bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abnormalities of the cadherin-catenin complex in chemically-induced colo-rectal carcinogenesis
Authors: Tucker Emma , Buda Andrea , Janghra Nari , Baker Jenny , Coad Joy , Moorghan Morganden , Havler Mike , Dettmar Peter , Pignatelli Massimo
Published: May 2003

β-Catenin is a multifunctional protein originally identified as a component of the cadherin cell-cell adhesion complex. It also binds the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumour suppressor which controls β-catenin cellular levels through its degradation. β-Catenin and/or APC mutations result in increased cytoplasmic β-catenin and nuclear translocation. The aim of the present study was to examine the expression and cellular localisation of α- and β-catenin, pi20 and E-cadherin in a chemically-induced mouse model of colo-rectal cancer using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Female Balb/C mice were injected subcutaneously with a solution providing 25 mg DMH base/kg body weight for 17 weeks. Animals were killed and tumours identified in the intestine with a dissecting microscope. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of normal and dysplastic colonic mucosa were stained by an indirect avidin-biotin immunohistochemical technique using mouse monoclonal antibodies, and membranous, cytoplasmic and nuclear cellular localisation was assessed by light microscopy. Staining distribution scored as follows: 3, >90% positive epithelial cells; 2, >50% positive epithelial cells; 1, <50% positive epithelial cells. Non-dysplastic colonic epithelial cells revealed p-catenin expression at the membrane (33/41 scored 3), areas of cytoplasmic expression (24/41 scored 1) and no nuclear staining. Dysplastic colonic epithelium revealed increased membranous and cytoplasmic p-catenin immunoreactivity (39/41 and 38/41 both scored 3) with focal nuclear staining (14/41). Expression patterns for a-catenin, pi20, and E-cadherin were similar to β-catenin with increased membranous and cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in dysplastic mucosa, although no nuclear staining was observed. Increased cytoplasmic expression and nuclear localisation of β-catenin are consistent with a possible mutation in its gene, and this finding was in keeping with the mutational analysis of exon 3 by single-strand conformational polymorphism. Increased immunoreactivity of the other catenins also suggests further disruption in catenin regulation. In summary, alterations in the β-catenin expression and cellular localisation in the DMH-induced tumours are similar to those seen in human sporadic colo-rectal tumours. The DMH is therefore a useful model for studying the abnormalities of the E-cadherin-catenin pathway in colo-rectal carcinogenesis.
Continuous Equilibration of Phosphatidylcholine and Its Precursors between Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria in Yeast
Authors: de Kroon Anton I.P.M. , Koorengevel Martijn C. , Vromans Tom A.M , de Kruijff Ben
Published: May 2003

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphatidylcholine (PC) is synthesized in the ER and transported to mitochondria via an unknown mechanism. The transport of PC synthesized by the triple methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine was investigated by pulsing yeast spheroplasts with l-[methyl-3H]methionine, followed by a chase with unlabeled methionine and subcellular fractionation. During the pulse, increasing amounts of PC and its mono- and dimethylated precursors (PMME and PDME, respectively) appear in similar proportions in both microsomes and mitochondria, with the extent of incorporation in microsomes being twice that in mitochondria. During the chase, the [3H]-methyl label from the precursors accumulates into PC with similar kinetics in both organelles. The results demonstrate that transport of methylated phospholipids from ER to mitochondria is 1) coupled to synthesis, 2) not selective for PC, 3) at least as fast as the fastest step in the methylation of PE, and 4) bidirectional for PMME and PDME. The interorganellar equilibration of methylated phospholipids was reconstituted in vitro and did not depend on ongoing methylation, cytosolic factors, ATP, and energization of the mitochondria, although energization could accelerate the reaction. The exchange of methylated phospholipids was reduced after pretreating both microsomes and mitochondria with trypsin, indicating the involvement of membrane proteins from both organelles.
Perlecan Up-Regulation of FRNK Suppresses Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation via Inhibition of FAK Signaling
Authors: Walker Heather A. , Whitelock John M. , Garl Pamela J. , Nemenoff Raphael A. , Stenmark Kurt R. , Weiser-Evans Mary C.M.
Published: May 2003

