bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NONEMPIRICAL REALITY: TRANSCENDING THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL IN THE ORDER OF THE ONE
Authors: Schäfer Lothar
Published: May 2008

I describe characteristic phenomena of quantum physics that suggest that reality appears to us in two domains: the open and well‐known domain of empirical, material things—the realm of actuality—and a hidden and invisible domain of nonempirical, non‐material forms—the realm of potentiality. The nonempirical forms are part of physical reality because they contain the empirical possibilities of the universe and can manifest themselves in the empirical world. Two classes of nonempirical states are discussed: the superposition states of microphysical entities, which are nonempirical because observation destroys them, and the virtual states of material systems, which are nonempirical because they are empty. The non‐empirical part to physical reality represents a predetermined and hidden order that exists before it is empirical, and the visible world is an emanation out of it. I discuss consequences for our understanding of human nature, the origin of life, and human values. Reality is an indivisible wholeness that is aware of its processes, like a Cosmic Spirit, and it reveals its awareness in the mindlike properties of elementary processes as well as in the human consciousness. Thus, one is led to G. W. F. Hegel's thesis that the Cosmic Spirit is thinking in us.
SIMONE WEIL'S SPIRITUAL CRITIQUE OF MODERN SCIENCE: AN HISTORICAL‐CRITICAL ASSESSMENT
Authors: Cosgrove Joseph K.
Published: May 2008

Simone Weil is widely recognized today as one of the profound religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Yet while her interpretation of natural science is critical to Weil's overall understanding of religious faith, her writings on science have received little attention compared with her more overtly theological writings. The present essay, which builds on Vance Morgan's Weaving the World: Simone Weil on Science, Necessity, and Love (2005), critically examines Weil's interpretation of the history of science. Weil believed that mathematical science, for the ancient Pythagoreans a mystical expression of the love of God, had in the modern period degenerated into a kind of reification of method that confuses the means of representing nature with nature itself. Beginning with classical (Newtonian) science's representation of nature as a machine, and even more so with the subsequent assimilation of symbolic algebra as the principal language of mathematical physics, modern science according to Weil trades genuine insight into the order of the world for symbolic manipulation yielding mere predictive success and technological domination of nature. I show that Weil's expressed desire to revive a Pythagorean scientific approach, inspired by the “mysterious complicity” in nature between brute necessity and love, must be recast in view of the intrinsically symbolic character of modern mathematical science. I argue further that a genuinely mystical attitude toward nature is nascent within symbolic mathematical science itself.
INTERNISTS OF THE MIND OR PHYSICIANS OF THE SOUL: DOES PSYCHIATRY NEED A PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY?
Authors: Browning Don
Published: May 2008

Although psychiatry is interested in what both body and mind contribute to behavior, it sometimes emphasizes one more than the other. Since the early 1980s, American psychiatry has shifted its interest from mind and psyche to body and brain. Neuroscience and psychopharmacology are increasingly at the core of psychiatry. Some experts claim that psychiatry is no longer interested in problems in living and positive goals such as mental health, happiness, and morality but rather has narrowed its focus to mental disorders addressed with psychotropic drugs. In view of this trend, psychiatry needs to confront two questions in social philosophy. If it is no longer directly concerned with health and happiness, how does it relate to these positive goals? And how does it relate as a medical institution to religious institutions, schools, and other organizations that directly promote health, happiness, morality, and the purposes of life? It is not enough for psychiatry to renounce its moral role; its practices still shape cultural values. Psychiatry should take more responsibility for developing a public philosophy that addresses these issues.
STEPS TOWARD A COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF RELIGION
Authors: Oviedo Lluís
Published: May 2008

The article chronicles the different panels devoted tothe cognitive science of religion at the meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) in Tampa, Florida, in November 2007. The aim is to verify the state of this subdiscipline and to check how much this work‐in‐progress affects the present state of the dialogue between science and religion. Several signs point to a positive development in this scientific branch and favor a sound reception in theology, which should not ignore the new research.
THE DIVINE CONJECTURES: A CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF HUMAN ORIGINS AND DESTINY
Authors: Russell Allan Melvin , Gerhart Mary
Published: May 2008

Six “divine conjectures” frame the place of Theóne (The One to Whom we pray) in the creation of our universe and for its continuing development in five subsequent stages into a loving universe. The first stage, the cosmological universe, establishes the laws of nature, understood by scientists as the “standard model”. The second stage introduces life and death into the universe by a process we are only now beginning to understand. Stage 3 requires certain life forms to become conscious with a subset of those life‐forms acquiring language that results in that subset becoming self‐conscious. The next stage, Conjecture 4, identifies certain persons who become addicted to learning in their unrelenting effort to learn as much of what can be known as possible. The fifth conjecture requires individual persons to act as agents of Theóne in achieving Conjecture 6—a universe that is both loving and lawful. During the course of the exposition subsidiary discussions of the concepts of conjecture and hypothesis explicate the function of each in the advancement of knowledge and understanding. There are brief discussions of prayer and purpose in relation to the Divine.
THE QUR'AN, SCIENCE, AND THE (RELATED) CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM DISCOURSE
Authors: Guessoum Nidhal
Published: May 2008

