Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology

Personalized care of cancer patients undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors will require approaches that can predict their susceptibility to immune-related adverse events. Understanding the role of germline genetic factors in determining individual responses to immunotherapy will deepen our understanding of immune toxicity and, importantly, it may lead to tools for identifying patients who are at risk.

We present DARKNESS (the DARK-speckle Near-infrared Energy-resolving Superconducting Spectrophotometer), the first of several planned integral field spectrographs to use optical/near-infrared Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) for high-contrast imaging. The photon counting and simultaneous low-resolution spectroscopy provided by MKIDs will enable real-time speckle control techniques and post-processing speckle suppression at frame rates capable of resolving the atmospheric speckles that currently limit high-contrast imaging from the ground. DARKNESS is now operational behind the PALM-3000 extreme adaptive optics system and the Stellar Double Coronagraph at Palomar Observatory. Here, we describe the motivation, design, and characterization of the instrument, early on-sky results, and future prospects.

Paul writes that we are justified by faith apart from works of the law, a disputed term in contemporary Pauline debates. Matthew J. Thomas examines how Pauls early readers understood these works in question, how they relate to old and new perspectives, and what their collective witness suggests about the Apostles own meaning.There are few must-reads in the field, and few works that will still be referenced fifty years from now. Thomass work is a must-read and has the potential for lasting value.Jonathan Huggins in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62 (2019), pp. 418-420This work was named Jesus Creed Book of the Year 2018 on Scot McKnights Jesus Creed blog.

Recently there have been calls for public health to reconnect to urban planning in ways that emphasize the impact of place on health and that address fundamental causes of poor health, such as poverty, social inequality, and discrimination. Community developers have realized that poor health limits individuals' and communities' economic potential and have begun to integrate into their work such neighborhood health issues as access to fresh food and open space. In this article we review recent shifts in the community development field and give examples of programs that operate at the intersection of community development, public health, and civic engagement. For example, in Sacramento, California, the Building Healthy Communities program successfully promoted the creation of community gardens and bike paths and the redevelopment of brownfields. A major housing revitalization initiative in San Francisco, California, known as Sunnydale-Velasco, is transforming the city's largest public housing site into a mixed-income community that provides existing residents with new housing, infrastructure, services, and amenities. These examples and others illustrate the need to identify and make use of interdisciplinary approaches to ensure that all places are strong platforms for economic mobility, full democratic participation, and community health.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to analyze whether intra-anal ultrasound examination, anorectal physiologic evaluation, and histopathologic examination in patients with chronic idiopathic anal pain presented any common features and whether the results of different treatment modalities correlated with these findings. METHODS: Eighteen patients who met the criteria for chronic idiopathic anal pain were studied. All had an intra-anal ultrasound examination and a complete anorectal physiologic evaluation. In a selected group of patients, ultrasound-guided biopsy samples were taken from pathological areas in the internal and external sphincter. Treatment consisted of analgesics only in four patients, 0.2 percent nitroglycerin ointment in four, and ultrasound injection of botulin (botulinum toxin, Botox) into the intersphincteric space in nine. Two patients, including one who was previously treated with botulin, ultimately had a colostomy. RESULTS: Four patients were managed satisfactorily on analgesic treatment under the guidance of the hospital's pain clinic. Nitroglycerin ointment resulted in temporary pain relief in one of four patients. Injection of botulin resulted in a permanent improvement in four patients, a temporary improvement in one patient, and no effect in four patients. Two patients had a colostomy, resulting in complete pain relief. The effect or lack of effect of nitroglycerin ointment and botulin was not related to changes in anal pressure. CONCLUSION: Chronic idiopathic anal pain is a condition of unknown origin for which no proven therapy exists. As in other syndromes based on muscular dystonia, some patients may benefit from injection of botulin.

