bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eukaryotic Viruses in Wastewater Samples from the United States
Authors: Symonds Erin M. , Griffin Dale W. , Breitbart Mya
Published: January 2009

Human fecal matter contains a large number of viruses, and current bacterial indicators used for monitoring water quality do not correlate with the presence of pathogenic viruses. Adenoviruses and enteroviruses have often been used to identify fecal pollution in the environment; however, other viruses shed in fecal matter may more accurately detect fecal pollution. The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline understanding of the types of viruses found in raw sewage. PCR was used to detect adenoviruses, enteroviruses, hepatitis B viruses, herpesviruses, morbilliviruses, noroviruses, papillomaviruses, picobirnaviruses, reoviruses, and rotaviruses in raw sewage collected throughout the United States. Adenoviruses and picobirnaviruses were detected in 100% of raw sewage samples and 25% and 33% of final effluent samples, respectively. Enteroviruses and noroviruses were detected in 75% and 58% of raw sewage samples, respectively, and both viral groups were found in 8% of final effluent samples. This study showed that adenoviruses, enteroviruses, noroviruses, and picobirnaviruses are widespread in raw sewage. Since adenoviruses and picobirnaviruses were detected in 100% of raw sewage samples, they are potential markers of fecal contamination. Additionally, this research uncovered previously unknown sequence diversity in human picobirnaviruses. This baseline understanding of viruses in raw sewage will enable educated decisions to be made regarding the use of different viruses in water quality assessments.
Shiga Toxin 2 Targets the Murine Renal Collecting Duct Epithelium
Authors: Psotka Mitchell A. , Obata Fumiko , Kolling Glynis L. , Gross Lisa K. , Saleem Moin A. , Satchell Simon C. , Mathieson Peter W. , Obrig Tom G.
Published: January 2009

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coliinfection is a leading cause of pediatric acute renal failure. Bacterial toxins produced in the gut enter the circulation and cause a systemic toxemia and targeted cell damage. It had been previously shown that injection of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) caused signs and symptoms of HUS in mice, but the mechanism leading to renal failure remained uncharacterized. The current study elucidated that murine cells of the glomerular filtration barrier were unresponsive to Stx2 because they lacked the receptor glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in vitro and in vivo. In contrast to the analogous human cells, Stx2 did not alter inflammatory kinase activity, cytokine release, or cell viability of the murine glomerular cells. However, murine renal cortical and medullary tubular cells expressed Gb3and responded to Stx2 by undergoing apoptosis. Stx2-induced loss of functioning collecting ducts in vivo caused production of increased dilute urine, resulted in dehydration, and contributed to renal failure. Stx2-mediated renal dysfunction was ameliorated by administration of the nonselective caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPH in vivo. Stx2 therefore targets the murine collecting duct, and this Stx2-induced injury can be blocked by inhibitors of apoptosis in vivo.
Anthrax Lethal Toxin Triggers the Formation of a Membrane-Associated Inflammasome Complex in Murine Macrophages
Authors: Nour Adel M. , Yeung Yee-Guide , Santambrogio Laura , Boyden Eric D. , Stanley E. Richard , Brojatsch Jürgen
Published: January 2009

Multiple microbial components trigger the formation of an inflammasome complex that contains pathogen-specific nucleotide oligomerization and binding domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs), caspase-1, and in some cases the scaffolding protein ASC. The NLR protein Nalp1b has been linked to anthrax lethal toxin (LT)-mediated cytolysis of murine macrophages. Here we demonstrate that in unstimulated J774A.1 macrophages, caspase-1 and Nalp1b are membrane associated and part of ∼200- and ∼800-kDa complexes, respectively. LT treatment of these cells resulted in caspase-1 recruitment to the Nalp1b-containing complex, concurrent with processing of cytosolic caspase-1 substrates. We further demonstrated that Nalp1b and caspase-1 are able to interact with each other. Intriguingly, both caspase-1 and Nalp1b were membrane associated, while the caspase-1 substrate interleukin-18 was cytosolic. Caspase-1-associated inflammasome components included, besides Nalp1b, proinflammatory caspase-11 and the caspase-1 substrate α-enolase. Asc was not part of the Nalp1b inflammasome in LT-treated macrophages. Taken together, our findings suggest that LT triggers the formation of a membrane-associated inflammasome complex in murine macrophages, resulting in cleavage of cytosolic caspase-1 substrates and cell death.
Regions on Gli349 and Gli521 Protein Molecules Directly Involved in Movements of
Mycoplasma mobile
Gliding Machinery, Suggested by Use of Inhibitory Antibodies and Mutants
Authors: Uenoyama Atsuko , Seto Shintaro , Nakane Daisuke , Miyata Makoto
Published: January 2009

