Grand Rapids Research Articles

Desempenho morfofisiologico e qualidade pós-colheita de cultivares de alface hidropônica em condições de temperatura elevada

ABSTRACT Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is the most economically important leafy vegetable in Brazil, with the crisp type being the most popular among producers. However, in regions with hot climates, lettuce has production limitations due to bolting, requiring knowledge on the behavior of cultivars available on the market. Thus, the objective of the present study was to characterize the performance of crisp lettuce cultivars in terms of their productive, physiological, and postharvest quality aspects when grown under hydroponic cultivation and high temperature conditions. The assay was performed in a greenhouse and the plants were grown in a hydroponic system of DFT type. The average temperature during the experiment was 30.33 °C. The experimental design used was completely randomized with nine treatments (Veneranda, Cristina, Olinda, Mônica, Cinderela, Grand Rapids, Itapuã Super, Crocantela, and Simpson Black Seed), with four replications. The cultivars were analyzed in terms of their productive, physiological, and postharvest quality performances. The Olinda and Cristina cultivars showed the best performance in growth, physiological, and postharvest variables. However, the cultivars had distinct sensory characteristics. Bolting negatively affected gas exchange, production, and postharvest quality of lettuce cultivars Veneranda, Mônica, Grand Rapids, and Cinderela. In addition, it was observed that the pigment content was not determinant for the expression of bolting. Therefore, this study recommends the use of cultivars Olinda and Cristina for the hydroponic cultivation under high temperature conditions.

Twelve Years of Drug Prioritization to Help Accelerate Disease Modification Trials in Parkinson's Disease: The International Linked Clinical Trials initiative.

In 2011, the UK medical research charity Cure Parkinson's set up the international Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) committee to help expedite the clinical testing of potentially disease modifying therapies for Parkinson's disease (PD). The first committee meeting was held at the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012. This group of PD experts has subsequently met annually to assess and prioritize agents that may slow the progression of this neurodegenerative condition, using a systematic approach based on preclinical, epidemiological and, where possible, clinical data. Over the last 12 years, 171 unique agents have been evaluated by the iLCT committee, and there have been 21 completed clinical studies and 20 ongoing trials associated with the initiative. In this review, we briefly outline the iLCT process as well as the clinical development and outcomes of some of the top prioritized agents. We also discuss a few of the lessons that have been learnt, and we conclude with a perspective on what the next decade may bring, including the introduction of multi-arm, multi-stage clinical trial platforms and the possibility of combination therapies for PD.

Abstract CT105: Early clinical experience with a novel first-in-class G-quadruplex experimental anti-cancer drug

Abstract The human genome contains G-rich regions that are over-represented in many cancer gene promoters. These can form higher-order G-quadruplex arrangements under the influence of an appropriate and selective small molecule compound. The resulting ligand-G-quadruplex complex may be resistant to polymerase read-through and thus results in transcriptional down-regulation of target genes. QN-302, based on a tetra-substituted naphthalene diimide chemotype, is a potent and selective G-quadruplex-binding compound that has been designed and initially developed at University College London. It displays single-digit cell growth inhibition in a panel of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. RNA-seq analysis shows that it is a pan-quadruplex agent, down-regulating the expression of multiple G-quadruplex-promoter cancer genes and pathways in PDAC. It also shows in vivo anti-tumor activity in several animal models for PDAC, with low toxicity observed at therapeutic doses. QN-302 was licensed to Qualigen Therapeutics Inc in January 2022. It was granted Orphan Drug designation by the FDA in December 2022 for PDAC. This was followed by extensive regulatory toxicological and pharmacological studies together with successful scale-up synthesis, purification and formulation. QN-302 was granted IND clearance in August 2023 by the FDA for phase 1 clinical trials in advanced or metastatic solid tumors. This Phase 1a clinical trial is being conducted in two USA cancer centers (START Midwest, Grand Rapids, MI and Honor Health, Scottsdale, AZ) using a protocol based on 28-day once-weekly dose escalation and evaluation of three potential biomarkers, two of which have been suggested by transcriptomic analysis as being indicative of G-quadruplex-induced drug response and accompanying decrease of anti-tumor activity. So far 1 Cohort (3 patients) has been dosed at the lowest dose of 1.62 mg of QN-302 as part of this Phase 1a clinical trial. Patient #1, a male patient of metastatic pancreatic cancer, is currently in Cycle 4 of therapy showing Stable Disease and no AEs or SAEs reported. Patient #2, a female patient of metastatic colorectal cancer, completed Cycle 2 after which she showed progression upon CT Scan before entering Cycle 3 and was taken off study. Patient #3, a male patient of metastatic PDAC, is currently ending Cycle 2, about to enter Cycle 3, showing Stable Disease upon CT scan. All patients dosed showed no AEs, SAEs or side effects. They were also clinically observed to have improved QOL compared to prior SOC while on therapy with QN-302, This presentation will outline this unique approach and summarize safety, tolerability, PK/PD data and any early clinical data as described above including preliminary biomarker data now that clinical evaluation has commenced. The advantages and challenges of QN-302 will also be discussed. Citation Format: Tariq Arshad, Stephen Neidle, Sreenivasa Chandana, Erkut Borazanci. Early clinical experience with a novel first-in-class G-quadruplex experimental anti-cancer drug [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr CT105.

