bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the rat Na+/nucleoside cotransporter 2 and transport of nucleoside-derived drugs using electrophysiological methods
Authors: Larráyoz Ignacio M. , Fernández-Nistal Alonso , Garcés Aitziber , Gorraitz Edurne , Lostao M. Pilar
Published: July 2006

The Na+-dependent nucleoside transporter 2 (CNT2) mediates active transport of purine nucleosides and uridine as well as therapeutic nucleoside analogs. We used the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique to investigate rat CNT2 (rCNT2) transport mechanism and study the interaction of nucleoside-derived drugs with the transporter expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The kinetic parameters for sodium, natural nucleosides, and nucleoside derivatives were obtained as a function of membrane potential. For natural substrates, apparent affinity ( K0.5) was in the low micromolar range (12–34) and was voltage independent for hyperpolarizing membrane potentials, whereas maximal current ( Imax) was voltage dependent. Uridine and 2′-deoxyuridine analogs modified at the 5-position were substrates of rCNT2. Lack of the 2′-hydroxyl group decreased affinity but increased Imax. Increase in the size and decrease in the electronegativity of the residue at the 5-position affected the interaction with the transporter by decreasing both affinity and Imax. Fludarabine and formycin B were also transported with higher Imaxthan uridine and moderate affinity (102 ± 10 and 66 ± 6 μM, respectively). Analysis of the pre-steady-state currents revealed a half-maximal activation voltage of about −39 mV and a valence of about −0.8. K0.5for Na+was 2.3 mM at −50 mV and decreased at hyperpolarizing membrane potentials. The Hill coefficient was 1 at all voltages. Direct measurements of radiolabeled nucleoside fluxes with the charge associated showed a ratio of two positive inward charges per nucleoside, suggesting a stoichiometry of two Na+per nucleoside. This discrepancy in the number of Na+molecules that bind rCNT2 may indicate a low degree of cooperativity between the Na+binding sites.
Oxidative ATP synthesis in skeletal muscle is controlled by substrate feedback
Authors: Wu Fan , Jeneson Jeroen A. L. , Beard Daniel A.
Published: July 2006

Data from 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human forearm flexor muscle were analyzed based on a previously developed model of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation ( PLoS Comp Bio 1: e36, 2005) to test the hypothesis that substrate level (concentrations of ADP and inorganic phosphate) represents the primary signal governing the rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis and maintaining the cellular ATP hydrolysis potential in skeletal muscle. Model-based predictions of cytoplasmic concentrations of phosphate metabolites (ATP, ADP, and Pi) matched data obtained from 20 healthy volunteers and indicated that as work rate is varied from rest to submaximal exercise commensurate increases in the rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis are effected by changes in concentrations of available ADP and Pi. Additional data from patients with a defect of complex I of the respiratory chain and a patient with a deficiency in the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase were also predicted the by the model by making the appropriate adjustments to the activities of the affected proteins associates with the defects, providing both further validation of the biophysical model of the control of oxidative phosphorylation and insight into the impact of these diseases on the ability of the cell to maintain its energetic state.
Glucose, dexamethasone, and the unfolded protein response regulate TRB3 mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotubes
Authors: Yacoub Wasef Sherif Z. , Robinson Katherine A. , Berkaw Mary N. , Buse Maria G.
Published: July 2006

Tribbles 3 (TRB3) is a recently recognized atypical inactive kinase that negatively regulates Akt activity in hepatocytes, resulting in insulin resistance. Recent reports link TRB3 to nutrient sensing and regulation of cell survival under stressful conditions. We studied the regulation of TRB3 by glucose, insulin, dexamethasone (Dex), and the unfolded protein response (UPR) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in L6 myotubes. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, incubation in high glucose with insulin did not increase TRB3 mRNA expression. Rather, TRB3 mRNA increased fourfold with glucose deprivation and two- to threefold after incubation with tunicamcyin (an inducer of the UPR). Incubation of cells in no glucose or in tunicamcyin stimulated the expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein. In L6 myotubes, absent or low glucose induced TRB3 mRNA expression by six- and twofold, respectively. The addition of Dex to 5 mM glucose increased TRB3 mRNA expression twofold in 3T3-L1 adipocytes but decreased it 16% in L6 cells. In conclusion, TRB3 is not the mediator of high glucose or glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes or L6 myotubes. TRB3 is induced by glucose deprivation in both cell types as a part of the UPR, where it may be involved in regulation of cell survival in response to glucose depletion.
Vascular effects of a common gene variant of extracellular superoxide dismutase in heart failure
Authors: Iida Shinichiro , Chu Yi , Weiss Robert M. , Kang Yu Ming , Faraci Frank M. , Heistad Donald D.
Published: July 2006

