bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A mutation in TRPC6 channels abolishes their activation by hypoosmotic stretch but does not affect activation by diacylglycerol or G protein signaling cascades
Authors: Wilson Cory , Dryer Stuart E.
Published: March 2014

Canonical transient receptor potential-6 (TRPC6) channels have been implicated in the pathogenesis of kidney disease and in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle tone, podocyte function, and a variety of processes in other cell types. The question of whether their gating is intrinsically mechanosensitive has been controversial. In this study we have examined activation of two alleles of TRPC6 transiently expressed in CHO-K1 cells: the wild-type human TRPC6 channel, and TRPC6-N143S, an allele originally identified in a family with autosomal dominant familial focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). We observed that both channel variants carried robust cationic currents that could be evoked by application of membrane-permeable analogs of diacylglycerol (DAG) or by the P2Y receptor agonist ATP. The amplitudes and characteristics of currents evoked by the DAG analog or ATP were indistinguishable in cells expressing the two TRPC6 alleles. By contrast, hypoosmotic stretch evoked robust currents in wild-type TRPC6 channels but had no discernible effect on currents in cells expressing TRPC6-N143S, indicating that the mutant form lacks mechanosensitivity. Coexpression of TRPC6-N143S with wild-type TRPC6 or TRPC3 channels did not alter stretch-evoked responses compared with when TRPC3 channels were expressed by themselves, indicating that TRPC6-N143S does not function as a dominant-negative. These data indicate that mechanical activation and activation evoked by DAG or ATP occur through fundamentally distinct biophysical mechanisms, and they provide support for the hypothesis that protein complexes containing wild-type TRPC6 subunits can be intrinsically mechanosensitive.
Learning-induced modulation of the GABAB-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission: mechanisms and functional significance
Authors: Kfir Adi , Ohad-Giwnewer Naama , Jammal Luna , Saar Drorit , Golomb David , Barkai Edi
Published: March 2014

Complex olfactory-discrimination (OD) learning results in a series of intrinsic and excitatory synaptic modifications in piriform cortex pyramidal neurons that enhance the circuit excitability. Such overexcitation must be balanced to prevent runway activity while maintaining the efficient ability to store memories. We showed previously that OD learning is accompanied by enhancement of the GABAA-mediated inhibition. Here we show that GABAB-mediated inhibition is also enhanced after learning and study the mechanism underlying such enhancement and explore its functional role. We show that presynaptic, GABAB-mediated synaptic inhibition is enhanced after learning. In contrast, the population-average postsynaptic GABAB-mediated synaptic inhibition is unchanged, but its standard deviation is enhanced. Learning-induced reduction in paired pulse facilitation in the glutamatergic synapses interconnecting pyramidal neurons was abolished by application of the GABAB antagonist CGP55845 but not by blocking G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels only, indicating enhanced suppression of excitatory synaptic release via presynaptic GABAB-receptor activation. In addition, the correlation between the strengths of the early (GABAA-mediated) and late (GABAB-mediated) synaptic inhibition was much stronger for each particular neuron after learning. Consequently, GABAB-mediated inhibition was also more efficient in controlling epileptic-like activity induced by blocking GABAA receptors. We suggest that complex OD learning is accompanied by enhancement of the GABAB-mediated inhibition that enables the cortical network to store memories, while preventing uncontrolled activity.
Single-unit labeling of medial olivocochlear neurons: the cochlear frequency map for efferent axons
Authors: Brown M. Christian
Published: March 2014

Medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons are efferent neurons that project axons from the brain to the cochlea. Their action on outer hair cells reduces the gain of the “cochlear amplifier,” which shifts the dynamic range of hearing and reduces the effects of noise masking. The MOC effects in one ear can be elicited by sound in that ipsilateral ear or by sound in the contralateral ear. To study how MOC neurons project onto the cochlea to mediate these effects, single-unit labeling in guinea pigs was used to study the mapping of MOC neurons for neurons responsive to ipsilateral sound vs. those responsive to contralateral sound. MOC neurons were sharply tuned to sound frequency with a well-defined characteristic frequency (CF). However, their labeled termination spans in the organ of Corti ranged from narrow to broad, innervating between 14 and 69 outer hair cells per axon in a “patchy” pattern. For units responsive to ipsilateral sound, the midpoint of innervation was mapped according to CF in a relationship generally similar to, but with more variability than, that of auditory-nerve fibers. Thus, based on CF mappings, most of the MOC terminations miss outer hair cells involved in the cochlear amplifier for their CF, which are located more basally. Compared with ipsilaterally responsive neurons, contralaterally responsive neurons had an apical offset in termination and a larger span of innervation (an average of 10.41% cochlear distance), suggesting that when contralateral sound activates the MOC reflex, the actions are different than those for ipsilateral sound.
Locomotor training improves premotoneuronal control after chronic spinal cord injury
Authors: Knikou Maria , Mummidisetty Chaithanya K.
Published: March 2014