We discuss the special place of the Qur'an in the Muslim discourse in general and on science in particular. The Qur'an has an unparalleled influence on the Muslim mind, and understanding the Islamic treatise on science and religion must start from this realization. We explore the concept of science in the Islamic culture and to what extent it can be related to the Qur'an. Reviewing various Islamic discourses on science, we show how a simplistic understanding of the plan to adopt modern science within an Islamic revival program has been corrupted in the form of the theory of “scientific miraculousness of the Qur'an.” We assess and dismiss this theory but use it to show how a serious misunderstanding of the nature of modern science and a narrow view of the Qur'an has led to that embarrassingly popular yet misguided theory. We conclude by promoting a multiplicity of readings of the Qur'an and show that this allows for an enlightenment of one's interpretation of Qur'anic verses, using various tools at one's disposal, including scientific knowledge. We uphold Averroes's principle of “no possible conflict,” which can be used to persuade the Muslim public of a given idea not by proving that it can be found in the Qur'an but rather by showing that at least some readings of it are fully consistent with the given scientific theory.
TWO BAD WAYS TO ATTACK INTELLIGENT DESIGN AND TWO GOOD ONES
Authors: Koperski Jeffrey
Published: May 2008

Four arguments are examined in order to assess the state of the Intelligent Design debate. First, critics continually cite the fact that ID proponents have religious motivations. When used as criticism of ID arguments, this is an obvious ad hominem. Nonetheless, philosophers and scientists alike continue to wield such arguments for their rhetorical value. Second, in his expert testimony in the Dover trial, philosopher Robert Pennock used repudiated claims in order to brand ID as a kind of pseudoscience. His arguments hinge on the nature of methodological naturalism as a metatheoretic shaping principle. We examine the use of such principles in science and the history of science. Special attention is given to the demarcation problem. Third, the scientific merits of ID are examined. Critics rightly demand more than promissory notes for ID to move beyond the fringe. Fourth, although methodological naturalism gets a lot of attention, there is another shaping principle to contend with, namely, conservatism. Science, like most disciplines, tends to change in an incremental rather than revolutionary manner. When ID is compared to other non‐ or quasi‐Darwinian proposals, it appears to be a more radical solution than is needed in the face of the anomalies.
PRIMATES AND RELIGION: A BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGIST'S RESPONSE TO J. WENTZEL VAN HUYSSTEEN'S ALONE IN THE WORLD?
Authors: King Barbara J.
Published: May 2008

For a biological anthropologist interested in the prehistory of religion, J. Wentzel van Huyssteen's book is welcome and resonant. Van Huyssteen's central thesis is that humans' capacity for spirituality emerges from a transformation of cognition and emotions that takes place in the symbolic realm, within Homo sapiens and apart from biology. To his thesis I bring to bear three areas of response: the abundant cognitive and emotional capacities of living apes and extinct hominids; the role of symbolic ritual in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens; and the closely intertwined nature of biology and culture in the workings of evolutionary change.
UNIQUENESS, THE IMAGE OF GOD, AND THE PROBLEM OF METHOD: ENGAGING VAN HUYSSTEEN
Authors: Peterson Gregory R.
Published: May 2008

Wentzel van Huyssteen's book Alone in the World? provides a thoughtful and nuanced account of human evolution from a theological perspective. Not only does his work provide what is perhaps the only sustained theological reflection specifically on human evolution, but his working through of many of the issues, particularly on the image of God literature in theology, has few parallels. Despite this, I focus on what I consider to be several weaknesses of the text, including areas of theological method, theological interpretation, and the central topic of human uniqueness. Addressing these weaknesses will, I propose, improve van Huyssteen's argument and lead in new and fruitful directions.
HAND IN GLOVE: EVALUATING THE FIT BETWEEN METHOD AND THEOLOGY IN VAN HUYSSTEEN'S INTERPRETATION OF HUMAN UNIQUENESS
Authors: Wildman Wesley J.
Published: May 2008

Wentzel van Huyssteen's Alone in the World? (2006) presents an interpretation of human uniqueness in the form of a dialogue between classical Christian theological affirmations and cutting‐edge scientific understandings of the human and animal worlds. The sheer amount of information from different thinkers and fields that van Huyssteen absorbs and integrates makes this book extraordinary and, indeed, very rich as a work of interdisciplinary theology. The book commands respect and deserves close attention. In this essay I evaluate van Huyssteen's proposal as well as the method he uses to produce it. Special attention is given to the concept of embodiment. Van Huyssteen's concept of embodiment is substantially correct in most respects and largely consistent with the scientific and theological pictures of human nature. In a few respects, however, his interpretation of the bodily character of human life appears to be insufficiently thoroughgoing relative to our best contemporary knowledge of human nature from the natural sciences.
UNIQUENESS IN CONTEXT
Authors: Howell Nancy R.
Published: May 2008