A common gene variant of human extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD), in ∼5% of humans, is associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease. The purpose of this study was to examine vascular effects of ecSOD with effects of the ecSOD variant (ecSODR213G) in rats with heart failure. Seven weeks after coronary artery ligation, we studied rats with heart failure and sham-operated rats. Adenoviral vectors expressing human ecSOD, ecSODR213G, or a control virus were injected intravenously. In the aorta from rats with heart failure, responses to acetylcholine (69 ± 4% relaxation, means ± SE) and basal levels of nitric oxide (NO) (vasoconstrictor responses to a NO synthase inhibitor) were greatly impaired, and levels of superoxide and peroxynitrite were increased. Gene transfer of ecSOD restored responses to acetylcholine (92 ± 2% relaxation) and basal levels of NO to normal and reduced levels of superoxide [from 2.3 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.2 relative light units per second per millimeter squared (RLU·s−1·mm−2)] and peroxynitrite (from 2.4 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.1 RLU·s−1·mm−2) in the aorta from rats with heart failure. Gene transfer of ecSODR213G produced little or no improvement. Responses to nitroprusside were not different among the groups. Expression of endogenous mRNA for SODs (CuZnSOD, MnSOD, and ecSOD) and endothelial NOS in the aorta was not different among the groups. In contrast to ecSOD, gene transfer of ecSODR213G in rats with heart failure has minimal beneficial effect on oxidative stress, endothelial function, or basal bioavailability of NO. We speculate that greatly diminished efficacy of ecSODR213G in protection against oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction may contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in humans with ecSODR213G.
An Electrophysiological Investigation of Preparatory Attentional Control in a Spatial Stroop Task
Authors: Stern Emily R. , Mangels Jennifer A.
Published: July 2006

Top-down attentional control is required when subjects must attend to one of multiple conflicting stimulus features, such as in the Stroop task. Performance may be improved when such control is implemented in advance of stimulus presentation, yet few studies have examined this issue. Our investigation employed a spatial Stroop task with a manual response, allowing us to focus on the effects of preparatory attention on verbal processing when it is the less automatic attribute. A letter cue (P or W) presented for 2200 msec instructed subjects to respond on the basis of the position or meaning of a word (up, down, left, right) placed in an incongruent position relative to center. Event-related potentials recorded during pre- and poststimulus periods were analyzed as a function of reaction time to the target stimulus (fast vs. slow) in order to differentiate neural activity associated with more or less successful implementation of control. During the prestimulus period, fast responses to subsequent targets were associated with enhanced slow-wave activity over right frontal and bilateral central-parietal regions. During the poststimulus period, fast word trials were uniquely associated with an enhanced inferior temporal negativity (ITN) from 200 to 600 msec. More importantly, a correlation between frontal prestimulus activity and the poststimulus ITN suggested that frontal preparatory activity played a role in facilitating conceptual processing of the verbal stimulus when it arrived, providing an important link between preparatory attention and mechanisms that improve performance in the face of conflict.
Performance Feedback Drives Caudate Activation in a Phonological Learning Task
Authors: Tricomi Elizabeth , Delgado Mauricio R. , McCandliss Bruce D. , McClelland James L. , Fiez Julie A.
Published: July 2006

