bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Pastoral Perspective on the Jackson-Carman Controversy, 1908-1910
Authors: Redcliffe Gary
Published: March 2013

In the I909-10 academic year, a furious controversy arose in the Faculty of Theology of Victoria University (in the University of Toronto) when Rev. George Jackson stated his support of higher criticism as a method for understanding and explaining the Bible. The ensuing confrontation between modernists and traditionalists was so intense that it divided the Methodist church and stirred up passions in the general public which found expression in newspaper editorials and articles. These events have already been carefully chronicled by several historians. However, I would like to offer a new insight into that conflict from a two-dimensional, pastoral-theological perspective. First, I plan to use a fresh combination of pastoral tools, blending historical research with the insights of cultural anthropology. Second, I will argue through this method the proposition that at the heart of the conflict was the symbolic role of the Bible in the life of the Methodist church and in society generally.
Book Reviews
Authors: LeMarquand Grant , Irwin Brian , Jervis Ann , Knowles Michael , Hayes Alan , Epp Marlene , Taylor Marion , Porre Heljie , Faulkner Tom , O'Regan James , Wells HArold
Published: March 2013

Cain Hope Felder, ed., Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation, reviewed by Grant LeMarquand

Stanley N. Rosenbaum, Amos of Israel: A New Interpretation, reviewed by Brian P. Irwin

Christiaan Beker, The Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul's Thought, reviewed by L. Ann Jervis

J. Andrew Overman, Matthew's Gospel and Formative Judaism: The Social World of the Matthean Community, reviewed by Michael P. Knowles

G.R. Evans and J. Robert Wright, The Anglican Tradition: A Handbook of Sources, reviewed by Alan L. Hayes

William Janzen, Limits on Liberty: The Experience of Mennonite, Hutterite, and Doukhobor Communities in Canada, reviewed by Marlene Epp

Mark S. Massa, Charles Augustus Briggs and the Crisis of Historical Criticism, reviewed by Marion Taylor

Elizabeth Rapley, The Devotes: Women and the Church in Seventeenth-Century France, reviewed by Helje Porn!

Margeurite Van Die, An Evangelical Mind: Nathaniel Burwash and the Methodist Tradition in Canada, 1839-1918, reviewed by Tom Sinclair-Faulkner

Joyce Ann Zimmerman, Liturgy as Language of Faith: A Liturgical Methodology in the Mode of Paul Ricoeur's Textual Hermeneutics, reviewed by James O'Regan

Jürgen Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ: Christogy in Messianic Dimensions, reviewed by 3
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven
Authors: Cotter Wendy
Published: March 2013

The parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven have produced a wealth of scholarly discussion. In their investigations, scholars often address the question of the historical Jesus' intended meaning. I have chosen, instead, to examine the issue of the parables' significance within the context of the first layer of Q.

I will begin by comparing and contrasting the Q version of the parables with the versions found in Mark and the Gospel a/Thomas, to isolate the distinctive features of the Q rendition. Second, I will examine the character of the parable imagery, paying special attention to any apparent Septuagintal allusions and to evidence from the Greco-Roman world. Third, I will discuss the distinguishing features of the Q parables in relation to other Q material. In the light of that discussion, the meaning of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven parables in Q will be proposed.
Monarchy, Community, Anarchy: The Kingdom of God in Paul and Q
Authors: Vaage Leif
Published: March 2013

In western civilization, from the dying days of the Israelite amphictyony to the current hopes of Latin American liberation theology, one imagined solution to a variety of social problems has been 'the kingdom of God.' The final word in good government would be this divine reign. The consummation of our quest for learning how to live together would be found in a theocracy. Though what exactly 'God's kingdom' means at the level of concrete political choice remains undetermined.

As a symbol, the kingdom of God has promoted very dissimilar political programmes. Behind much of the tradition of western social philosophy lies a 'cultural conversation' in which the system that would best approximate this reign is debated. I will consider here the term's significance in Paul and Q.
Symposium or Anti-Symposium? Reflections on Luke 14:1-24
Authors: Braun Willi
Published: March 2013

When Aristotle said of style in the making of an argument that 'the way in which a thing is said does affect its intelligibility," he reluctantly conceded (owing to the average hearer's 'defects') that facts and proofs alone may not produce persuasion. How one says what is to be said matters, for it is largely in the attention to the manner of speaking that the stuff to be communicated (logos) is armed with affective power over the disposition (pathos) of the audience. This basic rhetorical principle, which I here enlarge to mean the general accommodation of speech to the prevailing conventions and codes of communication in a particular society, is no less valid as a force in the early Christian articulation of the traditions about Jesus. The thorough-going rhetoricity of these traditions manifests itself in various patterns of argumentative composition in the synoptic gospels2 and, during the pre-synoptic stages of transmission, in the predominance of units encoded in typically Hellenistic, rhetorically useful Gattungen (chreiai, miracle stories, analogies). This early Christian option for standard Hellenistic genres, rhetorical figures and patterns of argumentation was not borne of a frivolous fancy for 'flowery speech,' censured even in the rhetorical world of antiquity, but of the need to forge a discourse of persuasion that would be useful for Christian communal formation (paideia) and promotion (mission), a discourse, therefore, that necessarily 'rested ultimately upon cultural conventions and traditions that were shared and in force' in the Hellenistic world, the 'home' of the Christian community 'from the first,' as Heinz Guenther has shown with compelling persuasiveness.
Absent Joy: An Investigation of the Narrative Pattern of Repetition and Variation in the Parables of Luke 15
Authors: Kozar Joseph
Published: March 2013