We previously reported that fully assembled basement membranes are nonpermissive to smooth muscle cell (SMC) replication and that perlecan (PN), a basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is a dominant effector of this response. We report here that SMC adhesion to basement membranes, and perlecan in particular, up-regulate the expression of focal adhesion kinase-related nonkinase (FRNK), a SMC-specific endogenous inhibitor of FAK, which subsequently suppresses FAK-mediated, ERK1/2-dependent growth signals. Up-regulation of FRNK by perlecan is actively and continuously regulated. Relative to the matrix proteins studied, the effects are unique to perlecan, because plating of SMCs on several other basement membrane proteins is associated with low levels of FRNK and corresponding high levels of FAK and ERK1/2 phosphorylation and SMC growth. Perlecan supports SMC adhesion, although there is reduced cell spreading compared with fibronectin (FN), laminin (LN), or collagen type IV (IV). Despite the reduction in cell spreading, we report that perlecan-induced up-regulation of FRNK is independent of cell shape changes. Growth inhibition by perlecan was rescued by overexpressing a constitutively active FAK construct, but overexpressing kinase-inactivated mutant FAK or FRNK attenuated fibronectin-stimulated growth. These data indicate that perlecan functions as an endogenously produced inhibitor of SMC growth at least in part through the active regulation of FRNK expression. FRNK, in turn, may control SMC growth by downregulating FAK-dependent signaling events.
Human PIG-U and Yeast Cdc91p Are the Fifth Subunit of GPI Transamidase That Attaches GPI-Anchors to Proteins
Authors: Hong Yeongjin , Ohishi Kazuhito , Kang Ji Young , Tanaka Satoshi , Inoue Norimitsu , Nishimura Jun-ichi , Maeda Yusuke , Kinoshita Taroh
Published: May 2003

Many eukaryotic proteins are anchored to the cell surface via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), which is posttranslationally attached to the carboxyl-terminus by GPI transamidase. The mammalian GPI transamidase is a complex of at least four subunits, GPI8, GAA1, PIG-S, and PIG-T. Here, we report Chinese hamster ovary cells representing a new complementation group of GPI-anchored protein-deficient mutants, class U. The class U cells accumulated mature and immature GPI and did not have in vitro GPI transamidase activity. We cloned the gene responsible, termed PIG-U, that encoded a 435-amino-acid hydrophobic protein. The GPI transamidase complex affinity-purified from cells expressing epitope-tagged-GPI8 contained PIG-U and four other known components. Cells lacking PIG-U formed complexes of the four other components normally but had no ability to cleave the GPI attachment signal peptide. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc91p, with 28% amino acid identity to PIG-U, partially restored GPI-anchored proteins on the surface of class U cells. PIG-U and Cdc91p have a functionally important short region with similarity to a region conserved in long-chain fatty acid elongases. Taken together, PIG-U and the yeast orthologue Cdc91p are the fifth component of GPI transamidase that may be involved in the recognition of either the GPI attachment signal or the lipid portion of GPI.
Chemical Weapon Functional Exercise—Cincinnati: Observations and Lessons Learned from a “Typical Medium-Sized” City's Response to Simulated Terrorism Utilizing Weapons of Mass Destruction
Authors: FitzGerald Denis J. , Sztajnkrycer Matthew D. , Crocco Todd J.
Published: May 2003

In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent anthrax scare, there is growing concern about the United States' vulnerability to terrorist use of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). As part of ongoing preparation for this terrible reality, many jurisdictions have been conducting simulated terrorist incidents to provide training for the public safety community, hospitals, and public health departments. As an example of this national effort to improve domestic preparedness for such events, a large scale, multi-jurisdictional chemical weapons drill was conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 20, 2000. This drill depicted the components of the early warning system for hospitals and public health departments, the prehospital medical response to terrorism. Over the course of the exercise, emergency medical services personnel decontaminated, triaged, treated, and transported eighty-five patients. Several important lessons were learned that day that have widespread applicability to health care delivery systems nationwide, especially in the areas of decontamination, triage, on-scene medical care, and victim transportation. As this training exercise helped Cincinnati to prepare for dealing with future large scale WMD incidents, such drills are invaluable preparation for all communities in a world increasingly at risk from terrorist attacks.
Analysis of Probabilistic Classification Learning in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Before and After Pallidotomy Surgery
Authors: Sage Jennifer R. , Anagnostaras Stephan G. , Mitchell Shawn , Bronstein Jeff M. , De Salles Antonio , Masterman Donna , Knowlton Barbara J.
Published: May 2003

This study examined the characteristics of probabilistic classification
learning, a form of implicit learning previously shown to be impaired in
patients with basal ganglia dysfunction (e.g., Parkinson's disease). In this
task, subjects learn to predict the weather using associations that are formed
gradually across many trials, because of the probabilistic nature of the
cue-outcome relationships. Patients with Parkinson's disease, both before and
after pallidotomy, and age-matched control subjects, exhibited evidence of
probabilistic classification learning across 100 training trials. However,
pallidotomy appears to hinder the learning of associations most implicit in
nature (i.e., weakly associated cues). Although subjects were most sensitive
to single-cue associations when learning the task, there is evidence that cue
combinations contribute significantly to probability learning. The utility of
multiple dependent measures is discussed.
Sleep Deprivation Selectively Impairs Memory Consolidation for Contextual Fear Conditioning
Authors: Graves Laurel A. , Heller Elizabeth A. , Pack Allan I. , Abel Ted
Published: May 2003

