Theology of Creation and Natural Science

The author advocates for the mediating role of philosophy in the dialogues between science and theology, in particular, the dialogues to clarify that the creation of biblical faith is the same entity as the cosmos of scientific study. He points out that most current scientific concepts, such as \'field,\' have a prior history of usage in philosophical discourse, before being modified for usage in scientific contexts. This example, together with associated concepts, holds special promise for developing a contemporary theology of divine presence and action

El concepto de ironia en K.W.F. Solger

Solger (1780-1819) distinguishes between apparent irony (a ridiculing attitude that does not permit a person to take anything seriously at all) and true irony, which he considers to be the fundamental, genuine condition of man. Placed between the infinite and the finite, the human being can only complete his eternal destiny in this present limited and finite world. Whatever is serious and of real importance can only be found in God, and in our own lives this is realized precisely through our fall. Tragic irony is the state of mid which illuminates this immediate presence of the divine in human existence. We can derive diverse forms of irony from irony: artistic-, religious-, moral- and dialectic irony. The only aspects Solger was abIe to develop in his philosophical system were those related to artistic irony -the irony of the fact that Eternal Idea fades away in sensible, tangible reality in general and in the reality of the individual as well, precisely through the understanding of art. Art is not fundamentally production, but what is more, it is the form of existence in which the Idea and its appearance in reality interpenetrate each other in perfect harmony-. This union is an instantaneous event which takes place in all artistic creation and artistic 're-creation'

ENERGY TRANSFER IN TRIMERIC C-PHYCOCYANIN STUDIED BY PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE KINETICS

The excited state kinetics of trimeric C-phycocyanin from Mastigocladus laminosus has been measured as a function of the emission and excitation wavelength by the single-photon timing technique with picosecond resolution and simultaneous data analysis. A fast decay component of 22 ps (C-phycocyanin with linker peptides) and 36 ps (C-phycocyanin lacking linker peptides) is attributed to efficient energy transfer from sensitizing to fluorescing chromophores. At long detection wavelengths the fast decay components are found to turn into a rise term. This finding further corroborates the concept of intramolecular energy transfer. Previous reports on the conformational heterogeneity of the chromophores and/or proteins in C-phycocyanin are confirmed. Our data also provide indications for the importance of the uncoloured linker peptides for this heterogeneity

Chlorophylls and Bacteriochlorophylls: Biochemistry, Biophysics, Functions and Applications

Supplementary material to this book contains the following Adobe-Writer (.pdf) files: an overview of the material, the color coding for the map on the title page), and supporting information for chapter 1, 14, 20, 22 and 30. Some of the files contain further links to materials on this server, in particular is there a collection of structural formulas accessible from the material to chapter 1. Please, click on the respective files for downloading. Any reference should cite the full title of the book

Cloning and characterisation of chlorophyll synthase from Avena sativa

The chlorophyll synthase gene from oat (Avena sativa) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence consists of 378 amino acids including a presequence, of 46 amino acids. Deletion mutants show that a core protein comprising amino acid residues 88 to 377 is enzymatically active. The sequence of the mature protein shows 85% identity with the chlorophyll synthase of Arabidopsis thaliana and 62% identity with the chlorophyll synthase of Synechocystis PCC 6803. The gene is constitutively expressed as the same transcript level is found in dark-grown and in light-grown seedlings. The enzyme requires magnesium ions for activity; manganese ions can reconstitute only part of the activity. Diacetyl and N-phenylmaleimide (NPM) inhibit the enzyme activity. Site-directed mutagenesis reveals that, out of the 4 Arg residues present in the active core protein, Arg-91 and Arg-161 are essential for the activity. Five cysteine residues are present in the core protein, of which only Cys-109 is essential for the enzyme activity. Since the wild-type and all other Cys-mutants with the exception of the mutant C304A are inhibited by N-phenylmaleimide, we conclude that the inhibitor binds to a non-essential Cys residue to abolish activity. The role of the various Arg and Cys residues is discussed

Sobre la distinción entre valores estéticos y artísticos

En un intento de distinguir y relacionar entre sí los valores estéticos y los artísticos, el autor de este artículo resalta el carácter indefinido de las nociones estéticas y la conexión de los mismos con otros ámbitos de valor. Básicamente refiere lo artístico a la obra y a su proceso de creación y lo estético a la recepción de la misma, que a la vez contribuye a la apertura de los valores artísticos. Por otro lado, lo estético y lo artístico comparten la autonomía del arte, a diferencia de otras dimensiones axiológicas relacionadas, como son por ejemplo, la poesía, la psicología, la virtud, etc.In his attempt to distinguish aesthetic and artistic values and to establish relationships between these two groups, the writer of this article emphasises the indefinite nature of aesthetic concepts and the connection of these with other spheres of value. Basically the writer relates the artistic dimension of the work of art and its process of creation and the aesthetic dimension to its reception, which, in turn, contributes to the understanding of artistic values. On the other hand, the aesthetic and artistic dimensions share the autonomy of art, in contrast with other axiological dimensions such as those related to poetry (psychology, virtue, etc.)

Inhibition of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthesis in in vitro systems

The incorporation of [14C]mevalonate and [14C]isopentenyl diphosphate into geranylgeranyl diphosphate was investigated in in vitro systems from Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) endosperm and from Avena sativa etioplasts. Mevalonate incorporation was effectively inhibited in the pumpkin system by geranylgeranyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl monophosphate but less effectively by phytyl diphosphate or inorganic diphosphate. Membrane lipids, geranyllinalool, or lecithin enhanced mevalonate incorporation in the Cucurbita system. Incorporation of isopentenyl diphosphate was also enhanced by lecithin and inhibited by geranylgeranyl diphosphate in the Cucurbita system. No lipid enhancement was found in the Avena system; inhibition by GGPP required a much higher GGPP concentration than in the Cucurbita system