Spinal inhibition is significantly reduced after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans. In this work, we examined if locomotor training can improve spinal inhibition exerted at a presynaptic level. Sixteen people with chronic SCI received an average of 45 training sessions, 5 days/wk, 1 h/day. The soleus H-reflex depression in response to low-frequency stimulation, presynaptic inhibition of soleus Ia afferent terminals following stimulation of the common peroneal nerve, and bilateral EMG recovery patterns were assessed before and after locomotor training. The soleus H reflexes evoked at 1.0, 0.33, 0.20, 0.14, and 0.11 Hz were normalized to the H reflex evoked at 0.09 Hz. Conditioned H reflexes were normalized to the associated unconditioned H reflex evoked with subjects seated, while during stepping both H reflexes were normalized to the maximal M wave evoked after the test H reflex at each bin of the step cycle. Locomotor training potentiated homosynaptic depression in all participants regardless the type of the SCI. Presynaptic facilitation of soleus Ia afferents remained unaltered in motor complete SCI patients. In motor incomplete SCIs, locomotor training either reduced presynaptic facilitation or replaced presynaptic facilitation with presynaptic inhibition at rest. During stepping, presynaptic inhibition was modulated in a phase-dependent manner. Locomotor training changed the amplitude of locomotor EMG excitability, promoted intralimb and interlimb coordination, and altered cocontraction between knee and ankle antagonistic muscles differently in the more impaired leg compared with the less impaired leg. The results provide strong evidence that locomotor training improves premotoneuronal control after SCI in humans at rest and during walking.
Contributions of the Host Microenvironment to Cancer-Induced Bone Disease
Authors: Olechnowicz Sam W.Z. , Edwards Claire M.
Published: March 2014

The bone marrow provides a specialized and highly supportive microenvironment for tumor growth and development of the associated bone disease. It is a preferred site for breast and prostate cancer bone metastasis and the hematologic malignancy, multiple myeloma. For many years, researchers have focused upon the interactions between tumor cells and the cells directly responsible for bone remodeling, namely osteoclasts and osteoblasts. However, there is ever-increasing evidence for a multitude of ways in which the bone marrow microenvironment can promote disease pathogenesis, including via cancer-associated fibroblasts, the hematopoietic stem cell niche, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and the sympathetic nervous system. This review discusses the recent advances in our understanding of the contribution of the host microenvironment to the development of cancer-induced bone disease. Cancer Res; 74(6); 1625–31. ©2014 AACR.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Promotes Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Invasion and Metastasis by Activating Transcription of the Actin-Bundling Protein Fascin
Authors: Zhao Xiao , Gao Song , Ren He , Sun Wei , Zhang Huan , Sun Jianwei , Yang Shengyu , Hao Jihui
Published: March 2014

Because of the early onset of local invasion and distant metastasis, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal human malignant tumor, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. In this study, we investigated the role of fascin, a prometastasis actin-bundling protein, in PDAC progression, invasion, and the molecular mechanisms underlying fascin overexpression in PDAC. Our data showed that the expression levels of fascin were higher in cancer tissues than in normal tissues, and fascin overexpression correlated with the PDAC differentiation and prognosis. Fascin overexpression promoted PDAC cell migration and invasion by elevating matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression. Fascin regulated MMP-2 expression through protein kinase C and extracellular signal—regulated kinase. Importantly, our data showed that hypoxia induced fascin overexpression in PDAC cells by promoting the binding of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) to a hypoxia response element on the fascin promoter and transactivating fascin mRNA transcription. Intriguingly, HIF-1α expression levels in PDAC patient specimens significantly correlated with fascin expression. Moreover, immunohistochemistry staining of consecutive sections demonstrated colocalization between HIF-1α and fascin in PDAC specimens, suggesting that hypoxia and HIF-1α were responsible for fascin overexpression in PDAC. When ectopically expressed, fascin was able to rescue PDAC cell invasion after HIF-1α knockdown. Our results demonstrated that fascin is a direct target gene of HIF-1. Our data suggested that the hypoxic tumor microenvironment in PDAC might promote invasion and metastasis by inducing fascin overexpression, and fascin might be targeted to block PDAC progression. Cancer Res; 74(9); 2455–64. ©2014 AACR.
Reverse-Phase Protein Array Profiling of Oropharyngeal Cancer and Significance of PIK3CA Mutations in HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Sewell Andrew , Brown Brandee , Biktasova Asel , Mills Gordon B. , Lu Yiling , Tyson Darren R. , Issaeva Natalia , Yarbrough Wendell G.
Published: March 2014

Purpose: Human papilloma virus (HPV)–associated (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) have different molecular and biologic characteristics and clinical behavior compared with HPV-negative (HPV−) OPSCC. PIK3CA mutations are more common in HPV(+) OPSCC. To define molecular differences and tumor subsets, protein expression and phosphorylation were compared between HPV(+) and HPV(−) OPSCC and between tumors with and without PIK3CA mutations.

Experimental Design: Expression of 137 total and phosphorylated proteins was evaluated by reverse-phase protein array in 29 HPV(+) and 13 HPV(−) prospectively collected OPSCCs. Forty-seven OPSCCs were tested for hotspot-activating mutations in PIK3CA and AKT. Activation of PIK3CA downstream targets and sensitivity to pathway inhibitors were determined in HPV(+) head and neck cancer cells overexpressing wild-type or mutant PIK3CA.

