El misterio del ser en Alberto Magno, Super Dionysii Epistulas

El presente estudio aborda el misterio del ser en Alberto Magno Super Dionisii Epistulas y responde a la pregunta por el nexo entre el ser y los entes. Esta cuestión se torna misterio tan pronto que desde la «forma» de cada existente irrumpe aquel «esplendor» que el Doctor Universalis identifica -como otros autores antiguos- con el Espíritu Santo en cuanto «gloria». Este Espíritu Infinito y Creador no solo comunica el ser, llamándolo a la existencia a través de los entes, a modo del bonum, sino lo in-forma, es decir, les da a todos la «forma», al modo como Él mismo, siendo la «forma o cuasi-forma» en Dios, posibilita al Padre ser Padre y al Hijo ser Hijo. Tal in-formación, de modo semejante con mayor desemejanza, constituye el origen último y fundante de todo cuanto existe.The present study approaches the mystery of being in Albert the Great Super Dionisii Epistulas and answers to the question of the nexus of existence and being. This cuestion turns mystery as soon as from the «form» of each being irrupts that «splendour», which the Doctor Universalis identifies- likewise other earliers authors –with the Holy Spirit as «glory». The Infinit Spirit and Creator not only comunicates the existence of the beings- calling them to be as the bonum, but also in-formes them with the form similar of Himself, who is the «form - quasi-form» in God, facilitating to the Father be Father and to the Son be Son. Thus in-formation, in similitude with more dissimilitude, constituies the last founding origen of whole existing things.Fil: Meis, Anneliese

Placenta-on-a-chip: Developing an in-vitro platform to mimic substance transport

Organ-on-a-chip technology utilizes microfluidics to create an environment for cell culture that represents basic organ function. These dynamic cell culture models are promising tools for improving drug testing methods and investigating how cells respond to a variety of stimuli. At the time of the project inception, no published work was available on applying organ-on-a-chip technology to develop an in-vitro model for the placenta, an important organ. The placenta’s main function is to transport nutrients, waste and other substances between the mother and developing fetus. A microfluidic platform to replicate the placental barrier was designed based on studying other organ-on-a-chip devices. The microfluidic chip was produced utilizing standard microfabrication techniques. The next step is to successfully culture cells inside the device and validate the design. We anticipate the placenta-on-a-chip can ultimately be used to better understand the exchange of substances between maternal and fetal bloodstreams and determine the risks of certain drugs or chemicals to a developing baby

Quantized Field of Single Photons

We present theoretical developments expressing the physical characteristics of a single photon in conformity with the experimental evidence. The quantization of the electromagnetic field vector potential amplitude is enhanced to a free of cavity photon state. Coupling the Schrödinger equation with the relativistic massless particle Hamiltonian to a symmetrical vector potential relation, we establish the vector potential - energy equation for the photon expressing the simultaneous wave-particle nature of a single photon, an intrinsic physical property. It is shown that the vector potential can be naturally considered as a real wave function for the photon entailing a coherent localization probability. We deduce directly the electric and magnetic field amplitudes of the cavity-free single photon, which are revealed to be proportional to the square of the angular frequency. The zero-energy electromagnetic field ground state (EFGS), a quantum vacuum real component, issues naturally from Maxwell’s equations and the vector potential quantization procedure. The relation of the quantized amplitude of the photon vector potential to the electron-positron charge results directly showing the physical relationship between photons and electrons-positrons that might be at the origin of their mutual transformations. It becomes obvious that photons, as well as electrons-positrons, are issued from the same quantum vacuum field

Heritable TP53-related cancer syndrome in Sweden : characterisation of genotype-phenotype correlation and surveillance

