Transpersonal Dimensions in Islamic Spirituality

The Sufi tradition that arose within Islam describes a compelling and varied map of the self and its transformations. Over the span of a millennium of practice and discourse, Sufis have explored and detailed the stages of the journey of selftransformation towards their ultimate aim of union with the One. Their models of the spiritual journey and of the emergent transpersonal self, extensively contextualized in phenomenology, epistemology, theology and ontology, offer singular insights into a richly detailed holistic psychology of self-realization and the making of the complete human

Transpersonal Dimensions in Islamic Spirituality

The Sufi tradition that arose within Islam describes a compelling and varied map of the self and its transformations. Over the span of a millennium of practice and discourse, Sufis have explored and detailed the stages of the journey of selftransformation towards their ultimate aim of union with the One. Their models of the spiritual journey and of the emergent transpersonal self, extensively contextualized in phenomenology, epistemology, theology and ontology, offer singular insights into a richly detailed holistic psychology of self-realization and the making of the complete human

The accession of Cyprus to the EU: challenges and opportunities for the new European regional order

Der vorliegende Beitrag beleuchtet die Konsequenzen des EU-Beitritts Zyperns unter besonderer Berücksichtigung einer neuen europäischen Regionalordnung. Angesichts ihres hohen Bruttosozialproduktes scheint die Republik Zypern einer der besten Anwärter für die EU-Mitgliedschaft zu sein, und die zypriotischen Unterhändler versuchen, die Beitrittsverhandlungen mit Brüssel möglichst rasch voranzutreiben. Der andauernde Konflikt zwischen griechischen und türkischen Zyprioten wirft hinsichtlich des genauen Status Zyperns in der EU allerdings einige Fragen auf. Der Autor umreißt diese Probleme und entwirft ein wahrscheinliches Szenario für den Fall, dass das Beitrittsabkommen unterzeichnet wird. Da ein Beitritt Zyperns die europäische Ordnung beeinflussen würde, werden in diesem Beitrag sowohl die Implikationen für die Beziehungen zwischen der EU und der Türkei analysiert als auch die Auswirkungen auf die europäische Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik. (ICD

Gall-Bladder Agenesis and Associated Anomalies

Congenital absence of the gall-bladder is a rare condition. It is sometimes associated with other congenital defects. We report here two cases of gall-bladder agenesis discovered at laparoscopy. Both had a history of skeletal and cardiovascular anomalies. The investigation of patients with absent gall-bladder can be very difficult. Ultrasound scanning is usually inconclusive and further noninvasive tests should be performed to establish the diagnosis and prevent an unnecessary operation. The presence of other congenital defects should alert the clinician to the possibility of gall-bladder agenesis

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endoderm for Modeling Development and Clinical Applications.

The liver, lung, pancreas, and digestive tract all originate from the endoderm germ layer, and these vital organs are subject to many life-threatening diseases affecting millions of patients. However, primary cells from endodermal organs are often difficult to grow in vitro. Human pluripotent stem cells thus hold great promise for generating endoderm cells and their derivatives as tools for the development of new therapeutics against a variety of global healthcare challenges. Here we describe recent advances in methods for generating endodermal cell types from human pluripotent stem cells and their use for disease modeling and cell-based therapy

Sodium channel Nav1.7 immunoreactivity in painful human dental pulp and burning mouth syndrome

Background Voltage gated sodium channels Nav1.7 are involved in nociceptor nerve action potentials and are known to affect pain sensitivity in clinical genetic disorders. Aims and Objectives To study Nav1.7 levels in dental pulpitis pain, an inflammatory condition, and burning mouth syndrome (BMS), considered a neuropathic orofacial pain disorder. Methods Two groups of patients were recruited for this study. One group consisted of patients with dental pulpitis pain (n = 5) and controls (n = 12), and the other patients with BMS (n = 7) and controls (n = 10). BMS patients were diagnosed according to the International Association for the Study of Pain criteria; a pain history was collected, including the visual analogue scale (VAS). Immunohistochemistry with visual intensity and computer image analysis were used to evaluate levels of Nav1.7 in dental pulp tissue samples from the dental pulpitis group, and tongue biopsies from the BMS group. Results There was a significantly increased visual intensity score for Nav1.7 in nerve fibres in the painful dental pulp specimens, compared to controls. Image analysis showed a trend for an increase of the Nav1.7 immunoreactive % area in the painful pulp group, but this was not statistically significant. When expressed as a ratio of the neurofilament % area, there was a strong trend for an increase of Nav1.7 in the painful pulp group. Nav1.7 immunoreactive fibres were seen in abundance in the sub-mucosal layer of tongue biopsies, with no significant difference between BMS and controls. Conclusion Nav1.7 sodium channel may play a significant role in inflammatory dental pain. Clinical trials with selective Nav1.7 channel blockers should prioritise dental pulp pain rather than BMS

Increased capsaicin receptor TRPV1-expressing sensory fibres in irritable bowel syndrome and their correlation with abdominal pain

OBJECTIVE: The capsaicin receptor TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1) may play an important role in visceral pain and hypersensitivity states. In irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), abdominal pain is a common and distressing symptom where the pathophysiology is still not clearly defined. TRPV1-immunoreactive nerve fibres were investigated in colonic biopsies from patients with IBS, and this was related to abdominal pain. METHODS: Rectosigmoid biopsies were collected from 23 IBS patients fulfilling Rome II criteria, and from 22 controls. Abdominal pain scores were recorded using a validated questionnaire. TRPV1-, substance P- and neuronal marker protein gene product (PGP) 9.5-expressing nerve fibres, mast cells (c-kit) and lymphocytes (CD3 and CD4) were quantified, following immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies. The biopsy findings were related to the abdominal pain scores. RESULTS: A significant 3.5-fold increase in median numbers of TRPV1-immunoreactive fibres was found in biopsies from IBS patients compared with controls (p<0.0001). Substance P-immunoreactive fibres (p = 0.01), total nerve fibres (PGP9.5) (p = 0.002), mast cells (c-kit) (p = 0.02) and lymphocytes (CD3) (p = 0.03) were also significantly increased in the IBS group. In multivariate regression analysis, only TRPV1-immuno-reactive fibres (p = 0.005) and mast cells (p = 0.008) were significantly related to the abdominal pain score. CONCLUSIONS: Increased TRPV1 nerve fibres are observed in IBS, together with a low-grade inflammatory response. The increased TRPV1 nerve fibres may contribute to visceral hypersensitivity and pain in IBS, and provide a novel therapeutic target