Gregory Palamas' Reading of a Seventh-century Pseudo-Athanasian Homily

During the Palamite controversy of the fourteenth century, the works of the great Fathers of the Church were scoured by both sides of the controversy, which sought to ground their teaching in recognized authorities. Of these works, one of the most frequently cited by Palamites was a pseudonymous Homily on the Annunciation attributed to Saint Athanasius the Great and generally held to have its origin in the seventh century. This article analyzes the Homily’s range of use among the Palamite party before focusing on its most influential section, which discusses those things “perceived and named theologically around God” as contributing to “the totality and fullness of divinity.” It examines Gregory Palamas’ use of these terms in his own theological system and then considers how his system may serve to clarify a unique and theologically suspect etymological connection contained within the Homily, deriving οὐσία from ἰσία

Dietary Intake among Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at elevated risk for nutrition-related morbidities both during and after therapy. The degree to which dietary intake fluctuates during cancer therapy and possibly contributes to the development of nutrition-related morbidities is unknown. This study presents the results of the first prospective study describing changes in dietary intake in 667 children undergoing treatment for ALL. Dietary intake was evaluated with a food frequency questionnaire at three timepoints reflecting different intensities of cancer therapy: diagnosis (Time 1-no therapy), induction (Time 2- high-dose therapy), and continuation (Time 3- low-dose therapy). Dietary intake was compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and normative data. Contrary to expectations, total caloric intake in the majority of patients exceeded the DRIs with a smaller percentage of patients below the DRI for calories. The majority of patients were within the DRI for all other macronutrients with an increase in intake of fat at Time 2. Despite adequate caloric intake, the majority of patients had low dietary intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E while excess dietary intakes were observed for zinc and niacin. For folate, most patients were either below or above the DRI. In general, dietary intakes were reflective of normative data suggesting intakes are not significantly altered during treatment for ALL. This study was successful in identifying priority nutrients for dietary intervention and scientific inquiry. The effect of these strategies on the development of nutrition-related morbidities in children with ALL may be considered for future research initiatives

Nutritional Counseling in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: An Essential Component of Survivorship Care

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that nutritional status during treatment for cancer has a significant impact on treatment-related toxicities and outcomes among children and adolescents with cancer. The effects of nutritional status appear to extend into survivorship with a large proportion of survivors at risk for a variety of nutrition-related morbidities. The influence of dietary intake on overall treatment outcomes and long-term morbidities is largely unknown. In adults, evidence suggests that greater adherence to cancer prevention dietary guidelines improves long-term health outcomes among survivors of cancer. Surveys describing dietary intake among survivors of childhood cancer have found that most survivors are not meeting the recommended guidelines for many dietary nutrients and this may have an unfavorable effect on nutrition-related outcomes. However, more research is needed in this area so that well-designed clinical trials may be developed and tested. This review presents an overview of the existing literature describing dietary intake among survivors of childhood cancer, the clinical implications of reported dietary behaviors among survivors, and identifies areas for future research