bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TH‐E‐BRA‐01: Tumor Control, Probability of Cure, and All That
Authors: Zaider M
Published: November 2011

In current practice tumor control (TC) is taken to mean the extinction of clonogenic tumor cells at the end of treatment, a sufficient but not necessary condition for cure. In contrast, patients undergoing radiation therapy are concerned with the probability of cure (long term recurrence‐free survival, meaning the absence of a detectable or symptomatic tumor). Tumor control thus defined has significant deficiencies, viz. it is an unobservable event, and elimination of all malignant clonogenic cells is in some cases unnecessary. As well, many primary cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer, are not lethal per se; they kill through metastases and, consequently, an object of tumor control in such cases should be the prevention of metastatic spread of the disease.

I shall argue that full information about the long‐term treatment outcome is contained in the distribution, Pm(T), of the number of malignant cells m that remain clonogenic at the end of treatment and the birth (b) and death rates (d) of surviving tumor cells after treatment. Accordingly, plausible definitions of tumor control are invariably traceable to Pm(T). Specifically, I shall explain the link between survival time — where the events of interest are local recurrence or distant (metastatic) failure (cancer‐free survival) or death (cancer‐specific survival) — and the distribution, Pm(T); and show how to link Pm(T) to treatment planning (modality, total dose and schedule of radiation) and tumor‐specific parameters (initial number of clonogens, birth and spontaneous death rates during the treatment period, parameters of the dose‐response function).

Learning Objectives:

1. understand (and appreciate) the difference between tumor control and cure probability,

2. become familiar with the mathematical tools available for describing these quantities,

3. link Pm(t) to treatment planning algorithms, and

4. become aware of many important factors that determine tumor response to radiation (cell cycling, interaction with the immune system, selection effects, spatial heterogeneity of the tumor and its capillary network, etc) that have not been taken into account. As a bonus youˈll learn why the ubiquitous Poisson expression of tumor control probability is wrong and should be avoided.
TH‐E‐BRB‐03: Potential for a Monte Carlo Based Treatment Planning System to Replace Patient Specific QA Measurements in a Large University Hospital Setting
Authors: Soisson E , Alexander A , Comeau L , Seuntjens J
Published: November 2011

Purpose: To asses the feasibility and benefits of replacing patient specific QA measurements and back‐up MU calculations with Monte Carlo based dose calculations for improved plan verification in radiation therapy. Methods: An in‐house Monte Carlo based planning system (MMCTP) has been clinically implemented at McGill University. Over 50 patient plans have been recalculated on the system by both dosimetrists and physicists. Initial plans chosen for recalculation were head and neck IMRT and lung SBRT plans, where simple monitor unit calculators and measurements in water equivalent phantoms are often insufficient to show agreement of the planned and delivered doses within 5%. Results: MMCTP was found to be easy to use by both dosimetrists and physicists. Eighteen head and neck IMRT plans were recalculated by a dosimetrist and over 35 lung SBRT plans have been calculated by the physics staff. As no effort was spent in implementing fast MC engines, the calculation time is long but all mechanical operations, i.e., the transfer of the plans from the clinical treatment planning system to the MMCTP system and starting the calculation, take only a few minutes. Differences between MMCTP and the clinical TPS (Varian Eclipse, AAA) were small in terms of dose delivered to the PTV for the head and neck IMRT group but differences of greater the 5% were seen among the lung SBRT group. For both groups, the largest differences were seen for anatomy close to the skin and near air cavities. Conclusions: Verifying the delivery accuracy of complex treatment plans can be challenging. Current techniques requiring recalculation and measurement of plans in uniform phantoms are cumbersome and do not take into account the patient specific heterogeneity effects. The MMCTP treatment planning system requires minimal physics resources and likely introduces a more comprehensive method of evaluating calculation accuracy throughout the treatment volume.
TH‐E‐BRB‐04: Comparing the Effects of Tumor Motion Patterns and Beam Delivery Timing Between Scattering and Uniform Scanning Proton Beam
Authors: Zhao Q , Wu H , Cheng C , Das I
Published: November 2011

Purpose:Respiration induced tumor motion may greatly deviate from the planned dose delivery to the tumor and surrounding healthy structures, which is a more serious problem for proton radiotherapy due to its unique characteristics. This project aims to statistically analyze the effects on 4D dose distribution of various motion patterns and beam delivery starting phases using scatting proton beam and uniform scanning proton beam (USPB). Methods: A 4D dose calculation system has been implemented which consider synchronized tumor motion and proton beam delivery mechanism. Studies were performed retrospectively on a lung treatment plan with prescribed dose of 42.5Gy, GTV‐to‐PTV margin of 7mm and smearing margin of 7.5mm. Scatting proton beam delivers dose to the entire SOBP simultaneously while USPB deliveries dose layer by layer at different time scale. Several distinctive respiratory motion patterns, with considerable amplitude and frequency variation, are applied in the study where the beam delivery starting times are set a different phases of a breathing cycle. Statistical analysis of the DVH is performed to compare the 4D dose distribution. Results: The dose covered by 95% of the GTV (D95) showed that there is no significant difference between scattering and scanning proton beam if the breathing motion is regular. Even for motion with dramatic amplitude variation, if the overall amplitude changes are comparable to the plan margins, the effects are limited. For motion with large frequency and amplitude changes, the effects of breathing patterns and beam starting phases are considerable, up to 10% difference of the D95 values. The effects on USPB and scattering proton beam are very similar, with slightly better performance for scattering proton beam under most conditions. Conclusions: The effects of the respiratory motion patterns and beam starting phases will affect both scattering and USPB and should be carefully take into treatment planning.
Multiscale factors control community and species distribution in mountain peatlands
Authors: Lemly Joanna M. , Cooper David J.
Published: November 2011