Mycoplasma mobile
glides on solid surfaces by use of a unique mechanism that involves two large proteins, Gli349 and Gli521. Here we isolated and analyzed two antibodies and three mutants that modified mycoplasma gliding. Mapping of the target points of antibodies and mutations currently available suggested that a 301-amino-acid region on the whole 3,138-amino-acid sequence, a C-terminal region of Gli349, and an N-terminal region of Gli521 are directly involved in the movements of the gliding machinery.
Cystathionine γ-Lyase Is a Component of Cystine-Mediated Oxidative Defense in
Lactobacillus reuteri
BR11
Authors: Lo Raquel , Turner Mark S. , Barry Daniel G. , Sreekumar Revathy , Walsh Terence P. , Giffard Philip M.
Published: January 2009

Lactobacillus reuteri
BR11 possesses a novel mechanism of oxidative defense involving an abundant cystine ABC transporter encoded by the
cyuABC
gene cluster. Large amounts of thiols, including H
2
S, are secreted upon cystine uptake by the CyuC transporter. A cystathionine γ-lyase (
cgl
) gene is cotranscribed with the
cyu
genes in several
L. reuteri
strains and was hypothesized to participate in cystine-mediated oxidative defense by producing reducing equivalents. This hypothesis was tested with
L. reuteri
BR11 by constructing a
cgl
mutant (PNG901) and comparing it to a similarly constructed
cyuC
mutant (PNG902). Although Cgl was required for H
2
S production from cystine, it was not crucial for oxidative defense in de Mann-Rogosa-Sharpe medium, in contrast to CyuC, whose inactivation resulted in lag-phase arrest in aerated cultures. The importance of Cgl in oxidative defense was seen only in the presence of hemin, which poses severe oxidative stress. The growth defects in aerated cultures of both mutants were alleviated by supplementation with cysteine (and cystine in the
cgl
mutant) but not methionine, with the
cyuC
mutant showing a much higher concentration requirement. We conclude that
L. reuteri
BR11 requires a high concentration of exogenous cysteine/cystine to grow optimally under aerobic conditions. This requirement is fulfilled by the abundant CyuC transporter, which has probably arisen due to the broad substrate specificity of Cgl, resulting in a futile pathway which degrades cystine taken up by the CyuC transporter to H
2
S. Cgl plays a secondary role in oxidative defense by its well-documented function of cysteine biosynthesis.
A prospective cohort study on physical activity and sports-related injuries in 10–12-year-old children
Authors: Verhagen E , Collard D , Paw M Chin A , van Mechelen W
Published: January 2009

Objectives:

To describe the incidence and severity of injuries resulting from physical education, sports and leisure time physical activity (PA) in 10–12-year-old children.

Design:

This was a prospective cohort study conducted in primary schools, with 995 children aged 10–12 years old as participants. Individual weekly exposure was estimated from baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Exposure to physical education (PE) classes was equal in all schools. An injury was recorded if it occurred during either PE class, leisure time PA, or sports, and caused the child to at least stop the current activity. Injuries were reported within 1 week of injury onset. The main outcome measure was injury incidence density.

Results:

During the school year a total of 119 injuries were reported by 104 children, resulting in an overall injury incidence density (ID) of 0.48 per 1000 h of exposure (95% CI 0.38 to 0.57). Injury ID was lowest for leisure time PA, followed by PE and sports, respectively. Of all injuries, 40% required medical treatment and 14% resulted in 1 or more days of absence from regular school activities. In general for girls a higher injury ID was reported than for boys, mainly caused by a twofold higher risk during leisure time PA.

Conclusions:

Next to specific areas of preventive interest it was found that in this specific age group, girls require special attention as they seem to be at higher injury risk than boys.
Comparison of taxa of the mussel Mytilus (Bivalvia) by analysis of the nuclear small-subunit rRNA gene sequence
Authors: Kenchington E. , Landry D. , Bird C. J.
Published: January 2009

Small-subunit rRNA gene sequences (18S rDNA) were determined for Mytilus californianus and Atlantic and Pacific representatives of the blue mussel complex, Mytilus edulis, Mytilus trossulus, and Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mytilinae). A sequence from the modiolid mussel Geukensia demissa was used as the outgroup. Differences among the mytilid sequences were small, 2–10 nucleotide positions in 1825–1827 base pairs, whereas the sequence from G. demissa was 1810 base pairs long and differed from M. edulis edulis in 81 positions. The "edulis–trossulus–galloprovincialis" taxa in this study have diverged from one another, and this complex appears to comprise at least six genetically distinct entities, some of which have previously held specific status. Recognition of this array may lead to the identification of morphological or biological characters that reflect the observed genetic differences.
Using ratios of stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes to characterize the biomagnification of DDE, mirex, and PCB in a Lake Ontario pelagic food web
Authors: Kiriluk Richard M. , Servos Mark R. , Whittle D. Michael , Cabana Gilbert , Rasmussen Joseph B.
Published: January 2009

Stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) were used to describe the trophic status and interactions of biota characteristic of a Lake Ontario pelagic food web. Stable isotopes of nitrogen were further used to characterize the relationship between an organism's trophic position and the biomagnification of specific hydrophobic contaminants through this food web. The δ15N defines the relative trophic status as (i) the top predator, lake trout (Saivelinus namaycush); (ii) prey species, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus); (iii) macroinvertebrates, mysids (Mysis relicta), and amphipods (Diporeia hoyi); (iv) net zooplankton, dominated by cyclopoids (Diacyclops thomasi) and cladocerans (Bosmina longirostris); and (v) net phytoplankton, dominated by diatoms (Melosira spp.). The separation of the four fish species, lake trout and associated prey items (alewife, rainbow smelt, and slimy sculpin), on the basis of their mean δ13C signatures complements what is known about the preferred diet of these fishes. The enrichment of15N through this food web indicates that there is a strong correlation between the biomagnification of persistent lipophilic contaminants (p,p′-DDE, mirex, and PCB) and the relative trophic status of an organism as described by stable isotopes of nitrogen.
Discrimination of American lobster (Homarus americanus) stocks off southern New England on the basis of secondary sex character allometry
Authors: Cadrin Steven X.
Published: January 2009

Male American lobster (Homarus americanus) from inshore southern New England were discriminated from offshore males on the basis of larger relative chela size. Lobsters from Buzzards Bay (inshore) had more conspicuous sexual dimorphism than lobsters from Hydrographer Canyon (offshore), and allometric growth of male chelae was more prominent than that of female abdomens. Principal components analysis of males from combined stocks represented variability in multivariate size and relative chela size, and component score distributions of each stock were discrete. Principal components of females from both stocks comprised variability in overall size and relative abdomen size, but principal component scores overlapped extensively. Multiple-group principal component 2 was a size-free index of relative chela size that classified 96% of males to the correct stock. Multiple-group principal component 2 of females did not successfully separate stocks. Discriminant analysis of size-adjusted morphometric data classified males to stock with 100% accuracy on the basis of relative chela size. Although discrimination of size-adjusted female data classified stocks with 94% accuracy, it was less stable and not associated with onset of maturity.
Influence of gut content in immature aquatic insects on assessments of environmental metal contamination
Authors: Cain D. J. , Luoma S. N. , Axtmann E. V.
Published: January 2009

We evaluated the effect of metal associated with the gut content in immature aquatic insects (larvae and nymphs) on spatial and interspecific comparisons of whole-body metal concentrations. Four species, common to cobble-bottom rivers and streams, were collected along an established contamination gradient in the Clark Fork River, and from tributaries of the Clark Fork. Metal concentrations were determined in the gut and its content and in the insect body. Whole-body metal concentrations were higher and more variable as a result of gut content. The positive bias produced by the gut content did not alter interpretations of site contamination in most cases. Interspecific comparisons of metal bioaccumulation also were not greatly affected by the presence of gut content. The influence of gut content was specific for metal, species, and site. Feeding habit, gut size, and metal bioaccumulation in the body affected the relative contribution of the gut and its content to metal concentrations in the whole insect.
AN 11-STEP SORTING NETWORK FOR 18 ELEMENTS
Authors: AL-HAJ BADDAR SHERENAZ W. , BATCHER KENNETH E.
Published: January 2009

Sorting networks are cost-effective multistage interconnection networks with sorting capabilities. These networks theoretically consume Θ( NlogN ) comparisons. However, the fastest implementable sorting networks built so far consume Θ( Nlog 2 N ) comparisons, and generally, use the Merge-sorting strategy to sort the input. An 18-element network using the Merge-sorting strategy needs at least 12 steps — here we show a network that sorts 18 elements in only 11 steps.
ON THE DIOPHANTINE EQUATION x2 + 2a · 5b = yn
Authors: LUCA FLORIAN , TOGBÉ ALAIN
Published: January 2009

In this note, we find all the solutions of the Diophantine equation x2 + 2a · 5b = yn in positive integers x, y, a, b, n with x and y coprime and n ≥ 3.
THE ISOPERIMETRIC METHOD IN NON-ABELIAN GROUPS WITH AN APPLICATION TO OPTIMALLY SMALL SUMSETS
Authors: BALANDRAUD ÉRIC
Published: January 2009

Set addition theory is born a few decades ago from additive number theory. Several difficult issues, more combinatorial in nature than algebraic, have been revealed. In particular, computing the values taken by the function: [Formula: see text] where G is a given group does not seem easy in general. Some successive results, using Kneser's Theorem, allowed the determination of the values of this function, provided that the group G is abelian.

Recently, a method called isoperimetric, has been developed by Hamidoune and allowed new proofs and generalizations of the classical theorems in additive number theory. For instance, a new interpretation of the isoperimetric method has been able to give a new proof of Kneser's Theorem.