Results: Analyses revealed 41 differentially expressed proteins between HPV(+) and HPV(−) OPSCC categorized into functional groups: DNA repair, cell cycle, apoptosis, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR, and receptor kinase pathways. All queried DNA repair proteins were significantly upregulated in HPV(+) samples. A total of 8 of 33 HPV(+) and 0 of 14 HPV(−) tumors contained activating PIK3CA mutations. Despite all activating PIK3CA mutations occurring in HPV(+) samples, HPV(+) tumors had lower mean levels of activated AKT and downstream AKT target phosphorylation. Ectopic expression of mutant PIK3CA in HPV(+) cells increased mTOR, but not AKT activity. HPV E6/E7 overexpression inhibited AKT phosphorylation in HPV-negative cells. Mutant PIK3CA overexpressing cells were more sensitive to a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor compared with an AKT inhibitor.

Conclusions: Protein expression analyses suggest that HPV(+) and HPV(−) OPSCC differentially activate DNA repair, cell cycle, apoptosis, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and receptor kinase pathways. PIK3CA mutations are more common in HPV(+) OPSCC and are associated with activation of mTOR, but not AKT. These data suggest that inhibitors for mTOR may have activity against HPV(+) PIK3CA mutant oropharyngeal cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 20(9); 2300–11. ©2014 AACR.
Therapeutic Efficacy of p53 Restoration in Mdm2-Overexpressing Tumors
Authors: Li Qin , Zhang Yun , El-Naggar Adel K. , Xiong Shunbin , Yang Peirong , Jackson James G. , Chau Gilda , Lozano Guillermina
Published: March 2014

The p53 (TP53) tumor suppressor is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. Restoring expression of wild-type p53 has led to tumor growth suppression in a variety of tumor models that are p53 deficient. Other mechanisms, for example, upregulation of Mdm2, exist in tumors to inactivate the p53 pathway. Mdm2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets p53 for proteasomal degradation, is present at high levels in many tumors with wild-type p53. In this study, the effects of restoring p53 activity were probed in Mdm2-overexpressing tumors genetically using animal models. Here, it was demonstrated that elevated levels of Mdm2 and decreased levels of p53 act additively to dampen p53 activity in DNA damage response and tumor development. Our data further indicate that restoration of wild-type p53 expression in Mdm2-overexpressing angiosarcomas results in tumor stasis and regression in some cases. Finally, it was determined that restored p53 suppressed cell proliferation but did not elicit apoptosis in the Mdm2-overexpressing angiosarcomas.

Implications: Restoration of wild-type p53 expression in Mdm2-overexpressing tumors suppresses tumor growth, which represents a potential clinical strategy to treat tumors with high levels of Mdm2.

Visual Overview: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/12/6/901/F1.large.jpg.

Mol Cancer Res; 12(6); 901–11. ©2014 AACR.
Clustering of Cutaneous Melanoma in Health Care Workers of a Dermatological Day Hospital Unit
Authors: Paradisi Andrea , Abeni Damiano
Published: March 2014

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is increasing but in most countries is still below 20/100,000 per year. Despite such a low frequency of occurrence, recently the authors have had notice of several new melanoma cases among colleagues. We carried out a survey of melanoma occurrence among the personnel, and their close relatives, of a dermatological clinic. The self-reported figures were compared with data from cancer registries. Observations: Thirty-eight doctors and nurses were surveyed. Three responders reported having had a diagnosis of melanoma (7.9%, 95% CI 1.7-21.4%). The respondents reported having 617 ‘relatives who are alive today and would have come to them if they had a melanoma': 12 had known diagnoses of melanoma (1.9%, 95% CI 1.0-3.4%). The relative risks were 26.3 (95% CI 8.9-78.0) and 4.1 (95% CI 1.2-13.8) for doctors and nurses compared to the general population and to their relatives, respectively, and 6.5 (95% CI 3.7-11.4) for relatives compared to the general population. Conclusions: Two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses may be formulated to explain these findings: (a) most cutaneous melanomas regress spontaneously; (b) an infectious agent is involved in the causal pathway of cutaneous melanoma. Further studies may be warranted to confirm our observations and test such hypotheses.
Functional Correlates of Increasing Gestural Articulatory Fluency Using a Miniature Second-Language Approach
Authors: Newman-Norlund Roger D.
Published: March 2014

Objectives: Gesture-based second languages have become an important tool in the rehabilitation of language-impaired subpopulations. Acquiring the ability to use manual gestures as a means to construct meaningful utterances places unique demands on the brain. This study identified changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal associated with the development of gestural fluency using a miniature second-language-based approach. Participants and Methods: Twelve healthy right-handed adults (19-31 years) were trained to produce sequences of meaningful gestures over a period of 2 weeks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify brain regions involved in actual and imagined production of meaningful sentences both before (nonfluent production) and after (fluent production) practice. Results: Brain areas showing learning-dependent increases in activity associated with the development of fluency included sites associated with language articulation, while learning-related decreases in the BOLD signal were observed in cortical networks associated with motor imagery, and native language processing. Conclusion: These findings provide novel insights regarding the neural basis of fluency that could inform the design of interventions for treating speech disorders characterized by the loss of fluency.
Systematic Screening of Plant Extracts from the Brazilian Pantanal with Antimicrobial Activity against Bacteria with Cariogenic Relevance
Authors: Brighenti F.L. , Salvador M.J. , Delbem Alberto Carlos Botazzo , Delbem Ádina Cleia Bottazzo , Oliveira M.A.C. , Soares C.P. , Freitas L.S.F. , Koga-Ito C.Y.
Published: March 2014