Adults have difficulty discriminating nonnative phonetic contrasts, but under certain circumstances training can lead to improvement in this ability. Despite the ubiquitous use of performance feedback in training paradigms in this and many other domains, the mechanisms by which feedback affects learning are not well understood. In this event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined how performance feedback is processed during perceptual learning. Thirteen Japanese speakers for whom the English phonemes [r] and [l] were nondistinct performed an identification task of the words “road” and “load” that has been shown to be effective in inducing learning only when performance feedback is present. Each subject performed alternating runs of training with and without feedback, followed by performance of a card-guessing task with monetary reward and punishment outcomes. We found that the caudate nucleus was more robustly activated bilaterally when performing the perceptual identification task with feedback than without feedback, and the right caudate nucleus also showed a differential response to positive and negative feedback. Moreover, using a within-subjects design, we found that the caudate nucleus also showed a similar activation pattern to monetary reward and punishment outcomes in the card-guessing task. These results demonstrate that the caudate responds to positive and negative feedback during learning in a manner analogous to its processing of extrinsic affective reinforcers and indicate that this region may be a critical moderator of the influence of feedback on learning. These findings impact our broader understanding of the mechanisms underlying nondeclarative learning and language acquisition.
Functional Specialization within Rostral Prefrontal Cortex (Area 10): A Meta-analysis
Authors: Gilbert Sam J. , Spengler Stephanie , Simons Jon S. , Steele J. Douglas , Lawrie Stephen M. , Frith Christopher D. , Burgess Paul W.
Published: July 2006

One of the least well understood regions of the human brain is rostral prefrontal cortex, approximating Brodmann's area 10. Here, we investigate the possibility that there are functional subdivisions within this region by conducting a meta-analysis of 104 functional neuroimaging studies (using positron emission tomography/functional magnetic resonance imaging). Studies involving working memory and episodic memory retrieval were disproportionately associated with lateral activations, whereas studies involving mentalizing (i.e., attending to one's own emotions and mental states or those of other agents) were disproportionately associated with medial activations. Functional variation was also observed along a rostral-caudal axis, with studies involving mentalizing yielding relatively caudal activations and studies involving multiple-task coordination yielding relatively rostral activations. A classification algorithm was trained to predict the task, given the coordinates of each activation peak. Performance was well above chance levels (74% for the three most common tasks; 45% across all eight tasks investigated) and generalized to data not included in the training set. These results point to considerable functional segregation within rostral prefrontal cortex.
Fractionating the Neural Mechanisms of Cognitive Control
Authors: Kopp Bruno , Tabeling Sandra , Moschner Carsten , Wessel Karl
Published: July 2006

Modifications of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were established. In these new task variants, participants were asked to exert sequential control over attentional sets or over intentional sets (task domain factor). Attentional set shifting requires changing the priorities by which sensory stimuli are selected, whereas intentional set shifting requires changing the priorities by which motor responses are selected. Auditory stimuli that signaled to maintain or shift set were presented immediately before (precuing) or after (postcuing) the selection of cards (cue timing factor). Twenty-four healthy young individuals participated. Performance data (response times, error percentages) indicated that intentional tasks were easier to perform than attentional tasks. The electroencephalogram was recorded during task performance, and the N1, medial frontal negativity (MFN), P3a, and sustained potential (SP) components of the cue event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were analyzed. Irrespective of the task domain, shift precues led to increased N1 amplitudes compared to shift postcues. When intentional sets had to be shifted, the MFNs in the postcuing condition were more pronounced than in the precuing condition. On the other hand, shifts of attentional sets resulted in a more prominent P3a in response to postcues compared to precues. Irrespective of the task domain, the shift effect that was evident in SPs was more pronounced in precue ERPs compared to postcue ERPs. We conclude that ERPs provide valid measures to empirically constrain theories about the neural mechanisms of cognitive control. The domain hypothesis of the fractionation of the neural mechanisms of cognitive control is introduced.
Common-onset Visual Masking in Infancy: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Evidence
Authors: Kotsoni Eleni , Mareschal Denis , Csibra Gergely , Johnson Mark H.
Published: July 2006