Many behavioral and electrophysiological studies in animals and humans have
suggested that sleep and circadian rhythms influence memory consolidation. In
rodents, hippocampus-dependent memory may be particularly sensitive to sleep
deprivation after training, as spatial memory in the Morris water maze is
impaired by rapid eye movement sleep deprivation following training. Spatial
learning in the Morris water maze, however, requires multiple training trials
and performance, as measured by time to reach the hidden platform is
influenced by not only spatial learning but also procedural learning. To
determine if sleep is important for the consolidation of a single-trial,
hippocampus-dependent task, we sleep deprived animals for 0–5 and
5–10 h after training for contextual and cued fear conditioning. We
found that sleep deprivation from 0–5 h after training for this task
impaired memory consolidation for contextual fear conditioning whereas sleep
deprivation from 5–10 h after training had no effect. Sleep deprivation
at either time point had no effect on cued fear conditioning, a
hippocampus-independent task. Previous studies have determined that memory
consolidation for fear conditioning is impaired when protein kinase A and
protein synthesis inhibitors are administered at the same time as when sleep
deprivation is effective, suggesting that sleep deprivation may act by
modifying these molecular mechanisms of memory storage.
Orbital Prefrontal Cortex and Guidance of Instrumental Behavior of Rats by Visuospatial Stimuli Predicting Reward Magnitude
Authors: Bohn Ines , Giertler Christian , Hauber Wolfgang
Published: May 2003

The orbital prefrontal cortex (OPFC) is part of a circuitry mediating the
perception of reward and the initiation of adaptive behavioral responses. We
investigated whether the OPFC is involved in guidance of the speed of
instrumental behavior by visuospatial stimuli predictive of different reward
magnitudes. Unoperated rats, sham-lesioned rats, and rats with bilateral
lesions of the OPFC by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were trained in a
visuospatial discrimination task. The task required a lever press on the
illuminated lever of two available to obtain a food reward. Different reward
magnitudes were permanently assigned to lever presses to respective sides of
the operant chamber; that is, responses to one lever (e.g., the left one) were
always rewarded with one pellet and responses to the other lever with five
pellets. On each trial, the position of the illuminated lever was
pseudorandomly determined in advance. Results revealed that OPFC lesions did
not impair acquisition of the task, as the speed of conditioned responses was
significantly shorter with expectancy of a high reward magnitude. In addition,
during reversal, shift and reshift of lever position–reward magnitude
contingencies and under extinction conditions, performance of the
OPFC-lesioned and control groups did not differ. It is concluded that the OPFC
in rats might not be critical for adapting behavioral responses to changes of
stimulus–reward magnitude contingencies signaled by visuospatial
cues.
Perirhinal Cortex Lesions Impair Context Aversion Learning
Authors: Howse Dana J. , Squires Amanda S. , Martin Gerard M. , Skinner Darlene M.
Published: May 2003

Rats with perirhinal cortex lesions were compared with sham controls on a conditional discrimination in which saccharin was paired with LiCl in context 1, but paired with saline in context 2. Perirhinal-lesioned rats were slightly slower to acquire the discrimination but reached control levels by the end of acquisition. Both groups showed transfer to familiar tap water, consuming less in context 1 than in context 2. Unlike sham rats, perirhinal rats failed to show an aversion to context 1 on a place choice test. These data provide neuroanatomical support for the postulated difference between Pavlovian conditioning and conditional learning.
Olfactory Learning in Individually Assayed Drosophila Larvae
Authors: Scherer Sabine , Stocker Reinhard F. , Gerber Bertram
Published: May 2003

Insect and mammalian olfactory systems are strikingly similar. Therefore,
Drosophila can be used as a simple model for olfaction and olfactory
learning. The brain of adult Drosophila, however, is still complex.
We therefore chose to work on the larva with its yet simpler but adult-like
olfactory system and provide evidence for olfactory learning in individually
assayed Drosophila larvae. We developed a differential conditioning
paradigm in which odorants are paired with positive (“+” fructose)
or negative (“-” quinine or sodium chloride) gustatory
reinforcers. Test performance of individuals from two treatment conditions is
compared—one received odorant A with the positive reinforcer and odorant
B with a negative reinforcer (A+/B-); animals from the other treatment
condition were trained reciprocally (A-/B+). During test, differences in
choice between A and B of individuals having undergone either A+/B- or A-/B+
training therefore indicate associative learning. We provide such evidence for
both combinations of reinforcers; this was replicable across repetitions,
laboratories, and experimenters. We further show that breaks improve
performance, in accord with basic principles of associative learning. The
present individual assay will facilitate electrophysiological studies, which
necessarily use individuals. As such approaches are established for the larval
neuromuscular synapse, but not in adults, an individual larval learning
paradigm will serve to link behavioral levels of analysis to synaptic
physiology.
Communication during downsizing of a telecommunications company
Authors: Appelbaum Steven H. , Lopes Rui , Audet Lynda , Steed Anthony , Jacob Marlene , Augustinas Thomas , Manolopoulos Dimitrios
Published: May 2003