The purpose of this article is to adapt this last proof in a non-abelian group, in order to give new values of the function μG, for some solvable groups and alternating groups. These values allow us in particular to answer negatively a question asked in the literature on the μG functions.
Intracellular trafficking of the human oxytocin receptor: evidence of receptor recycling via a Rab4/Rab5 “short cycle”
Authors: Conti Francesca , Sertic Sarah , Reversi Alessandra , Chini Bice
Published: January 2009

As in the case of most G protein-coupled receptors, agonist stimulation of human oxytocin receptors (OTRs) leads to desensitization and internalization; however, little is known about the subsequent intracellular OTR trafficking, which is crucial for reestablishing agonist responsiveness. We examined receptor resensitization by first using HEK293T cells stably expressing human OTRs. Upon agonist activation, the receptors were almost completely sequestered inside intracellular compartments that were not labeled by lysosomal markers, thus indicating that the internalized receptors were not sorted to these degrading organelles. Binding and fluorescence assays showed that almost 85% of the receptors had returned to the cell surface after 4 h, by which time cell responsiveness to the agonist was also completely restored, as shown by measuring phospholipase C activation. Similar results were also obtained in the presence of cycloheximide, thus indicating that receptor recycling and not de novo receptor synthesis was responsible for the resensitization. Notably, very similar internalization and recycling kinetics were observed in endogenous OTRs expressed on myometrial cells. We also investigated the role of β-arrestin2 in OTR recycling as these receptors have been previously classified as slowly or nonrecycling receptors on the basis of their stable association with this interacting protein. Our data suggest that the stable OTR/β-arrestin2 interaction plays an important role in determining the rate of recycling of human OTRs, but does not determine the fate of endocytosed receptors. Subsequent investigations of receptor recycling pathways showed that OTRs localize in vesicles containing the Rab5 and Rab4 small GTPases (markers of the “short cycle”), whereas there was no colocalization with Rab11 (a marker of the “long cycle”) or Rab7 (a marker of vesicles directed to endosomal/lysosomal compartments). Taken together, these data indicate that OTRs are capable of very efficient and complete resensitization due to receptor recycling via the short cycle.
Positive and Negative Regulation of Insulin Signaling by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species
Authors: Bashan Nava , Kovsan Julia , Kachko Ilana , Ovadia Hilla , Rudich Assaf
Published: January 2009

Regulated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) adequately balanced by antioxidant systems is a prerequisite for the participation of these active substances in physiological processes, including insulin action. Yet, increasing evidence implicates ROS and RNS as negative regulators of insulin signaling, rendering them putative mediators in the development of insulin resistance, a common endocrine abnormality that accompanies obesity and is a risk factor of type 2 diabetes. This review deals with this dual, seemingly contradictory, function of ROS and RNS in regulating insulin action: the major processes for ROS and RNS generation and detoxification are presented, and a critical review of the evidence that they participate in the positive and negative regulation of insulin action is provided. The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which ROS and RNS are thought to participate in normal insulin action and in the induction of insulin resistance are then described. Finally, we explore the potential usefulness and the challenges in modulating the oxidant-antioxidant balance as a potentially promising, but currently disappointing, means of improving insulin action in insulin resistance-associated conditions, leading causes of human morbidity and mortality of our era.
Endocannabinoid-Mediated Control of Synaptic Transmission
Authors: Kano Masanobu , Ohno-Shosaku Takako , Hashimotodani Yuki , Uchigashima Motokazu , Watanabe Masahiko
Published: January 2009

The discovery of cannabinoid receptors and subsequent identification of their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) in early 1990s have greatly accelerated research on cannabinoid actions in the brain. Then, the discovery in 2001 that endocannabinoids mediate retrograde synaptic signaling has opened up a new era for cannabinoid research and also established a new concept how diffusible messengers modulate synaptic efficacy and neural activity. The last 7 years have witnessed remarkable advances in our understanding of the endocannabinoid system. It is now well accepted that endocannabinoids are released from postsynaptic neurons, activate presynaptic cannabinoid CB1receptors, and cause transient and long-lasting reduction of neurotransmitter release. In this review, we aim to integrate our current understanding of functions of the endocannabinoid system, especially focusing on the control of synaptic transmission in the brain. We summarize recent electrophysiological studies carried out on synapses of various brain regions and discuss how synaptic transmission is regulated by endocannabinoid signaling. Then we refer to recent anatomical studies on subcellular distribution of the molecules involved in endocannabinoid signaling and discuss how these signaling molecules are arranged around synapses. In addition, we make a brief overview of studies on cannabinoid receptors and their intracellular signaling, biochemical studies on endocannabinoid metabolism, and behavioral studies on the roles of the endocannabinoid system in various aspects of neural functions.
Precipitation of Hemicelluloses from DMSO/Water Mixtures Using Carbon Dioxide as an Antisolvent
Authors: Haimer Emmerich , Wendland Martin , Potthast Antje , Rosenau Thomas , Liebner Falk
Published: January 2009

Supercritical antisolvent precipitation is a relatively recent technology which can be used for controlled preparation of polymer particles from solutions. This is done by the addition of an antisolvent to a polymer solution causing supersaturation of the polymer, especially under supercritical conditions. The particle size of the precipitates can be adjusted mainly by the rate of supersaturation. Spherical xylan or mannan particles having a narrow particle size distribution were precipitated from hemicellulose solutions in dimethyl‐sulfoxide (DMSO) or DMSO/water mixtures by carbon dioxide as an antisolvent. By depending on the type of hemicellulose, the DMSO/H2O ratio, and the precipitation conditions such as pressure and temperature, the resulting particle size can be adjusted within a wide range from less than 0.1 to more than 5 μm. Nano‐ and microstructured native xylans and mannans as obtained can be used in many applications such as encapsulation of active compounds, slow release agents, or chromatographic separation materials.
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and All-Cause Mortality in Elderly People With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Palmas Walter , Pickering Thomas G. , Teresi Jeanne , Schwartz Joseph E. , Moran Andrew , Weinstock Ruth S. , Shea Steven
Published: January 2009

