And Also Many Animals : Biblical Resources for Preaching About Creation

The Bible offers the preacher a multitude of texts for preaching about creation and the environment. Preachers can and should use these resources to call hearers to join in the creative and redemptive work of God, in the name of Christ and for the sake of the world

Of Stars and Sea Monsters: Creation Theology in the Whirlwind Speeches

The whirlwind speeches at the end of Job (Job 38–41) depict a cosmos that is radically non-anthropocentric. This cosmos includes creatures and places indifferent towards human beings and quite dangerous for them. Nevertheless, God delights in these wild creatures and places and gives them a place in creation. Job responds to the whirlwind speeches by choosing to live with the same freedom God grants all of God’s creatures

Sabbath and Creation

Work and rest, planting and letting lie fallow—these are the rhythms by which both we and the earth are sustained, as on creation’s first Sabbath. “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.…Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest.” It is, of course, a word of law. For those who have ears to hear, however, it is also a word of promise

Improving information management in primary care: the proof is in the pudding

Generalists in both the USA and UK have been at the forefront of improving information management skills, defined here as the abilities required to locate and utilise synthesised information for patient care that is accessible, current, relevant and valid.1 Over the past decade, a variety of interventions designed to improve knowledge and skills relative to information management has been implemented. The goals of training are for learners to demonstrate long-term retention of knowledge and skills gained and to be able to transfer this learning from the context of training into different situations and contexts, such as those encountered in the workplace. Thus, to conclude that learning has taken place, it is essential to study performance after learners have acquired knowledge and skills to see how well those have been retained and generalised. The current study builds on previous work conducted by the authors that described and evaluated an intervention designed to improve information management knowledge, skills and use of Web based resources by participants from generalist primary care practices. This cross-over study found that both groups of participants - those who received training initially and those who received training later - showed the same improvements when assessed 15 months and three months, respectively, after training. Given the definition of learning as 'relatively permanent', we wondered if these improvements would last. Participants in the original three phases of the study completed questionnaires during each phase; for the current study they were asked to complete a fourth questionnaire administered 27 and 15 months, respectively, after their original training. All variables showed non-significant differences between participants' scores at the end of the original study, where learning was assessed as having occurred, and the current administration of the questionnaire. Demonstrated long-term retention of knowledge and skills and generalisation to the workplace show that the goals of training have been met

Catastrophic Catecholamine-Induced Cardiomyopathy Mimicking Acute Myocardial Infarction, Rescued by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) in Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma is a rare disorder and functioning tumor composed of chromaffin cells that secrete catecholamines. Patients with a pheochromocytoma 'crisis' have a high mortality in spite of aggressive therapy. We present a case with a severe acute catecholamine cardiomyopathy presenting ST segment elevation with cardiogenic shock after hemorrhage into a left suprarenal tumor. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support, combined with inotropic therapy, was performed. However, the patient deteriorated rapidly and was unresponsive to a full dose of inotropics and IABP. We decided to apply extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device for the patient. His clinical state began to improve 3 days after ECMO. After achieving hemodynamic stabilization, he underwent successful laparoscopic left adrenalectomy. He needed no further cardiac medication after discharge

Alcohol dehydrogenase gene ADH3 activates glucose alcoholic fermentation in genetically engineered Dekkera bruxellensis yeast

Dekkera bruxellensis is a non-conventional Crabtree-positive yeast with a good ethanol production capability. Compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, its tolerance to acidic pH and its utilization of alternative carbon sources make it a promising organism for producing biofuel. In this study, we developed an auxotrophic transformation system and an expression vector, which enabled the manipulation of D. bruxellensis, thereby improving its fermentative performance. Its gene ADH3, coding for alcohol dehydrogenase, was cloned and overexpressed under the control of the strong and constitutive promoter TEF1. Our recombinant D. bruxellensis strain displayed 1.4 and 1.7 times faster specific glucose consumption rate during aerobic and anaerobic glucose fermentations, respectively; it yielded 1.2 times and 1.5 times more ethanol than did the parental strain under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. The overexpression of ADH3 in D. bruxellensis also reduced the inhibition of fermentation by anaerobiosis, the "Custer effect". Thus, the fermentative capacity of D. bruxellensis could be further improved by metabolic engineering