The fifteenth chapter of Luke's gospel has been recognized as a literary unit. Perhaps because of the length of the Lost Son parable, however, few critics have interpreted the chapter as a whole. Many commentators, moreover, explain the parables of Luke 15 primarily in terms of their detailed reconstructions of first century life. Yet parables, which seem at first glance to present realistic pictures, are narrative fictions whose world of reference cannot be exhausted by reference to everyday scenes from Palestine.
In Memoriam: Romney McIvor Moseley
Authors: Slater Peter
Published: March 2013

Romney Moseley died suddenly on May 31, 1992, while presiding at the Eucharist in the parish church of St. Michael and All Angels, Toronto. He was 48 years old. It was to have been announced that week that he had been appointed to an endowed Chair in Pastoral Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.

In his four short years on the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College, Romney Moseley left an indelible mark on the Faculty and on the Anglican Church in Canada. For the latter, he had prepared its first major report on multiculturalism and was to have addressed General Synod this June in support of its recommendations. He had become the articulate and respected spokesperson for the growing number of members of the Canadian Church of West Indian origin and was attracting students to his classes from many different backgrounds and denominations, who were interested in his approach to congregational analysis and theological ethics.
On Systematic Ecclesiology
Authors: Haight Roger
Published: March 2013

Since the introduction of historical consciousness into the Roman Catholic Church by Vatican II, systematic ecclesiology has, practically speaking, disappeared. The disappearance appears all the more remarkable against the background of the dogmatic synthesis in place prior to the council. This system is reflected in the manuals used for the training of clergy. Behind them lay a tradition of the teaching of ecclesiologists in Europe generally, and particularly at the Gregorian University in Rome, stretching back into the nineteenth century. But since Vatican' II, it has been difficult if not impossible to find a succinct, basic, integral, and adequate characterization of the church in systematic form in English. What one finds are historical treatments of the church, narrative ecclesiologies, and essays on method in ecclesiology. So striking is the absence of a systematic ecclesiology that one might ask whether or not such a thing is possible or, if possible, desirable.
The Canon and the Truth: Brevard Childs and James Barr on the Canon and the Historical-Critical Method I
Authors: Topping Richard
Published: March 2013

Brevard Childs recently proposed that 'the canon of the church is the most appropriate context from which to do biblical theology,' and has fleshed this proposal out in greater detail in his canonical introductions to the Old and New Testaments. In both, he underscores the hermeneutic priority of the canonical form of the text of scripture for exegesis serving the corporate life of the church, over against attempts to interpret scripture by either historicizing the text or by decontextualizing aspects of it (Le., by locating the hermeneutic key to the text in a history behind or in an experience in front of it). The 'canonical approach' is thus a hermeneutic proposal designating the final canonical form of the biblical text as the starting point for exegesis aimed at serving the communal life of the church. To appreciate the constraints under which Childs articulates this proposal it will be useful to observe, in the first place, the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century historical-critical consensus on the development and significance of the canon, in contrast with which Childs makes his own 'canonical' proposal.

In the second section of the paper I will examine James Barr's objections to Childs' canonical method. Here I note Barr's objections to, firstly, the apparent irrelevance that historical-critical reconstruction has for canonical exegesis and. secondly, the apparent severance between scriptural text and objective reality which is consequent on Childs' rejection of an extratextual hermeneutic datum. Finally, I want to explore Barr's objections in conversation with Childs' canonical proposal and other recent hermeneutic proposals. Barr's objections to Childs' canonical approach to scriptural exegesis represent a defence of the Enlightenment tradition of free critical reason and fails, for the most part, to take account of some recent theological/hermeneutic developments. Finally, I make a suggestion concerning one area in which Childs might more fully develop his canonical approach to exegesis and thus assuage the anxieties of some of his more friendly critics.
Kierkegaard's Acknowledged Works: Introduction to Four Essays
Authors: Khan Abrahim
Published: March 2013

In the academic study of Kierkegaard, if there is a kind of deception and even conspiracy, it is perhaps most evident in the way many scholars seem to carefully restrict their attention to the pseudonymous works. Consequently the acknowledged works — those Kierkegaard signed in his own name and which by his own account constitute the core of his large and complex corpus - seem to play an ancillary role in attempts to explore, interpret, and present the philosopher's thought. A different genre of literature, these works sustain or impart to Kierkegaard's authorship, spanning 1841—1855, a religious tenor. In the Danish third edition of the Samlede Vaerker, they include with the primarily religious discourses the attack literature.
Erotic Deception into Agapeic Truth
Authors: Goicocechea David
Published: March 2013