We studied the vegetation of 166 fens in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to determine the relationship between species distribution in mountain peatlands and regional-, landscape-, and local-scale environmental variables. Plant communities were identified through hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis, patterns in species distribution were explored using nonmetric multidimensional scaling, and the relative importance of variables was assessed though partial canonical correspondence analysis. Five major bedrock types influenced groundwater feeding fens: three volcanic types, a glacial till complex, and rock altered by acidic geothermal activity. Ionic concentrations generally increased with pH, but acidic geothermal fens had very low pH and high electrical conductivity. Bryophyte distribution was controlled by groundwater chemistry, while vascular plants responded to a broader range of variables. When partitioned by spatial scale, landscape variables accounted for >60% of the variation explained. When partitioned categorically, geochemical and topographic variables were more important than geographic factors. For fens in mountainous regions, the primary gradient is site-level water chemistry, which is strongly linked to regional bedrock geology. Site- and stand-level topography represent a secondary gradient. Most mountain fens fit within the established poor–rich gradient; however, geochemical acid production creates a distinct category outside the conventional paradigm.
Systematics of “horned” dodders: phylogenetic relationships, taxonomy, and two new species within the Cuscuta chapalana complex (Convolvulaceae)
Authors: Costea Mihai , Ruiz Ignacio García , Stefanović Saša
Published: November 2011

The Cuscuta chapalana complex (Convolvulaceae) is a recently circumscribed clade within the subgenus Grammica that includes several little-known species from Mexico and Central and northern South America characterized by the presence of peculiar subapical multicelullar appendages on the corolla and often on the calyx lobes. Basic morphology, scanning electron microscopy, and DNA sequence data from the plastid trnL–F region and the 26S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer nuclear regions were used to investigate the phylogenetic relationships within the group and to test the species limits. Multicellular appendages are horn-like or tubular in shape and bear one or more stomata at their tips; hence the vernacular name “horned” dodders. Eight lineages were reconstructed; two of them, both from Mexico, were described as new species: Cuscuta bonafortunae Costea & I. García, sp. nov., and Cuscuta carnosa Costea & Stefanović, sp. nov. Cuscuta pringlei is redefined as a variety of Cuscuta strobilacea . A taxonomic treatment with an identification key, descriptions, and illustrations is provided.
Effects of ERCC2 Lys751Gln (A35931C) and CCND1 (G870A) Polymorphism on Outcome of Advanced-Stage Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Are Treatment Dependent
Authors: Zhong Shilong , Nukui Tomoko , Buch Shama , Diergaarde Brenda , Weissfeld Lisa A. , Grandis Jennifer , Romkes Marjorie , Weissfeld Joel L.
Published: November 2011

Background: Germline variation in DNA damage response may explain variable treatment outcomes in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). By grouping patients according to stage and radiation treatment, we compared SCCHN survival with regard to ERCC2 A35931C (Lys751Gln, rs13181) and CCND1 G870A (Pro241Pro, rs9344) genotypes.

Methods: In a hospital-based SCCHN case series (all white, 24.7% female, mean age 58.4 years), this treatment-outcome cohort study genotyped 275 stage III–IV cases that were initially treated with radiation (with or without chemotherapy) and 80 stage III–IV and 130 stage I–II cases that were initially treated without radiation or chemotherapy and used Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses to compare genotype groups on the basis of overall, disease-specific, progression-free, and recurrence-free survival rates.

Results: ERCC2 35931 AA predicted worse survival in stage III–IV cases treated with radiation [multiply-adjusted HR = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15–2.40; HR over the first 3 follow-up years = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.28–2.88] and better survival in stage III–IV cases not treated with radiation (HR = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.11–0.62). Although not associated with survival in stage III–IV cancers treated with radiation (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.67–1.51), CCND1-870 GG predicted better survival in stage III–IV cancers not treated with radiation (HR = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04–0.50). Survival in stage I–II did not depend on ERCC2 A35931C or CCND1 G870A genotype.

Conclusions: Although promoting tumor progression in untreated patients, germline differences in DNA-repair or cell-cycle control may improve treatment outcome in patients treated with DNA-damaging agents.