This study proposes a bioprospection methodology regarding the antimicrobial potential of plant extracts against bacteria with cariogenic relevance. Sixty extracts were obtained from ten plants - (1) Jatropha weddelliana, (2) Attalea phalerata, (3) Buchenavia tomentosa, (4) Croton doctoris, (5) Mouriri elliptica, (6) Mascagnia benthamiana, (7) Senna aculeata, (8) Unonopsis guatterioides, (9) Allagoptera leucocalyx and (10) Bactris glaucescens - using different extraction methods - (A) 70° ethanol 72 h/25°C, (B) water 5 min/100°C, (C) water 1 h/55°C, (D) water 72 h/25°C, (E) hexane 72 h/25°C and (F) 90° ethanol 72 h/25°C. The plants were screened for antibacterial activity at 50 mg/ml using the agar well diffusion test against Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC 19039, Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 35688, Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556, Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 33478 and Streptococcus mitis ATCC 9811. The active extracts were tested to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), cytotoxicity and chemical characterization. Forty-seven extracts (78%) were active against at least one microorganism. Extract 4A demonstrated the lowest MIC and MBC for all microorganisms except S. gordonii and the extract at MIC concentration was non-cytotoxic. The concentrated extracts were slightly cytotoxic. Electrospray ionization with tandem mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that the extract constituents coincided with the mass of the terpenoids and phenolics. Overall, the best results were obtained for extraction methods A, B and C. The present work proved the antimicrobial activity of several plants. Particularly, extracts from C. doctoris were the most active against bacteria involved in dental caries disease.
Tooth Loss Prevalence and Risk Indicators among 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren from South Brazil
Authors: Alves L.S. , Susin C. , Damé-Teixeira N. , Maltz M.
Published: March 2014

This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk indicators for tooth loss due to dental caries among 12-year-old schoolchildren from South Brazil. 1,528 out of 1,837 (participation rate = 83.17%) schoolchildren were included. Tooth loss prevalence was 5.81% (95% CI = 3.71-8.98) and 0.08 (95% CI = 0.04-0.12) teeth were missing. Schoolchildren with low socioeconomic status (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.23-4.21), who repeated years in school (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.42), and with gingivitis (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.33-2.45) were more likely to have missing teeth. Schoolchildren brushing 2 times/day (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64-0.96) or more (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.33-0.74), and those with dental insurance or private dentists (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.39-0.93) were less likely to present missing teeth.
Increased 14-3-3ζ Expression in the Multidrug-Resistant Leukemia Cell Line HL-60/VCR as Compared to the Parental Line Mediates Cell Growth and Apoptosis in Part through Modification of Gene Expression
Authors: Liang Rong , Chen Xie-Qun , Bai Qin-Xian , Wang Zhe , Zhang Tao , Yang Lan , Dong Bao-Xia , Gao Guang-Xun , Gu Hong-Tao , Zhu Hua-Feng
Published: March 2014

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) recurrence is largely a result of multidrug resistance (MDR). We aimed to examine the role of 14-3-3ζ in AML chemosensitivity using HL-60 and vincristine-resistant HL-60/VCR cells. Methods: The effects of 14-3-3ζ siRNA on the growth and cell cycle progression of HL-60 and HL-60/VCR cells were determined. The effect of 14-3-3ζ siRNA on topotecan (TPT)-induced apoptosis was evaluated by several assays. Results: Compared to HL-60 cells, HL-60/VCR cells had increased 14-3-3ζ mRNA and protein expression. Increased mdr-1 mRNA as well as mdr-1, Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 protein expression were observed in HL-60/VCR cells. In both HL-60 and HL-60/VCR cells, 14-3-3ζ was observed in the cytoplasm and nuclear compartments. 14-3-3ζ siRNA significantly reduced HL-60 and HL-60/VCR cell growth after 48 h and increased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, 14-3-3ζ siRNA significantly increased the sensitivity of both HL-60 and HL-60/VCR cells to TPT, possibly through the inhibition of Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and mdr-1 protein expression. Conclusions: Silencing of 14-3-3ζ increased the sensitivity of both sensitive and resistant HL-60 cells to TPT-induced apoptosis, possibly through altering the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, suggesting that it may be a potential target for MDR AML.
From tissue iron retention to low systemic haemoglobin levels, new pathophysiological biomarkers of human abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Martinez-Pinna Roxana , Lindholt Jes S. , Madrigal-Matute Julio , Blanco-Colio Luis M. , Esteban-Salan Margarita , Torres-Fonseca Monica Maria , Lefebvre Thibault , Delbosc Sandrine , Laustsen Jesper , Driss Fathi , de Ceniga Melina Vega , Gouya Laurent , Egido Jesus , Meilhac Olivier , Michel Jean-Baptiste , Martin-Ventura Jose L. , Weiss Günter
Published: March 2014

