Ateismens topologi

The argument referring to a hidden God, deus absconditus, is a controversial but crucial point in the theology of Martin Luther. A key issue for Luther is the very distinction between the revealed and the hidden God, which prevents abuse and domestication of God’s name and authority. However, this topos can also be seen as a place of origin for modern atheism, as discussed by Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. The claim of God’s hiddenness introduces a destruction of traditional metaphysics, and hence a radical reconsideration on anthropology, texts, and phenomena. The author analyses this topos of thought in modern philosophy, from Pascal and Kant to Jacobi, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida. He argues that the notion of deus absconditus remains a highly questionable place within philosophical discourse, but therefore also represents a continuous questioning of the intellectual premises for late modern atheism

Religiøs topografi i nordisk protestantisme

Artikkelen skisserer en ramme for studiet av protestantisk topo-grafi, topologi og minneteori, og diskuterer premissene for å for-stå minnets tvetydighet innenfor den sekulære protestantisme som kjenne tegner de nordiske land i dag

Clinicopathologic Features and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in 24 Cats With Histopathologically Confirmed Neurologic Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Background: Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most common infectious central nervous system (CNS) disease in the cat and is invariably fatal. Improved means of antemortem diagnosis is required to facilitate clinical decision making. Information regarding the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of neurologic FIP currently is limited, resulting in the need for better descriptions to optimize its use as a diagnostic tool. Objective: To describe the clinicopathologic features and MRI findings in cases of confirmed neurologic FIP. Animals: Twenty-four client-owned cats with histopathologic confirmation of neurologic FIP. Methods: Archived records from 5 institutions were retrospectively reviewed to identify cases with confirmed neurologic FIP that had undergone antemortem MRI of the CNS. Signalment, clinicopathologic, MRI, and histopathologic findings were evaluated. Results: Three distinct clinical syndromes were identified: T3-L3 myelopathy (3), central vestibular syndrome (7), and multifocal CNS disease (14). Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were detected in all cases, including meningeal contrast enhancement (22), ependymal contrast enhancement (20), ventriculomegaly (20), syringomyelia (17), and foramen magnum herniation (14). Cerebrospinal fluid was analysed in 11 cases; all demonstrated a marked increase in total protein concentration and total nucleated cell count. All 24 cats were euthanized with a median survival time of 14 days (range, 2115) from onset of clinical signs. Histopathologic analysis identified perivascular pyogranulomatous infiltrates, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, or both affecting the leptomeninges (16), choroid plexuses (16), and periventricular parenchyma (13). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Magnetic resonance imaging is a sensitive means of detecting neurologic FIP, particularly in combination with a compatible signalment, clinical presentation, and CSF analysis

A New Myohaptic Instrument to Assess Wrist Motion Dynamically

The pathophysiological assessment of joint properties and voluntary motion in neurological patients remains a challenge. This is typically the case in cerebellar patients, who exhibit dysmetric movements due to the dysfunction of cerebellar circuitry. Several tools have been developed, but so far most of these tools have remained confined to laboratories, with a lack of standardization. We report on a new device which combines the use of electromyographic (EMG) sensors with haptic technology for the dynamic investigation of wrist properties. The instrument is composed of a drivetrain, a haptic controller and a signal acquisition unit. Angular accuracy is 0.00611 rad, nominal torque is 6 N·m, maximal rotation velocity is 34.907 rad/sec, with a range of motion of −1.0472 to +1.0472 rad. The inertia of the motor and handgrip is 0.004 kg·m2. This is the first standardized myohaptic instrument allowing the dynamic characterization of wrist properties, including under the condition of artificial damping. We show that cerebellar patients are unable to adapt EMG activities when faced with an increase in damping while performing fast reversal movements. The instrument allows the extraction of an electrophysiological signature of a cerebellar deficit

CCN1 mutation is associated with atrial septal defect

The genetic basis of congenital heart disease remains unknown in most of the cases. Recently, a novel mouse model shed new light on the role of CCN1/CYR61, a matricellular regulatory factor, in cardiac morphogenesis. In a candidate gene approach, we analyzed a cohort of 143 patients with atrial septal defects (ASD) by sequencing the coding exons of CCN1. In addition to three frequent polymorphisms, we identified an extremely rare novel heterozygous missense mutation (c.139C > T; p.R47W) in one patient with severe ASD. The mutation leads to an exchange of residues with quite different properties in a highly conserved position of the N-terminal insulin-like growth factor binding protein module. Further bioinformatic analysis, exclusion of known ASD disease genes as well as the exclusion of the mutation in a very high number of ethnically matched controls (more than 1,000 individuals) and in public genetic databases, indicates that the p.R47W variant is a probable disease-associated mutation. The report about ASD in mice in heterozygous Ccn 1 +/- animals strongly supports this notion. Our study is the first to suggest a relationship between a probable CCN1 mutation and ASD. Our purpose here was to draw attention to CCN1, a gene that we believe may be important for genetic analysis in patients with congenital heart disease