Impact: ERCC2 A35931C may help distinguish advanced stage SCCHN with better outcomes from radiation treatment. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2429–37. ©2011 AACR.
Thyroid Cancer Incidence among Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel, 1990–2004
Authors: Enewold Lindsey R. , Zhou Jing , Devesa Susan S. , de Gonzalez Amy Berrington , Anderson William F. , Zahm Shelia H. , Stojadinovic Alexander , Peoples George E. , Marrogi Aizenhawar J. , Potter John F. , McGlynn Katherine A. , Zhu Kangmin
Published: November 2011

Background: Increases in thyroid papillary carcinoma incidence rates have largely been attributed to heightened medical surveillance and improved diagnostics. We examined papillary carcinoma incidence in an equal-access health care system by demographics that are related to incidence.

Methods: Incidence rates during 1990–2004 among white and black individuals aged 20 to 49 years in the military, and the general U.S. population were compared using data from the Department of Defense's Automated Central Tumor Registry and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER-9) program.

Results: Incidence was significantly higher in the military than in the general population among white women [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–1.61], black women (IRR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.70–2.99), and black men (IRR = 1.69, 95% CI, 1.10–2.50). Among whites, differences between the two populations were confined to rates of localized tumors (women: IRR = 1.73, 95% CI, 1.47–2.00; men: IRR = 1.51, 95% CI, 1.30–1.75), which may partially be due to variation in staging classification. Among white women, rates were significantly higher in the military regardless of tumor size and rates rose significantly over time both for tumors ≤ 2 cm (military: IRR = 1.64, 95% CI, 1.18–2.28; general population: IRR = 1.55, 95% CI, 1.45–1.66) and > 2 cm (military: IRR = 1.74, 95% CI, 1.07–2.81; general population: IRR = 1.48, 95% CI, 1.27–1.72). Among white men, rates increased significantly only in the general population. Incidence also varied by military service branch.

Conclusions: Heightened medical surveillance does not appear to fully explain the differences between the two populations or the temporal increases in either population.

Impact: These findings suggest the importance of future research into thyroid cancer etiology. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2369–76. ©2011 AACR.
Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin in Relation to IgE: a Nested Case–Control Study
Authors: Wiemels Joseph L. , Wiencke John K. , Li Zhongze , Ramos Christian , Nelson Heather H. , Karagas Margaret R.
Published: November 2011

Background: Individuals diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer have a high risk of developing a second skin cancer diagnosis. We assessed whether a marker of immune function related to atopic allergy, IgE, was associated with diagnosis of subsequent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin in patients with a previous skin cancer enrolled in a skin cancer prevention trial.

Methods: One hundred twelve individuals who developed an SCC (cases) were compared with 227 controls who did not develop SCC over the same followup period, matched on age, sex, and study center. Total, respiratory, and food-specific IgE were measured in the baseline or year one (prior to diagnosis) sera samples for each subject.

Results: IgE levels were higher in cases with SCC than controls (comparing the highest quartile with the lowest, ORtotal IgE = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.73–2.85; ORrespiratory IgE = 2.43; 95% CI: 1.16–5.06; ORfood IgE = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.19–5.35). The association between respiratory IgE and subsequent skin cancer was strongest among individuals with a tendency to sunburn (ORrespiratory IgE = 3.82; 95% CI: 1.05–13.88) compared with those with a tendency to tan (ORrespiratory IgE = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.20–4.76). Among 25 subjects with repeat IgE measurements taken over several years, IgE levels were remarkably stable (interclass coefficient = 0.90 for total IgE).

Conclusion: These results indicate that allergy or allergy-associated IgE may be indicative of an immune phenotype that enhances risk of SCC, possibly via immune-associate inflammatory mediators.

Impact: Our results indicate that controlling allergy and IgE levels may be a new avenue of skin cancer prevention in susceptible populations, and implicate immune mechanisms in skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2377–83. ©2011 AACR.
Natural Recovery from Antiglomerular Basement Membrane Glomerulonephritis Is Associated with Glomeruli-Infiltrating CD8α+CD11c+MHC Class II+ Cells
Authors: Zhou Cindy , Robertson Julie , Wu Jean , Bartkowiak Todd , Parker Kiana , McMahon John , Lou Ya-Huan
Published: November 2011

Background/Aims: In an antiglomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis (GN) model, GN-resistant Lewis (LEW) rats naturally recover from early glomerular inflammation (days 21–23). We have previously identified a glomeruli-infiltrating CD8α+CD11highMHC II+ cell (GIL CD8α+ cell) in GN-prone Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, which terminates glomerular inflammation through inducing T cell apoptosis prior to glomerular fibrosis at days 35–40. We investigated if GIL CD8α+ cells were also associated with the recovery in LEW rats. Methods: GIL CD8α+ cells in LEW rats were characterized; their infiltration was observed in connection with T cell apoptosis in glomeruli. Results: An influx of GIL CD8α+ cells into inflamed glomeruli was confirmed in the immunized LEW rats at days 17–22, which was much earlier than days 28–35 in WKY rats. Notably, LEW rats had a GIL CD8α+CD11high subpopulation after day 17, while WKY rats lacked this population until after day 30. Analyses further revealed a large number of clustered apoptotic CD4+ or CD3+ T cells in the glomeruli during recovery (day 23) in LEW rats, as compared to day 35 (transition to fibrosis) in WKY rats. Thus, infiltration of GIL CD8α+ cells coincided with decline of glomerular inflammation and T cell apoptosis during recovery in LEW rats. Isolated GIL CD8α+ cells were able to infiltrate glomeruli in both WKY and LEW rats at day 20. Conclusion: Our data revealed a strong association between GIL CD8a+ cells and recovery from early glomerular inflammation. It raises a possibility of involvement of GIL CD8a+ cells in the recovery.
A Physics-Driven Neural Networks-Based Simulation System (PhyNNeSS) for Multimodal Interactive Virtual Environments Involving Nonlinear Deformable Objects
Authors: De Suvranu , Deo Dhannanjay , Sankaranarayanan Ganesh , Arikatla Venkata S.
Published: November 2011