Wentzel van Huyssteen's Gifford Lectures, published as Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology, accomplish critical and constructive thinking about interdisciplinary reflection on science and religion and about the meaning of human uniqueness. One approach to discussion of van Huyssteen's text entails consideration of three issues: the contextual character of research on humans and animals, the difficult problem of defining uniqueness, and the important consequences of exploring human uniqueness. Evolutionary biology and primatology contribute specific scientific insights.
PRIMATES, HOMINIDS, AND HUMANS—FROM SPECIES SPECIFICITY TO HUMAN UNIQUENESS? A RESPONSE TO BARBARA J. KING, GREGORY R. PETERSON, WESLEY J. WILDMAN, AND NANCY R. HOWELL
Authors: Van Huyssteen J. Wentzel
Published: May 2008

In this response to essays by Barbara J. King, Gregory R. Peterson, Wesley J. Wildman, and Nancy R. Howell, I present arguments to counter some of the exciting and challenging questions from my colleagues. I take the opportunity to restate my argument for an interdisciplinary public theology, and by further developing the notion of transversality I argue for the specificity of the emerging theological dialogue with paleoanthropology and primatology. By arguing for a hermeneutics of the body, I respond to criticism of my notion of human uniqueness and argue for strong evolutionary continuities, as well as significant discontinuities, between primates, humans, and other hominids. In addition, I answer critical questions about theological methodology and argue how the notion of human uniqueness, theologically restated as the image of God, is enriched by transversally appropriating scientific notions of species specificity and embodied personhood.
Central Bank Independence in the EU: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Bini Smaghi Lorenzo
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This article provides an overview of the practical problems which arise in ensuring the effective independence of central banks in the EU, drawing on the European Central Bank's consultative experience. Four aspects of central bank independence are discussed separately: functional, institutional, personal and financial. The possible issues raised by central bank involvement in prudential supervision are touched upon. The main conclusion of the article is that a set of legal provisions is generally not sufficient to ensure proper central bank independence; a culture of respect for independence, including its limits, among all parties involved is essential.
Changing cerebral blood flow velocity detected by transcranial Doppler ultrasound during head up tilt in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Gonul M. , Asil T. , Balci K. , Celik Y. , Turgut N. , Uzunca I.
Published: May 2008

Background and purpose:  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of central nervous system. We aimed to investigate the cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) changes in MS by transcranial Doppler.

Methods:  Twenty patients with MS, 20 age‐matched healthy controls were included in the study. In both groups, blood flow velocities (BFVs) of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were evaluated. The changes of blood pressure, heart rate along with the changes in BFV of MCA were recorded after the patients were raised to upright position.

Results:  In both groups, upon raising the tilt table to the upright position, the mean CBFV values were found to be lower in comparison with the recorded baseline values (P values <0.05). The decline in the mean CBFV values was more significant in patients with MS (P = 0.01).

Conclusion:  Our study showed upon raise of the tilt table, the mean BFVs decreased more in MS patients than control group with a more prominent change in the subgroup of MS patients with expanded disability scale scores ≥2. By use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound, it may be possible to evaluate BFV changes in patients with MS.
The neuroprotection of prodromal transient ischaemic attack on cerebral infarction
Authors: Fu Y. , Sun J.L. , Ma J.F. , Geng X. , Sun J. , Liu J.R. , Song Y.J. , Chen S.D.
Published: May 2008

Background and purpose:  To evaluate the potential neuroprotection against subsequent cerebral infarction conferred by a prodromal transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Methods:  Various measures, including blood pressure, blood serum glucose, serum lipids, cardiovascular imaging and changes to NIHSS scores were evaluated upon admission and discharge for patients presenting with ischaemic stroke with or without prodromal TIA (n = 60 per group).

Results:  When all patients from each group were considered together, no significant group effects emerged. However, when the NIHSS difference scores from the prodromal TIA group were subdivided based on (i) prodromal TIA lasting up to 4 min; (ii) two prodromal TIA attacks and/or; (iii) prodromal TIA‐stroke interval within 7 days separately, patients in subgroups 1 and 2 exhibited significantly better outcome on discharge. There was no significant effect found in subgroup three although this TIA group did show better outcome in considering the NIHSS changes.

Conclusions:  Prodromal TIA prior to cerebral infarction may result in an ischaemic tolerance effect. Moreover, the neuroprotection conferred by the TIA may be associated with the duration and the frequency of the TIA, although the relationship between the TIA‐stroke interval and prognosis is not clear.
Combining Proof-of-Concept With Dose-Finding: Utilization of Adaptive Designs in Migraine Clinical Trials
Authors: Sagkriotis A , Scholpp J
Published: May 2008

There is an obvious need to improve clinical trial designs with respect to efficiency, duration and the number of patients recruited. Adaptive (flexible) designs may be valuable in this respect. We simulated the properties of a two-stage adaptive proof-of-concept and dose-finding trial design in adult migraine patients with moderate to severe headache, with or without aura. We also assessed the usefulness of a combined Bayesian and frequentist approach in the estimation of the probability of success of subsequent Phase III studies. Applying such an innovative approach would result in a reduction of the required sample size by 30 patients and no prolongation of the trial duration. The probability of success in Phase III is > 81%. An innovative adaptive design can facilitate testing of investigational migraine medications by reducing patient numbers and improving predictivity of success in Phase III.
Electrophysiological correlates of presaccadic remapping in humans
Authors: Parks Nathan A. , Corballis Paul M.
Published: May 2008