Kierkegaard's radical, existential understanding of the person implies a new approach to 'Truth and Method' and also, therefore, to the philosophy of education. He understands the person as 'a relation that relates itself to itself and in relating itself to itself relates itself to another'. This definition, moving away from the concept of the person as 'an individual substance of a rational nature,' stresses rather that the person is 'a relational agent of loving transcendence.' Implied by this revolutionary understanding of personal being is the new understanding of truth as 'objective uncertainty held fast in the appropriation process of passionate inwardness'. But I shall not deal here with the notion of person or truth. Instead, I will concentrate on Kierkegaard's existential method and pedagogy, and clarify his way of thinking and teaching as 'a deceiving into truth.'
Work, Text, and the Power of Interpretation
Authors: Fisher David
Published: March 2013

Questions of interpretation are always questions of authority: the authority of what is being interpreted; the authority of the interpreter and her methods; and, ultimately, the authority of the community of interpretation within which acts of interpretation take place. In this last regard, the authoritative base of an interpretative community becomes an urgent question when the community confronts a legitimation crisis. It is arguable that the Episcopal Church now faces such a crisis as it seeks to respond to what William James would call a "forced option." The "forced option" in question is the demand for resolution of a wide range of issues involving human sexuality. It is a central feature of forced options that persuasive arguments, based on different aspects of community tradition, can be made for opposing positions. Faced with this situation the Church is forced to ask itself how it understands relationships between the various norms through which Divine authority is mediated.
Master Builder and Copestone of the Portal: Images of the Mission of Jesus
Authors: Meyer Ben
Published: March 2013

In English-language scholarship over the past four or five years we have had a fair amount of new thinking on the historic figure Jesus but with few exceptions (of which the best, Sean Freyne's Galilee, Jesus and the Gospels, came from Ireland), the new thinking, whatever its other worth, has had little directly religious or theological bearing. After Bultmann's death in 1976 there were seemingly no theologians on the scene pressing new and persuasive interpretations of Jesus' mission and its meaning for us. Theological interests suddenly ceased to figure in North American historical-Jesus scholarship. Their place was taken by the social sciences and literary theory.
Judaism After the Holocaust
Authors: Marmur Dow
Published: March 2013

A quarter of a century ago, the leading Jewish theological journal, Judaism, published a symposium under the title, "Jewish Values in the Post-Holocaust Future.” One of the participants was Emil Fackenheim, at the time a professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto. His contribution to the symposium is best remembered for the startling assertion that Auschwitz, in all its horror and tragedy, has, almost like a second Sinai, given the Jewish people an additional commandment — sometimes called the eleventh, after the biblical ten; sometimes the 614th, after the rabbinic 613 — to survive, and thus deprive Hitler of a posthumous victory. The Nazis wanted to exterminate the Jewish people; by its continued existence despite the tragedy, the Jewish people defeats their monstrous purpose. Jewish survival thus becomes, in the thought of Emil Fackenheim, a category in Jewish theology: The existence of Jews determines the nature of Judaism.
Before the Holy Mystery: Karl Rahner's Thoughts on God
Authors: Galvin John
Published: March 2013

Fifty-six years ago, in the year 1937, a minor journal of priestly spirituality published by the seminary of the Archdiocese of Vienna carried in each of its ten issues a brief meditation. Written in the form of personal prayers, each instalment reflected on an aspect of the author's relationship to God: God of my life; God of my Lord Jesus Christ; God of my prayers; God of my daily routine; God and freedom; God and death. None of the instalments exceeded five pages in length. Published anonymously, the series was introduced solely by a laconic editorial observation in the January issue: "We begin a series of meditations which treat our relationship to God and which were submitted by a source very worthy of attention; we draw special attention to them because of their depth and simplicity."
The thermodynamics of boron extraction from liquid silicon using SiO2–CaO–MgO slag treatment
Authors: White Jesse F. , Allertz Carl , Du Sichen
Published: March 2013

In the refining of solar-grade silicon using slag treatment, boron dissolved in the silicon is oxidized and rejected to a liquid oxide (slag) phase. In this study the partitioning of boron between liquid silicon and SiO2–CaO–MgO slags was examined at 1 873 K over a range of slag compositions and oxygen partial pressures. It was found that the distribution of boron is indeed dependent on both the slag composition and the oxygen partial pressure. The concentration of MgO seems to have little impact on the partition ratio.
The catalytic effect of iron on the graphitization of diamonds
Authors: Peçanha Matheus Paes , Filgueira Marcello
Published: March 2013