While an update rate of 30 Hz is considered adequate for real-time graphics, a much higher update rate of about 1 kHz is necessary for haptics. Physics-based modeling of deformable objects, especially when large nonlinear deformations and complex nonlinear material properties are involved, at these very high rates is one of the most challenging tasks in the development of real-time simulation systems. While some specialized solutions exist, there is no general solution for arbitrary nonlinearities. In this work we present PhyNNeSS—a Physics-driven Neural Networks-based Simulation System—to address this long-standing technical challenge. The first step is an offline precomputation step in which a database is generated by applying carefully prescribed displacements to each node of the finite element models of the deformable objects. In the next step, the data is condensed into a set of coefficients describing neurons of a Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN). During real-time computation, these neural networks are used to reconstruct the deformation fields as well as the interaction forces. We present realistic simulation examples from interactive surgical simulation with real-time force feedback. As an example, we have developed a deformable human stomach model and a Penrose drain model used in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) training tool box. A unique computational modeling system has been developed that is capable of simulating the response of nonlinear deformable objects in real time. The method distinguishes itself from previous efforts in that a systematic physics-based precomputational step allows training of neural networks which may be used in real-time simulations. We show, through careful error analysis, that the scheme is scalable, with the accuracy being controlled by the number of neurons used in the simulation. PhyNNeSS has been integrated into SoFMIS (Software Framework for Multimodal Interactive Simulation) for general use.
Number of Families within Bathynellacea (Malacostraca) and Year of Publication of their Names, with Redescription of Baicalobathynella Magna (Bazikalova, 1954) from Lake Baikal
Authors: Drewes Jan , Schminke Horst Kurt
Published: November 2011

There is a debate about the systematic status of Leptobathynellidae Noodt, 1965. Are they a highly specialized offshoot of Parabathynellidae or do they deserve separate familial status? The arguments for the latter point of view are critically evaluated and as a result it is suggested to merge Leptobathynellidae with Parabathynellidae as had already been done earlier. Separate familial status for Leptobathynellidae would leave Parabathynellidae as a paraphyletic rest. The probably most plesiomorphic species within Bathynellidae is Baicalobathynella magna (Bazikalova, 1954), which belongs to the first Bathynellacea ever described. Its redescription presented here adds important new details. The morphological differences between Bathynellidae and Parabathynellidae are listed. There is some confusion about the year of publication of their names. The correct citations are: Bathynellidae Grobben, 1905 and Parabathynellidae Noodt, 1965.
Thirtieth Annual Erasmus Birthday Lecture: Erasmus, the Church Fathers and the Ideological Implications of Philology
Authors: Visser Arnoud
Published: November 2011

This article explores the ideological impact of humanist philology in the age of the European Reformation. It focuses in particular on Erasmus' significance for the textual transmission of early Christian authors. An analysis of Erasmus' editions of the church fathers reveals that the editor did not just restore ancient texts but, by means of textual criticism, also sought to emancipate patristic authority from its traditional ecclesiastical keepers. In doing so he helped to transform their intellectual status from pillars of the institutionalized church into more flexible examples of spiritual virtues. In addition, it shows how Erasmus used his explanatory material to guide the interpretation of specific texts. Finally, by rigorously assessing the authenticity of received works and thus reorganizing the patristic canon, Erasmus promoted a critical attitude to the ecclesiastical tradition. The results of this exploration suggest that the notions of emancipation, interpretative guidance, and canonization can serve as helpful criteria for gauging the ideological impact of textual criticism in other areas as well.
Divorce and Remarriage of Orthodox Copts in Egypt: The 2008 State Council Ruling and the Amendment of the 1938 Personal Status Regulations
Authors: Bernard-Maugiron Nathalie
Published: November 2011

In June 2008, the 1938 Personal Status Regulations for the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt were amended to limit the grounds for divorce to adultery and change of religion. This revision followed a ruling of the State Council requiring Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to grant a divorced Orthodox Copt a license to remarry. The amendments ended a long-standing conflict between the Egyptian national courts and the Coptic Orthodox Church regarding the effects of judicial divorce: prior to the revision, thousands of couples divorced before the courts were considered by the Church to be still married. However, by restricting the possibilities for Orthodox Copts to obtain a divorce, the 2008 amendments may lead to an increase in conversions to other religious faiths to escape application of the revised 1938 regulations. In this essay, I analyze the 2008 amendments, the State Council ruling, landmark decisions of the Court of Cassation, comments by legal scholars and articles in newspapers, in an effort to assess the current status of divorce and remarriage among Orthodox Copts in Egypt and the problems generated by the application of conflicts rules between non-Muslim personal status laws in case of inter-religious marriages. At the end of the essay, I mention developments that took place in June 2010 after the release of a new ruling by the State Council.
Notes on Some Indo-pacific Pontoniinae, L. Typtonychus Spp. Nov., from Northwest Australia
Authors: Bruce A.J.
Published: November 2011