Saccadic eye movements cause rapid displacements of space, yet the visual field is perceived as stable. A mechanism that may contribute to maintaining visual stability is the process of predictive remapping, in which receptive fields shift to their future locations prior to the onset of a saccade. We investigated electrophysiological correlates of remapping in humans using event‐related potentials. Subjects made horizontal saccades that caused a visual stimulus to remain within a single visual field or to cross the vertical meridian, shifting between visual hemifields. When an impending saccade would shift the stimulus between visual fields (requiring remapping between cerebral hemispheres), presaccadic potentials showed increased bilaterality, having greater amplitudes over the hemisphere ipsilateral to the grating stimulus. Results are consistent with interhemispheric remapping of visual space in anticipation of an upcoming saccade.
Saccade generation and suppression in schizophrenia: Effects of response switching and perseveration
Authors: Franke Cosima , Arndt Doris , Ploner Christoph J. , Heinz Andreas , Reuter Benedikt
Published: May 2008

Poor antisaccade performance is a reliable index of action control deficits in schizophrenia. To further elucidate the underlying cognitive impairments, the current study aimed to confirm effects of switching the response direction on saccadic performance and to investigate whether response switch effects relate to perseveration. Fourteen schizophrenia patients and 14 healthy controls performed sequences of 1 to 3 simple volitional saccades to one direction and a subsequent volitional saccade with distractor to the same or the opposite direction. Response switches increased error rates in schizophrenia if they followed 3 saccades to the opposite side, suggesting that response switching affects performance on conditions of strong persisting response programs. The increase of response switch error rates with multiple repetitions of the prior response points to a relationship between perseveration and response selection.
Characterizing the ERP Old–New effect in a short‐term memory task
Authors: Danker Jared F. , Hwang Grace M. , Gauthier Lynne , Geller Aaron , Kahana Michael J. , Sekuler Robert
Published: May 2008

The early and late components of the event‐related potential (ERP) Old–New effect are well characterized with respect to long‐term memory, and have been associated with processes of familiarity and recollection, respectively. Now, using a short‐term memory paradigm with verbal and nonverbal stimuli, we explored the way that these two components respond to variation in recency and stimulus type. We found that the amplitude of the early component (or frontal N400, FN400) showed Old–New effects only for verbal stimuli and increased with recency. In contrast, the later component (or late positive component, LPC) showed Old–New effects across a range of stimulus types and did not scale with recency. These results are consistent with the way that these same ERP components have been characterized in long‐term memory, supporting the idea that some of the same processes underlie long‐ and short‐term item recognition.
Effects of chloramphenicol on brain energy metabolism using 31P spectroscopy: influences on sleep‐wake states in rat
Authors: Chahboune Halima , Mahdjoub Rachid , Desgoutte Pierre , Rousset Colette , Briguet André , Cespuglio Raymond
Published: May 2008

Effects of chloramphenicol (antibiotic inhibiting complex‐1 of respiratory chain) and thioamphenicol (TAP, a structural analog of CAP inactive on complex‐1) were examined on cerebral energy metabolites and sleep‐wake cycle architecture in rat. In the first group, animals were chronically equipped with a cranial surface resonator and 31P spectroscopic measurements were performed using a 2 T magnetic resonance spectrometer (operating frequency 34.46 MHz). CAP administration (400 mg/kg, tail vein, light period) induced deficits in phosphocreatine (−30%, p < 0.01) and ATP (−40%, p < 0.01), whereas TAP (400 mg/kg) had no effect. In the second group, animals were chronically implanted with polygraphic electrodes for EEG and electromyogram recordings. CAP administered intraperitoneally at light‐onset reduced rapid‐eye movement (REM) sleep (−60% in the first 6 h of light period, p < 0.01), increased waking state (+65% in the first 6 h of light period, p < 0.01), and slightly affected slow‐wave sleep (SWS). During waking state, θ and σ power bands of the EEG were, respectively, increased and decreased (p < 0.05). During SWS, delta power band was reinforced (p < 0.05), while θ, α, and σ bands were decreased (p < 0.05). No changes occurred during REM sleep. TAP had no effect on sleep‐wake states and spectral components of the EEG. Overall, these data indicate that REM sleep occurrence is linked to an aerobic production of ATP.
Myristoylation of p39 and p35 is a determinant of cytoplasmic or nuclear localization of active cycline‐dependent kinase 5 complexes
Authors: Asada Akiko , Yamamoto Naoyuki , Gohda Masaki , Saito Taro , Hayashi Nobuhiro , Hisanaga Shin‐ichi
Published: May 2008