Deficient concrete-bridge columns can be effectively upgraded by bonding on the exterior surface fiber-reinforced polymer composite sheets with the fibers oriented in the columns’ circumferential direction, thus providing additional confinement. The efficiency of this rehabilitation method has been proven by the results of a number of cyclic loading tests performed on column specimens. The number of these tests, however, is much less than similar ones performed on reinforced-concrete columns without fiber-reinforced polymer confinement. This paper presents cyclic flexural test on reinforced-concrete columns confined with conventional circular hoops and carbon fiber–reinforced polymer and subjected to different axial-load levels. In addition to enriching the available database, the tests in this research program were programmed such that failure would occur in the composite sheets to validate an innovative stress-strain model that considers the passive confinement provided by both transverse-steel reinforcement and fiber-reinforced polymer wrapping. This experimental program includes eight circular reinforced-concrete columns having a 305 mm diameter and a height of 2 m. The parameters studied in this research program include the spacing of the hoops (75 or 150 mm), the intensity of the constant axial load (10 or 35% of the gross section capacity), and the presence of one or no carbon fiber–reinforced (CFRP) layer. The test results show that the addition of CFRP sheets enhances the behavior of the columns in terms of ductility and energy dissipation. The enhancement is more pronounced for the specimens with larger transverse steel–reinforcement spacing and lower axial-load level. The predictions of the moment-curvature show very good correlation with the measured responses.

Acute phosphate nephropathy is an accepted complication of the use of phosphate preparations in patients about to undergo colonoscopy. Age, renal failure, and the ongoing use of medications, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin-receptor blockers, are now recognized as risk factors for the development of phosphate nephropathy. The presence of any of these risk factors necessitates careful attention to avoiding excessive dehydration in the process of bowel cleansing. In so doing, the likelihood of acute phosphate nephropathy occurring can be lessened.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with Los Angeles grade A or B reflux esophagitis (RE-AB) can potentially be switched from active-phase therapy to on-demand esomeprazole as maintenance therapy. Body mass index (BMI) correlates significantly with reflux symptoms. We investigated whether BMI affects the efficacy of esomeprazole in active-phase or subsequent on-demand therapy. METHODS: Three hundred fifty patients with RE-AB were prospectively enrolled to receive an 8-wk course of esomeprazole (40 mg/day) as active-phase therapy. Based on the daily severity of acid regurgitation and heartburn, the cumulative proportions of patients with sustained symptomatic response (SSR), defined as free from symptoms for the last 7 days, were compared among different BMI groups (control: BMI <25 kg/m2, overweight: BMI 25-30 kg/m2, obese: BMI >30 kg/m2). In patients who had achieved SSR by week 8, on-demand therapy for 2 months was started. The number of 40-mg esomeprazole tablets used per 4-wk period was recorded. RESULTS: SSR rates were lower in both the overweight and obese groups than in the control group (P < 0.001). During on-demand therapy, the mean number of tablets used per 4-wk period was lower in the control group than in either the overweight or the obese group (13.2 vs 15.3 or 16.2, P < 0.05). The failure rate of on-demand therapy increased with increasing BMI-2.4%, 5.3%, and 14.2%, respectively, for the control, overweight, and obese groups (P= 0.002). CONCLUSION: For RE-AB, a higher BMI decreases the rate of SSR after 8-wk of esomeprazole therapy, and increases the need for medication and the failure rate of on-demand therapy.

International audience

Is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 bce reflected in the five books of Moses? In this volume, this controversial question is addressed from multiple perspectives, including archaeology, history, and contacts with Mesopotamian culture.

We present the development of a second generation digital readout system for photon counting microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) arrays operating in the optical and near-infrared wavelength bands. Our system retains much of the core signal processing architecture from the first generation system but with a significantly higher bandwidth, enabling the readout of kilopixel MKID arrays. Each set of readout boards is capable of reading out 1024 MKID pixels multiplexed over 2 GHz of bandwidth; two such units can be placed in parallel to read out a full 2048 pixel microwave feedline over a 4 GHz-8 GHz band. As in the first generation readout, our system is capable of identifying, analyzing, and recording photon detection events in real time with a time resolution of order a few microseconds. Here, we describe the hardware and firmware, and present an analysis of the noise properties of the system. We also present a novel algorithm for efficiently suppressing IQ mixer sidebands to below -30 dBc.

Can a text such as the Second Testament function as a norm for the believing community once ideology criticism developed by feminists unmasks its intrinsically oppressive presuppositions? If the text is not understood as a linguistic object containing a fixed semantic content, and if the leads provided by Ricoeur's theory of distanciation are applied, the believer may find the Second Testament to be a symbolic structure that mediates the Christ-event as an event that offers possibilities of liberation, even from the patriarchal ideology intrinsic to the text.

