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This study applies John Stott’s concept of ‘holy-worldliness’ to God’s call upon Christians from the world, and his sending them out to be immersed in the affairs of the world as Christ’s ambassadors, by localising Christ’s political curriculum to Africa. Accordingly, the study engages examples generated from Nigeria. Two research questions guided this study. Question 1: what are the basic elements of John Stott’s concept of holy-worldliness, in the context of the political curriculum of Christianity in Africa? Question 2: how can deliberating on the deficiencies in the political curriculum of Christianity in Africa, as currently formulated, be facilitated by an understanding of John’s Stott’s concept of holy-worldliness, towards reformulating the curriculum in question, using examples from Nigeria? The study concludes by calling on Christians in Africa to start thinking of crafting a ‘Christian Political Agenda for Africa’, as the Christian political version of the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want (2013).

This study appropriates Hans-Georg Gadamer’s concept of language and hermeneutics toward reformulating the curriculum of Christian theological education in vernacular contexts of Africa, using Hausa-Positive Contexts as an example. Three research questions guide the study. First: How can Gadamer’s hermeneutical concept be appropriated via translation and communication in support of reformulating the curriculum of Christian theological education via vernaculars in Africa? Second: What emerging questions need to be addressed in appropriating Gadamer’s hermeneutical concept in reformulating the curriculum of Christian theological education via vernaculars in Africa? Third: What strategies need to be engaged consequent to appropriating Gadamer’s hermeneutical concept towards reformulating the curriculum of Christian theological education via vernaculars in Africa? The study concludes that those going through formal theological education in many vernacular contexts of Africa have a more effective hermeneutical experience when an appropriate vernacular is engaged as a pedagogical facility for curriculum delivery.

This study pursued three purposes: Firstly, to discuss what it means for Christian teachers to have a comprehensive working grasp of their calling to Christ’s ambassadorial services; secondly, to consider how the silence of Christian teachers in the education system and Public Square of Nigeria is reflecting lack of a comprehensive working grasp of their calling to Christ’s ambassadorial services with responsibilities in the education sector; thirdly, to reason-out ways in which the societal curriculum can be deliberately engaged to develop a voice for Christian teachers. The study was done through the documentary research approach component of the historical methodology. The study concludes by noting that Christian teachers have a dual mandate as educationists in Christian-based schools, and also non-Christian schools. It is through this mandate that the voice of Christian teachers in Nigeria can be de-silenced via the societal curriculum, towards solidifying education and transformational development in Nigeria.

The study engages the exegetical consequence of the right and left models of religion in Matthew 25:31-46 as applicable to identifying and synthesising the right and left models of teaching in the curriculum, as a model of (and also as a bridge) to integrating education and human development. This integration is designed for schools in the context of education and human development in Africa. Tyler’s Rationale was engaged as the theoretical framework to guide the study. The study itself is a product of the documentary research methodological component of social research. Conclusion: A key strategy for addressing the religious challenge to educating for development is to employ the Right Model of Teaching in non-null curriculum terms. This strategy stresses the possibility of experiencing God’s kingdom, better life, and the future right now, in the overt curriculum, and leaving matters of Elysium to the null curriculum.

Editorial. Discusses the role of the neurosurgeon in the rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Effectiveness of properly constructed rehabilitation programs; Establishment of good links between the neurosurgical unit and the team responsible for acute rehabilitation; Expertise of neurosurgeons in neurological assessment.

Presents several correspondence on medical sciences in Great Britain. Unemployment among medical graduates; Focus on the changing pattern of poisoning in children; Guidelines for community menopausal clinics.

The article reports on clinical studies of a patient group which was diagnosed with acute spinal extradural abscess. It is reported that early diagnosis of acute spinal extradural abscess is very necessary for patient with severe spinal pain. The article also discusses various predisposing factors, differential diagnosis, and bacteriological findings of the study.

Lesions of occipital cortex result in loss of sight in the corresponding regions of visual fields. The traditional view that, apart from some spontaneous recovery in the acute phase, field defects remain permanently and irreversibly blind, has been challenged. In patients with partial field loss, a range of residual visual abilities in the absence of conscious perception (blindsight) has been demonstrated (Weiskrantz, 1986). Recent findings (Sahraie et al., 2006, 2010) have also demonstrated increased visual sensitivity in the field defect following repeated stimulation. We aimed to extend these findings by systematically exploring whether repeated stimulation can also lead to increased visual sensitivity in two cases with total (bilateral) cortical blindness. In addition, for a case of partial blindness, we examined the extent of the recovery as a function of stimulated region of the visual field, over extended periods of visual training. Positive auditory feedback was provided during the training task for correct detection of a spatial grating pattern presented at specific retinotopic locations using a temporal two alternative forced-choice paradigm (Neuro-Eye Therapy). All three cases showed improved visual sensitivity with repeated stimulation. The findings indicate that perceptual learning can occur through systematic visual field stimulation even in cases of bilateral cortical blindness.