Cdk5 is a member of the cyclin‐dependent kinases (Cdks), activated by the neuron‐specific activator p39 or p35. The activators also determine the cytoplasmic distribution of active Cdk5, but the mechanism is not yet known. In particular, little is known for p39. p39 and p35 contain localization motifs, such as a second Gly for myristoylation and Lys clusters in the N‐terminal p10 region. Using mutant constructs, we investigated the cellular distribution mechanism. We observed that p39 localizes the active Cdk5 complex in the perinuclear region and at the plasma membrane as does p35. We demonstrated the myristoylation of both p39 and p35, and found that it is a major determinant of their membrane association. Plasma membrane targeting depends on the amino acid sequence containing the Lys‐cluster in the N‐terminal p10 region. In contrast, a non‐myristoylated Ala mutant (p39G2A or p35G2A) showed nuclear localization with stronger accumulation of p39G2A than p35G2A. These results indicate that myristoylation regulates the membrane association of p39 as well as p35 and that the Lys cluster controls their trafficking to the plasma membrane. The differential nuclear accumulation of p39 and p35 suggests their segregated functions, p35–Cdk5 in the cytoplasm and p39–Cdk5 in the nucleus.
Endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ dysregulation and endoplasmic reticulum stress following in vitro neuronal ischemia: role of Na+‐K+‐Cl‐ cotransporter
Authors: Chen Xinzhi , Kintner Douglas B. , Luo Jing , Baba Akemichi , Matsuda Toshio , Sun Dandan
Published: May 2008

We investigated the role of Na+‐K+‐Cl‐ cotransporter (NKCC1) in conjunction with Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) in disruption of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ homeostasis and ER stress development in primary cortical neurons following in vitro ischemia. Oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD) and reoxygenation (REOX) caused a rise in [Na+]cyt which was accompanied by an elevation in [Ca2+]cyt. Inhibition of NKCC1 with its potent inhibitor bumetanide abolished the OGD/REOX‐induced rise in [Na+]cyt and [Ca2+]cyt. Moreover, OGD significantly increased Ca2+ER accumulation. Following REOX, a biphasic change in Ca2+ER occurred with an initial release of Ca2+ER which was sensitive to inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) inhibition and a subsequent refilling of Ca2+ER stores. Inhibition of NKCC1 activity with its inhibitor or genetic ablation prevented the release of Ca2+ER. A similar result was obtained with inhibition of reversed mode operation of NCX (NCXrev). OGD/REOX also triggered a transient increase of glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), phospho‐form of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (p‐eIF2α), and cleaved caspase 12 proteins. Pre‐treatment of neurons with NKCC1 inhibitor bumetanide inhibited upregulation of GRP78 and attenuated the level of cleaved caspase 12 and p‐eIF2α. Inhibition of NKCC1 reduced cytochrome C release and neuronal death. Taken together, these results suggest that NKCC1 and NCXrev may be involved in ischemic cell damage in part via disrupting ER Ca2+ homeostasis and ER function.
The Role of Medical Directors in Dialysis Facilities Series Editor: Robert A. Gutman: Medical Director Responsibilities Regarding Disruptive Behavior in the Dialysis Center—Leading Effective Conflict Resolution
Authors: Goldman Richard S.
Published: May 2008

Medical directors are directly or indirectly responsible for everything that occurs in a dialysis facility. The proposed Conditions of Coverage require medical directors to oversee the process resulting in involuntary discharges from the facility. Involuntary discharges result in high costs to the patient, family, facility and payers. Consequently, End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks oversee individual facility involuntary discharge rates. A large national survey found that involuntary discharges were due to disruptive behaviors, most commonly nonadherence to medical advice. Medical directors should create an environment designed to assure that disruptive behavior and conflict can be resolved. This is best done by using positive interventions before involuntary discharge, by developing policies and procedures that are implemented continuously and by continually teaching these principles. There are two excellent references about dialysis‐related disruptive behavior and conflict resolution: (1) the Renal Physician Association’s second guideline, “Shared Decision Making in the Appropriate Initiation and Withdrawal from Dialysis,” and (2) The Dialysis Patient Provider Conflict Project. Both will aid medical directors meet their conflict‐resolving responsibilities under the proposed, federal regulations.
A comparison of five fMRI protocols for mapping speech comprehension systems
Authors: Binder Jeffrey R. , Swanson Sara J. , Hammeke Thomas A. , Sabsevitz David S.
Published: May 2008

Aims: Many fMRI protocols for localizing speech comprehension have been described, but there has been little quantitative comparison of these methods. We compared five such protocols in terms of areas activated, extent of activation, and lateralization.

Methods: fMRI BOLD signals were measured in 26 healthy adults during passive listening and active tasks using words and tones. Contrasts were designed to identify speech perception and semantic processing systems. Activation extent and lateralization were quantified by counting activated voxels in each hemisphere for each participant.

Results: Passive listening to words produced bilateral superior temporal activation. After controlling for prelinguistic auditory processing, only a small area in the left superior temporal sulcus responded selectively to speech. Active tasks engaged an extensive, bilateral attention, and executive processing network. Optimal results (consistent activation and strongly lateralized pattern) were obtained by contrasting an active semantic decision task with a tone decision task. There was striking similarity between the network of brain regions activated by the semantic task and the network of brain regions that showed task‐induced deactivation, suggesting that semantic processing occurs during the resting state.