In a multiethnic cohort of older people with diabetes (n=1178), we assessed whether ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring improves prediction of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality when added to baseline covariates, including office BP and heart rate (HR). Secondary analyses assessed whether albuminuria may mediate the association of pulse pressure with mortality. The ambulatory arterial stiffness index was calculated as “1-slope” from the within-person regression of diastolic-on-systolic ambulatory BP readings. Mean follow-up was 6.6±0.4 years. There were 287 deaths; death certificates were available for 215 deaths (75%), and 110 of them were deemed of cardiovascular cause. Cox models were built incrementally. First, models using clinical and laboratory variables selected albuminuria and office HRs as independent predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. When ambulatory monitoring data were added, sleep:wake HR ratio and ambulatory arterial stiffness index added significantly to the prediction of all-cause mortality, but only sleep:wake HR ratio added to the prediction of cardiovascular mortality. Office HR and albuminuria retained significance as predictors of both types of mortality. Secondary analyses without adjustment for albuminuria confirmed the predictive value of office HR and sleep/wake HR, whereas 24-hour pulse pressure and sleep systolic BP were also independently predictive of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. In conclusion, office HR and albuminuria were strong predictors of mortality. Ambulatory monitoring improved the prediction of risk through its assessment of sleep HR dipping and of ambulatory arterial stiffness index, a measure of the dynamic relationship between systolic and diastolic BPs. Albuminuria may mediate the association between BP and mortality.
Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor–Mediated Reduction of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Activity in the Brain Impairs Baroreflex Function in Hypertensive Mice
Authors: Xia Huijing , Feng Yumei , Obr Teresa D. , Hickman Peter J. , Lazartigues Eric
Published: January 2009

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a new component of the brain renin-angiotensin system, has been suggested to participate in the central regulation of blood pressure (BP). To clarify the relationship between ACE2 and other brain renin-angiotensin system components, we hypothesized that central angiotensin II type 1 receptors reduce ACE2 expression/activity in hypertensive mice, thereby impairing baroreflex function and promoting hypertension. To test this hypothesis, chronically hypertensive mice (RA) with elevated angiotensin II levels were treated with losartan (angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker) or PD123319 (angiotensin II type 2 antagonist; 10 mg/kg per day, SC) for 2 weeks. Baseline spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and brain ACE2 activity were dramatically decreased in RA compared with nontransgenic mice, whereas peripheral ACE2 activity/expression remained unaffected. Losartan, but not PD123319, increased central ACE2 activity, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, and normalized BP in RA mice. To confirm the critical role of central ACE2 in BP regulation, we generated a triple-transgenic model with brain ACE2 overexpression on a hypertensive RA background. Triple-transgenic–model mice exhibit lower BP and blunted water intake versus RA, suggesting lower brain angiotensin II levels. Moreover, the impaired spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, parasympathetic tone, and increased sympathetic drive, observed in RA, were normalized in triple-transgenic–model mice. These data suggest that angiotensin II type 1 receptors inhibit ACE2 activity in RA mice brain, thus contributing to the maintenance of hypertension. In addition, overexpression of ACE2 in the brain reduces hypertension by improving arterial baroreflex and autonomic function. Together, our data suggest that angiotensin II type 1 receptor–mediated ACE2 inhibition impairs baroreflex function and support a critical role for ACE2 in the central regulation of BP and the development of hypertension.
Purification of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Pillai Sreejarani K. , Ray Suprakas Sinha , Moodley Mathew
Published: January 2009

The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has stimulated intensive research to characterize their structure and to determine their physical properties, both by direct measurement and through predictive methods. Many of the fundamental and remarkable properties of CNTs are now well-known,
and their exploitation in a wide range of applications forms a large part of research currently in progress. However, the absence of a reliable, large-volume production capacity, simple and efficient purification methods, the high cost of carbon nanotubes and the fact that there is little
selectivity in controlling the properties of the product are factors that have principally inhibited the commercialization of CNT technologies. Ever since CNTs were detected, considerable efforts have been directed at their synthesis, characterization and functionalization. Nevertheless, the
CNT sample obtained by different techniques has the disadvantage of containing non-CNT impurities, such as graphitic particles, fullerenes, residual catalyst particles and amorphous carbon, which degrade the intrinsic properties of these materials. If the carbon nanotube is ever to accomplish
its promise as an industrial material, large and high-quality aliquots, will be required. A number of purification methods involving elimination processes, such as physical separation, gas-phase and liquid-phase oxidation, in combination with chemical treatments, have been developed for nanotube
materials. Though the quantitative determination of purity remains controversial, reported yields are best regarded with an appropriate level of scepticism on the method of assay. This review highlights the past and recent developments in the purification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
Angio-Seal Use in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (ASPIRE)
Authors: Katzenschlager Reinhold , Tischler Reinhold , Kalchhauser Georg , Panny Michael , Hirschl Mirko
Published: January 2009

Purpose

To investigate the incidence of complications after the use of an arterial closure device (Angio-Seal) in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Methods

In 105 consecutive patients after transfemoral catheterization, the puncture site was closed using a closure device (Angio-Seal). Colourflow-duplexsonography studies were conducted 1 to 4 days before, within 3 days after and 3 month after the intervention.