Iron deposits are observed in tissue of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients, although the underlying mechanisms are not completely elucidated. Therefore we explored circulating markers of iron metabolism in AAA patients, and tested if they could serve as biomarkers of AAA. Increased red blood cell (RBC)-borne iron retention and transferrin, transferrin receptor and ferritin expression was observed in AAA tissue compared to control aorta (immunohistochemistry and western blot). In contrast, decreased circulating iron, transferrin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and haemoglobin concentration, along with circulating RBC count, were observed in AAA patients (aortic diameter >3 cm, n=114) compared to controls (aortic diameter <3 cm, n=88) (ELISA), whereas hepcidin concentrations were increased in AAA subjects (MS/MS assay). Moreover, iron, transferrin and haemoglobin levels were negatively, and hepcidin positively, correlated with aortic diameter in AAA patients. The association of low haemoglobin with AAA presence or aortic diameter was independent of specific risk factors. Moreover, MCHC negatively correlated with thrombus area in another cohort of AAA patients (aortic diameter 3–5 cm, n=357). We found that anaemia was significantly more prevalent in AAA patients (aortic diameter >5 cm, n=8,912) compared to those in patients with atherosclerotic aorto-iliac occlusive disease (n=17,737) [adjusted odds ratio=1.77 (95% confidence interval: 1.61;1.93)]. Finally, the mortality risk among AAA patients with anaemia was increased by almost 30% [adjusted hazard ratio: 1.29 (95% confidence interval: 1.16;1.44)] as compared to AAA subjects without anaemia. In conclusion, local iron retention and altered iron recycling associated to high hepcidin and low transferrin systemic concentrations could lead to reduced circulating haemoglobin levels in AAA patients. Low haemoglobin levels are independently associated to AAA presence and clinical outcome.
Two new species of the genera Neocallichirus and Wolffogebia (Decapoda, Pleocyemata) from Thale Sap Songkhla, Songkhla Lagoon System, Songkhla Province, Thailand
Authors: Sakai Katsushi , Lheknim Vachira
Published: March 2014

Two new species of thalassinid Decapoda,Neocallichirus thalesapensissp. nov. in the family Callianassidae, andWolffogebia annandaleisp. nov. in the family Upogebiidae, are described in the present paper from Thale Sap Songkhla, a lagoon system in Thailand. Next to being described and illustrated, both species are compared with their known, similar congeners.
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis for Detecting Differential Item Functioning
Authors: Hidalgo Mª Dolores , Gómez-Benito Juana , Zumbo Bruno D.
Published: March 2014

The authors analyze the effectiveness of the R2 and delta log odds ratio effect size measures when using logistic regression analysis to detect differential item functioning (DIF) in dichotomous items. A simulation study was carried out, and the Type I error rate and power estimates under conditions in which only statistical testing was used were compared with the rejection rates obtained when statistical testing was combined with an effect size measure based on recommended cutoff criteria. The manipulated variables were sample size, impact between groups, percentage of DIF items in the test, and amount of DIF. The results showed that false-positive rates were higher when applying only the statistical test than when an effect size decision rule was used in combination with a statistical test. Type I error rates were affected by the number of test items with DIF, as well as by the magnitude of the DIF. With respect to power, when a statistical test was used in conjunction with effect size criteria to determine whether an item exhibited a meaningful magnitude of DIF, the delta log odds ratio effect size measure performed better than R2. Power was affected by the percentage of DIF items in the test and also by sample size. The study highlights the importance of using an effect size measure to avoid false identification.
Methods for assessment of interlaminar tensile strength of composite materials
Authors: Makeev Andrew , Seon Guillaume , Nikishkov Yuri , Lee Edward
Published: March 2014

Among the mechanical properties of polymer-matrix composite materials, the interlaminar tensile strength is among the most difficult to characterize. ASTM Standard D 6415 uses a curved-beam configuration for measuring interlaminar tensile strength. Not only the manufacturing process to produce curved-beam coupons with uniform radius and thickness could be challenging but also the curved-beam strength data typically exhibits large scatter. One question is whether ASTM D 6415 curved-beam interlaminar tensile strength data are coupon-specific, that is the curved-beam strength is not really a coupon-independent material property, suggesting that ASTM D 6415 is not adequate to measure interlaminar tensile strength. The objective of this work is to develop efficient and accurate methods to capture interlaminar tensile strength of composites. The authors expand a recently developed short-beam method coupled with the digital image correlation full-field deformation measurement technique to measuring the interlaminar tensile strength. The interlaminar tensile strength data are presented for IM7/8552 tape composite system. However, average curved-beam strength value is significantly lower compared to the short-beam test results. Micro-focus CT measurements show that porosity in the radius area is the reason for the low average strength value and the large scatter in the curved-beam strength test data. Once the stress concentration effects of porosity are captured through transfer of CT measurements into three-dimensional finite element model, the short-beam and the curved-beam test results agree. The short-beam method, which measures the interlaminar tensile strength for a pristine material, and the refined curved-beam method which accounts for manufacturing defects, represent more complete interlaminar tensile strength assessment methodology for composite structural designs.
Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2013
Authors: Charlesworth Sara , Macdonald Fiona
Published: March 2014