Conclusions: fMRI protocols for mapping speech comprehension systems differ dramatically in pattern, extent, and lateralization of activation. Brain regions involved in semantic processing were identified only when an active, nonlinguistic task was used as a baseline, supporting the notion that semantic processing occurs whenever attentional resources are not controlled. Identification of these lexical‐semantic regions is particularly important for predicting language outcome in patients undergoing temporal lobe surgery.
Continuous phenobarbital treatment leads to recurrent plantar fibromatosis
Authors: Strzelczyk Adam , Vogt Heinrich , Hamer Hajo M. , Krämer Günter
Published: May 2008

Despite contrary recommendations by expert opinion and international guidelines phenobarbital remains the most widely prescribed anticonvulsant worldwide. Although associated connective tissue disorders were described in a timely way after its introduction, the association between plantar fibromatosis—also called Ledderhose syndrome—and phenobarbital seems not to be well known in general. Our case series uniquely demonstrates that continuous phenobarbital treatment leads to recurrent plantar fibromatosis and may result in long‐term disability and numerous unnecessary operations. In general, the association between connective tissue disorders and phenobarbital most prominently appears in adult patients of northern European descent. However, our case series and data from the literature suggest that patient groups less susceptible to connective tissue disorders may as well develop Ledderhose syndrome or other associated syndromes as Dupuytren's contractures, frozen shoulder, Peyronie's disease or complex regional pain syndrome in the course of phenobarbital treatment.
Residual Limbs of Amputees Are Significantly Cooler than Contralateral Intact Limbs
Authors: Harden R. Norman , Gagnon Christine M. , Gallizzi Michael , Khan Anjum S. , Newman Devon
Published: May 2008

▪ Abstract: 

Objective:  To test the hypothesis that distal residual limbs (DRLs) have significant vasomotor abnormalities.

Design:  Comparative surface temperature studies of DRLs using paired samples (DRL vs. similar site on intact contralateral limb).

Subjects/Patients:  Thirty‐six volunteer subjects with unilateral, upper or lower limb amputations were recruited and evaluated at a pain research center in an urban academic rehabilitation facility.

Methods:  Our main outcomes were subjects’ residual limb temperature as measured by quantitative infrared telethermography (qIRT), temperature strips, and examiner's palpation, compared with the contralateral limb.

Results:  The qIRT showed that the DRLs were significantly cooler than the corresponding area of the contralateral intact limbs (P < 0.01). The difference using temperature strips supported this finding (P < 0.05); while on physical examination, 39% of the residual limbs were perceived by the examiner as cooler than the corresponding unaffected limbs.