A new species of the genus Typtonychus Bruce from the Kimberley region of Western Australia is described and illustrated. The status of T. dimorphus Bruce is reconsidered and T. infaustus sp. nov. is designated. Six species of the genus Typtonychus are now known, all from the Australia-New Caledonia-Japan region. A key is provided for their identification.
Law of the International Civil service: A Venture into Legal Theory
Authors: Dhinakaran Renuka
Published: November 2011

The employment relations of international organizations are governed by their constituent instruments, internal laws and practice, with no overarching legal regime governing international civil service as such. However, academics and international administrative tribunals refer to 'international civil service law', while the tribunals also apply the general principles of such law. There is uncertainty as to what the legal basis behind this is and whether this refers to a common legal regime applicable to international organizations. This contribution analyses the existence or the possibility of such a common legal regime. It introduces the notion of 'international civil service' as a legal institution and international civil service law as its legal regime. The author analyses the theoretical foundation and potential normative bases of this common legal regime, setting out an agenda for further research.
IGOs in Crisis? Or New Opportunities to Demonstrate Responsibility?
Authors: Marceau Gabrielle
Published: November 2011

This editorial seeks to explore the creative reactions of intergovernmental organizations ('IGOs') in times of global crisis. With emphasis on recent health and economic crises and the response of IGOs including the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, the editorial shows that crises have strengthened the institutional and law-making power of the IGOs that are forced to deal with them. Certain common elements emerge from this discussion, including the more prominent role that the leadership and Secretariats of IGOs regularly play in crises, the wider range of institutions and groups with which IGOs are prepared to closely collaborate in order to deal with new issues, and the increased prevalence of creative and informal law-making by IGOs as part of their institutional responses to challenges.
World Legislation as Deliberation about the Common Good of International society
Authors: Vos J. A.
Published: November 2011

This contribution describes how the phenomenon of world legislation by the Security Council highlights the interrelationship between the entrustment of the common good of international society and a concentration of legislative and executive powers in an organ of an international institution. The notion of the trias politica seems unsuitable to address this dichotomy, in so far as the practice of the Security Council may be analyzed in policy, legislative and executive terms. Seeking to contain these powers through other international organs evokes the specter of the super-State, consistently rejected in ICJ jurisprudence. The contribution ends by suggesting how deliberative and representative aspects may direct us to seeing the action of both organs of international institutions and the members of international society as informing the common good of international society.
John Locke and the Case of Anthony Ashley Cooper
Authors: Principe Lawrence M. , Anstey Peter R.
Published: November 2011

In June 1668 Anthony Ashley Cooper, later to become the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, underwent abdominal surgery to drain a large abscess above his liver. The case is extraordinary, not simply on account of the eminence of the patient and the danger of the procedure, but also because of the many celebrated figures involved. A trove of manuscripts relating to this famous operation survives amongst the Shaftesbury Papers in the National Archives at Kew. These include case notes in the hand of the philosopher John Locke and advice from leading physicians of the day including Francis Glisson, Sir George Ent and Thomas Sydenham. The majority of this material has never been published before. This article provides complete transcriptions and translations of all of these manuscripts, thus providing for the first time a comprehensive case history. It is prefaced with an extended introduction.
Levison's Filled with the Spirit: A Brief Appreciation and Response
Authors: Turner Max
Published: November 2011

Levison's is a magnificent contribution to the History-of-Religions analysis of the Spirit from OT to NT times, with a positive-but-also devastating analysis of Gunkel's earlier analysis (1888!) which has since then reigned. This response-review examines Levison's answer to Gunkel's case that the Spirit (in the NT period) is always the blatantly supernatural Spirit, rather than the (OT) Spirit/breath of God immanent and active in all (approximately Levison's well-argued view). The article finds Levison's perspective more convincing in OT texts, but increasingly marginal as we approach the NT period, where the writings restrict the Spirit (as Gunkel suggested) to believers, and dominantly as charismatic presence (which Levison nevertheless illuminates creatively and with entrancing originality).
'My spirit' in Genesis 6.1-4
Authors: Routledge Robin
Published: November 2011