The objective of this work is to study the graphitization of diamonds due to the presence of iron. Composites of Fe-15 wt.% diamonds were processed by means of conventional powder metallurgy with the parameters of cold pressing at 350 MPa and sintering at 1100°C/360 min. The oxidative behavior of diamonds was analyzed using thermal analysis. The influence of sintering was analyzed through microstructural investigation by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The absorption bands of the C–C bonds of the graphite and diamond structures were analyzed using infrared spectroscopy. The results show the intensity of graphitization in the presence of Fe, and that the temperature utilized in the experiments was appropriate.
Effect of Hexamethylene Diisocyanate as Compatibilizer on the Mechanical Properties of Banana Fiber/Poly(butylene succinate) Composites
Authors: Kajiyama T. , Yasuda T. , Mimoto S. , Shimizu K. , Hayashi K. , Yamanaka T. , Murakami M.
Published: March 2013

We prepared banana fiber (BF)/poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) composites using hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a compatibilizer. BF was treated with NaOH aqueous solution (BF-A). Both BF/PBS/HDI and BF-A/PBS/HDI composites were made by applying a batch type twin-kneader at 130°C. Dumbbell specimens were prepared by an injection molding machine at 130°C. Effect of concentration of NaOH aq on tensile strength and impact strength, effect of amount of HDI on tensile strength and Izod impact strength, and effect of mixing time on tensile strength and Izod impact strength of BF/PBS/HDI and BF-A/PBS/HDI composites were studied. When contents of HDI in composites were increased, tensile strength increased. In addition, when mixing times were increased, tensile strength increased. Although the mechanical properties of PBS were first degraded with the addition of BF, alkaline treatment to BF and the addition of HDI improved the mechanical properties. This probably due to the promotion of the adhesion between BF and PBS. The surface morphology of the fracture surfaces of the composites were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It shows that higher mechanical properties can be expected from compatibilized composites based on BF-As with aliphatic polyesters.
Improving Melt Strength of Polylactic Acid
Authors: Liu X. , Yu L. , Dean K. , Toikka G. , Bateman S. , Nguyen T. , Yuan Q. , Filippou C.
Published: March 2013

Melt strength of polylactic acid (PLA) was improved through various modifications including grafting, crosslinking, chain extension, blending, plasticizing and nucleation. The results showed that melt strength was increased, to varying degrees, by crosslinking, chain extension and blending. In addition, melt strain (detected by velocity) was increased by chain extension, blending with elastomer, and plasticizing, but was decreased by crosslinking. The molecular weights, thermal properties and viscosity of the modified PLAs were also studied to investigate the causes of the observed variations in melt strength. Viscosity results generally corresponded with that of melt strength, but not with that of melt strain. With the exception of plasticizing and nucleation, the modifications had no significant effect on the thermal properties of PLA. The molecular weight (in particular the extremely large molecules representing by Mz) and the polydispersity of PLA were significantly increased after crosslinking and chain extension, which accounts for the observed increase in melt strength.
Mollification Based on Wavelets
Authors: Morita Tohru , Sato Ken-ichi
Published: March 2013

The mollification obtained by truncating the expansion in wavelets is studied, where the wavelets are so chosen that noise is reduced and the Gibbs phenomenon does not occur. The estimations of the error of approximation of the mollification are given for the case when the fractional derivative of a function is calculated. Noting that the estimations are applicable even when the orthogonality of the wavelets is not satisfied, we study mollifications using unorthogonalized wavelets, as well as those using orthogonal wavelets.
Entropy and Entropy Production: Old Misconceptions and New Breakthroughs
Authors: Martyushev Leonid
Published: March 2013

Persistent misconceptions existing for dozens of years and influencing progress in various fields of science are sometimes encountered in the scientific and especially, the popular-science literature. The present brief review deals with two such interrelated misconceptions (misunderstandings). The first misunderstanding: entropy is a measure of disorder. This is an old and very common opinion. The second misconception is that the entropy production minimizes in the evolution of nonequilibrium systems. However, as it has recently become clear, evolution (progress) in Nature demonstrates the opposite, i.e., maximization of the entropy production. The principal questions connected with this maximization are considered herein. The two misconceptions mentioned above can lead to the apparent contradiction between the conclusions of modern thermodynamics and the basic conceptions of evolution existing in biology. In this regard, the analysis of these issues seems extremely important and timely as it contributes to the deeper understanding of the laws of development of the surrounding World and the place of humans in it.
Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Camarosa and Selva Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.)
Authors: Van De Velde Franco , Tarola Anna , Güemes Daniel , Pirovani María
Published: March 2013

Strawberries represent an important source of bioactive compounds due to their vitamin C and phenolic compound levels, which present high antioxidant effects, beneficial for the maintenance of consumer’s health. Argentina is the second largest strawberry producer in The Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR), covering the main export destinations of Argentinian strawberries, i.e., Canada, United States, and European Union. Information about the bioactive compound occurrence and antioxidant capacity of these fruits is scarce or not available. Health related compounds of strawberry cultivars (Camarosa and Selva) from different zones of Argentina were investigated. Vitamin C content was in the same range for both studied cultivars. However, Camarosa strawberries, which are the most cultivated, consumed, and exported berries in Argentina, presented higher total phenolic and anthocyanins content, and consequently better in vitro antioxidant capacity. Moreover, there were differences in the occurrence and concentration in the phenolic compound profiles for both cultivars. Camarosa cultivar presented higher content of anthocyanidins, and Selva showed higher total ellagic acid content. The research shows that Argentina’s strawberries are an interesting source of bioactive compounds comparable to those in other parts of the world.
Climate Change is Likely to Worsen the Public Health Threat of Diarrheal Disease in Botswana
Authors: Alexander Kathleen , Carzolio Marcos , Goodin Douglas , Vance Eric
Published: March 2013