Common-onset visual masking (COVM) occurs when a mask and a target have common onset but delayed offset, with the mask persisting beyond the duration of the target [Di Lollo, V., Enns, J. T., & Rensink, R. A. Competition for consciousness among visual events: The psychophysics of reentrant visual events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 129, 481–507, 2000]. We report the first behavioral and electrophysiological evidence of COVM in infants. An initial behavioral study included a familiarization phase during which a visual pattern (the target) surrounded by four black dots (the mask) was flashed 15 times to the infant. In the “unmasked” condition, the mask disappeared with the target. In the “masked” condition, the mask remained on the screen after deletion of the target for a further 93 msec. During the test phase, the familiar target pattern was paired with a new pattern. Infants in the unmasked condition showed a significant familiarity preference, suggesting that they had encoded the target during familiarization, whereas those in the masked condition showed no preference, suggesting that they had not encoded the target during familiarization. In the second experiment, high-density event-related potentials were used to investigate the electrophysiological pattern of activity that accompanies COVM. Six-month-old infants viewed both masked and unmasked conditions. Electrophysiological data indicated that over posterior channels the masked condition elicited a larger amplitude positive wave around 300 msec after stimulus onset than trials in the unmasked condition.
A Comparison of Abstract Rules in the Prefrontal Cortex, Premotor Cortex, Inferior Temporal Cortex, and Striatum
Authors: Muhammad Rahmat , Wallis Jonathan D. , Miller Earl K.
Published: July 2006

The ability to use abstract rules or principles allows behavior to generalize from specific circumstances. We have previously shown that such rules are encoded in the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and premotor cortex (PMC). Here, we extend these investigations to two other areas directly connected with the PFC and the PMC, the inferior temporal cortex (ITC) and the dorsal striatum (STR). Monkeys were trained to use two abstract rules: “same” or “different”. They had to either hold or release a lever, depending on whether two successively presented pictures were the same or different, and depending on which rule was in effect. The rules and the behavioral responses were reflected most strongly and, on average, tended to be earlier in the PMC followed by the PFC and then the STR; few neurons in the ITC reflected the rules or the actions. By contrast, perceptual information (the identity of the pictures used as sample and test stimuli) was encoded more strongly and earlier in the ITC, followed by the PFC; they had weak, if any, effects on neural activity in the PMC and STR. These findings are discussed in the context of the anatomy and posited functions of these areas.
Relationship between Hippocampal Structure and Memory Function in Elderly Humans
Authors: Schiltz K. , Szentkuti A. , Guderian S. , Kaufmann J. , Münte T. F. , Heinze H. J. , Düzel E.
Published: July 2006

With progressing age, the ability to recollect personal events declines, whereas familiarity-based memory remains relatively intact. It has been hypothesized that age-related hippocampal atrophy may contribute to this pattern because of its critical role for recollection in younger humans and after acute injury. Here, we show that hippocampal volume loss in healthy older persons correlates with gray matter loss (estimated with voxel-based morphometry) of the entire limbic system and shows no correlation with an electrophysiological (event-related potential [ERP]) index of recollection. Instead, it covaries with more substantial and less specific electrophysiological changes of stimulus processing. Age-related changes in another complementary structural measure, hippocampal diffusion, on the other hand, seemed to be more regionally selective and showed the expected correlation with the ERP index of recollection. Thus, hippocampal atrophy in older persons accompanies limbic atrophy, and its functional impact on memory is more fundamental than merely affecting recollection.
Brain Basis of Developmental Change in Visuospatial Working Memory
Authors: Scherf K. Suzanne , Sweeney John A. , Luna Beatriz
Published: July 2006