Gen. 6.1-4 is widely thought to stand in an indirect relationship to the flood narrative as an example of the wickedness (v. 5) that resulted in divine judgment. This article argues that Gen. 6.1-8 forms a unified introduction to the flood story and thus that 1) the withdrawal of the divine in 6.3 presages the flood and the destruction of everything that has the 'breath of life'; and 2) the 'sons of God, daughters of humankind' episode in Gen. 6.1-4, which points to human presumption in seeking to attain immortality through illicit liaisons with heavenly beings, is a primary motivation for that divine judgment. The designation of in 6.3 as belonging to God also indicates a close link with Gen. 1.2 (the only other such reference in the primaeval history) and suggests that has also a cosmological significance, playing a role in the divine victory over the chaotic waters (1.2), and when withdrawn (6.3) allowing those waters to return. is allows us to set Gen. 6.1-4 within the wider context of the primaeval history. It also has implications for the way we understand the role of the Spirit in creation; and so, too, in renewal and new creation.
Filled with the Spirit: A Conversation with Pentecostal and Charismatic Scholars
Authors: (Jack) Levison John R.
Published: November 2011

Pentecostal theologian Amos Yong predicted that Filled with the Spirit, like Barth's Römerbrief, will fall 'like a bombshell on the playground of theologians' and 'explode in the field of those laboring on a theology of the spirit'. The range of reactions in this issue of Journal of Pentecostal Theology, represented by Roger Stronstad, Max Turner, and Robby Waddell, suggests that Yong's prediction is squarely on target. Levison has hit a nerve in Pentecostal pneumatology, and readers of Filled with the Spirit are dividing, like onlookers at Pentecost, into two camps: converts and critics. In this response, Levison addresses both camps by identifying the challenges and opportunities that Filled with the Spirit raises for Pentecostal and charismatic scholars, such as the need for a new definition of subsequence and the scandal of ecstasy in the New Testament. This article shows that Filled with the Spirit is iconoclastic and, as Yong suggests, explosive.
Not Beating Them, and Not Joining Them: Political Symbols and Practices in Basra
Authors: Al-Mohammad Hayder
Published: November 2011

This article concentrates on the period from 2005 to 2007 when militia control and violence was at its greatest in the city of Basra. Irony, despair, fear and the routinization of intimidation formed part of a complexity in which Basrans were living their lives. I look at how Basrans attempted to deal with the threats posed by militias through the politics and pragmatics of the appropriation of symbols and imagery as a means to navigate through the oppressive and turbulent period of the post-Saddam Hussein era. Whereas political and religious symbolism tend to be interpreted within a semiotic or hermeneutic framework, I try to show with reference to fieldwork I have undertaken in Basra that the meanings of symbols were rarely of importance to most Basrans; rather, it was which symbols were most effective in keeping militia and gang violence at bay. I end the article by bringing to attention some of the ambiguities and tensions in disengaged forms of relating to political and religious symbols in Basra.
The Rhetoric of Heavy Metal Resistance: Musical Modalities in Iraqi Public Life
Authors: Foster Lisa
Published: November 2011

This article explores the possibilities of heavy metal as an active and vital part of Iraqi civic life. Using a rhetorical analysis, the public dimensions of Iraqi heavy metal are shown to offer cathartic relief and public critique, craft identities and community, and foster modes of identification between Iraqi and Western public spheres. A survey of resources (over 100 texts total) was conducted primarily around the bands Acrassicauda and Dog Faced Corpse. Texts for analysis narrate artists' relationships to their music, to Iraq and to their sociopolitical condition. This article concludes that heavy metal acts as a modality, or way of crafting publics, in Iraq. Rooted in the sounds and social fabric of today's Iraqi youth, heavy metal modalities offer a unique amalgam of personal pain, public commentary and global cultural ties that succinctly capture the tension and struggle of a transitioning new Iraq.
Targeting the Symbolic Dimension of Baathist Iraq: Cultural Destruction, Historical Memory, and National Identity
Authors: Isakhan Benjamin
Published: November 2011

This article examines the systematic efforts to dismantle or destroy the symbolic dimension of the Baathist regime in Iraq since 2003. It argues that while the Baath were undeniably cruel and oppressive, they did undertake one of the twentieth century's most robust attempts to utilize the political power of historical memory to create a unified Iraqi national identity. However, while many have examined the militaristic or bureaucratic dimensions of de-Baathification, no such attempts have been made to examine the destruction of the symbols and monuments of the Baathist state and the consequences this has had for Iraqi national identity. This article addresses this paucity and concludes that with the symbolic destruction of the Baathist state has come a near complete erosion of the Iraqi brand of nationalism that the Baath had managed to promulgate to varying degrees of success since the late 1960s.
Conductas de protección personal frente al delito en medio urbano: diagnóstico a través de encuesta y Sistemas de Información Geográfica
Authors: Juan César San , Vozmediano Laura , Vergara Ana-Isabel
Published: November 2011

El miedo al delito y la percepción de inseguridad se han convertido en indicadores indiscutibles en los diagnósticos de la calidad de vida urbana. En la literatura, frecuentemente se ha operacionalizado el miedo al delito a través de indicadores cognitivos o emocionales. Las controversias generadas por estas aproximaciones nos han llevado a considerar en esta investigación mediciones indirectas del miedo a ser víctima de un delito, tales como las denominadas conductas de autoprotección. Se presentan los resultados de una encuesta realizada a una muestra representativa de residentes en la ciudad de Bilbao, explorando la distribución de las conductas en diferentes áreas de la urbe a través de mapas generados con un software de Sistemas de Información Geográfica. Se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados para la calidad de vida urbana y se reflexiona sobre el uso de la conducta informada como indicador y la posibilidad de intervenir en este aspecto.
Residential satisfaction in a context of urban exclusion
Authors: Checa Juan-Carlos , Arjona Ángeles
Published: November 2011