Reports the emergency stopgap measures undertaken by industry giant Tele Link to counteract downward market trends and the ensuing problems caused by its Efficiency Program not being managed effectively, resulting in lingering and negative impact on surviving employees’ behaviors and attitudes, demonstrated by decreases in productivity, motivation, emotional health, job satisfaction, and confidence in management, as well as increases in absenteeism. Also reports Tele Link was unprepared to handle the inevitable pre‐announcement rumor mill and was forced to present cutbacks prematurely, lengthening the period of time from announcement to implementation and fueling anxiety at the time. While Tele Link’s handling of the Efficiency Program is well rated it did concentrate, almost entirely, on the “during” phase, with no formal plans to help survivors mourn or adjust to new circumstances. Emphasizes that the power of informal communication, in this case the “rumor mill”, should not be underestimated, and management should not overestimate their own ability to control it.
Workplace mentors: demands and benefits
Authors: Billett Stephen
Published: May 2003

As there is a growing interest in experienced workers mentoring co‐workers in workplace settings, it is necessary to understand its impact on those who are nominated as mentors. Here, data from eight mentors who participated in a year‐long trial of guided learning in a workplace are used to illuminate the demands upon and benefits for workplace mentors. In the study, all mentors noted the efficacy of guiding learning in the workplace. However, guiding the learning of others made considerable demands on these individuals. Finding time for mentoring and the low level of support by management were reported as making the mentors’ work intense. Moreover, although workplace mentoring was found to have the capacity to improve learning, much of that improvement was centred on the mentors’ actions and energies. For some mentors, it was a worthwhile and enriching experience. For others, the demands were not adequately offset by benefits that they experience in assisting co‐workers to learn.
The valuation discount of multi‐segment firms in Australia
Authors: Fleming Grant , Oliver Barry , Skourakis Steven
Published: May 2003

This paper refines the Berger and Ofek (1995) methodology to estimate the valuation discount of multi‐segment firms in Australia between 1988 and 1998. Evidence is found that based on earnings before tax, the sample of multi‐segment firms traded at a 29 per cent greater discount than a comparable portfolio of single segment firms over the sample period. To explain the results further analysis shows that the valuation discount was driven by poorly performing multi‐segment firms rather than multi‐segment firms per se. This raises questions about studies that conclude that diversification is value destroying.
Capital gains tax and the capital asset pricing model
Authors: Lally Martin , Van Zijl Tony
Published: May 2003

This paper develops a version of the Capital Asset Pricing Model that views dividend imputation as affecting company tax and assumes differential taxation of capital gains and ordinary income. These taxation issues aside, the model otherwise rests on the standard assumptions including full segmentation of national capital markets. It also treats dividend policy as exogenously determined. Estimates of the cost of equity based on this model are then compared with estimates based on the version of the CAPM typically applied in Australia, which differs only in assuming equality of the tax rates on capital gains and ordinary income. The differences between the estimates can be material. In particular, with a high dividend yield, allowance for differential taxation can result in an increase of two to three percentage points in the estimated cost of equity. The overall result obtained here carries over to a dividend equilibrium, in which firms choose a dividend policy that is optimal relative to the assumed tax structure.
The Candy model: properties and inference
Authors: Van Lieshout M. N. M. , Stoica R. S.
Published: May 2003

In this paper we study the Candy model, a marked point process introduced byStoicaet al. (2000). We prove Ruelle and local stability, investigate its Markov properties, and discuss how the model may be sampled. Finally, we consider estimation of the model parameters and present a simulation study.
Estimating the Derivative of a Convex Density
Authors: Anevski Dragi
Published: May 2003

We obtain a relation between the time between two bird‐catchings and the total resting period of a bird, leading to the problem of estimating the derivative of a convex density. We state a fundamental result on the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator of a convex density. Further, we derive the optimal rate in the minimax risk sense for estimating the derivative of a convex density.
Science and Religion: Getting Ready for the Future
Authors: Jackelén Antje
Published: May 2003