Although brain changes associated with the acquisition of cognitive abilities in early childhood involve increasing localized specialization, little is known about the brain changes associated with the refinement of existing cognitive abilities that reach maturity in adolescence. The goal of this study was to investigate developmental changes in functional brain circuitry that support improvements in visuospatial working memory from childhood to adulthood. We tested thirty 8- to 47-year-olds in an oculomotor delayed response task. Developmental transitions in brain circuitry included both quantitative changes in the recruitment of necessary working memory regions and qualitative changes in the specific regions recruited into the functional working memory circuitry. Children recruited limited activation from core working memory regions (dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC] and parietal regions) and relied primarily on ventromedial regions (caudate nucleus and anterior insula). With adolescence emerged a more diffuse network (DLPFC, anterior cingulate, posterior parietal, anterior insula) that included the functional integration of premotor response preparation and execution circuitry. Finally, adults recruited the most specialized network of localized regions together with additional performance-enhancing regions, including left-lateralized DLPFC, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and supramarginal gyrus. These results suggest that the maturation of adult-level cognition involves a combination of increasing localization within necessary regions and their integration with performance-enhancing regions.
The Neural Correlates of Phonological Short-term Memory: A Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study
Authors: Romero L. , Walsh V. , Papagno C.
Published: July 2006

Neuropsychological reports and activation studies by means of positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have suggested that the neural correlates of phonological short-term memory are located in the left hemisphere, with Brodmann's area (BA) 40 being responsible for short-term storage, and BA 44 for articulatory rehearsal. However, a careful review of the literature on the role of left BA 40 shows that the data are equivocal. We tested these hypotheses by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Participants performed four tasks: two phonological judgements, thought to require only articulatory rehearsal without the contribution of short-term storage; a digit span, which involves both, short-term storage and articulatory rehearsal; and a pattern span, this last being the control task. The sites of stimulation were left BA 40, left BA 44 and the electrode location vtx, plus a baseline without TMS. Reaction times increased and accuracy decreased in the case of the phonological judgements and digit span after stimulation of both left sites, suggesting that BA 40, in addition to BA 44, is involved in phonological judgements. Possible explanations are discussed, namely, the possibility that (i) the neural correlates of rehearsal are not limited to BA 44 and (ii) phonological judgements involve processes other than rehearsal. We also consider the effects of using different tasks and responses to resolve some of the discrepancies in the literature.
Value Priorities and Content of Religiosity—New Research Perspectives
Authors: Gennerich Carsten , Huber Stefan
Published: July 2006

In this study the relationship of religiosity and value priorities is differentiated, based on a multidimensional measurement of different contents of religiosity. The structure of values is conceptualized using Schwartz’ (1992) two orthogonal dimensions of Self-transcendence vs. Self-enhancement and Openness to change vs. Conservation. The relations between these two dimensions and eight religious contents, ranging from open-minded to more close-minded forms of religiosity, were tested in a sample of church attenders (N = 685), gathered in Germany. The results show, that depending on the content of religiosity, different values are preferred (self-direction, universalism, benevolence, tradition and security values). The results indicate the importance of the content of religiosity for predicting value-loaded behaviors.
Religiousness and Religious Coping as Determinants of Stress-related Growth
Authors: Park Crystal L.
Published: July 2006

As research focusing on stress-related growth proliferates, links between religion and growth are increasingly reported. However, little research has focused on the role that religious coping plays in subsequent growth from major stressful life events. Findings from three longitudinal studies that examined aspects of religiousness as determinants of stress-related growth, as well as the potential mediation by religious coping, are presented. Results suggest that the influences of religiousness on growth vary by sample and by type of stressor. Further, religious coping was found to mediate influences of religious orientations on growth for students and for older adults dealing with a variety of problems, but was unrelated to growth following bereavement in a second sample of students. Together, these studies provide support for the notion that religiousness influences growth in complex ways, only some of which are mediated through religious coping. Future research considerations are discussed.
Konstruktionen der Religiosität Von Rainer Maria Rilke: Eine Kritische Analyse aus Entwicklungspsychologischer Perspektive
Authors: Wagener Hermann-Josef
Published: July 2006

Former studies on the religiosity of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke show highly divergent results: The religious educationalist Anton Bucher draws on the basis of the analysis of structural genetics the conclusion that Rilke had been a very mature religious personality. The literary scholar Eudo C. Mason who works with psycho-dynamical criteria classifies him as a pure narcist and atheist. These two differing interpretations on Rilke's religiosity are brought to a new synthesis in my integrative model. This kind of religiosity is widely spread in our western society.
The Quest for Objectivity in Psychology of Religion: Do we Need the Ideological Surround Model and Christian Translations of Scales?
Authors: Popp-Baier Ulrike
Published: July 2006