Primary Objective: The aim was to compare individualized and global assessments of quality of life (QoL) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to investigate perceived changes in QoL., Methods and Procedures: The Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life (SEIQoL-DW) and Hadorn's overall 1-10 QoL Scale were administered to 28 participants 1-10 years post-injury together with the GOS-E, HADS and SF-36. Perceived change in quality of life after TBI was investigated by comparing current and retrospective judgements., Main Outcome and Results: Correlations between the QoL measures confirm validity of the SEIQoL-DW; however, correlations were generally stronger for the simpler 1-10 Scale. Paradoxically, there was little overall change in the mean QoL when current and retrospective judgements were compared; with some participants reporting worse quality of life before injury. A positive change in perceived QoL was associated with better overall functioning., Conclusions: Where an overall rating of QoL is required it seems that Hadorn's 1-10 Scale is a simpler and more direct measure than the SEIQoL-DW. The greater detail provided by the SEIQoL-DW may mean it is of benefit when looking at individual differences. The results suggest that both the SEIQoL-DW and Hadorn's scale are susceptible to response shift (where a person changes the basis on which they evaluate QoL); and this has implications for the interpretation of QoL assessments.

This paper describes a framework for collecting, annotating, and archiving high-throughput assays from multiple experiments conducted on one or more series of samples. Specific applications include support for large-scale surveys of related transcriptional profiling studies, for investigations of the genetics of gene expression and for joint analysis of copy number variation and mRNA abundance. Our approach consists of data capture and modeling processes rooted in R/Bioconductor, sample annotation and sequence constituent ontology management based in R, secure data archiving in PostgreSQL, and browser-based workspace creation and management rooted in Zope. This effort has generated a completely transparent, extensible, and customizable interface to large archives of high-throughput assays. Sources and prototype interfaces are accessible at www.sgdi.org/software.

Hypoxia and hypotension are potent causes of avoidable secondary brain damage after severe head injury. These systemic insults were studied in three cohorts of patients (600 in all) transferred in coma from general hospitals to a regional neurosurgical unit between 1979 and 1990. The incidence of hypoxia and hypotension on arrival at the neurosurgical unit fell from 30% in 1979-80 to 12% in 1989-90, even though the proportion of patients arriving within three hours of injury rose from 33% to 52%. Hypoxia was associated with airway obstruction, and hypotension with unsuspected or undertreated multiple injuries. Whatever the patient's age, CT scan findings, or depth of coma, hypoxia and hypotension has independent and additive adverse effects on outcome. The improvements between 1979 and 1990 are attributed to better airway care, especially the increased use of intubation and mechanical ventilation during transfer, and to greater appreciation of how relatively simple measures can reduce the potential hazards of ambulance transfer.

In a retrospective study of 888 consecutive patients with traumatic intracranial haematomas, we identified 23 (2.6%) who had developed a delayed intracerebral haematoma after admission to hospital. The initial CT scan within 48 h of injury had been abnormal in all 23 cases; a haematoma had been evacuated in eight (35%) and intracranial pressure (ICP) had been monitored in 14 (61%). A delayed intracerebral haematoma had been diagnosed by repeat CT scan between 4 h and 10 days later, and nine of these had been evacuated on clinical grounds. Patients with persistently elevated ICP were rescanned more quickly than those who deteriorated clinically or failed to improve. Seven patients (30%) died, and the main cause of death was severe primary brain damage. Overall outcome was better in this series than in other reported series of delayed haematomas. We conclude that delayed haematomas occur only when the initial CT scan has been abnormal, and that clinically important ones are uncommon. ICP monitoring offers earlier diagnosis, but it remains to be established that this affects outcome.

A study of 150 comatose patients transferred to one neurosurgical unit after head injury showed that untoward incidents which could cause secondary brain damage were present in 61 patients, and that extracranial injuries were overlooked or inadequately treated in 21. The commonest mishaps were airways obstruction and hypotension, which affected outcome adversely. Distance from the neurosurgical unit had little effect on rapidity of transfer or the occurrence of untoward incidents. Optimum care requires the rapid transfer of many comatose patients to neurosurgical units, and a systematic approach to minimising the hazards of transfer would reduce mortality and morbidity.