Results

All patients had peripheral arterial disease, 34 had calcification at the puncture site. Detection of calcification did not prevent device deployment. Complications (2 minor bleedings, 1 pseudoaneurysm) were not associated with high risk groups (these were: 69 antegrade punctures, 22 obese and 32 hypertensive patients). Three-month postinterventional diameter and blood velocity changes were <1%.

Conclusions

Patients with peripheral arterial disease in the region of the puncture site and patients at higher complication risk can safely and effectively be closed with an Angio-Seal device. At the puncture site, no lumen change can be observed 3 months postinterventional.
The Miner’s Canary
Authors: Waitoller Federico R. , Artiles Alfredo J. , Cheney Douglas A.
Published: January 2009

The authors reviewed the overrepresentation research published between 1968 and 2006 to answer two questions: (a) What are the characteristics of overrepresentation studies? (b) How do studies frame the problem? Systematic procedures were used to search four international databases, and criteria were applied to identify relevant studies. Findings suggest that overrepresentation research has been mostly published in special education journals, the number of studies has increased over time (particularly since 2000), most overrepresentation research focused on the learning disabilities category and on African Americans, and most studies used quantitative designs. Overrepresentation research has been framed in three ways: a sociodemographic model in which characteristics of individuals and contexts are examined, a critical perspective in which power issues related to race are addressed, and a framework that examines the role of various professional practices in the creation and maintenance of overrepresentation . Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.
Effects of Travel Motivation, Past Experience, Perceived Constraint, and Attitude on Revisit Intention
Authors: Huang Songshan , Hsu Cathy H. C.
Published: January 2009

This study developed and tested a structural model in examining the effects of mainland Chinese visitors' travel motivation, past experience, perceived constraint, and attitude on their intention of revisiting Hong Kong. Data were collected through telephone interviews ( n = 501) in Beijing and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that one of travel motivation's underlying dimensions, shopping, positively affected Beijing tourists' revisit intention to Hong Kong; past experience, as measured by the number of prior visits and satisfaction, also positively influenced revisit intention. Disinterest was the only constraint factor significantly negating revisit intention. In addition, attitude was found to play a significant mediating role in the total effect of satisfaction on revisit intention. Results suggest that in addition to further strengthening Hong Kong's “shopping paradise” image, destination marketers and managers should promote more novel features of local attractions and appeal to the relaxation need of repeat visitors.
The Jesus Movement and Social Network Analysis
Authors: Duling Dennis C.
Published: January 2009

The intent of this study is to imaginatively shed light on Gerd Theissen's view of the early Jesus Movement with the help of social network analysis. Part I, after a brief introduction to network analysis, discussed Graph Theory, Central Place Theory, Urbanology, and settlement archeology as aids to understand the importance of the Galilean towns Jesus is said to have visited, especially those around the Sea of Galilee. It included some information about lake harbors, Roman roads, and Dead Sea towns (the Babatha archive). It also attempted to see Capernaum as a minor Central Place from which Jesus could travel, both by land and by sea. Part II resumes with a more detailed discussion of social network concepts and then analyzes the Jesus Movement discussed by Theissen as an "Ego-centered network." It offers as an illustration Jesus' natural kinship network, and concludes with reflections about several important critical issues in current Jesus study. (Many works cited in Part II are in "Works Cited," Part I, BTB 29/4 [1999: 171-75]).
Editorial Dilemma: The Interpolation of 1 Cor 14:34-35 in the Western Manuscripts of D, G and 88
Authors: Odell-Scott D.W.
Published: January 2009

I argue that the transposition of verses 34 and 35 after verse 40 in western manuscripts D, G and 88, does not strongly support the modern interpolation hypothesis which contends that since there are textual deviations, as well as significant inconsistencies if not contradictions between the content of verses 34 and 35 and the rest of First Corinthians, the verses were inserted into the epistle by post-Pauline editors. I review the "egalitarian interpretation" of 1 Cor 14:34-36, and my earlier arguments against the modern interpolation hypothesis. Assuming the egalitarian interpretation, I suggest the editors of manuscripts D, G and 88, removed verses 34 and 35 from their canonical location at 33/36, and inserted them after verse 40 in order to shelter the silencing and subordination of women from the critique of verse 36 and to positively associate the silencing and subordination of women with Paul's admonition for decency and order. I further argue that the editors assessed that the verses in question were misplaced by an earlier editor for which they offered a corrected edition. I conclude that both the earlier and modern interpolation interpretations of the final verses of the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians assessed that the canonical text was incoherent. Yet both interpretative projects are unable to resolve the textual incoherence that results with the removal of verses 34 and 35 before the twofold negative rhetorical question of verse 36.
Jesus, Healer of the Canaanite Woman's Daughter in Matthew's Gospel: A Social-Scientific Inquiry
Authors: Love Stuart L.
Published: January 2009