In my comment on the article Christian Tolerance of Ambiguity I argue that we do not need an Ideological Surround Model for achieving a kind of “balanced objectivity” in the psychology of religion. In addition, I argue that the distinction between two ideological surrounds is much too simple with regard to the debates and controversies among psychologists of religion concerning the “good” theoretical concepts and empirical methods and the “evil” ones. I also formulate some problems I have with the suggested Christian translation of the Budner Scale.
Rejoinder: Response to Beit-Hallahmi and Watts
Authors: Kirkpatrick Lee A.
Published: July 2006

Both Watts (this issue) and Beit-Hallahmi (this issue) are enthusiastic about attachment theory as an important contribution to the psychology of religion, but they raise very different criticisms regarding other aspects of the book. I respond to Beit-Hallahmi by defending my assertion that a scientific approach to psychology of religion need not lead to the conclusion, nor rest on the premise, that the beliefs under study are ontologically false. I argue further that this “veridicality trap” has deep roots in prevailing, deeply mistaken assumptions about how the mind/brain works, and show how an evolutionary approach clearly exposes such reasoning as fallacious and offers a powerful, alternative perspective on the problem. In response to Watts, I defend evolutionary psychology against the charge that it is not sufficiently empirical, and argue that the computational cognitive approach he prefers should be seen as complementary to an evolutionary approach rather than an alternative to it.
The Distinction between Authoritarianism and Fundamentalism in three Cultures: Factor Analysis and Personality Correlates
Authors: Krauss Stephen W. , Streib Heinz , Keller Barbara , Silver Christopher
Published: July 2006

The goals of the study were to examine whether fundamentalism and authoritarianism could be distinguished by the Big Five factors of personality in American, Romanian and German samples, and to determine whether fundamentalism and authoritarianism could be distinguished by factor analysis in any of the three cultures. The results in all three cultures indicate that fundamentalism and authoritarianism have virtually identical personality correlates. In all three cultures, the two constructs were indistinguishable via exploratory factor analysis and could only be distinguished via confirmatory factor analysis, although direction-of-wording effects dwarfed the differences between fundamentalism and authoritarianism. The findings suggest that researchers should view fundamentalism as religious authoritarianism, and should therefore be cautious when making inferences about religiosity from research on fundamentalism.
Ordinary Spiritual Experience: Qualitative Research, Interpretive Guidelines, and Population Distribution for the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale
Authors: Underwood Lynn G.
Published: July 2006

The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is an instrument designed to provide researchers with a self-report measure of spiritual experiences as an important aspect of how religiousness/spirituality is expressed in daily life for many people. The sixteen-item scale includes constructs such as awe, gratitude, mercy, sense of connection with the transcendent, compassionate love, and desire for closeness to God. It also includes measures of awareness of discernment/inspiration and transcendent sense of self. This measure was originally developed for use in health studies, but has been increasingly used more widely in the social sciences, for program evaluation, and for examining changes in religious/spiritual experiences over time. It has been included on the U.S. General Social Survey (GSS), and the items have shown high prevalence in that population. The challenge of identifying items that tap the underlying constructs was addressed through qualitative methods, both in the development and testing of the instrument. Translations have been made into Spanish, Korean, Hebrew, Vietnamese, and French, and the scale has been effectively used outside the United States. Detailed discussion of item construction based on qualitative work is given to assist in use, interpretation and translation development. Options for scoring and suggestions for exploring correlations with other variables using individual items and subgroups are also presented.
From Love to Evolution: Historical Turning Point in the Psychology of Religion
Authors: Beit-Hallahmi Benjamin
Published: July 2006