This article studies residential satisfaction among the inhabitants (immigrants and Spanish-born) of El Puche, a neighbourhood immersed in a process of exclusion located on the outskirts of the city of Almeria. For this purpose, a survey was administered to compile objective and subjective attributes of the residential environment, variables relating to residential mobility and the interviewee's sociodemographic profile. The results of the factor analysis performed show that the three components that define the residential environment—neighbourhood, house and neighbours—provide indices of residential quality. In the second stage, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was conducted to identify the predictors of overall residential satisfaction and the relative importance of each one. More specifically, in El Puche, the variables ‘rundown area’, ‘conflictive inter-ethnic relationships’, ‘isolated location’, ‘low quality construction’, ‘shops’ and ‘crime’ provide the best explanation of residential dissatisfaction.
Evaluación de las cualidades multisensoriales del espacio urbano: un enfoque metodológico y sistema de notación para el registro y diseño de la experiencia multisensorial en el espacio urbano
Authors: Lucas Raymond , Romice Ombretta
Published: November 2011

Los espacios urbanos son una experiencia para todos los sentidos, pero con demasiada frecuencia el interés de académicos y diseñadores se centra únicamente en los aspectos visuales o auditivos de los lugares. ¿Quéimplica adoptar un enfoque más holístico del papel de los sentidos en nuestra experiencia del espacio urbano? Este artículo investiga distintas formas de evaluar la cualidad multisensorial de los espacios urbanos. Una tarea importante es encontrar maneras de registrar la experiencia sensorial, teniendo en cuenta su alta variabilidad e individualidad. Se describe aquí un sistema de notación de la importancia relativa, corroboración y cualidades de seis sistemas preceptuales, siguiendo la tradición del trabajo pionero de James J. Gibson (1966). Se ofrece como ejemplo de este sistema una serie de notaciones tomadas en varios espacios de Roma. Un sistema de estas características puede emplearse como ejercicio puntual, a la manera de un bosquejo, pero también tiene otras aplicaciones más amplias, como el diagnóstico de déficits sensoriales en un lugar o ruta. Esta investigación se basa en una extensa literatura, desde la fenomenología de Merleau-Ponty (1962) a la antropología ambiental de Ingold (2000, 2007a). El trabajo de James J. Gibson sobre la naturaleza contextual de la percepción (1966) es central para esta investigación, y se amplía con enfoques más literarios como los de Georges Perec (1974), Michel de Certeau, Gaston Bachelard y el ritmanálisis de Henri Lefebvre. En este estudio se ponen en práctica estas teorías más abiertas y subjetivas de la percepción ambiental, incorporándolas a un conjunto de prácticas de registro y permitiendo así que formen parte del proceso de diseño.
Changes in residential satisfaction and place attachment over time
Authors: Tabernero Carmen , Briones Elena , Cuadrado Esther
Published: November 2011

Residential satisfaction is an antecedent to perceived quality of life. Physical and social factors help to explain residential satisfaction as a dynamic process of interaction which the individual constructs in relation to their surroundings. Furthermore, some of these factors condition place attachment. This study aims to analyze the relations and differences between residential satisfaction and place attachment in a sample of 704 people living in a university city, approximately half of whom are living in student flats. Participants completed a survey to rate their level of satisfaction with various characteristics associated with the place in which they live. The findings show that both groups of residents provide the same explanatory model of residential satisfaction, in which neighbourly relations, quality of housing and the intention to move home act as predictors. Residential satisfaction and place attachment are positively correlated; however, quality of housing does not have a direct effect on place attachment. Length of residence has a positive effect on place attachment
Impact of perceived physical and environmental conditions on mental workload: An exploratory study in office workers
Authors: Rolo Gladys , Hernández-Fernaud Estefanía , Díaz-Cabrera Dolores
Published: November 2011

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of subjective assessments of environmental conditions on mental workload. A sample of 238 office workers assessed levels of perceived mental workload and the adequacy of certain environmental conditions of their working context (temperature, lighting, noise, spatial distribution and hygienic conditions) using the Subjective Mental Workload Scale. The effect of these five environmental conditions on five mental workload factors was tested by means of multivariate analysis of variance. Results show that the perception of noise, spatial distribution and hygienic conditions are associated with greater subjective mental workload in three specific dimensions of mental workload: task characteristics, temporal work organization and working rate
Contacto con la naturaleza y bienestar personal
Authors: Marrero Rosario J. , Carballeira Mónica
Published: November 2011