Abstract Introduction . Rare-earth orthovanadate nanoparticles (ReVO 4 :Eu 3+ , Re = Gd, Y or La) are promising agents for photodynamic therapy of cancer due to their modifiable redox properties. However, their toxicity limits their application. Objective . The aim of this research was to elucidate pro-eryptotic effects of GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles with identification of underlying mechanisms of eryptosis induction and to determine their pharmacological potential in eryptosis-related diseases. Methods . Blood samples ( n = 9) were incubated for 24 h with 0–10–20–40–80 mg l −1 GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ or LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles, washed and used to prepare erythrocyte suspensions to analyze the cell membrane scrambling (annexin-V-FITC staining), cell shrinkage (forward scatter signaling), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation through 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) staining and intracellular Ca 2+ levels via FLUO4 AM staining by flow cytometry. Internalization of europium-enabled luminescent GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results. Both nanoparticles triggered eryptosis at concentrations of 80 mg l −1 . ROS-mediated mechanisms were not involved in rare-earth orthovanadate nanoparticles-induced eryptosis. Elevated cytosolic Ca 2+ concentrations were revealed even at subtoxic concentrations of nanoparticles. LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles increased intracellular calcium levels in a more pronounced way compared with GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles. Our data disclose that the small-sized (15 nm) GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles were internalized after a 24 h incubation, while the large-sized (∼30 nm) LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles were localized preferentially around erythrocytes. Conclusions. Both internalized GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ and non-internalized LaVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles (80 mg l −1 ) promote eryptosis of erythrocytes after a 24 h exposure in vitro via Ca 2+ signaling without involvement of oxidative stress. Eryptosis is a promising model for assessing nanotoxicity.

Direct Imaging of exoplanets is one of the most technically difficult techniques used to study exoplanets, but holds immense promise for not just detecting but characterizing planets around the nearest stars. Ambitious instruments at the world’s largest telescopes have been built to carry out this science: the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), SPHERE at VLT, SCExAO at Subaru, and the P1640 and Stellar Double Coronagraph (SDC) at Palomar. These instruments share a common archetype consisting of an extreme AO system feeding a coronagraph for on-axis stellar light rejection followed by a focal plane Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS). They are currently limited by uncontrolled scattered and diffracted light which produces a coherent speckle halo in the image plane. A number of differential imaging schemes exist to mitigate these issues resulting in star-planet contrast ratios as deep as ~10^-6 at low angular separations. Surpassing this contrast limit requires high speed active speckle nullification from a focal plane wavefront sensor (FPWS) and new processing techniques. MEC, the Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) Exoplanet Camera, is a J-band IFS module behind Subaru Telescope’s SCExAO system. MEC is capable of producing an image cube several thousand times a second without the read noise that dominates conventional high speed IFUs. This enables it to integrate with SCExAO as an extremely fast FPWS while eliminating non-common path aberrations by doubling as a science camera. Key science objectives can be further explored if longer wavelengths (H and K band) are simultaneously sent to CHARIS for high resolution spectroscopy. MEC, to be commissioned at Subaru in early 2018, is the second MKID IFS for high contrast imaging following DARKNESS’ debut at Palomar in July 2016. MEC will follow up on young planets and debris disks discovered in the SEEDS survey or by Project 1640 as well as discover self-luminous massive planets. The increased sensitivity, combined with the advanced coronagraphs in SCExAO which have inner working angles (IWAs) as small as 0.03” at 1.2 μm, allows young Jupiter-sized objects to be imaged as close as 4 AU from their host star. If the wavefront control enabled by MEC is fully realized, it may begin to probe the reflected light of giant planets around some nearby stars, opening a new parameter space for direct imaging targeting older stars. While direct imaging of reflected light exoplanets is the most challenging of the scientific goals, it is a promising long-term path towards characterization of habitable planets around nearby stars using Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). With diameters of about 30-m, an ELT can resolve the habitable zones of nearby M-type stars, for which an Earth-sized planet would be at ~10^-7 contrast at 1 μm. This will complement future space-based high contrast optical imaging targeting the wider habitable zones of sun-like stars for ~10^-10 contrast earth analogs. We will present lessons learned from the first few months of MEC’s operation including initial lab and on-sky (weather permitting) results. We already have preliminary data from Palomar testing a new statistical speckle discrimination post-processing technique using the photon arrival time measured with MKIDs. Residual stellar light in the form of a speckle masquerading as a planetary companion is pulled from a modified Rician distribution and can be statistically discerned from a true off-axis Poisson point source. Additionally, the progress of active focal plane wavefront control will be briefly discussed.