The labors of a godly and learned divine, William Perkins. Including previously unpublished sermons. By Matthew N. Payne and Stephen J. Yuille. Pp. 512. Grand Rapids, Mi: Reformation Heritage Books, 2022. $50. 978 1601789471

The labors of a godly and learned divine, William Perkins. Including previously unpublished sermons. By Matthew N. Payne and Stephen J. Yuille. Pp. 512. Grand Rapids, M<scp>i</scp>: Reformation Heritage Books, 2022. $50. 978 1601789471

Abstract 830: Michigan cancer and research on the environment study (MI-CARES) cohort: Baseline methods and participant characteristics

Abstract Michigan has a long history of adverse environmental exposures, many of which are still ongoing, like the Flint water crisis, extreme air pollution burden, and widespread PFAS exposure. Michigan is also home to a diverse population of Latinx, Black, White, and Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) Americans. Because minority populations are underrepresented in environment and cancer research despite being at greater risk of being exposed to environmental hazards and having worse cancer outcomes, Michigan is uniquely positioned for studying the associations between environmental exposures and cancer risk. In June 2022, the Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study (MI-CARES) began recruitment with a goal of establishing a cohort of over 100,000 Michiganders to examine these associations. Any Michigander aged 18-49 is eligible to enroll in MI-CARES. By focusing on this age range, we will capture exposures during important windows of susceptibility prior to the onset of most cancers.While recruitment is open to all state-wide, efforts are focused on six environmental injustice hotspots, identified using the MiEJScreen tool, a relative summary score capturing pollution burden and population vulnerability: the metro areas of Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing, Detroit, and Bay City-Saginaw.MI-CARES will enroll equal numbers of Black, Latinx, MENA, and White participants. To support participation in diverse communities, study materials are available in Arabic, English, and Spanish. MI-CARES has employed a multifaceted community engagement strategy and is recruiting from these communities directly and with the help of community partners. An incentive of $10 is also provided to participants who successfully complete the questionnaire.To democratize participation, MI-CARES enrollment can be completely remote, but in-person and paper-based enrollment is available. Enrollment includes a baseline questionnaire, consent for data linkage, and annual follow-up surveys. Participants are also asked to provide saliva and blood spot samples via a mailed at-home biospecimen collection kit. Biospecimens will be analyzed for environmental exposures like heavy metals and for intermediate cancer markers including inflammation, cellular aging, immune function, and altered metabolism. Participant data will be linked to neighborhood-level exposure databases, administrative databases like cancer registries and death indices, and to the Michigan Neonatal Biobank. More than 4,000 Michiganders have enrolled in MI-CARES. Data on initial cohort members including environmental exposure history and demographic characteristics will be presented. MI-CARES is part of the Cohorts for Environmental Exposures and Cancer Risk (CEECR) consortium, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Citation Format: Lilah Khoja, Maxwell Salvatore, Minh Tung Phung, Isabella De Sa, Heatherlun Uphold, Justin Colacino, Alison M. Mondul, Bhramar Mukherjee, Dana Dolinoy, Celeste Leigh Pearce. Michigan cancer and research on the environment study (MI-CARES) cohort: Baseline methods and participant characteristics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 830.

Oliver D. Crisp, Participation and Atonement: An Analytic and Constructive Account (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022), pp. xi + 259. $29.99

Oliver D. Crisp, Participation and Atonement: An Analytic and Constructive Account (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022), pp. xi + 259. $29.99

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

HOW TO SELL A POISON: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT by Elena Conis. New York: Bold Type Books, 2022. 388 pages. Hardcover; $30.00. ISBN: 9781645036746. *Suppose you were creating a new college course on the interaction between chemistry and public policy (this happens to be true for this reviewer). Elena Conis's How to Sell a Poison would be a nearly perfect book to read as you set your syllabus. The author presents a thorough historical context with sufficient, but still accessible, chemical detail. The book does not gloss over complexities in the interactions between politicians, industry, and environmental advocates, but it also manages to compel the reader with winsome writing and a peppering of human-interest narratives. And while the book inexplicably does not have a complete set of references, it is an excellent resource for a reader who wants to develop an understanding of the history of DDT and why there are some who are calling for its continued and increased usage to combat malaria. *The structure of How to Sell a Poison is mostly chronological, including some information of the early uses of DDT by Swiss potato farmers, the promotion of its use by the United States military in World War II, an explosion of usage in the 1950s and 1960s as both an agricultural and a consumer product, the mounting evidence of DDT's negative environmental impact, advocacy and legislative action in the 1960s and 1970s, and the ongoing debate regarding continued or increased use of DDT to keep malaria in check. This historical structure is written in a compelling way, with most chapters headed by an account of one of the primary actors in an ongoing drama created by benefits and dangers of the pesticide's use. Going far beyond the well-known story of Rachel Carson and her seminal Silent Spring (1962), we meet chemists, soldiers, physicians, patients, agricultural workers, government scientists, politicians, supreme court justices, concerned citizens turned plaintiffs, journalists, environmentalists, industry executives, and lobbyists. By the end of the book, the reader will feel that they have been inside the mind of all of the important actors in the multiact drama that was and is DDT. *Conis includes sufficient chemical detail even while she keeps the book accessible to a general audience. The reader comes to understand the molecular structure of DDT, how it is synthesized, why it is persistent in the environment, how it kills insects, and why it increasingly bioaccumulates going up the food chain. These details are not presented in a tacked-on chapter, but in the historical context as needed to understand the DDT narrative. *One of the greatest strengths of the book is that it does not gloss over the complexities or nuances in the DDT story. This is important to gain an authentic understanding of how DDT became ubiquitous and how it fell out of favor. Yes, the story of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is included, but so is the congressional testimony that followed and the ultimate lobbying of tobacco interests encouraging a DDT ban as part of a scapegoat campaign to cover up their own cancer problems. The reader also comes to understand the crucial role that the DDT controversy played in the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Defense Fund. A true historian, Conis gives you a compelling behind-the-scenes understanding of who held influence regarding DDT and how their influence was wielded. *Nearly every chapter begins with a narrative regarding one of the main actors in the DDT story. This feature makes the book easy to read and compelling. You see the promise and the problems of DDT from the point of view of a land developer, a chemist, a government scientist, a physician, a health department officer, a member of congress, an organic gardener caught in the overspray, an attorney, an immigrant agricultural worker, a bird enthusiast, the surgeon general, a university professor, a journalist, the EPA director, the mayor of a small town, and several others. As their stories are told, the reader is led to an understanding of the many facets of DDT in an organic and interesting way. Each story is backed up by references, as appropriate, to letters, articles, books, or government documents. But even as the stories are historically documented, they read more like a story than a history textbook. *The one frustrating aspect of the book for this reviewer is the lack of a comprehensive bibliography. The author refers to many documents in the chapters, but then does not include a complete reference to all of them so that the reader can find those documents. This will not bother most readers, but as an instructor designing a class, this reader is seeking primary documents (public laws, scientific journal articles) to give to my students to directly illustrate the connections between chemistry and public policy. *Overall, this is an excellent book for anyone who is seeking a thorough and nuanced understanding of DDT. *Reviewed by Herb Fynewever, Professor of Chemistry, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.

Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy: Contexts of Creation and Reception

HELMHOLTZ AND THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY: Contexts of Creation and Reception by Kenneth L. Caneva. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2021. 735 pages, including notes (138 pages), bibliographies of primary and secondary sources (80 pages), and an index (17 pages). Hardcover; $125.00. ISBN: 9780262045755. *By examining the pagination details mentioned above, one could easily surmise that one will be reading and examining a book grounded in textual detail. And one would be spot on. The weight of the author's research is, quite honestly, breathtaking. Kenneth L. Caneva has devoted his academic life to an examination of energy concepts. He is a professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. A former student of Thomas S. Kuhn, he has also authored two other books: The Form and Function of Scientific Discoveries (Dibner Library Lecture, 2000) and an authoritative biography, Robert Mayer and the Conservation of Energy (Princeton University Press, 1993). Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy is his latest contribution. *Before we examine the book proper, the obvious question arises: Who was Hermann von Helmholtz? To answer that question one can best turn to the 937-page scientific biography of Helmholtz by David Cahan (Helmholtz: A Life in Science, The University of Chicago Press, 2018). Helmholtz (1821-1894), a German physiologist and physicist, is described by Steven Shapin in his review of Cahan's book as "a theorist of (not quite) everything." Helmholtz had an immense range of scientific and cultural interests: physics, physiology, psychology, aesthetics, philosophy. He invented the ophthalmoscope, measured the nervous impulse, contributed to meteorology and atmospheric physics, and helped build some of Germany's scientific and technological institutions. *Caneva wants to explore the context and reception of one of Helmholtz's early (1847) seminal essays, "Über die Erhaltung der Kraft" ["On the Conservation of Force"] by examining how this essay shaped the discussion and acceptance of a physical principle: the conservation of energy. How was "conservation of force" eventually transformed into a principle of energy conservation? Caneva offers us a contextualist historiography of this long and complex transition by providing an in-depth analysis of Helmholtz's contribution and influence in the discovery process. *The discovery of the principle of energy conservation is a classic case in the history of nineteenth-century science. Although overshadowed in the public mind by Charles Darwin's principle of natural selection, its historical development raises similar issues. Who discovered the principle of energy conservation? An easy question to pose, but a very complicated one to answer. And more to Caneva's point of interest: Is conservation of energy what Helmholtz initially meant by the conservation of force? *Caneva offers this book as an example "of how what is generally accepted as scientific knowledge is reshaped as it passes through the hands of people with different agendas using different language." It is not an individualistic process, but rather reflects a "collective construction of scientific knowledge." Caneva concludes the book with this assertion: "The cumulative force of this study has implicitly rendered otiose the question of who discovered the conservation of energy" (p. 466). In a real sense, no one individual has discovered the conservation of energy: one could reference Robert Meyer (1842), Helmholtz (1847), William Thomson (1851) [force to energy], and Helmholtz (1853) again. With meticulous detail Caneva highlights the terminological shifts that have taken place as well as the rhetorical skills exercised when the "law" or "principle" was presented to various publics, even in popular scientific settings. *The book has eleven chapters, followed by a "Historiographical Excursus: How Others Have Interpreted Helmholtz's Achievement" (pp. 471-99). In chapter 1, "Helmholtz's Self-Described Principal Concerns," Caneva traces out four factors that were central to Helmholtz's thinking: (1) a conviction that the construction of a perpetuum mobile is impossible, (2) a concern with the nature of heat and the source of animal heat, (3) a belief in the illegitimacy of a vital force, and (4)the application of rational mechanics' principles of vis viva [mv2] and its conservation. According to Caneva, Kantian philosophical concerns do not dominate, nor does Helmholtz's reliance on industrial mechanical steam-engine considerations or metaphors. Succeeding chapters (2-6) trace out the broader and more immediate contexts, the question of Kantian influence, and what Helmholtz believed he had accomplished. *Chapters 7-9 consider the reception of "The Conservation of Force." In chapter 9, "Helmholtz's Place in the Acceptance of the Conservation of Energy--by far the longest (pp. 235-428) and most important chapter--Caneva traces how Helmholtz's formulation in his 1847 essay, "The sum of the existing living and tensional forces is thus always constant" (p. 239), has been transformed into a principle of the conservation of energy. How does a paper first rejected by the physics community, yet hoping to find unifying elements in nature, lead finally to the conservation of energy (the first law of thermodynamics)? Even if one looks closely at the phrase, "tensional" forces, one notices that Helmholtz integrates force over distance, that is, force is thought of in terms of the velocity of a body rather than its acceleration. Force, for Helmholtz, is a measure of the quantity of motion rather than a cause of motion. Caneva's goal is to render intelligible Helmholtz's role and significance in the complicated transition to the final expression of the conservation law. *Near the end of the book, in the "Historiographical Excursus," Caneva critically assesses the work of earlier commentators who have written about Helmholtz and the conservation of energy. Thomas Kuhn (Caneva's advisor), Yehuda Elkana, Peter Harman, Norton Wise, all are subject to criticism. Caneva detects anachronistic tendencies, lack of sound textual evidence, and a desire to confirm a preconceived idea that lie at the root of most failed interpretations (p. 499). *The book is not an easy read. Amidst all the intricate detailed analysis and convoluted arguments what can an ASA member profitably learn? First, clarification of concepts can be a long and complicated process. Think just of the historical development of the concept of biological evolution. Secondly, ideas and concepts are shaped by a myriad of causes and influences. The art or skill lies in learning how to weigh the stunning array of causes. In the case of Helmholtz, historians have identified several causes: philosophical, physical, technological, physiological, and even cultural. How to accurately weigh each factor without becoming ahistorical, that is, misreading an author's intent by reading modern concepts into it and becoming anachronistic, has been Caneva's goal. *Reviewed by Arie Leegwater, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.

