calculations of the RSET for static quantum states on spherically symmetric black hole geometries in any number of space-time dimensions.Comment: 9 pages, no figures, RevTeX4, references added, accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Hydrostatic pressure regulates CYP1A2 expression in human hepatocytes via a mechanosensitive aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent pathway

Approximately 75% of xenobiotics are primarily eliminated through metabolism; thus the accurate scaling of metabolic clearance is vital to successful drug development. Yet, when data is scaled from in vitro to in vivo, hepatic metabolic clearance, the primary source of metabolism, is still commonly underpredicted. Over the past decades, with biophysics used as a key component to restore aspects of the in vivo environment, several new cell culture settings have been investigated to improve hepatocyte functionalities. Most of these studies have focused on shear stress, i.e., flow mediated by a pressure gradient. One potential conclusion of these studies is that hepatocytes are naturally "mechanosensitive," i.e., they respond to a change in their biophysical environment. We demonstrate that hepatocytes also respond to an increase in hydrostatic pressure that, we suggest, is directly linked to the lobule geometry and vessel density. Furthermore, we demonstrate that hydrostatic pressure improves albumin production and increases cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 1A2 expression levels in an aryl hydrocarbon-dependent manner in human hepatocytes. Increased albumin production and CYP function are commonly attributed to the impacts of shear stress in microfluidic experiments. Therefore, our results highlight evidence of a novel link between hydrostatic pressure and CYP metabolism and demonstrate that the spectrum of hepatocyte mechanosensitivity might be larger than previously thought

The British Services Dhaulagiri Medical Research Expedition 2016 : a unique military and civilian research collaboration

The British Service Dhaulagiri Research Expedition took place in March-May 2016. A total of 129 personnel took part in the expedition and were invited to consent to a variety of study protocols investigating adaptation to high altitudes and diagnosis of altitude illness. The study took place in a remote and inhospitable environment at altitudes up to 7500m. This paper gives an overview of the challenges involved, the research protocols investigated and the execution of the expedition in Nepal

Consensus for methods and outcomes in trials of oral morphine versus transmucosal diamorphine for breakthrough pain in children in the UK: the DIPPER study

Objectives: No randomised controlled trials have been conducted for breakthrough pain in paediatric palliative care and there are currently no standardised outcome measures. The DIPPER study aims to establish the feasibility of conducting a prospective randomised controlled trial comparing oral and transmucosal administration of opioids for breakthrough pain. The aim of the current study was to achieve consensus on design aspects for a small-scale prospective study to inform a future randomised controlled trial of oral morphine, the current first-line treatment, versus transmucosal diamorphine. / Methods: The nominal group technique was used to achieve consensus on best practice for mode of administration, dose regimen and a range of suitable pain intensity outcome measures for transmucosal diamorphine in children and young people with breakthrough pain. An expert panel of ten clinicians in paediatric palliative care and three parent representatives participated. Consensus was achieved when agreement was reached and no further comments from participants were forthcoming. / Results: The panel favoured the buccal route of administration, with dosing according to the recommendations in the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine formulary (fifth Edition, 2020). The verbal Numerical Rating Scale was selected to measure pain in children 8 years old and older, the Faces Pain Scale-Revised for children between 4 and 8 years old, and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC)/FLACC-Revised as the observational tools. / Conclusions: The nominal group technique allowed consensus to be reached for a small-scale, prospective, cohort study and provided information to inform the design of a randomised controlled trial

“Citizen Journalism” in the Syrian Uprising: Problematizing Western Narratives in a Local Context

This article analyzes the term ‘citizen journalism’ against the backdrop of the Arab uprisings in order to show how it overlooks the local context of digital media practices. The first part examines videos emanating from Syria to illustrate how they blur the lines between acts of witnessing, reporting, and lobbying, as well as between professional and amateur productions, and civic and violent intentions. The second part highlights the genealogies of citizenship and journalism in an Arab context and cautions against assumptions about their universality. The article argues that the oscillation of Western narratives between hopes about digital media's role in democratization in the Arab World and fears about their use in terrorism circumscribe the theorization of digital media practices