I explore three challenges for the current dialogue between science and religion: the challenges from hermeneutics, feminisms, and postmodernisms. Hermeneutics, defined as the practice and theory of interpretation and understanding, not only deals with questions of interpreting texts and data but also examines the role and use of language in religion and in science, but it should not stop there. Results of the post‐Kuhnian discussion are used to exemplify a wider range of hermeneutical issues, such as the ideological potential of scientific concepts, the dynamics of interdisciplinarity, and the significance of the socioeconomic situatedness of science and religion. Feminist research analyzes the consequences of the interplay of masculine, feminine, and gender typologies in religion and science. Examples from the history of science as well as current scientific conceptualizations indicate that beliefs in the inferiority of woman form part of our inherited scientific, religious, and metaphysical framework. It is argued that postmodernism in its most constructive form shares the best fruits of modernity, especially of the Enlightenment, while avoiding some of its most serious mistakes. In conclusion, reflecting on the three publics engaged in the dialogue between science and religion—academe, religious communities, and societies—I offer constructive suggestions and critical observations concerning the future of this dialogue.
What Poetry Brings to the Table of Science and Religion
Authors: Schaible Robert M.
Published: May 2003

Ever since Plato's famous attack on artists and poets in Book 10 of The Republic, lovers of literature have felt pressed to defend poetry, and indeed from ancient times down to the present, literature and art have had to fight various battles against philosophy, religion, and science. After providing a brief overview of this conflict and then arguing that between poetry and science there are some noteworthy similarities—that is, that some of the basic mental structures with which the scientist studies the “text” of nature (facts, laws, theories) find their counterparts in ways an informed reader studies the poetic text, I develop what I see as the most important differences between poetry, on the one hand, and science, philosophy, and theology, on the other. These differences lie chiefly in two areas: (1) in the stance that each takes toward language itself and (2) in the stance each takes toward that ancient polarity between the one and the many. The aim of my argument is neither to privilege poetry over the other modes of knowing the world nor to grant, particularly to science in its reductive “objectivity,” a higher epistemological status than that accorded to poetry and the arts. Instead, I wish to argue that science, by pushing the boundaries of knowledge about the material world, shows the poet, as well as the theologian, some of the more important work to be done and that poetry, with its emphasis on the particular over the abstract and on the ambiguities and paradoxes of language as inherently metaphorical, serves science and religion by providing a caution against the naive acceptance of language as literal and the consequent enthrallment to the power of absolutes and totalizing abstractions.
Feminism, Family, and Women's Rights: A Hermeneutic Realist Perspective
Authors: Browning Don
Published: May 2003

In this article I apply the insights of hermeneutic realism to a practical‐theological ethics that addresses the international crisis of families and women's rights. Hermeneutic realism affirms the hermeneutic philosophy of Hans‐Georg Gadamer but enriches it with the dialectic of participation and distanciation developed by Paul Ricoeur. This approach finds a place for sciences such as evolutionary psychology within a hermeneutically informed ethic. It also points to a multidimensional model of practical reason that views it as implicitly or explicitly involving five levels—background metaphysical visions, some principle of obligation, assumptions about pervasive human tendencies and needs, assumptions about constraining social and natural environments, and assumed acceptable rules of conduct. The fruitfulness of this multidimensional view of practical reason is then demonstrated by applying it to practical‐theological ethics and the analysis of four theorists of women's rights—Martha Nussbaum, Susan Moller Okin, Lisa Cahill, and Mary Ann Glendon. Finally, I illustrate the importance and limits of the visional dimension of practical reason by discussing the concept of “Africanity” in relation to the family and AIDS crisis of Eastern Africa.
Risk and Religion: Toward a Theology of Risk Taking
Authors: Gregersen Niels Henrik
Published: May 2003

Historically the concept of risk is rooted in Renaissance lifestyles, in which autonomous agents such as sailors, warriors, and tradesmen ventured upon dangerous enterprises. Thus, the concept of risk inseparably combines objective reality (nature) and social construction (culture): Risk = Danger + Venture. Mathematical probability theory was constructed in this social climate in order to provide a quantitative risk assessment in the face of indeterminate futures. Thus we have the famous formula: Risk = Probability (of events) × the Size (of future harms). Because the concept of harm is always observer relative, however, risk assessment cannot be purely quantitative. This leads to the question, What are the general conditions under which risks can be accepted? There is, after all, a difference between incurring a risk and bearing the costs of risks selected for by other agencies. Against this background, contours of a theology of risk emerge. If God creates a self‐organizing world of relatively autonomous agents, and if self‐organization is favored by cooperative networks of autopoietic processes, then the theological hypothesis of a risk‐taking God is at least initially plausible. Moreover, according to the Christian idea of incarnation, God is not only taking a risk but is also bearing the risks implied by the openness of creation. I thus argue for a twofold divine kenosis—in creation as well as in redemption. I discuss some objections to this view, including the serious counterargument that risk taking on behalf of others remains, even for God, a morally dubious task. What are the conditions under which the notion of a risk‐taking God can be affirmed without leaving us with the picture of God as an arbitrary, cosmic tyrant? And what are the practical implications for the ways in which human agents of faith, hope, and love can learn to cope with the risks of everyday life and of political decisions?
On Brain, Soul, Self, and Freedom: An Essay in Bridging Neuroscience and Faith
Authors: Oomen Palmyre M. F.
Published: May 2003