Diarrheal disease is an important health challenge, accounting for the majority of childhood deaths globally. Climate change is expected to increase the global burden of diarrheal disease but little is known regarding climate drivers, particularly in Africa. Using health data from Botswana spanning a 30-year period (1974–2003), we evaluated monthly reports of diarrheal disease among patients presenting to Botswana health facilities and compared this to climatic variables. Diarrheal case incidence presents with a bimodal cyclical pattern with peaks in March (ANOVA p < 0.001) and October (ANOVA p < 0.001) in the wet and dry season, respectively. There is a strong positive autocorrelation (p < 0.001) in the number of reported diarrhea cases at the one-month lag level. Climatic variables (rainfall, minimum temperature, and vapor pressure) predicted seasonal diarrheal with a one-month lag in variables (p < 0.001). Diarrheal case incidence was highest in the dry season after accounting for other variables, exhibiting on average a 20% increase over the yearly mean (p < 0.001). Our analysis suggests that forecasted climate change increases in temperature and decreases in precipitation may increase dry season diarrheal disease incidence with hot, dry conditions starting earlier and lasting longer. Diarrheal disease incidence in the wet season is likely to decline. Our results identify significant health-climate interactions, highlighting the need for an escalated public health focus on controlling diarrheal disease in Botswana. Study findings have application to other arid countries in Africa where diarrheal disease is a persistent public health problem.
The Molecular Fingerprint of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Reflects Its Fallopian Tube Origin
Authors: Kessler Mirjana , Fotopoulou Christina , Meyer Thomas
Published: March 2013

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), the most lethal and frequent type of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), has poor long term prognosis due to a combination of factors: late detection, great metastatic potential and the capacity to develop resistance to available therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, there has been considerable controversy concerning the etiology of this malignancy. New studies, both clinical and molecular, strongly suggest that HGSC originates not from the surface of the ovary, but from the epithelial layer of the neighboring fallopian tube fimbriae. In this paper we summarize data supporting the central role of fallopian tube epithelium in the development of HGSC. Specifically, we address cellular pathways and regulatory mechanisms which are modulated in the process of transformation, but also genetic changes which accumulate during disease progression. Similarities between fallopian tube mucosa and the malignant tissue of HGSC warrant a closer analysis of homeostatic mechanisms in healthy epithelium in order to elucidate key steps in disease development. Finally, we highlight the importance of the cancer stem cell (CSC) identification and understanding of its niche regulation for improvement of therapeutic strategies.
Transgenerational, Dynamic Methylation of Stomata Genes in Response to Low Relative Humidity
Authors: Tricker Penny , López Carlos , Gibbings George , Hadley Paul , Wilkinson Mike
Published: March 2013

Transgenerational inheritance of abiotic stress-induced epigenetic modifications in plants has potential adaptive significance and might condition the offspring to improve the response to the same stress, but this is at least partly dependent on the potency, penetrance and persistence of the transmitted epigenetic marks. We examined transgenerational inheritance of low Relative Humidity-induced DNA methylation for two gene loci in the stomatal developmental pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana and the abundance of associated short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Heritability of low humidity-induced methylation was more predictable and penetrative at one locus (SPEECHLESS, entropy ≤ 0.02; χ2 < 0.001) than the other (FAMA, entropy ≤ 0.17; χ2 ns). Methylation at SPEECHLESS correlated positively with the continued presence of local siRNAs (r2 = 0.87; p = 0.013) which, however, could be disrupted globally in the progeny under repeated stress. Transgenerational methylation and a parental low humidity-induced stomatal phenotype were heritable, but this was reversed in the progeny under repeated treatment in a previously unsuspected manner.
Aptamers and Their Potential to Selectively Target Aspects of EGF, Wnt/β-Catenin and TGFβ–Smad Family Signaling
Authors: Conidi Andrea , Van den Berghe Veronique , Huylebroeck Danny
Published: March 2013

The smooth identification and low-cost production of highly specific agents that interfere with signaling cascades by targeting an active domain in surface receptors, cytoplasmic and nuclear effector proteins, remain important challenges in biomedical research. We propose that peptide aptamers can provide a very useful and new alternative for interfering with protein–protein interactions in intracellular signal transduction cascades, including those emanating from activated receptors for growth factors. By their targeting of short, linear motif type of interactions, peptide aptamers have joined nucleic acid aptamers for use in signaling studies because of their ease of production, their stability, their high specificity and affinity for individual target proteins, and their use in high-throughput screening protocols. Furthermore, they are entering clinical trials for treatment of several complex, pathological conditions. Here, we present a brief survey of the use of aptamers in signaling pathways, in particular of polypeptide growth factors, starting with the published as well as potential applications of aptamers targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor signaling. We then discuss the opportunities for using aptamers in other complex pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, and focus on Transforming Growth Factor-β/Smad family signaling.
Protein Contribution to Plant Salinity Response and Tolerance Acquisition
Authors: Kosová Klára , Prášil Ilja , Vítámvás Pavel
Published: March 2013