This study assesses the historicity of the healing story of the Canaanite woman's daughter in the Gospel of Matthew (15:21-28) primarily by means of a cross-cultural anthropological analysis. It is the second part of a larger study, the first being the healing account of the hemorrhaging woman (9:20-22). A social-scientific inquiry demonstrates that the account is possibly rooted in the activity of Jesus. Matthew's redaction of Mark does not take us farther away from the historical Jesus; quite the contrary, it underscores characteristics of Jesus' ministry even while it features theological concerns of the Sitz im Leben of the later Christian community.
Exegetical Eschatology, the Peasant Present and the Final Discourse Genre: The Case of Mark 13
Authors: Malina Bruce J.
Published: January 2009

The ancient literary form best fitting the Synoptic "Eschatological Discourse" is the final discourse, the final words of a person about to die, describing what was forthcoming for those near and dear to him/her. The nineteenth-century German theological terms "apocalyptic" and "eschatology" are misplaced and misleading when applied to New Testament documents in general and to the Synoptic final discourse in particular. Ancient self-evident presuppositions about the devolution of life might have naturally (i.e. culturally) served as latent assumptions in the Synoptic story line but do not receive explicit attention.
On Scroll-Making in Ancient Jerusalem
Authors: Brueggemann Walter
Published: January 2009

This paper, read to an Association of Bible collectors, considers the way in which a small scroll-making community constituted by a prophet, scribes, and political operators formed a community with an alternative vision of social reality in opposition to the dominant vision and the dominant power structure of ancient Jerusalem. It is proposed that this oppositional community that produced its subversive scroll began the scroll movement that eventuated in "canon," a text production that was characteristically subversive of established social vision.
The Book of Isaiah—Theses and Hypotheses
Authors: McCann J. Clinton
Published: January 2009

The book of Isaiah is a complex unity that developed from a long redactional process, and this complex unity is the key to a biblical-theological appropriation of the book. Following Isaiah's "directions of meaning" will lead contemporary readers to discern a God who wills world-encompassing justice, righteousness, and peace, and who invites people to be agents of God's purposes in shaping the kind of future that God wills.
Of Eunuchs and Predators: Matthew 19:1-12 in a Cultural Context
Authors: Bernabé Carmen
Published: January 2009

In this essay I hold the view that the point at issue in Matthew 19:1-12 is less one of divorce and more of a contrast between two forms of wife-husband relationship within a marriage: one, the traditional form, and the other, an alternative form deriving from the values of the forthcoming Kingdom that Jesus proposes to his disciples. In that cultural context, male honor depended, among other things, on the type of relations men might have with theirs wives, something that was defined by the general code for masculinity. Deviations from the male role would lead to doubts about an individual's "manliness," and even to his "social or symbolic castration," and thus dishonor. In my opinion, Jesus' final paradoxical words (vv 10-12) must be understood in that light.
Who Should Be Called Father? Paul of Tarsus between the Jesus Tradition and Patria Potestas
Authors: Bartchy S. Scott
Published: January 2009

According to the family values that characterized the cultures in which Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus were socialized, the authority of fathers over their children was unquestioned and almost without limits. All children were taught that filial piety was essential to life; obedience was expected of even grown sons and daughters as long as their fathers were alive, including acquiescing to the marriages that fathers were expected to arrange to increase their family's honor. The historical Jesus undermined the authority of fathers in general and rejected the obligations of blood-family ties. Paul of Tarsus then sought to put into effect Jesus' strategy, including ignoring completely the authority of fathers when advising his readers regarding marriage, divorce, and celibacy. For both Jesus and Paul, rejecting patriarchal authority was the first step toward their creating a new kind of family: faith-related brothers and sisters—without a traditional father.
A Jewish Perspective of Jesus
Authors: Golden Steven H.
Published: January 2009

On an essential level, the writer's Jewish perspective of Jesus is a personal reading of the relevant ancient texts. It focuses heavily on the trial because the question of Jewish involvement in Jesus' trial is key to this perspective. The article also examines the view of modern scholars who reckon the disputes recorded in the Gospels between Jesus and other teachers as the major cause for his arrest and death. It is the writer's contention that those disputes between the Jerusalem leadership and Jesus ring true enough; but neither individually nor yet cumulatively do they explain the enormity of the crucifixion. In order to elucidate this point the author examines some of the purportedly contentious teachings, such as those to do with the Temple, ritual purity, filial piety, Messiahship, and vicarious atonement.
A Typology of Personified Wisdom Hymns
Authors: Miura Nozomi
Published: January 2009