The article begins at the intellectual fissure between many statements coming from neuroscience and the language of faith and theology. First I show that some conclusions drawn from neuroscientific research are not as firm as they seem: neuroscientific data leave room for the interpretation that mind matters. I then take a philosophical‐theological look at the notions of soul, self, and freedom, also in the light of modern scientific research (self‐organization, neuronal networks), and present a view in which these theologically important notions are seen in relation both to matter (brain) and to God. I show that religious insights expressed with soul and free will bear a remarkable resemblance to certain insights from neuroscience and the science of complex, self‐organizing systems, including emphasis on corporeality and emphasis on organization as a form of that corporeality, and that they also show an interesting parallel — albeit described in different terms — concerning the crucial role of a valuation principle that generates attraction. With that, the common‐sense idea that freedom simply is the same as indeterminism is refuted: freedom primarily means self‐determination. I bring to the fore that the self is not a static thing but a “longing.” Such longing springs from something, and it is the relationship to this source that constitutes the self. The main concern is to point out the crucial role of attraction with respect to being and to life, and to draw attention not only to the astonishing parallel on this point between Thomas Aquinas and Alfred North Whitehead but also to a surprising — albeit more implicit — analogy between these philosophical‐theological views and scientific theories of self‐organization (such as those concerning neuronal networks). In short, being attracted toward what appears as “good” is what constitutes us as selves and what thereby signifies the primary meaning of our freedom.
Relativity and Religion: The Abuse of Einstein's Theory
Authors: Hodgson Peter E.
Published: May 2003

Einstein's special theory of relativity has had a wide influence on fields far removed from physics. It has given the impression that physics has shown that there are now no absolute truths, that all beliefs are relative to the observer, and that traditional stable landmarks have been washed away. We each have our own frame of reference that is as good as any other frame, so that there are no absolute standards by which our actions may be judged. The predictions of relativity theory, such as the elimination of simultaneity, the variation of mass with velocity, and the equivalence of mass and energy, are all highly counterintuitive and yet are precisely confirmed by detailed measurements. The clear rocklike mechanical physics of Newton seems to have dissolved into a swirling mist of unintelligible concepts, and familiar certainties seem to have disappeared.

A detailed analysis of relativity theory shows, however, a completely different picture. Properly understood, it is a logical extension of Newtonian physics that expresses the relations of space and time in a more exact and elegant way and in the process shows forth more clearly the invariant features of the world. The apparently counterintuitive features appear as natural consequences that extend and refine our classical concepts. The traditional landmarks remain, but God's world is more subtle than we had previously imagined.
The Emergent Order
Authors: Sharpe Kevin , Walgate Jonathan
Published: May 2003

We examine the phenomenon of emergence, referring particularly to Arthur Peacocke's ideas on emergence, the self, and spirituality. He believes that the whole of an emergent structure influences the way its parts cohere and that emergent structures (including minds and persons) and their effects are very important. He thereby hopes to remove the reductionist challenge that seeks to understand a whole fully in terms of its parts. We argue that emergent phenomena are not influential in the above sense. The holistic completeness of these structures at their own theoretical level does not substitute for the causal independence Peacocke suggests by the idea of influence. Some computer simulations that generate emergent complexity follow simple and self‐contained sets of rules. Peacocke also adheres to a hierarchical account of reality as a series of levels into which matter is organized, running from atoms through molecules to cells and eventually to whole ecosystems. But influential behavior does not respect this ordering. Further, Peacocke's opposition to reductionism is unnecessary; any “completeness” of lower‐level models does not imply the redundancy of higher‐level descriptions. Emergence transforms reductionism into a constructive and positive principle.
Varieties of Reasoning: Assessing Adequacy
Authors: Teske John A.
Published: May 2003

Helmut Reich's theory of relational and contextual reasoning is a courageous initiative for the resolution of cognitive conflicts between apparently incompatible or incommensurable views. Built upon Piagetian logico‐mathematical reasoning, cognitive complexity theory, and dialectical and analogical reasoning, it includes the development of a both/and logic inclusive of binary either/or logic. Reich provides philosophic, theoretical, and even initial empirical support for the development of this form of reasoning along with a heuristic for its application. A valuable step beyond the limits of binary, static, and formal reasoning, it takes relationship, context, and perspectival variations seriously in an explicitly reflective and iterative system. We can and do address conflicts not resolvable by conventional appeals to logic or evidence, including those at epistemic boundaries or produced by belief‐commitment differences. Although this form of reasoning has real promise, including stepping beyond complementarity in the religion‐science dialogue, it seems better directed to causally explanatory theories than to other forms of rendering meaning. Finally, its coextension requirement may render it problematic where functionally coherent explananda cannot be identified or are themselves produced or constituted by a belief system.
Developing the Horizons of the Mind: Reich's Response to the Commentators
Authors: Reich K. Helmut
Published: May 2003