The review is focused on plant proteome response to salinity with respect to physiological aspects of plant salt stress response. The attention is paid to both osmotic and ionic effects of salinity stress on plants with respect to several protein functional groups. Therefore, the role of individual proteins involved in signalling, changes in gene expression, protein biosynthesis and degradation and the resulting changes in protein relative abundance in proteins involved in energy metabolism, redox metabolism, stress- and defence-related proteins, osmolyte metabolism, phytohormone, lipid and secondary metabolism, mechanical stress-related proteins as well as protein posttranslational modifications are discussed. Differences between salt-sensitive (glycophytes) and salt-tolerant (halophytes) plants are analysed with respect to differential salinity tolerance. In conclusion, contribution of proteomic studies to understanding plant salinity tolerance is summarised and discussed.
Effects of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Biopolymer Encapsulation on Lipid Metabolism in Mice
Authors: Hur Sun , Kim Doo , Chun Se , Lee Si
Published: March 2013

Forty mice were randomly divided into four groups on the basis of the diet to be fed as follows: 5% (low) fat diet (T1: LF); 20% (high) fat diet (T2: HF); 20% fat containing 1% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (T3: HFC); and 20% fat containing 1% CLA with 0.5% biopolymers (T4: HFCB). The high-fat with CLA diet groups (HFC and HFCB) and the low-fat diet group (LF) tended to have lower body weights and total adipose tissue weights than those of the high-fat diet group (HF). Serum leptin and triglyceride were significantly lower in the high fat with CLA-fed groups (HFC and HFCB) and the low-fat diet group (LF) than those in the high-fat diet group (HF). It is noteworthy that the high-fat with CLA and biopolymers group (HFCB) showed the lowest serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations. In the high-fat-fed group (HF), voluntary travel distance as a measure of physical activity decreased after three weeks of feeding. However, the CLA-fed groups showed increased physical activity. The groups fed high-fat diets supplemented with CLA alone and with CLA and biopolymers had higher viscosity of small intestinal contents than that in the low- and high-fat dietary groups.
Auxin and Cytokinin Metabolism and Root Morphological Modifications in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings Infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or Exposed to Cadmium
Authors: Vitti Antonella , Nuzzaci Maria , Scopa Antonio , Tataranni Giuseppe , Remans Tony , Vangronsveld Jaco , Sofo Adriano
Published: March 2013

Arabidopsis thaliana L. is a model plant but little information is available about morphological root changes as part of a phytohormonal common response against both biotic and abiotic stressors. For this purpose, two-week-old Arabidopsis seedlings were treated with 10 µM CdSO4 or infected with CMV. After 12 days the entire aerial parts and the root system were analyzed, and the presence of CMV or the accumulation of Cd were detected. Microscopic analysis revealed that both CMV and Cd influenced root morphology by a marked development in the length of root hairs and an intense root branching if compared to controls. Among the three treatments, Cd-treated seedlings showed a shorter root axis length and doubled their lateral root diameter, while the lateral roots of CMV-infected seedlings were the longest. The root growth patterns were accompanied by significant changes in the levels of indole-3-acetic acid, trans-zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin riboside, as a probable consequence of the regulation of some genes involved in their biosynthesis/degradation. The opposite role on root development played by the phythormones studied is discussed in detail. The results obtained could provide insights into novel strategies for plant defense against pathogens and plant protection against pollutants.
Alginate-Based Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine Applications
Authors: Sun Jinchen , Tan Huaping
Published: March 2013

Alginate is a natural polysaccharide exhibiting excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, having many different applications in the field of biomedicine. Alginate is readily processable for applicable three-dimensional scaffolding materials such as hydrogels, microspheres, microcapsules, sponges, foams and fibers. Alginate-based biomaterials can be utilized as drug delivery systems and cell carriers for tissue engineering. Alginate can be easily modified via chemical and physical reactions to obtain derivatives having various structures, properties, functions and applications. Tuning the structure and properties such as biodegradability, mechanical strength, gelation property and cell affinity can be achieved through combination with other biomaterials, immobilization of specific ligands such as peptide and sugar molecules, and physical or chemical crosslinking. This review focuses on recent advances in the use of alginate and its derivatives in the field of biomedical applications, including wound healing, cartilage repair, bone regeneration and drug delivery, which have potential in tissue regeneration applications.
Synthesis of Esters of Ginsenoside Metabolite M1 and Their Cytotoxicity on MGC80-3 Cells
Authors: Li Wen-Fang , Chen Li-Rong , Gong Xiao-Jie , Li Zheng-Ning , Li Ke-Ke
Published: March 2013