The author undertakes an evaluation and classification of those texts in First Testament Wisdom Literature which personify Wisdom in hymnic fashion. Such a classification may have value not only in itself, but it may be useful for understanding the nature of traditions known to writer of the Johannine Prologue. The author proposes a division of such hymns into the categories of “Hidden,” “Accessible,” and “Apocalyptic.”
Dealing with Delay: A Critique of Christian Coping
Authors: Otto Randall
Published: January 2009

Eschatology is nebulous, because theologians have not sufficiently grappled with the historical validation of eschatological claims. Eschatology remains dehistoricized and largely atemporal. This study will survey attempts in twentieth-century eschatological interpretation for dealing with the problem of “the delay of the parousia,” including the first Quest of the Historical Jesus (Schweitzer), existential theology (Bultmann, Barth), realized eschatology (Dodd), the theology of hope (Pannenberg, Moltmann), the third Quest (N. T. Wright), and evangelical theology. In each of these paradigms, the parousia is either unrealized in history despite the New Testament's temporal parameters or an existential event realized in the moment despite the New Testament's historical parameters. An alternative approach meeting both the historical and temporal parameters is proposed: the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in CE 70.
Change and the Gospels
Authors: Kealy Séan P.
Published: January 2009

A review of currents of change that have characterized traditional and recent interpretative models of critical gospel interpretation. The author characterizes changes that occurred up to and since the 1970s, noting how recent developments have integrated critical methods of the 19th and 20th centuries into a performance mode as in music and drama.
Christ Crucified and the Inversion of Roman Imperial Ideology in 1 Corinthians
Authors: Finney Mark T.
Published: January 2009

A number of recent monographs and articles have emphasized the significant influence of the Imperial cult within first-century CE religious and socio-political life. At the same time social-scientific studies have, for some time, elucidated the wider social-setting of the Second Testament within its social context, especially under the influence of notions of honour and shame. But despite having had a voluminous number of monographs and articles written on it, the letter of 1 Corinthians has remained relatively untouched by studies on either subject. The aim of this article is to draw together lines of enquiry from both. It suggests that Paul's language may be seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine the power and influence of the imperial cult and to see it replaced by a paradigm of Christ crucified with all the social stigmatism of shame which this implies. In so doing, it presents a fresh reading of many aspects of the letter.
The Archaeology of Memory and the Issue of Colonialism
Authors: Aguilar Mario I.
Published: January 2009

This article explores the “tribute to Caesar” episode in the context of its embeddedness in the ancient Hebrew social memory of imperial colonialism by continuing a previous exploration of social memory in the First Book of Maccabees. It points to the importance of the “tribute to Caesar” in a Roman colonial period in which a social divide has been established within religion and politics, a divide that was challenged within the Roman and Syrian colonial period in Palestine. It further challenges biblical scholars to reopen debates on the meaning of biblical texts by asking questions about the discontinuities expressed by social memories within the texts rather than by producing cognitive explanations about the literary continuities and the “historical truths.” Thus, the colonial and the postcolonial are products, not of a dysfunctional connection between cultures (Judean, Roman or otherwise) but of a contestation of memories, identities and social continuities.
Holy Men and Their Sky Journeys: A Cross-Cultural Model
Authors: Pilch John J.
Published: January 2009

Insights from cultural anthropology, a science that compares cultures, and cognitive neuroscience, a discipline that deals with the one thing that all human beings have had in common for millennia: the human body, contribute to the construction of a model for analyzing and interpreting sky journeys made in alternate states of consciousness (ASCs) and reported in ancient literature.
Ethnicity, Ethnocentrism, and the Matthean Ethnos
Authors: Duling Dennis C.
Published: January 2009

In the light of the horrors of war and ethnic conflict, ethnicity has become a subject of increasing scholarly investigation, which now includes the field of religion and the Bible. I begin by surveying and commenting on important studies on ethnicity in Matthew by David Sim and John Riches. Then I offer a brief overview of ethnicity theory and create a simple model of ethnicity. After exploring the model linguistically and conceptually with literature from antiquity, I show how modern ethnicity studies can offer insights into ethnicity in Matthew and in particular how priestly voluntary associations called ethnē might help to interpret the special fruit-bearing ethnos of Matthew 21:43 in terms of an alternative leadership to the priests of Jerusalem.
Products, Processes, and Practices: A Non-Reificatory Approach to Collective Memory
Authors: Olick Jeffrey K.
Published: January 2009

In order to assess the generality of the collective memory concept and to underwrite discussion of its applicability to studies of early Christianity, this essay traces the development of “collective memory” from its origins in the crucible of the modern nation-state and as a tool for the disciplines that address that social form—mainly sociology and contemporary history. On that basis, the paper outlines a “practice” approach to collective memory, emphasizing the multiplicity and variability of mnemonic practices and products.
The Determination of Social Identity in the Story of Ruth
Authors: Matthews Victor H.
Published: January 2009

This study focuses on the formation of social identity in ancient Israel. In particular, the issue raised here is the manner in which displaced individuals are able to integrate or reintegrate themselves into a local community. The process, as exemplified in the story of Ruth and Naomi, demonstrates the movement from a liminal social condition to a liminal spatial placement to a defined social condition within an established social space.