Some aspects of my writing the monograph Developing the Horizons of the Mind (2002) are highlighted, the central characteristics of relational and contextual reasoning (RCR) are explained, and the contributions to this symposium by John Albright, Varadaraja V. Raman, and John Teske are discussed.
Practitioner Review: Computerized assessment of neuropsychological function in children: clinical and research applications of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB)
Authors: Luciana Monica
Published: May 2003

Background: Computers have been used for a number of years in neuropsychological assessment to facilitate the scoring, interpretation, and administration of a variety of commonly used tests. There has been recent interest in applying computerized technology to pediatric neuropsychological assessment, which poses unique demands based on the need to interpret performance relative to the child's developmental level.

Findings: However, pediatric neuropsychologists have tended to implement computers in the scoring, but not administration, of tests. This trend is changing based on the work of experimental neuropsychologists who frequently combine data obtained from test batteries with lesion or neuroimaging data allowing descriptions of brain–behavior relations to be made with increasing confidence. One such battery is the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB), and current studies in which the CANTAB has been used to measure executive functions in children are reviewed.

Conclusions: Computerized batteries of this type can record aspects of performance that are difficult for psychometrists to achieve, and these may reflect activity in developing neural networks with more sensitivity than can be achieved with traditional tests. However, before computerized test administration becomes a routine part of pediatric neuropsychological assessment, several obstacles must be overcome. Despite these limitations, it is concluded that computerized assessment can improve the field by facilitating the collection of normative and clinical data.
The validity of adolescent types of alcohol use
Authors: Steinhausen Hans‐Christoph , Metzke Christa Winkler
Published: May 2003

Background: Alcohol is the most frequently used substance among adolescents with different patterns of consumption. Various types of adolescent alcohol use have been proposed, but only a few studies have looked for external validation of these types.

Method: Data from 794 adolescents participating in the Zurich Adolescent Psychology and Psychopathology Study (ZAPPS) were used to evaluate the discriminant validity of the classification of four types of adolescent drinkers: abstainers, social drinkers, heavy drinkers, and problem drinkers. Data were based on questionnaires dealing with substance abuse, emotional and behavioral problems, life events, coping capacity, self‐related cognitions, perceived parental behavior, perceived school environment, and the social network.

Results: There was a clear differentiation of the problem drinkers’ group on almost all dimensions of the emotional and behavioral problems questionnaires, with the heavy drinkers’ profile situated in between on some dimensions, and the abstainers and social drinkers almost ideally meeting the expectation of a mean normal population profile. Problem drinkers were also marked by high life impact scores, low self‐esteem, high self‐awareness, low perceived parental acceptance and high amount of rejection by the parents, and various indicators of a stressful and less rewarding school environment. Again, the heavy drinkers were positioned on an intermediate level on some of these scales, whereas the abstainers and social drinkers scored more normally.

Conclusion: These findings support the validity of the distinction of various adolescent alcohol use types.
Population level assessment of the family risk factors related to the onset or persistence of children's mental health problems
Authors: Dwyer Sarah B. , Nicholson Jan M. , Battistutta Diana
Published: May 2003

Background:Despite their great potential to inform intervention planning, screening instruments that assess children's exposure to multiple, non‐behavioural risk factors are rare. The Family Risk Factor Checklist – Parent (FRFC‐P), was designed to facilitate community risk factor profiling and subsequent intervention planning. The aims of the current study were to establish the psychometric properties of the FRFC‐P and to examine the relative importance of family risk factors in relation to the onset versus persistence of children's mental health problems.

Method:Data were collected from 1022 parents of 4–8‐year‐old children as part of the Promoting Adjustment in Schools Project (PROMAS). The FRFC‐P assessed children's exposure to risk across five domains: adverse life events and instability (ALI); family structure and SES (SES); parenting practices (PAR); parental verbal conflict and mood problems (VCM); and parental antisocial and psychotic behaviour (APB).

Results:The FRFC‐P had satisfactory test‐retest reliability and construct validity, but modest internal consistency. Risk assessed by the PAR domain was the most important determinant of mental health problem onset, while the PAR, VCM, and APB domains were the strongest predictors of mental health problem persistence.