Kirkpatrick's contribution is evaluated in the context of historical developments and persistent crisis in the psychology of religion. The field has been characterized by the lack of a unifying theory, as well as by some literature being driven by religious apologetics. Kirkpatrick's approach has been truly theory-driven, always seeking a general psychological framework for analyzing religion and religiosity. His personal odyssey led him to embrace Bowlby's attachment theory, which has had a unique impact of research in academic psychology. But then Kirkpatrick demonstrates his honesty and courage in realizing that the attachment framework was less than adequate for the task of unifying the field. Instead, he invites us to join him in embracing the broader framework of cognitive-evolutionary theory, which should serve as the unifying framework for the field. I concur with his judgment.
Religion, Sovereignty, Natural Rights, and the Constituent Elements of Experience
Authors: Peterson Jordan B.
Published: July 2006

It is commonly held that the idea of natural rights originated with the ancient Greeks, and was given full form by more modern philosophers such as John Locke, who believed that natural rights were apprehensible primarily to reason. The problem with this broad position is threefold: first, it is predicated on the presumption that the idea of rights is modern, biologically speaking (only twenty three hundred years separates us from the Greeks, and three hundred from the English liberals); second, it makes it appear that reason and rights are integrally, even causally, linked; finally, it legitimizes debate about just what rights might be, even in their most fundamental essence. In consequence, the most cherished presumptions of the West remain castles in the air, historically and philosophically speaking. This perceived weakness of foundation makes societies grounded on conceptions of natural right vulnerable to criticism and attack in the most dangerous of manners. Most of the bloodiest battles and moral catastrophes of the twentieth century were a consequence of disagreement between groups of people who had different rationally-derived notions of what exactly constituted an inalienable right (“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”). If natural rights are anything at all, therefore, they better be something more than mere rational constructions. The adoption of a much broader evolutionary/historical perspective with regards to the development of human individuality and society allows for the generation of a deep solution to this problem—one dependent on a transformation of ontology, much as moral vision. Such a solution grounds the concept of sovereignty and natural right back into the increasingly implicit and profoundly religious soil from which it originally emerged, and provides a rock-solid foundation for explicit Western claims for the innate dignity of man.
Skeptical Saints and Critical Cognition: On the Relationship between Religion and Paranormal Beliefs
Authors: Krull Douglas S. , McKibben Eric S.
Published: July 2006

The literature on the relationship between religion and belief in the paranormal is complex and sometimes seemingly contradictory. However, previous research suggests that this relationship depends on the religious characteristics of the sample and the measures of religion. Research also suggests that science knowledge is unrelated to paranormal beliefs, but critical thinking is at odds with paranormal beliefs. Psychology college students and conservative Christians answered questions about paranormal beliefs, religious beliefs, Bible knowledge, science knowledge, and evidence-based thinking. Conservative Christians displayed the lowest belief in the paranormal. Religious beliefs and paranormal beliefs were unrelated, but attendance at services was negatively related to paranormal beliefs. Evidence-based thinking was also negatively related to paranormal beliefs.
Precis: Attachment, Evolution, and the Psychology of Religion
Authors: Kirkpatrick Lee A.
Published: July 2006

In this summary of my recent book (Kirkpatrick, 2004), I outline a general theoretical approach for the psychology of religion and develop one component of it in detail. First I review arguments and research demonstrating the utility of attachment theory for understanding many aspects of religious belief and behavior, particularly within modern Christianity. I then introduce evolutionary psychology as a general paradigm for psychology and the social sciences, arguing that religion is not an adaptation in the evolutionary sense but rather a byproduct of numerous psychological systems that evolved for other adaptive purposes, of which the attachment system is just one example. I conclude by summarizing numerous advantages of this framework over other extant approaches to the psychology of religion.
The Marriage between Ego and Id: Cognitive Integration and its Relation to Mystical Experience
Authors: Geels Antoon
Published: July 2006