El objetivo principal del presente estudio consistió en investigar las relaciones entre contacto con la naturaleza y bienestar personal, tanto subjetivo como psicológico. Participaron 554 personas entre 17 y 66 años que cumplimentaron la siguiente batería de pruebas: Satisfaction with Life Scale, PANAS Scales, Psychological Well-Being Scales, NEO-PI-R y una Entrevista Semiestructurada donde se recogía la frecuencia de actividades en contacto con la naturaleza, la satisfacción en dominios vitales (sentimental, trabajo/estudios, salud y ocio) y características sociodemográficas. El análisis MANCOVA realizado, considerando los cuatro niveles de contacto con la naturaleza (ninguno, bajo, medio, frecuente) y tras controlar edad, extraversión y apertura, mostró la influencia de la naturaleza sobre la satisfacción vital, la satisfacción sentimental y con el ocio. Los resultados sugieren considerar el contacto con la naturaleza en el diseño de programas para la promoción del bienestar personal
Contact with nature and personal well-being
Authors: Marrero Rosario J. , Carballeira Mónica
Published: November 2011

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between contact with nature and subjective and psychological well-being. 554 participants aged between 17 and 66 years old completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the PANAS Scales, the NEO-PI-R, the Psychological Well-being Scales, and a Structured Interview including some demographic variables, four measures of satisfaction with specific areas of life (sentimental, job/studies, health, leisure) and a question about the frequency of contact with nature. MANCOVA analysis, considering the four frequency levels for contact with nature (none, low, medium, frequent) and after controlling age, extraversion and openness, revealed that contact with nature has an influence on satisfaction with different life domains, such as sentimental, leisure, and overall life satisfaction. The findings suggest the promotion of contact with nature when implementing programs to improve human well-being
Cambios en la satisfacción residencial y el apego al lugar en función del tiempo de residencia
Authors: Tabernero Carmen , Briones Elena , Cuadrado Esther
Published: November 2011

La satisfacción residencial es un antecedente de la calidad de vida percibida. Factores físicos y sociales contribuyen a explicar la satisfacción residencial como un proceso de interacción dinámico que el individuo construye en relación con su entorno. Así mismo, algunos de estos factores actúan como condicionantes del apego al lugar. El presente estudio pretende analizar las relaciones y diferencias entre satisfacción residencial y apego al lugar en una muestra de 704 personas residentes en una ciudad universitaria, de las cuales aproximadamente la mitad vivían en pisos de estudiantes. Los participantes contestaron un cuestionario en el que valoraban el grado de satisfacción que experimentaban con diversas características asociadas al lugar en el que vivían. Los resultados encontrados muestran que ambos grupos de residentes mantienen el mismo modelo explicativo de la satisfacción residencial, en el cual actúan como predictores las relaciones vecinales establecidas, la calidad de la vivienda y la intención de cambio de residencia. La satisfacción residencial y el apego al lugar correlacionan positivamente, sin embargo, la calidad de la vivienda no ejerce un efecto directo sobre el apego al lugar. El tiempo de residencia ejerce un efecto positivo respecto al apego al lugar
Confirmation of the factorial structure of neighbourhood attachment and neighbourhood identity scale
Authors: Ruiz Cristina , Hernández Bernardo , Hidalgo M. Carmen
Published: November 2011

Previous studies indicate that attachment and identity imply different relationships with a place, but that the high correlation between both variables often hinders their empirical and conceptual differentiation. Such lack of clarity of the relationship between different place-related concepts is for many the main obstacle to furthering progress in this field. In this study, a confirmatory factorial analysis was conducted to verify the factorial structure of the neighbourhood attachment and neighbourhood identity scale developed by Hernández, Hidalgo, Salazar-Laplace, and Hess (2007). Moreover a simultaneous comparison was made of two groups based on the variable, length of residence. The results corroborate the structure of both factors, validate it as being the same in both groups, and assess the influence of length of residence on intensity of bond.
Diferencias interindividuales en el conocimiento y en el uso de los espacios públicos exteriores por niños
Authors: Legendre Alain , Gómez-Herrera José
Published: November 2011

El estudio está enfocado en el análisis de las diferencias interindividuales que aparecen en los niños de 6 a 11 años en el conocimiento y en las modalidades de utilización de los espacios públicos exteriores. Se realizó una encuesta a 378 niños de escuelas primarias de una pequeña ciudad de la región parisina. Un cuestionario fue utilizado para interrogar a los niños sobre sus conocimientos, la frecuencia de sus visitas, su acceso autónomo y la utilización lúdica de los principales espacios exteriores de su ciudad. Los resultados señalan que en un medio urbano, los espacios públicos juegan un rol importante para los niños. A partir de los 6 años los niños conocen los tres cuartos del total de plazas, parques y zonas de juego presentes en su medioambiente urbano de proximidad. La mayoría de los espacios conocidos son visitados regularmente y utilizados de manera lúdica, pero el acceso autónomo a estos espacios resulta en extremo restringido. El acceso autónomo a los espacios exteriores es el comportamiento que evoluciona más fuertemente en función de la edad. Sin embargo, las diferencias más grandes en el conocimiento y en el uso de los espacios públicos se encuentran ligadas al género, en provecho de los chicos. Diferencias significativas aparecen igualmente entre los niños que habitan en casas de aquellos que habitan en apartamentos, estos últimos tienen un uso más extenso de los espacios públicos de su ciudad.