A brief assessment of progress against key gender equality benchmarks sets the context for this review of women, work and industrial relations in 2013. Given the persistent and growing gender pay gap, we focus in particular on recent equal pay legislative and industrial developments. We also draw attention to some underused industrial provisions that might progress pay equity and note the recent unravelling of important 2012 policy initiatives. We then review developments and debate around key gender equality infrastructure that shapes the day-to-day experiences of almost 5 million Australian female employees. This infrastructure includes working time regulation, paid parental leave, protection of pregnant workers, child care services and the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. Despite some progress, particularly around equal pay, we conclude that Australia’s policy and regulatory framework for gender equality remains patchy.
When Congregations Grieve
Authors: Moseley Dan
Published: March 2014

All life is interim. Moseley speaks from his personal experience of grief when he lost his wife of 31 years. Using his own grief and recovery as his model, he draws parallels for churches and interim pastors to use in dealing with the church's grief over losing a pastor. Whether the former pastor was deeply loved or left under engative circumstances, there is still a sense of loss and grief. Congregations may experience anger or fear of building a relationship with a new pastor. One key to working through grief is remembering the past and looking to the future based on the realization of God's presence in the present—God with us.
Scripture, Perspicuity, and Postmodernity
Authors: Maddox T. D. F.
Published: March 2014

Scripture as clear and readable by anyone, as perspicuous, was a Reformation affirmation particularly affirmed by Baptists. Today this view can be characterized as dependent upon modernity's flawed assumptions concerning the veracity of human reason. This essay reflects briefly on the development of hermeneutics and the development of the notion of Scripture as perspicuous. It then shows how this notion of perspicuity was changed by the rationalist influence of modernity with the shift away from emphasizing the clarity of scripture to one emphasizing the clarity of the reasoning reader. The suggestion is made that postmodernity's devastating critique of the modern over-emphasis on reason and the propositional redescription of Scripture opens the door to reclaim early Baptist notions about Scripture as perspicuous. Rather than emphasizing clarity as a product of the reasoning reader, Scripture can be affirmed for its clarity in revealing God.
A Baptist1 View of Missions for Postmodernity
Authors: Sellers Robert P.
Published: March 2014

Recognizing that it is ineffective to utilize mission methodologies conceived for modernity to attempt to reach postmodern culture and persons, this essay first provides a sketch of postmodernity, then suggests paradigm shifts that will enable missioners and their methodologies to fit our postmodern age. Postmodernity may be described as non-foundational, non-propositional, non-totalizing, non-objective, non-univocal, non-elitist, non-segmental, non-religious, and non-optimistic. In light of these widely-acknowledged characteristics of our culture, baptist mission philosophers and practitioners are advised to make appropriately corresponding paradigm shifts: From certainty to adventure, from propositionalism to relationship, from triumphalism to weakness, from pronouncement to testimony, from monologue to dialogue, from center to periphery, from dualism to holism, from familiarity to mystery, and from consolation to empowerment. While such shifts will not guarantee a larger “harvest,” they will enhance our “planting” and “watering” ministries around the world.
The Review & Expositor: A Century of Engagement and Encouragement
Authors: Allen Wm. Loyd
Published: March 2014

W. LOYD ALLEN traces the one-hundred-year history of R & E in this introductory article of the Centennial Issue. During its early years (1904–1919), a veritable roll call of theological scholars were involved in the production of the journal—E.Y. Mullins, John R. Sampey, A.T. Robertson, among others. From 1920–1942, W.O. Carver served as managing editor and introduced many innovations to the journal. Carver was followed, from 1942–1982, by Ellis Fuller, Duke McCall, J.J. Owens, Frank Stagg, and E. Glenn Hinson. Allen analyses in detail the subject matters addressed in articles and issues during these years. The years 1982–1995 were fraught with controversy in Baptist life, but the journal thrived under the management of R. Alan Culpepper, Bill J. Leonard, and Charles Scalise. In 1990, the journal distanced itself from direct control by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and in 1995, it came under the guidance of an editorial board comprised of representatives of a consortium of Baptist theological institutions. In 2004, the journal celebrates its 100th birthday, ready to move ahead into the challenges of the 21st century.
Spiritual Formation in Seminary Education
Authors: Clemmons William
Published: March 2014

WILLIAM CLEMMONS, in “Spiritual Formation in Theological Education,” reviews and critiques two articles published in Review & Expositor on spiritual formation in Baptist seminaries during the past twenty-five years. He summarizes articles written by Professors E. Glenn Hinson and Molly T. Marshall. Both articles reflect the changing climate for the inclusion of spiritual formation in the seminary's curriculum. The article positions the comments of these two professors within the attempts of the Association of Theological Schools to deal with the issue since 1972. It concludes with observations by Eugene Peterson, Ben Campbell Johnson and Henry Nouwen.
Oates' Theological Model for Psychology and Pastoral Counseling
Authors: Rowatt G. Wade
Published: March 2014