Conclusions:These findings highlight the importance of considering risk factors for onset separately from risk factors for persistence of mental health problems and indicate that the studied population may benefit the most from preventive interventions that address parenting practices and treatment interventions that address parenting practices, and parental mood problems, conflict, antisocial behaviour, and psychiatric disorders.
Social anxiety in childhood: the relationship with self and observer rated social skills
Authors: Cartwright‐Hatton Sam , Hodges Laura , Porter Justine
Published: May 2003

Background: Social anxiety of childhood is a common and pervasive problem. Traditional approaches to treating these difficulties have focused on providing afflicted children with social skills training. This approach has met with some, but not complete success. Recent reconceptualisations of social anxiety in the adult literature have emphasised the role of negative cognition regarding one's own social skills. Experimental evidence has demonstrated that a misperception of social skills, rather than a skills deficit per se, may be most pertinent to the understanding of social anxiety. This study set out to examine the relationship between self and observer ratings of social skill, and social anxiety in children.

Method: One hundred and ten non‐referred schoolchildren aged 8–11 years were asked to give a two‐minute speech to a video camera, after which they were asked to rate their performance on a number of social skill dimensions. Neutral observers also watched the videos and rated each child on the same dimensions.

Results: There was very little correlation between social anxiety level and observer ratings of children's social skills. Indeed, some very anxious children achieved high observer rated social skill scores. State socially anxious children self‐reported that their social skills were poorer than less anxious children. However, other than looking more nervous than less anxious children, the social skills of the high anxious children were indistinguishable from those of their less anxious peers.

Conclusions: Socially anxious children may not necessarily lack social skills. Rather, their deficits may relate to nervousness and appraisals of their skills. Treatment programmes for these children should take care to assess social skills carefully before prescribing social skill remediation, and should consider employing a cognitive element to tackle negative misperceptions of subjective social skill.
Adult psychosocial functioning following childhood cancer: the different roles of sons’ and daughters’ relationships with their fathers and mothers
Authors: Hill Jonathan , Kondryn Helena , Mackie Erica , McNally Richard , Eden Tim
Published: May 2003

Background: Adult survivors of childhood cancer have impaired psychosocial functioning, but not much is known about the causes. In this study we examined the role of relationships with parents as a possible mediating factor.

Method: One hundred and two adult survivors (82% of those eligible, 35 female and 57 male) of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and Wilms’ Tumour, and 102 matched controls (74% of those eligible) aged 19–30 were interviewed. Interpersonal and social role functioning, and current relationships with each parent were assessed in standardised investigator‐based interviews with subjects.

Results: Adult survivors were more likely than controls to have impaired close relationships (love relationships and friendships), and poorer day‐to‐day coping. Lower encouragement from fathers and greater involvement with mothers were each independently associated with impaired close relationships outside the family. This association was evident across the sample and in the cancer survivor group. It was much stronger in young adult females. Lower paternal encouragement was also associated with poor day‐to‐day coping, and this association was stronger in young men. There was, however, little evidence that quality of relationships with parents mediated the link between childhood cancer and adult psychosocial functioning.

Conclusions: Within this cross‐sectional design we could not determine the direction of influence, nor exclude third variable effects. However, the findings indicate that mothers and fathers have different roles in the transition to adult life, and understanding these may assist the development of interventions designed to improve adult psychosocial functioning.
Imitation performance in toddlers with autism and those with other developmental disorders
Authors: Rogers Sally J. , Hepburn Susan L. , Stackhouse Tracy , Wehner Elizabeth
Published: May 2003

Background: The present study sought to examine the specificity, developmental correlates, nature and pervasiveness of imitation deficits very early in the development of autism.

Methods: Subjects were 24 children with autism (mean age 34 months), 18 children with fragile X syndrome, 20 children with other developmental disorders, and 15 typically‐developing children. Tasks included manual, oral‐facial, and object oriented imitations, developmental measures, joint attention ability, and motor abilities.

Results: Children with autism were found to be significantly more impaired in overall imitation abilities, oral‐facial imitation, and imitations of actions on objects than children in all of the other groups. Imitation skills of young children with fragile X syndrome were strongly influenced by the absence or presence of symptoms of autism. For children with autism, imitation skills were strongly correlated with autistic symptoms and joint attention, even when controlling for developmental level. For comparison groups, imitation was related to other developmental abilities including play, language, and visual spatial skills. Neither motor functioning nor social responsivity accounted for a significant amount of variance in imitation scores, when controlling for overall developmental level, which accounted for much of the variation in imitation ability.

Conclusions: Simple imitation skills were differentially impaired in young children with autism, and lack of social cooperation did not account for their poor performance. In autism, imitation skills clustered with dyadic and triadic social interactions and overall developmental level, but were not related to play or language development. For comparison children, all these areas were inter‐related. Hypotheses about a specific dyspraxic deficit underlying the imitation performance in autism were not supported.