La conception que se fait Thomas d'Aquin de la parole de Dieu navigue entre theologie positive et negative de facon subtile et compliquee. Il s'ecarte du penchant du christiannisme a invoquer et identifier positivement un Dieu qui au meme moment, est essentiellement cache et mysterieux

Segundo dados do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, a população de idosos cresceu 47,8% na última década no Brasil. Parte desta população tem surdez severa a profunda, não se beneficiando com o uso dos aparelhos auditivos convencionais. Desse modo, torna-se necessária a indicação do implante coclear. OBJETIVO: Analisar os benefícios do implante coclear nos idosos com relação à audibilidade, ao reconhecimento de fala e ao uso do telefone. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo transversal por meio da análise de prontuários de pacientes com faixa etária acima de 60 anos usuários de implante coclear há pelo menos 1 ano. RESULTADOS: Foram analisados 14 prontuários. A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 63,07 anos. A média dos limiares tonais entre 500Hz,1kHz,2kHz e 4kHz antes da implantação foi de 113dBNA. Nenhum dos pacientes, antes de implantar, conseguia discriminar frases em contexto aberto e fechado, apenas 3 conseguiam fazê-lo com uma média de 17% de acertos. Após um ano de uso de implante, a média dos limiares em campo passou a ser de 34 dBNA, a discriminação de frases em contexto aberto de 93,57% e 71% dos pacientes já conseguiam estabelecer uma conversa ao telefone. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes idosos usuários de implante coclear apresentaram ganhos auditivos relevantes, com melhora significativa da compreensão em contexto aberto e no uso de telefones.

Abstract. Finding themselves teaching to increasingly diverse student populations, two mid‐career faculty from different disciplines embarked on a common voyage to make their foundational courses more sensitive to student learning styles. Adrift in the seas of multiple intelligences and multiculturalism, the researchers quickly abandoned any hope of developing distinctive teaching portfolios for individual learning profiles. Instead, they structured the syllabus to be the passport into a common culture of teaching and learning in the classroom. Syllabus design and on‐going “spot” assessments proved trusty guides in re‐centering learning on the students' needs. In the process of outlining these two strategies for creating a common culture of teaching and learning, the article offers testimony that old dogs can learn new tricks! Additional materials, including syllabi used in these courses and in class assessment tools, can be found on the Web page of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion: http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/journal/green&amp;stortz.html

This article uses the case of contemporary China to explore an understudied type of political socialization: the bar exam. Content analysis of 3,996 exam questions from 2002–2014 shows a turning point in the mid‐2000s, when the test became explicitly political. The newly political exam is now a site of political learning where tomorrow's lawyers, judges, and prosecutors perform loyalty by exchanging politically correct answers for points. Viewed from this perspective, the Chinese bar exam has much in common with demands for public displays of correct behaviour in other authoritarian states. This adds a fresh, political layer to our understanding of whose interests bar exams serve, and why they take the form they do.

Background: Diseases caused by opportunistic pathogens are the major clinical signs of HIV infected and AIDS patients with parasitic infection being part of the common causes of morbidity and mortality.Objectives: This was a cross-sectional study to determine the sero prevalence of serum antibodies to three parasitic infections namely Entamoeba histolytica, Schistosoma sp. and Toxoplasma gondii, which are opportunistic infections among HIV/AIDS patients.Methods: One thousand and eighty patients that attended three healthcare institutions in Lagos were recruited for the study through convenience sampling method. Venous blood was collected from the recruited patients and screened for HIV infection as well as the presence of serum antibodies to three parasitic infections. All positive sera samples were confirmed for HIV infection.Result: The results revealed that 65/1080 (6%) of the recruited patients were HIV sero-positive. In addition, 5/65 (7.7%) of the HIV positive patients had E. histolytica co-infection, 1/65 (1.5%) had Schistosoma sp. co-infection while 2/65 (3.1%) had T. gondii co infection. The results also indicated that the proportion of patients with E. histolytica was significantly higher among HIV sero-positive patients than the sero-negative patients (P = 0.031).Conclusion: The study showed the opportunistic potential of the three parasitic infections among HIV/AIDS patients in the study area.Keywords: HIV, AIDS, Seropositive, Seronegative, Toxoplasma gondii, Entamoeba histolytica, Schistosoma haematobium

In a world dominated by a scientific understanding of reality, many view the Bible as irrelevant, especially to the truths of the natural world and the domain of scientific pursuits. This irrelevan...