Quakers and Scripture

This chapter explores how the Quakers’ use of the Bible has developed, recognizing changes both in the Friends movement and in its historical and cultural settings. Friends’ approaches to Scripture have varied widely as they have responded over time to the influences of the Enlightenment, revivalism, fundamentalism, Modernism, and other factors. The chapter describes how Quakers have viewed the authority and inspiration of the Bible and how they have held the importance of the Bible in tension with the inward teaching of Christ, whom they refer to as the ‘Word of God’. The chapter also contrasts various forms of Bible study with reading the Bible with empathy as a fruit of Quaker spirituality

Reiter v. Cooper and Unreasonable Rates: Are Reports of the Field Rate Doctrine’s Death Greatly Exaggerated?

Denna studies huvudsyfte är att ta reda på hur pedagoger planerar och arbetar med att hos sina elever utveckla de fem stora förmågorna inom matematik. Dessa fem förmågor är: Begreppsförmåga, kommunikationsförmåga, procedurförmåga, analysförmåga samt metakognitiv förmåga. För att finna svar på den frågeställning som studien har, gällande hur planeringen och arbetet med förmågorna ser ut, användes en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Genom kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer med sex pedagoger samlades data in. De data som intervjuerna genererade analyserades sedan med hjälp av tidigare forskning och litteratur inom området. I den tidigare forskningen och litteraturen presenteras hur en planering och arbetet med de fem stora förmågorna kan och bör se ut. I studien presenteras även en bakgrund till begreppet The Big Five samt hur dessa kan och bör planeras och arbetas med i relation till matematiken. Avslutningsvis presenteras de resultat som framkommit. I dessa framgår att de pedagoger jag intervjuat på de flesta sätten, följde de råd, tips och kriterier som tidigare forskning och övrig litteratur ansåg att planering och undervisning i de matematiska förmågorna bör bygga på. Dock fann jag två punkter där förbättringar kan och bör ske. Dessa gäller hur material vid genomgångar och under arbetet med förmågorna på ett bättre sätt bör anpassas för eleverna, så att de oavsett var de ligger kunskapsmässigt kan få ta del av och förstå vad och hur förmågorna ska tränas. Pedagogerna bör även bli bättre på att samarbeta med övriga skolämnen och på så sätt förbättra förutsättningarna för- och utvecklandet i förståelsen i förmågorna samt ytterligare inse nyttan av att kunna och använda sig av matematik

Heparin bonded lines offer a solution that is difficult to implement Rapid Response to Dobson,R "Half the cases of bacteraemia in hospitals in England are linked to devices)

[Full text] The BMJ news report[1] that devices, particularly central venous lines, are linked to over half the cases of hospital acquired bacteraemia has long been a source of concern to clinicians in intensive care. Unfortunately, one simple, effective and low-cost intervention is not being used because of restrictions on licensing and supply. A systematic review[2] of heparin bonding (1 trial) or heparin infusion (3 trials) versus no anti-thrombotic prophylaxis for central venous lines showed a strong trend for a reduction in bacteraemia (pooled RR 0.26; 95% CI: 007, 1.03). Our updated searches found one subsequent trial[3] (200 children), conducted at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) without commercial funding, in which heparin bonded lines reduced the risk of bacteraemia from 33% to 4% (risk difference 29%; 19%, 39%). As heparin bonded central venous lines are not licensed for use in the UK, GOSH has been able to maintain their supply only by agreeing to take full legal responsibility should problems arise. This means that lines can be used but only on a named-patient basis with their use audited. It is therefore not surprising that a recent survey of 36 consultant and specialist trainee anaesthetists from across the south east of England found that no other trust was using heparin bonded lines. Policy regarding heparin bonded lines undoubtedly requires more and better quality studies[4,5]. However, satisfactory alternatives are few. Heparin infusion requires staff time, additional equipment, and provides the opportunity for drug errors. In contrast, adverse effects of heparin bonded lines remain theoretical. Although heparin bonded lines are licensed and widely used in the USA, the UK licensing authority requires further studies which the company appears to be reluctant to pursue. Focused commercial and research efforts are required to resolve this impasse. Reference List 1. Dobson R. Half the cases of bacteraemia in hospitals in England are linked to devices. BMJ 2003;326:10. 2. Randolph AG, Cook DJ, Gonzales CA, Andrew M. Benefit of heparin in central venous and pulmonary artery catheters: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Chest 1998;113:165-71. 3. Pierce CM, Wade A, Mok Q. Heparin-bonded central venous lines reduce thrombotic and infective complications in critically ill children. Intensive Care Med. 2000;26:967-72. 4. Randolph AG, Cook DJ, Gonzales CA, Andrew M. Benefit of heparin in peripheral venous and arterial catheters: systematic review and meta- analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 1998;316:969-75. 5. Shah PS, Ng E, Sinha AK. Heparin for prolonging peripheral intravenous catheter use in neonates (Cochrane Review). Cochrane Database.Syst.Rev. 2002;CD00277

Fun with Higgsless Theories

Motivated by recent works on ``Higgsless theories,'' I discuss an $SU(2)_0\times SU(2)^{N}\times U(1)$ gauge theory with arbitrary bifundamental (or custodial SU(2) preserving) symmetry breaking between the gauge subgroups and with ordinary matter transforming only under the U(1) and $SU(2)_0$. When the couplings, $g_j$, of the other SU(2)s are very large, this reproduces the standard model at the tree level. I calculate the $W$ and $Z$ masses and other electroweak parameters in a perturbative expansion in $1/g_j^2$, and give physical interpretations of the results in a mechanical analog built out of masses and springs. In the mechanical analog, it is clear that even for arbitrary patterns of symmetry breaking, it is not possible (in the perturbative regime) to raise the Higgs mass by a large factor while keeping the $S$ parameter small.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX - another referenc