Conclusions:  DRLs as measured by qIRT were significantly cooler than the corresponding area of the contralateral intact limbs. A better understanding of these findings may be important in elucidating the pathophysiology of relevant clinical features such as a potential sympathetic component of postamputation pain. ▪
Introduction: The Future of Luther Studies
Authors: Saarinen Risto , Lavery Jason
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This article is an introduction to the theme articles published in this issue of Dialog. The articles derive from a workshop held in Helsinki in September 2007. They aim at identifying topics of current research that will continue to be relevant to Luther studies in the future.
Luther Studies in Germany—The Presence and Absence of Theology
Authors: Leppin Volker
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  German Luther studies are still affected by the constellation of the years after the Second World War. Gerhard Ebeling's interpretation of Luther continues to frame the discourse. At the same time, in both systematic theology and church history, genuine interest in Luther has waned. There are some approaches that promise change. Some contributions in systematic theology have revealed the complex character of Luther's theology. Luther is becoming more contextualized. Most significant is the study of Luther with a view to medieval piety, especially mysticism.
The American Luther
Authors: Helmer Christine
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This essay introduces important developments in recent Luther scholarship in America and argues for a specific retrieval of Luther for contemporary religious and theological issues, such as the problem of evil and the role of experience in theology. The essay describes how contemporary feminist and liberation theologies have recontextualized Luther in America. Also addressed is the current interest in historical investigations of Luther in relation to medieval thought that aligns with the American reception of Finnish scholarship on Luther. These developments show that the American Luther is moving beyond its fundamental shaping by German Protestantism.
The Future of Luther's Theology
Authors: Hendrix Scott H.
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  Some historical observations need to be made about Luther in his own time before his thought can be made useful for our future. First, theology was a collaborative undertaking for Luther and his Wittenberg colleagues. Second, theology was tied to their Reformation agenda of teaching a new way of practicing Christianity in accord with the gospel. That agenda required radical changes: a conversion of religious efforts to please God into advocacy of the neighbor; expansion of the church beyond Rome into an ecumenical assembly of holy and active believers; and a theological reorganization of public life that blurred the line between theology and ethics. In these areas, adapted to the 21st century, lies the greatest utility of Luther's theology for the future.
Marriage as Discipleship: Luther's Praise of Married Life
Authors: Strohl Jane E.
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This article reviews the Luther's evangelical understanding of sexuality and marriage and its theological roots. Marriage is a demanding vocation. But while Luther speaks honestly about the perilous and painful challenges of marriage, he is also sensitive to the delights of love and courtship, giving beautiful expression to the joys of marriage.
Luther Research and Ecumenism
Authors: Dieter Theodor
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  The article discusses the fundamental conceptual problems underlying the ecumenical vocabulary. These problems result from issues present available in academic studies that often aim at emphasizing the great divide between Luther and medieval theology, as well as providing a justification for the specific and distinctive characteristics of Lutheran theology. The author aims at overcoming the problematic confessionalism which results from these conceptual presuppositions.
Luther and China
Authors: Ruokanen Miikka
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  Luther, a founding father of Protestant Christianity, has a promising future in Chinese theology and in the study of Christianity in China, both in the theological seminaries and in the secular universities. As a theologian, he has the potential to greatly impact Chinese Christian thought and he remains a model of social reform. He can be a source of inspiration for Chinese theologians and scholars who are creating in their own cultural contexts new ways of constructing an authentic Chinese Christian theology
On the (Ir)Relevance of Lutheran Theology: Teaching Lutheran Theology in Tanzania
Authors: Vähäkangas Mika
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  The Lutheran interpretation of the gospel we have preached and taught in Tanzania finds little resonance. This may be due to our individualistic and guilt‐oriented, narrow reading of Luther. Luther's theology may again become relevant in Tanzania should it find local interpretations. Good news can indeed be glad tidings when the Word meets human need and anguish. The dominating questions of the human condition change between cultures, societies and times. Our context is not 16th century Wittenberg.
Reflections on the Hymnody in ELW
Authors: Folkemer Beth Bergeron
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This article discusses the author's experiences on the ELW hymnody editorial team. The theologically and musically trained team considered a wide variety of hymns seeking to balance the needs of the church with the realities of the size limits of a printed volume, in order to produce a work that is able to serve the church well in diverse contexts.
The Missional Shape of Worship in Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Authors: Schattauer Thomas H.
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  Mission stands out as an orienting concept in ELW unlike its predecessors. ELW has a missional theological framework as well as a practical missional orientation, a situation in which worship and mission are understood and practiced in relation to one another. It is possible that ELW will help congregations claim the missional character of worship.
Introducing ELW: Facilitating a Smooth Transition
Authors: Hawkins Karen Salvo
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  The author discusses how a combination of trust and teaching helped make the transition from the LBW to ELW more of a pleasurable transition than anticipated. While several characteristics of ELW have proved troublesome, the pattern of trust and teaching built over eleven years, along with flexibility, made it work.
A Parish Pastor's View of Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Authors: Purdum Elizabeth
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  Introducing ELW has been an adventure with many highlights and a few disappointments. This congregation still prints everything in a bulletin, but notes that ELW gives a congregation freedom to use alternatives in the liturgy. ELW will be useful for years to come.
The Assembly as the Body of Christ: A Case Against the Omission of LBW's Offertory Prayers
Authors: Oldenburg Mark W.
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  This article examines the offertory prayers in ELW, comparing them to the two prayers found in LBW. The author argues that the prayers in ELW have lost the spirituality of stewardship suggested by the prayers in LBW, and no longer maintain the important connection to Pauline theology, whereby the Christian understands his/her whole life, including time, talents, and money, to be offered back to God as a living sacrifice.
Coil Embolization of an Iatrogenic Coronary Artery to Cardiac Vein Fistula After Rotational Atherectomy
Authors: KIERNAN TOM , YAN BRYAN P. , ROSENFIELD KENNETH , GUPTA VISHAL
Published: May 2008

Iatrogenic coronary arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are a rare albeit serious complication of percutaneous coronary artery intervention. We report, to our knowledge, the first case of an AVF originating from the left anterior descending artery (LAD), draining into the great cardiac vein as a result of rotational atherectomy in a complex calcified lesion, complicated by congestive cardiac failure and subsequent percutaneous coil embolization of the AVF.
Systems biology approaches for the study of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Quintana Francisco J. , Farez Mauricio F. , Weiner Howard L.
Published: May 2008