Around 25% of all cancers are considered as familial and are caused by an inherited susceptibility to develop certain tumours. But only 5-10% are hereditary and caused by known high risk cancer genes associated with specific cancer risk syndromes. One of the most pronounced is the heritable TP53 related cancer (hTP53rc) syndrome, commonly referred to as the Li-Fraumeni syndrome. In 1969, two physicians, Li and Fraumeni, identified and described a new hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome. Twenty years later, germline pathological variants of the TP53 gene – also referred to as “the guardian of the genome”, was identified to be the cause. The Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is characterised by an extreme life-time risk of cancer in germline TP53 (gTP53) carriers, up to a 100% by the age of 70. The most commonly occurring cancers are (early onset) breast cancer, CNS tumours, adrenocortical tumours, and sarcomas. In addition, individuals with a gTP53 variant are also more prone to develop other types of cancers in comparison with the general population. Since the first descriptions of LFS with childhood tumours, a broader phenotype has emerged, with families prone to mainly breast cancer, or mainly adult-onset cancers. Therefore, the term “heritable TP53 related cancer syndrome (hTP53rc) has been proposed to include the wide phenotypic range, not always explained by the genotype. This thesis aims to explore the genotype-phenotype correlations in the Swedish gTP53 cohort (Paper I), and to evaluate an extended clinical handling including surveillance within a prospective study, The Swedish TP53 Study (SWEP53, Papers II-IV). Within Paper I, we identified all gTP53 carriers in Sweden since testing for the gene started. This retrospective national characterisation identified 188 carriers in 91 families harbouring 47 different gTP53 variants. After reclassification according to the latest TP53specific criteria from 2021, 42 of the gTP53 variants were clinically actionable (class 4 or 5) and identified in the remaining 83 families and 176 carriers. These families fulfilled one of four different phenotypic characteristics; classical LFS (13 families), Chompret criteria (37 families), hereditary breast cancer (29 families), or other (4 families). The most commonly occurring gTP53 variant c.542G>A/p.R181H was identified in 18 families and were considered as a potential Swedish founder variant, mainly associated with hereditary breast cancer. However, this variant need further evaluations to explore its founder potential. The prospective SWEP53 study is the base for Papers II-IV. In Paper II, we describe the outline of the Swedish surveillance program including (for adults) yearly whole-body MRI (WB-MRI), surveillance for children including abdominal ultrasound, the collection of cell-free DNA, and the psychosocial evaluation of surveillance participation. In this study, comparisons are done with the pivotal first protocol of WB-MRI surveillance, the ‘Toronto protocol’ from 2011. A notable difference is the surveillance protocol for children, , as children below the age of 15 years were neither carrier tested nor offered annual WB-MRI in SWEP53. Paper II also adds data to the first Swedish registry on gTP53 carriers established in Paper I, collecting information on the different gTP53 variants, pedigree data, ages of tumour onset, and tumour types. An evaluation of the consequences of WB-MRI surveillance in terms of radiological findings, anatomical distribution, and the need for further work-up, was performed within Paper III. A total of 61 asymptomatic gTP53 carriers performed a baseline WB-MRI and 19 (19/61=31%) individuals had in total 30 radiological lesions that needed further workup. Three of the 19 (3/19=16%) participants were diagnosed with a malignant disease, which is considered to be a high proportion. Notably, all three were asymptomatic at baseline imaging. Because of the complexity to correctly handle all the findings and incidental findings in this high-risk group, we recommend a multidisciplinary approach to ensure the best possible care. With Paper IV, we also wanted to evaluate the psychosocial aspects of a surveillance strategy with WB-MRI. There are few available quantitative studies within this area. We measured the perceived benefits and barriers to surveillance, cancer worry scale (CWS) and perceived overall health (The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, SF-36) by comparing participants with and without previous cancer. They were evaluated both at baseline WBMRI and at the one-year surveillance. In general, gTP53 carriers with previous cancer reported higher levels of cancer worry than those without previous cancer, but, notably, at one year of surveillance the cancer worry was not increased. Both groups reported few barriers and scored high on the benefits. In conclusion, surveillance with WB-MRI did not increase cancer-specific worry, and was perceived as feasible by the participants regardless of previous cancer. To summarise, the work presented in this thesis adds to the knowledge of the rare hTP53rc syndrome, both in the understanding of genotype and phenotype presentations, and in clinical handling in terms of genetic counselling and surveillance. It has also contributed to the implementation of new work-flows for gTP53 carriers within the health care system to improve the overall care of this families

Primary Role of the Quantum Electromagnetic Vacuum in Gravitation and Cosmology

The electromagnetic field ground state, a zero-energy vacuum component that issues naturally from Maxwell’s theory and from the vector potential quantization at a single-photon level, overcomes the vacuum energy singularity in quantum electrodynamics which leads inevitably to the well-known “vacuum catastrophe” in cosmology. Photons/electromagnetic waves are oscillations of this vacuum field which is composed of a real electric potential permeating all of space. The Hawking-Unruh temperature for a particle accelerated in vacuum is readily obtained from the interaction with the electromagnetic field ground state. The elementary charge and the electron and proton mass are expressed precisely through the electromagnetic field ground state quantized amplitude entailing that photons, leptons/antileptons, and probably baryons/antibaryons originate from the same vacuum field. Fluctuations of the electromagnetic field ground state contribute to the cosmic electromagnetic background and may be at the origin of the dark energy which is considered to be responsible for the observed cosmic acceleration. Furthermore, the gravitational constant is also expressed through the electromagnetic field ground state quantized amplitude revealing the electromagnetic nature of gravity. The overall developments yield that the electromagnetic field ground state plays a primary role in gravitation and cosmology opening new perspectives for further investigations

Synthesis of homoaporphine-type alkaloids via intramolecular phenol alkylation, design and synthesis of a new class of Trypanosoma brucei growth inhibitors, and neurons that matter : using light to tag neuronal ensembles based on function