Monoesters of ginsenoside metabolite M1 at the 3-OH, 4-OH and 6-OH positions of the glucose moiety at M1 were synthesized via the reaction of M1 with acyl chloride, or acid-N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide in the presence of DMAP. Their structures were fully characterized by spectral methods. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against then MGC80-3 human gastric cancer cell line was also assessed. High inhibitory effects were found at a concentration of 100 μg/mL.
Probing Ionic Liquid Aqueous Solutions Using Temperature of Maximum Density Isotope Effects
Authors: Tariq Mohammad , Esperança José , Rebelo Luís , Lopes José
Published: March 2013

This work is a new development of an extensive research program that is investigating for the first time shifts in the temperature of maximum density (TMD) of aqueous solutions caused by ionic liquid solutes. In the present case we have compared the shifts caused by three ionic liquid solutes with a common cation—1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium coupled with acetate, ethylsulfate and tetracyanoborate anions—in normal and deuterated water solutions. The observed differences are discussed in terms of the nature of the corresponding anion-water interactions.
Anti-Inflammatory Cycloartane-Type Saponins of Astragalus membranaceus
Authors: Lee Dae-Young , Noh Hyung-Jun , Choi Jehun , Lee Kyeong-Hee , Lee Min-Ho , Lee Ji-Hyun , Hong Yoonpyo , Lee Seung-Eun , Kim Seung-Yu , Kim Geum-Soog
Published: March 2013

A new cycloartane-type triterpene glycoside, agroastragaloside V (1) was isolated from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus. The structure was identified as 3-O-β-(2'-O-acetyl)-D-xylopyranosyl-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(24S)-3β,6α,24α,25-tetrahydroxy- 9,19-cyclolanostane, by means of spectroscopic methods, including HR-FAB/MS, 1D NMR (1H, 13C, DEPT), 2D NMR (gCOSY, gHSQC, gHMBC, NOESY), and IR spectroscopy. Four known cycloartane glycosides, namely, agroastragaloside I (2), agroastragaloside II (3), isoastragaloside II (4) and astragaloside IV (5) were also isolated. All isolated compounds were tested for the ability to inhibit LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages.
In Situ Formation of Steroidal Supramolecular Gels Designed for Drug Release
Authors: Bunzen Hana , Kolehmainen Erkki
Published: March 2013

In this work, a steroidal gelator containing an imine bond was synthesized, and its gelation behavior as well as a sensitivity of its gels towards acids was investigated. It was shown that the gels were acid-responsive, and that the gelator molecules could be prepared either by a conventional synthesis or directly in situ during the gel forming process. The gels prepared by both methods were studied and it was found that they had very similar macro- and microscopic properties. Furthermore, the possibility to use the gels as carriers for aromatic drugs such as 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline, pyrazinecarboxamide, and antipyrine was investigated and the prepared two-component gels were studied with regard to their potential applications in drug delivery, particularly in a pH-controlled drug release.
First-Principles Elucidation of the Surface Chemistry of the C2Hx (x = 0–6) Adsorbate Series on Fe(100)
Authors: Govender Ashriti , Curulla-Ferré Daniel , Pérez-Jigato Manuel , Niemantsverdriet Hans
Published: March 2013

Ab initio total-energy calculations of the elementary reaction steps leading to acetylene, ethylene and ethane formation and their decomposition on Fe(100) are described. Alongside the endothermicity of all the formation reactions, the crucial role played by adsorbed ethyl as main precursor towards both ethylene and ethane formation, characterises Fe(100) surface reactivity towards C2Hx (x = 0–6) hydrocarbon formation in the low coverage limit. A comprehensive scheme based on three viable mechanisms towards ethyl formation on Fe(100), including methyl/methylene coupling, methyl/methylidyne coupling followed by one hydrogenation and methyl/carbon coupling followed by two hydrogenations, is the main result of this article.
Helical-Track Bioreactors for Bacterial, Mammalian and Insect Cell Cultures
Authors: Tissot Stéphanie , Michel Patrik , Douet Clara , Grezet Sarah , Baldi Lucia , Hacker David , Wurm Florian
Published: March 2013

We investigated the cultivation of bacterial, mammalian and insect cells in an orbitally-shaken 250-mL disposable tube that incorporates a helical track (HT) on its inside wall. The mass transfer coefﬁcient of oxygen (kLa) was 200%–400% higher in the HT tube than in a shake flask. Bacterial growth and plasmid production were 30% higher in the HT tube than in a 1-L Erlenmeyer flask. Mammalian cell cultures achieved a 25% higher cell density in the HT tube as compared to a 250-mL square-shaped bottle while insect cells grew as well in HT tubes as in 250-mL shake flasks. Because of their performance, disposability, and compact size, we conclude that 250-mL HT tubes are a useful alternative to other shaken containers for the cultivation of bacterial, mammalian and insect cells.
Water Body Distributions Across Scales: A Remote Sensing Based Comparison of Three Arctic Tundra Wetlands
Authors: Muster Sina , Heim Birgit , Abnizova Anna , Boike Julia
Published: March 2013

