Luther on revelation: foundation for proclamation and worship

Luther\u27s struggles in the monastery were characterized by his preoccupation with a theology of glory (God Hidden; God in glory and majesty; Christ the King; human attempts to reach God; works righteousness). His evangelical breakthrough led him to a theology of the Cross (God revealed in Christ; the humility of Christ in the Child of Bethlehem and Man of Calvary). His liturgical forms, and those of later Lutherans, reflected this. Recently, a theology of glory has returned (majestic attributes of God; triumphalism; \u27celebration theology\u27 and reenactment of saving acts rather than proclamation and hearing). The distinction of law and gospel provides the corrective

Justification in Luther\u27s Preaching on Luke 18:9-14

The author develops the thesis that Martin Luther rested his pastoral preaching on doctrinal preaching. In a careful examination of texts of Luther, he demonstrates this and raises the question concerning the continuing importance of doctrinal preaching

2013-2014 Kentucky & Tennessee Tobacco Production Guide

Tobacco growers in Kentucky and Tennessee have faced many challenges during the past two years, including weather, labor availability, and rising production costs. However, there have been opportunities as well. Some buying stations have closed or moved, but new buyers have come into the market and contract volumes have been stable overall. Good quality burley tobacco is in relatively short supply, and this has offered opportunities to those who have been able to overcome weather and labor challenges and produce good crops. These changes have had different impacts in different regions of both states, based largely on where buying stations closed and opened. Dark tobacco contract volumes have been more stable than burley, but dark tobacco growers have had challenges as well, including shortages of wood and quality sawdust needed to produce dark-fired tobacco. Labor costs have continued to rise as tobacco growers struggled to keep pace with changes in the H-2A labor program that allows them to legally employ migrant workers. Uncertainty about future regulatory action still hangs over the entire tobacco industry but does not seem as foreboding as two years ago. Overall, tobacco remains an important commodity in the agricultural economy of the region as growers prepare for future seasons

2015-2016 Burley and Dark Tobacco Production Guide

Burley and dark tobacco growers in the U.S. make hundreds of decisions every growing season that impact the yield and quality of the crops that they produce. These decisions may include choosing appropriate varieties, planning effective pest control measures or perhaps deciding the best time to top or harvest a crop. Increasingly, tobacco growers are being required by the industry to record and justify their management decisions and actions. The most comprehensive example of this is the U.S. Tobacco Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program that was initiated during the 2013 growing season and expanded in 2014. Under this program, all growers who sell tobacco to GAP Connections member organizations are required to attend training sessions on the principals of GAP and to keep detailed records of their production practices. Training requirements may change, but growers are currently required to attend training every season in which they plan to sell tobacco. Additional information about U.S. Tobacco GAP can be found by contacting GAP Connections. The written U.S. Tobacco GAP guidelines often refer growers to “University Tobacco Production Guides” for specific recommendations regarding management decisions. The information and recommendations provided in this guide have been developed and reviewed by tobacco production specialists and scientists at the University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina State University. The purpose of this multi-state guide is to provide all burley and dark tobacco growers with the most current research-based recommendations for the production of high-yielding, high-quality tobacco. The guide provides advice on industry-accepted practices that may be applied across the burley and dark tobacco growing regions, although in some cases, growers may be referred to their local extension offices for additional information relevant to their specific situation

Fetal and Neonatal Nicotine Exposure in Wistar Rats Causes Progressive Pancreatic Mitochondrial Damage and Beta Cell Dysfunction

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is currently recommended as a safe smoking cessation aid for pregnant women. However, fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure in rats causes mitochondrial-mediated beta cell apoptosis at weaning, and adult-onset dysglycemia, which we hypothesize is related to progressive mitochondrial dysfunction in the pancreas. Therefore in this study we examined the effect of fetal and neonatal exposure to nicotine on pancreatic mitochondrial structure and function during postnatal development. Female Wistar rats were given saline (vehicle control) or nicotine bitartrate (1 mg/kg/d) via subcutaneous injection for 2 weeks prior to mating until weaning. At 3–4, 15 and 26 weeks of age, oral glucose tolerance tests were performed, and pancreas tissue was collected for electron microscopy, enzyme activity assays and islet isolation. Following nicotine exposure mitochondrial structural abnormalities were observed beginning at 3 weeks and worsened with advancing age. Importantly the appearance of these structural defects in nicotine-exposed animals preceded the onset of glucose intolerance. Nicotine exposure also resulted in significantly reduced pancreatic respiratory chain enzyme activity, degranulation of beta cells, elevated islet oxidative stress and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion compared to saline controls at 26 weeks of age. Taken together, these data suggest that maternal nicotine use during pregnancy results in postnatal mitochondrial dysfunction that may explain, in part, the dysglycemia observed in the offspring from this animal model. These results clearly indicate that further investigation into the safety of NRT use during pregnancy is warranted

The role of hypothalamic H1 receptor antagonism in antipsychotic-induced weight gain

Treatment with second generation antipsychotics (SGAs), notably olanzapine and clozapine, causes severe obesity side effects. Antagonism of histamine H1 receptors has been identified as a main cause of SGA-induced obesity, but the molecular mechanisms associated with this antagonism in different stages of SGA-induced weight gain remain unclear. This review aims to explore the potential role of hypothalamic histamine H1 receptors in different stages of SGA-induced weight gain/obesity and the molecular pathways related to SGA-induced antagonism of these receptors. Initial data have demonstrated the importance of hypothalamic H1 receptors in both short- and long-term SGA-induced obesity. Blocking hypothalamic H1 receptors by SGAs activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a well-known feeding regulator. During short-term treatment, hypothalamic H1 receptor antagonism by SGAs may activate the AMPK—carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 signaling to rapidly increase caloric intake and result in weight gain. During long-term SGA treatment, hypothalamic H1 receptor antagonism can reduce thermogenesis, possibly by inhibiting the sympathetic outflows to the brainstem rostral raphe pallidus and rostral ventrolateral medulla, therefore decreasing brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. Additionally, blocking of hypothalamic H1 receptors by SGAs may also contribute to fat accumulation by decreasing lipolysis but increasing lipogenesis in white adipose tissue. In summary, antagonism of hypothalamic H1 receptors by SGAs may time-dependently affect the hypothalamus-brainstem circuits to cause weight gain by stimulating appetite and fat accumulation but reducing energy expenditure. The H1 receptor and its downstream signaling molecules could be valuable targets for the design of new compounds for treating SGA-induced weight gain/obesity

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Rethinking the fall of the planter class

This issue of Atlantic Studies began life as a one-day conference held at Chawton House Library in Hampshire, UK, and funded by the University of Southampton. The conference aimed, like this issue, to bring together scholars currently working on the history of the British West Indian planter class in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and to discuss how, when, and why the fortunes of the planters went into decline. As this introduction notes, the difficulties faced by the planter class in the British West Indies from the 1780s onwards were an early episode in a wider drama of decline for New World plantation economies. The American historian Lowell Ragatz published the first detailed historical account of their fall. His work helped to inform the influential arguments of Eric Williams, which were later challenged by Seymour Drescher. Recent research has begun to offer fresh perspectives on the debate about the decline of the planters, and this collection brings together articles taking a variety of new approaches to the topic, encompassing economic, political, cultural, and social histor