WADE ROWATT examines the contribution of Wayne E. Oates to the field of pastoral care by examining two articles which Oates wrote for Review & Expositor, “The Gospel and Modern Psychology” 46 (1949): 181–98, and “The Theological Context of Pastoral Counseling” 94 (1997): 521–29. Rowatt briefly outlines Oates' major emphasis, which is the healing ministry of Jesus that is described in the gospel accounts. According to Oates, Jesus was the model healer and he passed the ministry of healing along to his followers. But the Church has sidelined the healing aspect of its mission, concentrating instead on its role as mediator of salvation. Rowatt discusses how Oates called the Church back to its role as healer and outlined the ways in which the modern pastor can function as counselor and healer. And Rowatt points out that, for Oates, the key to the Church fulfilling that role is Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives insight into the ways in which the pastor/counselor might “walk the healing journey with the counselees” and “see, think, and feel with others' point of suffering.”
Contingency, God, and the Babylonians: Jeremiah on the Complexity of Repentance
Authors: Biddle Mark E.
Published: March 2014

For Jeremiah, repentance functioned primarily on the plane of national crises, international conflict, and war. Here, the interaction of multiple wills propagates contingencies almost beyond analysis. Jeremiah describes the dynamically shifting possibilities for and outcomes of repentance in a specific situation in Judah's history. Jeremiah 18:7–11 announces a fundamental theological principle: God responds to repentance. Jeremiah offers a case study of this principle in a situation complicated by factors not contemplated in the binary formulation. Jeremiah 3:22–25 raises the possibility that Jeremiah's audience may have, if fruitlessly, met the conditions set by Jer 18:7–11. Jeremiah 14:1–15:4 deals with an instance in which they did so—without result. Baruch, Ebed-Melech, and Gedaliah had acknowledged the truth of Jeremiah's preaching, and had repented of the national sin; nonetheless, like Josiah, they were forced to reap what Manasseh had sown. Finally, after years of warning that the Babylonians were bringing God's judgment, and after witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem and finding himself a refugee in his own land, Jeremiah voiced God's admission that God had second thoughts about the whole affair (42:10)! The polarity of God's use of the Babylonians as the instrument of judgment and the Babylonians' free agency had permitted them to exceed God's intentions. Jeremiah's picture of this nexus of interacting wills suggests a number of observations about repentance in the world God has created. First, Jeremiah knows that when the tide in human affairs catches up individuals in its flow individual repentance has limited effect. Second, Jeremiah persistently contends that God was also an actor on the stage; God impels this flow of history. Third, however, Jeremiah argues that, while God is perhaps the most powerful actor on the stage, the play is an improvisation.
America's Bible Belt Doesn't Fit Anymore
Authors: Reyes Albert L.
Published: March 2014

In this article the thesis is set forth that the old idea of the Bible Belt of the South has to be replaced with new imagery in light of migration trends, secularization, and cultural shifts occurring in the United States. The concept of sandals suggests the idea of the “going dimensions of the Great Commission.” Developing cross-cultural competency as we travel along in mission requires an incarnational journey into the ethos of other people and another world.
Is Mission Possible in a Postmodern World?
Authors: Sellers Robert P.
Published: March 2014

Postmodernism is not just a North American or Western European phenomenon. The same characteristics of postmodernity that mark European or American culture can be found in many other parts of the world. This essay uses the culture of Brazil, South America's largest country, as a matrix for illustrating the postmodern turn within individuals and society. Following a description of selected aspects of life in Rio der Janeiro, the essay continues an earlier discussion by the same author concerning how the Church must do missions in the context of a postmodern world. Stories of various Brazilian congregations, Christians, and church leaders—including several Baptist missionaries to Brazil—are related in order to “give a human face” to the theological and methodological principles that make missions possible in a postmodern world.
From Corporate Church to Missional Church: The Challenge Facing Congregations Today
Authors: Van Gelder Craig
Published: March 2014

An interesting discourse has emerged in the past few years that is bringing the discipline of missiology into conversation with the discipline of ecclesiology in relationship to understanding congregations. Growing out of this conversation is a conception of a missional church that stands in contrast to an understanding of a corporate church. This essay identifies the primary differences between these views and assesses their implications for congregational ministry. The position taken is that decades of trying to fix the denominational, organizational approach to church—a corporate understanding of church, through movements of renewal, growth, and effectiveness has been largely misdirected. Now, deeper and more basic issues are being addressed that relate the essential missionary nature of the church to a Trinitarian understanding of the mission of God in the world, one that is grounded in the Kingdom of God as announced by Jesus.
Some Things I've Learned from the Study of Early Christian History
Authors: Hinson E. Glenn
Published: March 2014

E. Glenn Hinson reflects on a scholarly career of almost fifty years spent in the study of early Christian history. After recounting the journey that led him to settle on early Christian history as a field of academic specialization, Hinson identifies some of the most important insights he gained from this study, including a move away from a “fall” paradigm of the development of the church; the necessity of some degree of cultural accommodation in the church's relationship to society; a covenantal understanding of Christian identity; and a critical openness to the whole of church history as the heritage of Baptists and all other Christians. These insights have significance for challenges of the church in the present world crisis.
Bowen Family Systems Theory: A Resource for Pastoral Theologians
Authors: Matthews Lawrence E.
Published: March 2014