Water bodies are ubiquitous features in Arctic wetlands. Ponds, i.e., waters with a surface area smaller than 104 m2, have been recognized as hotspots of biological activity and greenhouse gas emissions but are not well inventoried. This study aimed to identify common characteristics of three Arctic wetlands including water body size and abundance for different spatial resolutions, and the potential of Landsat-5 TM satellite data to show the subpixel fraction of water cover (SWC) via the surface albedo. Water bodies were mapped using optical and radar satellite data with resolutions of 4mor better, Landsat-5 TM at 30mand the MODIS water mask (MOD44W) at 250m resolution. Study sites showed similar properties regarding water body distributions and scaling issues. Abundance-size distributions showed a curved pattern on a log-log scale with a flattened lower tail and an upper tail that appeared Paretian. Ponds represented 95% of the total water body number. Total number of water bodies decreased with coarser spatial resolutions. However, clusters of small water bodies were merged into single larger water bodies leading to local overestimation of water surface area. To assess the uncertainty of coarse-scale products, both surface water fraction and the water body size distribution should therefore be considered. Using Landsat surface albedo to estimate SWC across different terrain types including polygonal terrain and drained thermokarst basins proved to be a robust approach. However, the albedo–SWC relationship is site specific and needs to be tested in other Arctic regions. These findings present a baseline to better represent small water bodies of Arctic wet tundra environments in regional as well as global ecosystem and climate models.
Testing the Temporal Ability of Landsat Imagery and Precision Agriculture Technology to Provide High Resolution Historical Estimates of Wheat Yield at the Farm Scale
Authors: Lyle Greg , Lewis Megan , Ostendorf Bertram
Published: March 2013

The long term archiving of both Landsat imagery and wheat yield mapping datasets sensed by precision agriculture technology has the potential through the development of statistical relationships to predict high resolution estimates of wheat yield over large areas for multiple seasons. Quantifying past yield performance over different growing seasons can inform agricultural management decisions ranging from fertilizer applications at the sub-paddock scale to changes in land use at a landscape scale. However, an understanding of the magnitude of prediction errors is needed. In this study, we examine the predictive wheat yield relationships developed from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) acquired Landsat imagery and combine-mounted yield monitors for three Western Australian farms over different growing seasons. We further analysed their predictive capability when these relationships are used to extrapolate yield from one farm to another. Over all seasons, the best predictions were achieved with imagery acquired in September. Of the five seasons reviewed, three showed very reasonable prediction accuracies, with the low and high rainfall years providing good predictions. Medium rainfall years showed the greatest variation in prediction accuracy with marginal to poor predictions resulting from narrow ranges of measured wheat yield and NDVI values. These results demonstrate the potential benefit of fusing together two high resolution datasets to create robust wheat yield prediction models over different growing seasons, the outputs of which can be used to inform agricultural decision making.
High S/N Ratio Slotted Step Piezoresistive Microcantilever Designs for Biosensors
Authors: Ansari Mohd , Cho Chongdu
Published: March 2013

This study proposes new microcantilever designs in slotted step configuration to improve the S/N ratio of surface stress-based sensors used in physical, chemical, biochemical and biosensor applications. The cantilevers are made of silicon dioxide with a u-shaped silicon piezoresistor in p-doped. The cantilever step length and piezoresistor length is varied along with the operating voltage to characterise the surface stress sensitivity and thermal drifting sensitivity of the cantilevers when used as immunosensor. The numerical analysis is performed using ANSYS Multiphysics. Results show the surface stress sensitivity and the S/N ratio of the slotted step cantilevers is improved by more than 32% and 22%, respectively, over its monolithic counterparts.
A War of Words: Do Conflict Metaphors Affect Beliefs about Managing “Unwanted” Plants?
Authors: Nay Cameron , Brunson Mark
Published: March 2013

Woody plants have increased in density and extent in rangelands worldwide since the 1800s, and land managers increasingly remove woodland plants in hopes of restoring pre-settlement conditions and/or improved forage for grazing livestock. Because such efforts can be controversial, especially on publicly owned lands, managers often attempt to frame issues in ways they believe can improve public acceptance of proposed actions. Frequently these framing efforts employ conflict metaphors drawn from military or legal lexicons. We surveyed citizens in the Rocky Mountains region, USA, about their beliefs concerning tree-removal as a management strategy. Plants targeted for removal in the region include such iconic tree species as Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine as well as other less-valued species, such as Rocky Mountain juniper, that are common targets for removal nationwide. To test the influence of issue frame on acceptance, recipients were randomly assigned surveys in which the reason for conifer removal was described using one of three terms often employed by invasive biologists and land managers: “invasion”, “expansion”, and “encroachment”. Framing in this instance had little effect on responses. We conclude the use of single-word frames by scientists and managers use to contextualize an issue may not resonate with the public.