Freedom and Sin: Evil in a World Created by God. By RossMcCullough. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2022. Pp. xii, 244. $50.00.

Freedom and Sin: Evil in a World Created by God. By RossMcCullough. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2022. Pp. xii, 244. $50.00.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

HOW TO SELL A POISON: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT by Elena Conis. New York: Bold Type Books, 2022. 388 pages. Hardcover; $30.00. ISBN: 9781645036746. *Suppose you were creating a new college course on the interaction between chemistry and public policy (this happens to be true for this reviewer). Elena Conis's How to Sell a Poison would be a nearly perfect book to read as you set your syllabus. The author presents a thorough historical context with sufficient, but still accessible, chemical detail. The book does not gloss over complexities in the interactions between politicians, industry, and environmental advocates, but it also manages to compel the reader with winsome writing and a peppering of human-interest narratives. And while the book inexplicably does not have a complete set of references, it is an excellent resource for a reader who wants to develop an understanding of the history of DDT and why there are some who are calling for its continued and increased usage to combat malaria. *The structure of How to Sell a Poison is mostly chronological, including some information of the early uses of DDT by Swiss potato farmers, the promotion of its use by the United States military in World War II, an explosion of usage in the 1950s and 1960s as both an agricultural and a consumer product, the mounting evidence of DDT's negative environmental impact, advocacy and legislative action in the 1960s and 1970s, and the ongoing debate regarding continued or increased use of DDT to keep malaria in check. This historical structure is written in a compelling way, with most chapters headed by an account of one of the primary actors in an ongoing drama created by benefits and dangers of the pesticide's use. Going far beyond the well-known story of Rachel Carson and her seminal Silent Spring (1962), we meet chemists, soldiers, physicians, patients, agricultural workers, government scientists, politicians, supreme court justices, concerned citizens turned plaintiffs, journalists, environmentalists, industry executives, and lobbyists. By the end of the book, the reader will feel that they have been inside the mind of all of the important actors in the multiact drama that was and is DDT. *Conis includes sufficient chemical detail even while she keeps the book accessible to a general audience. The reader comes to understand the molecular structure of DDT, how it is synthesized, why it is persistent in the environment, how it kills insects, and why it increasingly bioaccumulates going up the food chain. These details are not presented in a tacked-on chapter, but in the historical context as needed to understand the DDT narrative. *One of the greatest strengths of the book is that it does not gloss over the complexities or nuances in the DDT story. This is important to gain an authentic understanding of how DDT became ubiquitous and how it fell out of favor. Yes, the story of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is included, but so is the congressional testimony that followed and the ultimate lobbying of tobacco interests encouraging a DDT ban as part of a scapegoat campaign to cover up their own cancer problems. The reader also comes to understand the crucial role that the DDT controversy played in the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Defense Fund. A true historian, Conis gives you a compelling behind-the-scenes understanding of who held influence regarding DDT and how their influence was wielded. *Nearly every chapter begins with a narrative regarding one of the main actors in the DDT story. This feature makes the book easy to read and compelling. You see the promise and the problems of DDT from the point of view of a land developer, a chemist, a government scientist, a physician, a health department officer, a member of congress, an organic gardener caught in the overspray, an attorney, an immigrant agricultural worker, a bird enthusiast, the surgeon general, a university professor, a journalist, the EPA director, the mayor of a small town, and several others. As their stories are told, the reader is led to an understanding of the many facets of DDT in an organic and interesting way. Each story is backed up by references, as appropriate, to letters, articles, books, or government documents. But even as the stories are historically documented, they read more like a story than a history textbook. *The one frustrating aspect of the book for this reviewer is the lack of a comprehensive bibliography. The author refers to many documents in the chapters, but then does not include a complete reference to all of them so that the reader can find those documents. This will not bother most readers, but as an instructor designing a class, this reader is seeking primary documents (public laws, scientific journal articles) to give to my students to directly illustrate the connections between chemistry and public policy. *Overall, this is an excellent book for anyone who is seeking a thorough and nuanced understanding of DDT. *Reviewed by Herb Fynewever, Professor of Chemistry, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.

Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers

TRAUMA-INFORMED EVANGELISM: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers by Charles Kiser and Elaine A. Heath. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2023. 213 pages, index. Paperback; $19.99. ISBN: 9780802882356. *Trauma-Informed Evangelism is a well-written, thought-provoking, and necessary contribution to the field of evangelism, introducing the recovery principles of trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care, as practiced in the fields of mental health and substance abuse treatment, recognizes that all people have experienced trauma, that many problematic effects and symptoms are a result of these traumatic experiences, and that the key to helping others heal is found in treating them with kindness and respect to assist them in developing personal empowerment. The main goal in the work is to avoid re-traumatizing people. The key shift in conceptualization moves from one of pathology, to the normal, protective response of the body to threat--from "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" *Authors Kiser and Heath encourage trauma-informed spiritual care that can be adapted by lay persons, clergy, and clinicians alike. Trauma-Informed Evangelism urges readers to recognize the experiences of spiritual harm, understand that this harm has had a significant impact on the survivor's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding spiritual matters (which arguably leads to holistic complications), and to witness these stories in a manner that creates a place of healing rather than of re-traumatization. *The authors break this work into three categories: (1) Disordered Imagination, (2) Healing Imagination, and (3) Embodied Imagination. Disordered imagination begins with the premise that trauma-informed evangelism requires that we understand our neighbors' experiences of harm in a spiritual context so that we can minister to them effectively. As in any type of trauma-informed care, the invitation to share stories without expectation or judgment is an imperative first step. This section begins by introducing a handful of oft-relayed themes, including rejection trauma in terminating relationships, injustice toward marginalized individuals and by those who abused their pastoral authority, and secondary wounding, having witnessed harm toward others. *Kiser and Heath acknowledge complex theological and social questions which arise when we are faced with spiritual harm. They briefly examine questions of the nature of God, and of humankind acting in harmful ways or failing to prevent harm. The authors do a nice job throughout the work of covering the natural and obvious questions that will arise for the reader. This involves discussions of the nature of spiritual abuse and trauma, problematic narratives of supremacy and hierarchy, and healing the historical wounds of exploitation and perpetration within Christendom. They challenge the ever-present presuppositions of those who comprise the in-group and of those who comprise the out-group in the church, who gets to decide, and how these practices have been kept in place. *The authors challenge traditional church norms and beliefs which keep some of these harmful practices in effect. They also introduce alternative, nontraditional theological perspectives that could combat some of these views. However, it is important to note that theological beliefs are simply one piece of the equation. And that, people being people, we are prone to wounding others regardless of the rightness or wrongness of our theological perspectives. Even with the best of intentions, two people can have vastly different perspectives on the best way to problem-solve. And when our deeply held religious convictions are part of the decision-making, we can often be seen doubling down on our positions, inadvertently doing spiritual harm. *Healing imagination tasks the reader to entertain new narratives of the inherent meaning of Jesus as a trauma survivor, to discover and reimagine God in the midst of trauma, and to consider the challenge of producing compassionate, trauma-informed leaders. The authors introduce thought-provoking, alternative interpretations to challenge the traditional meaning we have given the crucifixion story, to God's purpose and reactions to harm, and to how we as evangelists should understand and respond to trauma. *Embodied imagination proposes several alternative approaches to evangelism. This includes the suggestion that our traditional attempts to minister to and to convert those with problems of spiritual trauma are counterproductive, largely due to the instinctual trauma response. That evangelism is "witness-oriented rather than results-oriented" (p. 118) requires that we embody the Good News and release the outcomes to God. It asks evangelists to consider "radically inclusive hospitality" which further expands the boundaries of who is included in the church, and it tightens the boundaries of acceptable behavior to avoid harm and exclusion (p. 140). Evangelists must finally learn to keep a healthy and well-differentiated self from their neighbors, allowing others their autonomy and not becoming discouraged when their best efforts don't deliver the expected results. *Trauma-Informed Evangelism will probably be best enjoyed by those with non-traditional views of Christianity as it considers alternative perspectives such as womanist and queer theology. However, those of a more conservative nature, who are open to the simple and practical message of trauma-informed care, may find a great deal of applicable materials within the scope of their personal Christian beliefs. Trauma-Informed Evangelism is well conceptualized and worthy of a careful read. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter help facilitate reflection and planning for individuals or groups interested in developing this mode of evangelism. *As a clinical trauma specialist and Christian, I found this work especially relevant to my current task, building the mental health department in a residential drug and alcohol treatment center for adult males. The vast majority of these men report trauma, including childhood sexual abuse, violent experiences during incarceration, family of origin abuse, and medical trauma inherent in abusing substances. They have been the victims of trauma, and they have been the perpetrators of trauma. They identify the church as the key component of their healing, but also a key factor of their wounding. The explanations of spiritual wounding and trauma-informed care in this book are sound; they are as applicable to the neighbor who has found moderate offense as to deeply wounded brothers and sisters with complex consequences. I plan to use this material to deepen the focus on the concepts of spiritual wounding and trauma-informed care into my practice. *Reviewed by Jennifer Durham, MBA, LPCC-S, Director of Mental Health and Special Services at New Destiny Treatment Center, Clinton, OH 44216.

Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers

TRAUMA-INFORMED EVANGELISM: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers by Charles Kiser and Elaine A. Heath. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2023. 213 pages, index. Paperback; $19.99. ISBN: 9780802882356. *Trauma-Informed Evangelism is a well-written, thought-provoking, and necessary contribution to the field of evangelism, introducing the recovery principles of trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care, as practiced in the fields of mental health and substance abuse treatment, recognizes that all people have experienced trauma, that many problematic effects and symptoms are a result of these traumatic experiences, and that the key to helping others heal is found in treating them with kindness and respect to assist them in developing personal empowerment. The main goal in the work is to avoid re-traumatizing people. The key shift in conceptualization moves from one of pathology, to the normal, protective response of the body to threat--from "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" *Authors Kiser and Heath encourage trauma-informed spiritual care that can be adapted by lay persons, clergy, and clinicians alike. Trauma-Informed Evangelism urges readers to recognize the experiences of spiritual harm, understand that this harm has had a significant impact on the survivor's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding spiritual matters (which arguably leads to holistic complications), and to witness these stories in a manner that creates a place of healing rather than of re-traumatization. *The authors break this work into three categories: (1) Disordered Imagination, (2) Healing Imagination, and (3) Embodied Imagination. Disordered imagination begins with the premise that trauma-informed evangelism requires that we understand our neighbors' experiences of harm in a spiritual context so that we can minister to them effectively. As in any type of trauma-informed care, the invitation to share stories without expectation or judgment is an imperative first step. This section begins by introducing a handful of oft-relayed themes, including rejection trauma in terminating relationships, injustice toward marginalized individuals and by those who abused their pastoral authority, and secondary wounding, having witnessed harm toward others. *Kiser and Heath acknowledge complex theological and social questions which arise when we are faced with spiritual harm. They briefly examine questions of the nature of God, and of humankind acting in harmful ways or failing to prevent harm. The authors do a nice job throughout the work of covering the natural and obvious questions that will arise for the reader. This involves discussions of the nature of spiritual abuse and trauma, problematic narratives of supremacy and hierarchy, and healing the historical wounds of exploitation and perpetration within Christendom. They challenge the ever-present presuppositions of those who comprise the in-group and of those who comprise the out-group in the church, who gets to decide, and how these practices have been kept in place. *The authors challenge traditional church norms and beliefs which keep some of these harmful practices in effect. They also introduce alternative, nontraditional theological perspectives that could combat some of these views. However, it is important to note that theological beliefs are simply one piece of the equation. And that, people being people, we are prone to wounding others regardless of the rightness or wrongness of our theological perspectives. Even with the best of intentions, two people can have vastly different perspectives on the best way to problem-solve. And when our deeply held religious convictions are part of the decision-making, we can often be seen doubling down on our positions, inadvertently doing spiritual harm. *Healing imagination tasks the reader to entertain new narratives of the inherent meaning of Jesus as a trauma survivor, to discover and reimagine God in the midst of trauma, and to consider the challenge of producing compassionate, trauma-informed leaders. The authors introduce thought-provoking, alternative interpretations to challenge the traditional meaning we have given the crucifixion story, to God's purpose and reactions to harm, and to how we as evangelists should understand and respond to trauma. *Embodied imagination proposes several alternative approaches to evangelism. This includes the suggestion that our traditional attempts to minister to and to convert those with problems of spiritual trauma are counterproductive, largely due to the instinctual trauma response. That evangelism is "witness-oriented rather than results-oriented" (p. 118) requires that we embody the Good News and release the outcomes to God. It asks evangelists to consider "radically inclusive hospitality" which further expands the boundaries of who is included in the church, and it tightens the boundaries of acceptable behavior to avoid harm and exclusion (p. 140). Evangelists must finally learn to keep a healthy and well-differentiated self from their neighbors, allowing others their autonomy and not becoming discouraged when their best efforts don't deliver the expected results. *Trauma-Informed Evangelism will probably be best enjoyed by those with non-traditional views of Christianity as it considers alternative perspectives such as womanist and queer theology. However, those of a more conservative nature, who are open to the simple and practical message of trauma-informed care, may find a great deal of applicable materials within the scope of their personal Christian beliefs. Trauma-Informed Evangelism is well conceptualized and worthy of a careful read. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter help facilitate reflection and planning for individuals or groups interested in developing this mode of evangelism. *As a clinical trauma specialist and Christian, I found this work especially relevant to my current task, building the mental health department in a residential drug and alcohol treatment center for adult males. The vast majority of these men report trauma, including childhood sexual abuse, violent experiences during incarceration, family of origin abuse, and medical trauma inherent in abusing substances. They have been the victims of trauma, and they have been the perpetrators of trauma. They identify the church as the key component of their healing, but also a key factor of their wounding. The explanations of spiritual wounding and trauma-informed care in this book are sound; they are as applicable to the neighbor who has found moderate offense as to deeply wounded brothers and sisters with complex consequences. I plan to use this material to deepen the focus on the concepts of spiritual wounding and trauma-informed care into my practice. *Reviewed by Jennifer Durham, MBA, LPCC-S, Director of Mental Health and Special Services at New Destiny Treatment Center, Clinton, OH 44216.

Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy: Contexts of Creation and Reception

HELMHOLTZ AND THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY: Contexts of Creation and Reception by Kenneth L. Caneva. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2021. 735 pages, including notes (138 pages), bibliographies of primary and secondary sources (80 pages), and an index (17 pages). Hardcover; $125.00. ISBN: 9780262045755. *By examining the pagination details mentioned above, one could easily surmise that one will be reading and examining a book grounded in textual detail. And one would be spot on. The weight of the author's research is, quite honestly, breathtaking. Kenneth L. Caneva has devoted his academic life to an examination of energy concepts. He is a professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. A former student of Thomas S. Kuhn, he has also authored two other books: The Form and Function of Scientific Discoveries (Dibner Library Lecture, 2000) and an authoritative biography, Robert Mayer and the Conservation of Energy (Princeton University Press, 1993). Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy is his latest contribution. *Before we examine the book proper, the obvious question arises: Who was Hermann von Helmholtz? To answer that question one can best turn to the 937-page scientific biography of Helmholtz by David Cahan (Helmholtz: A Life in Science, The University of Chicago Press, 2018). Helmholtz (1821-1894), a German physiologist and physicist, is described by Steven Shapin in his review of Cahan's book as "a theorist of (not quite) everything." Helmholtz had an immense range of scientific and cultural interests: physics, physiology, psychology, aesthetics, philosophy. He invented the ophthalmoscope, measured the nervous impulse, contributed to meteorology and atmospheric physics, and helped build some of Germany's scientific and technological institutions. *Caneva wants to explore the context and reception of one of Helmholtz's early (1847) seminal essays, "Über die Erhaltung der Kraft" ["On the Conservation of Force"] by examining how this essay shaped the discussion and acceptance of a physical principle: the conservation of energy. How was "conservation of force" eventually transformed into a principle of energy conservation? Caneva offers us a contextualist historiography of this long and complex transition by providing an in-depth analysis of Helmholtz's contribution and influence in the discovery process. *The discovery of the principle of energy conservation is a classic case in the history of nineteenth-century science. Although overshadowed in the public mind by Charles Darwin's principle of natural selection, its historical development raises similar issues. Who discovered the principle of energy conservation? An easy question to pose, but a very complicated one to answer. And more to Caneva's point of interest: Is conservation of energy what Helmholtz initially meant by the conservation of force? *Caneva offers this book as an example "of how what is generally accepted as scientific knowledge is reshaped as it passes through the hands of people with different agendas using different language." It is not an individualistic process, but rather reflects a "collective construction of scientific knowledge." Caneva concludes the book with this assertion: "The cumulative force of this study has implicitly rendered otiose the question of who discovered the conservation of energy" (p. 466). In a real sense, no one individual has discovered the conservation of energy: one could reference Robert Meyer (1842), Helmholtz (1847), William Thomson (1851) [force to energy], and Helmholtz (1853) again. With meticulous detail Caneva highlights the terminological shifts that have taken place as well as the rhetorical skills exercised when the "law" or "principle" was presented to various publics, even in popular scientific settings. *The book has eleven chapters, followed by a "Historiographical Excursus: How Others Have Interpreted Helmholtz's Achievement" (pp. 471-99). In chapter 1, "Helmholtz's Self-Described Principal Concerns," Caneva traces out four factors that were central to Helmholtz's thinking: (1) a conviction that the construction of a perpetuum mobile is impossible, (2) a concern with the nature of heat and the source of animal heat, (3) a belief in the illegitimacy of a vital force, and (4)the application of rational mechanics' principles of vis viva [mv2] and its conservation. According to Caneva, Kantian philosophical concerns do not dominate, nor does Helmholtz's reliance on industrial mechanical steam-engine considerations or metaphors. Succeeding chapters (2-6) trace out the broader and more immediate contexts, the question of Kantian influence, and what Helmholtz believed he had accomplished. *Chapters 7-9 consider the reception of "The Conservation of Force." In chapter 9, "Helmholtz's Place in the Acceptance of the Conservation of Energy--by far the longest (pp. 235-428) and most important chapter--Caneva traces how Helmholtz's formulation in his 1847 essay, "The sum of the existing living and tensional forces is thus always constant" (p. 239), has been transformed into a principle of the conservation of energy. How does a paper first rejected by the physics community, yet hoping to find unifying elements in nature, lead finally to the conservation of energy (the first law of thermodynamics)? Even if one looks closely at the phrase, "tensional" forces, one notices that Helmholtz integrates force over distance, that is, force is thought of in terms of the velocity of a body rather than its acceleration. Force, for Helmholtz, is a measure of the quantity of motion rather than a cause of motion. Caneva's goal is to render intelligible Helmholtz's role and significance in the complicated transition to the final expression of the conservation law. *Near the end of the book, in the "Historiographical Excursus," Caneva critically assesses the work of earlier commentators who have written about Helmholtz and the conservation of energy. Thomas Kuhn (Caneva's advisor), Yehuda Elkana, Peter Harman, Norton Wise, all are subject to criticism. Caneva detects anachronistic tendencies, lack of sound textual evidence, and a desire to confirm a preconceived idea that lie at the root of most failed interpretations (p. 499). *The book is not an easy read. Amidst all the intricate detailed analysis and convoluted arguments what can an ASA member profitably learn? First, clarification of concepts can be a long and complicated process. Think just of the historical development of the concept of biological evolution. Secondly, ideas and concepts are shaped by a myriad of causes and influences. The art or skill lies in learning how to weigh the stunning array of causes. In the case of Helmholtz, historians have identified several causes: philosophical, physical, technological, physiological, and even cultural. How to accurately weigh each factor without becoming ahistorical, that is, misreading an author's intent by reading modern concepts into it and becoming anachronistic, has been Caneva's goal. *Reviewed by Arie Leegwater, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.