Assuming that theological reflection is an integral dimension of the decision making process involved in shaping acts of pastoral ministry, this article explores Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) as a resource for ministers engaged in such reflection. A case study of a ministry situation of a pastor in a heterogeneous inner city congregation serves to illustrate the dual contribution BFST can make to a minister's ability to do this essential work. In the first place, the theory serves as a personal resource for the minister seeking to assume the non-reactive stance necessary for any attempt to understand more clearly the dynamics involved in a ministry situation. Closely related to this is the capacity of the theory's conceptual framework to provide an accurate and in-depth understanding of the often unrecognized but always determinative emotional process present in a situation. Enabling ministers to “see” these systemic dynamics is the unique contribution BFST can make to the first step, description, in John Macquarrie's three-dimensional methodology for doing theological reflection and, therefore, to the last two steps, interpretation and application. All three dimensions of Macquarrie's methodology are identified. The article also examines some of the possible causes for the frequent absence of theological reflection from the practice of ministry.
Strangers, Neighbors, and Strangers Again: The History of Southern Baptist Approaches to Jews and Judaism
Authors: Goodman Daniel E.
Published: March 2014

This article examines the formal history of Southern Baptist-Jewish relations according to three broad time periods: 1920–1950, 1950–1980, and 1980-the present. In the first period, Jacob Gartenhaus, himself a converted Jew, directed the Southern Baptist approach to Jews and Judaism. Gartenhaus understood his mission as twofold: “winning the Jews to Christ and winning cooperation of Christians for this task.” But in a time when Southern Baptists generally regarded Jews as accursed and beyond the reach of the gospel, Gartenhaus found his work exceedingly difficult on both fronts. The second period, 1950–1980, is the only time in which Southern Baptists may properly be said to have affirmed a dialogue approach to Jews and Judaism. Baptist-Jewish relations during this period were enlivened by an irreducible tension between the enduring validity of Judaism, on the one hand, and the unflinching commitment to the evangelization of Jews, on the other. The final period, 1980-present, dissolved that tension when Southern Baptist leadership disavowed dialogue as a legitimate model for relating to Jews. Today, there is no Southern Baptist-Jewish dialogue, and it falls to more moderate Baptists to repair a relationship that has been deteriorating steadily for the past twenty-five years.
Creating an Unknown Future: The Challenges of Partnership for Christians in Dialogue with Judaism
Authors: Goodman Daniel E.
Published: March 2014

The next generation of Jewish-Christian dialogue presents an array of conceptual challenges for Christians who seek to embrace a partnership relationship with Judaism. This essay describes three of those challenges. First, partnership with Judaism confronts Christians with the challenge of Scripture. Instead of adopting “biblicist” understandings of Scripture, which ignore the critical role of the Holy Spirit in directing the community of faith, Christians must cultivate the hermeneutical habit of reading the Holy Spirit alongside their reading of Holy Scripture. Second, partnership with Judaism requires the reassertion of theology to its rightful place of prominence in Christian thought. The effect and status of Christ are, ultimately, works of God. Thus, Christology serves theology—expressing the community's experience of God—and must not be distorted into Christocentrism. Third, partnership with Judaism compels Christians to reexamine the history of the Jewish-Christian separation, though not from the traditional (“mythic”) starting point that justifies why the schism was inevitable but from the alternative (“anti-mythic”) starting point that proposes, in John Howard Yoder's words, that the schism “did not have to be.”
God Came Down… and God Scattered: Acts of Punishment or Acts of Grace?
Authors: deClaissé-Walford Nancy L.
Published: March 2014

Throughout the stories in Genesis' primeval prologue, humankind's persistent sinfulness is met with punishment but also with acts of grace on the part of God. The last story, the Tower of Babel is usually understood as the ultimate act of disobedience on the part of humanity. In this interpretation, God punishes the people by scattering them over the face of the earth. There is no act of grace. Thus the primeval prologue ends in darkness; God moves to “Plan B” and decides to reveal Godself to humanity through a single family, that of Abram ben Terah. But what if we understood the scattering at the Tower as an act, not of punishment, but of grace on the part of God—an act that allowed humankind to fulfill the creation command to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28)? How might that inform and affect our reading of the primeval prologue and the ancestral stories?
God is So, So Big
Authors: Smith Karen Thomas
Published: March 2014

Our task as Christ's Church today is to let go of the deadly dominant paradigm of conflict where Muslims are targets, and to embrace a new paradigm where Muslims are neighbors. Based on my decade of service as a chaplain and pastor in Morocco, I propose that this new paradigm is characterized by a cruciform witness of humility and vulnerability; a dialogical witness to the pain, longing, and experience of God's presence among Muslims; and a diaconal witness of solidarity, service and development alongside Muslims.
Telling the Stories: Reflections and Narratives from Christian Ambassadors of Reconciliation
Authors: Hollon D. Leslie , Martin Joyce Sweeney
Published: March 2014

This article encompasses narratives about eight Christian Ambassadors of Reconciliation who are working to heal hurts and build hope in diverse regions and contexts of the world. Each reconciler has built relational bridges across painful divides, which include those in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics, and the British and Catholics; in Rwanda between the Hutus and Tutsis; in the United States between whites and blacks, between the economically disadvantaged in the Appalachian region and those with resources to give, and between a culture of violence and advocates for peace; and in India between children of prisoners and ingrained social prejudice. These stories reveal the importance of identifying and using transferable principles in the ministry of reconciliation.