The synthesis of a homoaporphine-type alkaloid was accomplished in 10-steps. The synthesis featured a synthetic strategy to establish the key quaternary center through an early Suzuki cross coupling and a late-stage p-phenolic C-alkylation reaction, which proceeded in high yields. A medicinal chemistry and rational drug design approach was undertaken to design and synthesize a new class of Trypanosoma brucei growth inhibitors. This hit-to-lead strategy resulted in compounds with up to a 25-fold increase in efficacy towards T. brucei growth inhibition, with respect to the initial hit compound, and a single compound with activity in sub-micromolar concentrations. A collaborative effort has begun to develop a function based method to label or tag neurons. We have developed a photocaged derivative of erythromycin A in order to control gene expression within neurons using light. The photochemical properties of the photocaged-erythromycin derivative were studied and in vitro proof of principle assays are currently underway.Chemistr

Symphonia de Sancta Maria. La "mística dogmática" de Hildegard von Bingen

La presente investigación aborda la pregunta: ¿Hildegard es una verdadera mística en la Symphonia de Sancta Maria de la Visio XIII de Scivias? Se intenta demostrar que Hildegard es una eminente voz teológica dogmática, pero que como tal articula una importante mística, teniendo esta su paradigma en María, la profetisa. La interpretación del complejo «Cántico de María» esclarece la racionalidad propia de dicha Symphonia, su índole pneumatológica y la mirada amorosa del Padre Supremo sobre María, para verificar la concreción dogmática de la mística hildegardiana en cuanto mariana. En efecto, dicha interpretación evidencia que Hans Urs von Balthasar con razón llama a Hildegard una «mística dogmática»

Association of reduced phytate and raffinose saccharides with agronomic and seed traits of soybean

The protein meal of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] lines homozygous for the mips allele (mips lines) has reduced phytate phosphorus and raffinose saccharides. Less phytate is desirable for reducing the phosphorus content of manure from non-ruminant animals and less raffinose saccharides increases the amount of metabolizable energy available to them. An objective of this study was to determine the association of the reduced raffinose saccharides and phytate phosphorus with agronomic and seed traits. A total of 48 F 3:5 mips lines with the same number of lines with the Mips Mips genotype (Mips lines) were compared in replicated field tests at two Iowa locations during 2001. Mean field emergence of mips lines was 46% less than the Mips lines. Mean seed yield adjusted for plant density by covariate analysis was 4% less in the mips lines than the Mips lines. Differences between mips lines and Mips lines for maturity, lodging, plant height, protein, and oil were not consistently significant. If reduced field emergence can be overcome, it should be possible to develop mips cultivars equivalent to Mips cultivars for agronomic and seed traits.;A second research objective was to determine if field emergence of mips lines is influenced by the environment used for seed production. Seed of six mips lines and four Mips lines produced in four temperate and 12 subtropical environments during two years was evaluated for field emergence percentage. The field emergence of mips lines was significantly less than mips lines for all seed sources. The mips lines had a mean field emergence of 63% for temperate sources and 8% for subtropical sources while mips lines had a mean field emergence of 77% for temperate sources and 83% for subtropical sources. Seed source should be a consideration when evaluating the field emergence of mips lines in a breeding program.;A third research objective was to locate the region of the soybean genome containing the mips locus. A total of 87 of the 269 (32%) simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that were evaluated were polymorphic between the parents of the F2 mapping populations. Bulked segregant analysis was conducted on two bulked DNA samples composed of 10 homozygous mips and 10 homozygous Mips F2 individuals. The mips locus was not located because none of the 87 SSRs were polymorphic between the two bulked DNA samples. The mips locus was probably not located because none of the SSRs were close enough to the mips locus. There were 17 regions on 13 chromosomes where the distance between polymorphic markers was at least 40 centimorgans. Mapping alternatives were considered, but not pursued due to their time and cost

Abu Nu‛aym Al-Iṣfahānī (d. 430/1038): Conflicting Opinions

Abu Nu‛aym al-Iṣfahānī (d. 430/1038) is a renowned figure with a glorious reputation. He is known as a hadith traditionist, historiographer, advocate of Sufism, and author of many works, the most celebrated of which is Ḥilyat al-awliyā’ wa-ṭabaqāt al-aṣfiyā’. Nonetheless, despite his glorious reputation, some scholars have criticized him and his renowned Ḥilya. Scholarship, in its turn, both classical and modern, has served Abu Nu‛aym no justice. Classical Arabic literature presents some information about his life and works in scattered short biographical entries. Modern scholarship has even less to offer in this regard. None of the existent sources presents a single biography that delivers a precise examination of Abu Nu‛aym’s status treating the opinions of both supporters and critics. This paper evaluates the conflicting opinions. It puts the puzzle pieces together to deliver a focused study of particular biographical details in Abu Nu‛aym’s life that examine the praise he has received from his proponents as well as the criticism from his opponents. This paper is the result of a project that assessed every available biographical entry on Abu Nu‛aym in both classical and modern literature to determine the different opinions on the scholar concerned. It delivers a list of all the literature that has a biographical mention of Abu Nu‛aym and that which has been examined for this study. This paper reveals that information about Abu Nu‛aym in primarily classical sources proved that criticism may be biased and religio-politically driven