Introduction

Genomics

Transcriptomics

Proteomics

Metabolomics

Integration of data from different ‘omics' approaches

New experimental models

Conclusions

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurological disease caused by an autoimmune attack to the central nervous system (CNS). MS is thought to result from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. In this review, we analyse the contribution of genomics, trancriptomics and proteomics in delineating these factors, as well as their utility for the monitoring of disease progression, the identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention and the early detection of individuals at risk.
Cleavage of desmoglein 3 can explain its depletion from keratinocytes in pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Cirillo Nicola , Campisi Giuseppina , Gombos Fernando , Perillo Letizia , Femiano Felice , Lanza Alessandro
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  We have previously demonstrated that serum of patients with pemphigus vulgaris induces reduction of desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) half‐life in keratinocytes (FEBS Lett 2006: 580: 3276). This phenomenon seems to occur as a consequence of the progressive depletion of Dsg3 from desmosomes. Here we reported that reduction of full‐length Dsg3 may be due to its progressive cleavage, leading to the formation of two fragmentation products with apparent molecular masses of about 60 kDa (fragment 1) and 70 kDa (fragment 2), as revealed by Western blotting. Unexpectedly, analysis of fragmentation pattern suggested cleavage to occur intracellularly. Consistently, fragment 1 was shed and localized within the cytosol, as shown by living cell immunofluorescence microscopy. Total amounts of full‐length plakoglobin and Dsg1 were apparently unchanged. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that proteolytic processing of Dsg3 can lead to depletion of Dsg3 from the cell.
A new paradigm of eosinophil granulocytes: neuroimmune interactions
Authors: Raap Ulrike , Wardlaw Andrew J.
Published: May 2008

Abstract: Eosinophil granulocytes have long been regarded as potent effector cells with the potential to release an array of inflammatory mediators involved in cytotoxicity to helminths and tissue destruction in chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma. However, it has become evident that eosinophils are also involved in regulatory mechanisms modulating local tissue immune responses. Eosinophils take part in remodelling and repair mechanisms and contribute to the localized innate and acquired immune response as well as systemic adaptive immunity. In addition, eosinophils are involved in neuroimmune interactions modulating the functional activity of peripheral nerves. Neuromediators can also modulate the functional activity of eosinophils, revealing bidirectional interactions between the two cell types. Eosinophils are tissue‐resident cells and have been found in close vicinity of peripheral nerves. This review describes neuroimmune interactions between eosinophil granulocytes and peripheral nerves and highlights why eosinophils are important in allergic diseases such as asthma.
Trafficking of Vesicular Neurotransmitter Transporters
Authors: Fei Hao , Grygoruk Anna , Brooks Elizabeth S. , Chen Audrey , Krantz David E.
Published: May 2008

Vesicular neurotransmitter transporters are required for the storage of all classical and amino acid neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles. Transporter expression can influence neurotransmitter storage and release, and trafficking targets the transporters to different types of secretory vesicles. Vesicular transporters traffic to synaptic vesicles (SVs) as well as large dense core vesicles and are recycled to SVs at the nerve terminal. Some of the intrinsic signals for these trafficking events have been defined and include a dileucine motif present in multiple transporter subtypes, an acidic cluster in the neural isoform of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) 2 and a polyproline motif in the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) 1. The sorting of VMAT2 and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter to secretory vesicles is regulated by phosphorylation. In addition, VGLUT1 uses alternative endocytic pathways for recycling back to SVs following exocytosis. Regulation of these sorting events has the potential to influence synaptic transmission and behavior.
Kinky perceived demand curves and Keynes–Negishi equilibria
Authors: Drèze Jacques H. , Herings P. Jean‐Jacques
Published: May 2008

The label “Keynes–Negishi equilibria” is attached here to equilibria in a monetary economy with imperfectly competitive product and labor markets where business firms and labor unions hold demand perceptions with kinks: as posited in Negishi's 1979 book Microeconomic Foundations of Keynesian Macroeconomics. Such equilibria are defined in a general equilibrium model, and shown to exist. Methodological implications are briefly discussed in a concluding section.
Stability of a competitive economy: A reconsideration
Authors: Mukherji Anjan
Published: May 2008

Negishi (1962) suggested that price adjustment was a means of attaining a particular optimum rather than an equilibrium; this provides the starting point for the present paper. Using a gradient process to arrive at an optimum, the paper shows that with proper distribution of endowments, this process may be considered to be an actual price adjustment process. The role of a proper distribution is investigated further and related to the existing published literature. It is also shown that if the distribution of endowments satisfies certain regularity features then the equilibrium will be globally stable under the classical price adjustment rule where price adjustment is proportional to excess demand.
Unnoticed predecessors of the early Negishi theorems
Authors: Negishi Takashi
Published: May 2008

From the studies of the history of economic thought, we can learn that many theorems of the modern general equilibrium theory were well anticipated in the classical economics and the economics of the marginal revolution. For example, first, what Johann Heinrich von Thünen (1783–1850) did, in his strange theory of natural wage, can be interpreted as an early, pioneering attempt to use the so‐called Negishi method (1960), which is now intensively used for the proof of the existence theorem and the numerical calculation of a general equilibrium. Second, as is well known, no exchanged transactions are permitted out of equilibria in the famous Walrasian tatonnement adjustment process towards market equilibria. Against this, the importance of transactions carried out at disequilibria is emphasized in the studies of the so‐called Hahn–Negishi non‐tatonnement process (1962). As a matter of fact, in the classical economics, this is exactly what William Thomas Thornton (1813–1380) insisted against the authority of John Stuart Mill (1800–1873). Finally, subjectively perceived (often kinked) demand curves are considered in my proof of the existence of a general equilibrium in the case of monopolistic competition (1961). To my surprise, however, I found later that such demand curves were already hidden in Adam Smith's (1723–1790) consideration of markets and the division of labor, and that the increase of demand never fails to lower the price of goods.