Mystical orientation and the perceiving process : a study among Anglican clergymen

This study examines the hypothesised link between mystical orientation and the perceiving process within the Jungian model of psychological type. Data were provided by 232 Anglican clergymen serving in the Church in Wales who completed both the Francis-Louden Mystical Orientation Scale and the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The data demonstrated that intuitive types recorded significantly higher scores than sensing types on the index of mystical orientation, supporting the hypothesis based on Ross' thesis

Anticoagulation for radiation-induced neurotoxicity revisited

No effective treatment for delayed radiation-induced neurotoxicity has been established. Its natural course is highly variable, but spontaneous recovery has been well documented. Here we report our experience with therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with cerebral lesions (n=3), cranial nerve lesions (n=1) or myelopathy (n=4) attributed to irradiation. Two of three patients with cerebral lesions and the patient with cranial nerve lesions showed a minor improvement of clinical symptoms. In contrast, none of the patients with radiation myelopathy improved. No patient suffered hemorrhage or other adverse effects of anticoagulation. Overall, anticoagulation therapy demonstrates only modest activity for delayed radiation-induced neurotoxicity in this small case serie

Mechanismus der enzymatischen Freisetzung von Acetaldehyd aus “aktivem Acetaldehyd” (α-hydroxyaethyl-2-thiaminpyrophosphat)

1. 1.Die Freisetzung von Acetaldehyd aus “Aktivem Acetaldehyd” mit gereinigter Apopyruvatdecarboxylase aus Bierhefe wird durch. Thiaminpyrophosphat gehemmt. Diese Konkurrenzhemmung erklärt (zumindest teilweise) die langsame Freisetzung von Acetaldehyd beim enzymatischen Umsatz von Präparaten, die viel Thiamin-pyrophosphat enthalten. 2. 2. Die Freisetzung von Acetaldehyd aus “Aktivem Acetaldehyd” mit Apo-carboxylase erfolgt nicht in einer früher von uns diskutierten Austauschreaktion mit Pyruvat, sondern in einer direkten Reaktion: Aktiver Acetaldehyd å Acetaldehyd + TPP.1. 1. The enzymic formation of acetaldehyde from α-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate with purified apopyrubate decarboxylase from yeast is inhibited by thiamine pyrophosphate. This inhibition explains (at least partly) the slow enzymic production of acetaldehyde from α-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate preparations containing a considerable amount of thiamine pyrophosphate. 2. 2. The enzymic formation of acetaldehyde from α-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate with apocarboxylase does not take place in form of an exchange reaction with pyruvate, as discussed earlier, but in form of the direct reaction: α-hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate → acetaldehyde + thiamine pyrophosphate

ACNU-based chemotherapy for recurrent glioma in the temozolomide era

No standard of care for patients with recurrent glioblastoma has been defined since temozolomide has become the treatment of choice for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. This has renewed interest in the use of nitrosourea-based regimens for patients with progressive or recurrent disease. The most commonly used regimens are carmustine (BCNU) monotherapy or lomustine (CCNU) combined with procarbazine and vincristine (PCV). Here we report our institutional experience with nimustine (ACNU) alone (n=14) or in combination with other agents (n=18) in 32 patients with glioblastoma treated previously with temozolomide. There were no complete and two partial responses. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 6months was 20% and the survival rate at 12months 26%. Grade III or IV hematological toxicity was observed in 50% of all patients and led to interruption of treatment in 13% of patients. Non-hematological toxicity was moderate to severe and led to interruption of treatment in 9% of patients. Thus, in this cohort of patients pretreated with temozolomide, ACNU failed to induce a substantial stabilization of disease in recurrent glioblastoma, but caused a notable hematotoxicity. This study does not commend ACNU as a therapy of first choice for patients with recurrent glioblastomas pretreated with temozolomid

Book Review: The Mammals of Nigeria

Book Title: The Mammals of NigeriaBook Author: D.C.D. Happold Oxford University Press, 1987. 402 pages

Timber gridshells: beyond the drawing board

In March 2011, a week-long workshop that invited participation from all architecture and architectural technology students at Sheffield Hallam University, UK was organised with the objective of enhancing students’ thinking and experience by construction thinking. It was aimed at creating a sense of realness to realise a design project collectively. Timber was set as the material of exploration. The students had to make use of bending to design and create a timber gridshell structure. This made use of a quality traditionally felt to be a structural weakness of the material. To do this, students form-found non-mathematically and non-digitally using paper gridmats. This paper describes the aims, activity and outcome of the timber gridshell workshop as a way of preparing architects and technologists of the future and introducing the challenges of architectural design in terms of economics and construction process, aesthetics, effective communication and structural intuition by working with a given material – all important aspects in achieving effective architecture

New insights into acquired temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma?

This scientific commentary refers to ‘c-Myc-miR-29c-REV3L signalling pathway drives the acquisition of temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma' by Luo et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awv287