Aquí y Allá: Migración Mexicana en Estados Unidos, Apropiación y Creación del Espacio Trasnacional

This article analyzes how Mexican migrants in the United States appropriate and build spaces to enjoy a comfortable stay in a physical and cultural environment different from that of origin. Harvey's (1990) definition of space as a three-dimensional dynamic place: 1) The lived and produced space; 2) perceived space and 3) imagined space. It brings us closer to the material, symbolic and anthropological dimensions of culture, where the distance between homeland and migrant is seen as an obstacle to overcome to reach harmony. The cases of the Twin Cities, Minnesota and Grand Rapids, Michigan are addressed. The documentary research method was used in the first case and field research for the second. We show how, through cultural practices, migrants’ appropriate sites, creating spaces that transcend borders.

Making the MexiRican City: Migration, Placemaking, and Activism in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By Delia Fernández-Jones

<i>Making the MexiRican City: Migration, Placemaking, and Activism in Grand Rapids, Michigan</i>. By Delia Fernández-Jones

Migration and the making of global Christianity By Jehu J.Hanciles. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2021. pp 464 pages.

Migration and the making of global Christianity By Jehu J.Hanciles. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2021. pp 464 pages.

Antioxidant Potential, Phenolic Content, and Nitrate/Nitrite Content in Various Lettuce Varieties

&lt;p&gt;Ten lettuce varieties are analyzed for antioxidant activity, total phenolic, nitrate, and nitrite contents, and the effects of harvest maturity and cold storage in selected varieties are determined. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) are the highest in Red Oak, Red Coral, Red Rapids, and Grand Rapids; intermediate in Green Oak, Green Cos, and Frillice Iceberg; and the lowest in Butterhead, Mini Green Cos, and Head lettuce. Nitrate content is the highest in Red Coral, while the other 9 varieties have comparably lower contents. Nitrite content is inadequate and does not differ with variety. Harvest maturity of 45 days after transplanting (DAT) produced the highest antioxidant activity and TPC, much higher in Red Bowl and Red Butterhead varieties than in Mini Green Cos, Butterhead, Frillice Iceberg, and Green Big Bowl varieties. Storage at 8&lt;sup&gt;o&lt;/sup&gt;C for 21 days has no remarkable effects on antioxidant activity, TPC, nitrate, and nitrite contents. Stored Red Bowl lettuce has higher antioxidant activity and TPC than Butter-head and Green Big Bowl varieties. Nitrate content decreases at the end of storage, while nitrite content is below 1 mg/kg FW during the entire storage period, regardless of variety.&lt;/p&gt;

Book Review: Joshua

Book Review: Joshua

Host Suitability of Lettuce and Bean Germplasm for Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica Isolates from Spain.

Meloidogyne spp. are an important threat to horticulture and cause substantial yield losses. Plant resistance is an alternative control method for chemical nematicides. This study highlights the host suitability of the lettuces cultivars Grand Rapids and Salinas 88 and the beans cultivars Aporé, Cornell 49242, Macarrão Atibaia and Ouro Negro to four Meloidogyne incognita and seven M. javanica isolates from Spain in a pot experiment. Moreover, the response of these cultivars to increasing M. incognita densities (Pi) was assessed in a plastic greenhouse. The lettuce cultivar Regina 71 and the bean cultivar Bolinha were included as susceptible standards for comparison. It was found that Grand Rapids and Salinas 88 lettuces were resistant to the most nematode isolates in the pot experiment but were classified as slightly and moderately resistant, respectively, in the plastic greenhouse at increasing Pi. Regarding the beans, Aporé was resistant to the majority of the Meloidogyne isolates whereas Macarrão Atibaia and Ouro Negro were slightly resistant and Cornell 49242 was susceptible in the pot experiment. In the plastic greenhouse, Aporé was the only cultivar able to effectively suppress the nematode reproduction irrespective of Pi, while Ouro Negro became less resistant as Pi increased. These results play an important role in enhancing the effective and ecofriendly Meloidogyne management strategies.

Giulio Maspero, Rethinking the Filioque with the Greek Fathers, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2023, pp. 326

A review of the book: Giulio Maspero, "Rethinking the Filioque with the Greek Fathers, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2023.