The author suggests a new model for interpretation of mystical experience, based on a fruitful combination of cognitive psychology and depth psychology. Offering a rather wide definition of mystical experience, the author then turns to two basic assumptions—a general systems approach and an organismic-holistic view of development. Hans Loewald's analysis of primary process cognition is combined with a multi-dimensional model of cognitive activity called “Interacting Cognitive Subsystems” (ICS), presented by John D. Teasdale and Philip J. Barnard. These two complementary theoretical perspectives are applied to the analysis of both historical and contemporary examples of mystical experience, understood as a result of a dialectical interplay between these different coding systems, or the marriage between Ego and Id.
Intolerance of Ambiguity within a Religious Ideological Surround: Christian Translations and Relationships with Religious Orientation, Need for Cognition, and Uncertainty Response
Authors: Watson P. J. , Morris Ronald J.
Published: July 2006

This study assessed the possibility that the Budner (1962) Intolerance of Ambiguity Scale can offer an ideologically biased understanding of religious commitments. In a large sample of university undergraduates (N = 650), Budner Scale correlations with Religious Interest, Religious Orientation, Need for Cognition, and Response Uncertainty supported the conclusion that religion predicts an inability to cope with uncertainty. At the same time, however, special procedures were used to create new scales expressing a Christian Tolerance of Ambiguity by translating Budner Scale items into a language that was more compatible with religious beliefs. These Christian Tolerance of Ambiguity measures revealed that religiousness was associated with an ability rather than an inability to cope with uncertainty. Conflicting results between these Christian and nonreligious Tolerance of Ambiguity measures yielded additional support for the Ideological Surround Model of the psychology of religion.
Friends of the Truth, Violence, and the Ideological Surround: Social Science as Meetings for Clearness
Authors: Watson P. J.
Published: July 2006

In response to criticisms of the use of the Ideological Surround Model to analyze Tolerance of Ambiguity, emphasis is placed on how the methodologies of this model operate from Christian pacifist assumptions. This model seeks to promote social scientific methodologies that will allow competing perspectives to obtain increasing clarity on points of conflict.
Are Measures of Rigidity Biased against Religiously Committed Individuals?: A Question that Still Needs to be Articulated and Answered
Authors: Piedmont Ralph L.
Published: July 2006

This report provides a critique of the target article's premise that measures of rigidity are biased against religiously committed individuals. The report is found to have serious conceptual and methodological problems that undermine its contribution. Conceptually, the paper does not demonstrate that rigidity scales are indeed biased, as that term is used in the field of psychometrics. Methodologically, the paper suffers from multiple weaknesses, including not demonstrating that the “translated” items are comparable (both in terms of content and empirical relatedness) to the original items they are intended to replace, the presence of multi-colinearity among the measures, and inconsistent patterns of convergent correlations for the “new” scale. As such, the target article is unable to provide any credible scientific support for its claims. In response, this paper argues that a more sophisticated understanding of the constructs of rigidity and religious commitment can make sense of this claimed “bias”.
Attachment, Evolution and the Psychology of Religion: A Response on Lee Kirkpatrick
Authors: Watts Fraser
Published: July 2006

Lee Kirkpatrick's approach to the psychology of religion involves two main theoretical positions, attachment theory and evolutionary psychology. It is argued that the former is more fruitful than the latter because it stays closer to empirical data and suggests further hypotheses for investigation. An evolutionary approach to the psychology of religion suffers from the same problem as most evolutionary psychology of not being readily testable; also some common assumptions about the evolution of religion may be less compelling than is often supposed.
Recent Developments in Swiss Health Law
Authors: Guillod Olivier
Published: July 2006

This article highlights recent developments in health law in Switzerland. It covers statutory developments in health care insurance, sterilisation and genetic testing, and cases, one dealing with the reimbursement of medicines and another one on the limitation of the number of physicians reimbursed by the compulsory scheme of health insurance.
Recent Developments in German Health Law
Authors: Hart Dieter
Published: July 2006

Health law provides the regulatory constitution for the medical and healthcare system. It covers individual medical treatment as well as public healthcare provision and is insofar medical law as well as social security law (statutory health insurance law). The medical and health sciences (public health sciences) are the main complementary disciplines of health law. This article gives an account of some representative developments in both fields which have taken place in the last three years.
Recent Developments in Health Law in Belgium
Authors: Nys Herman
Published: July 2006

After the turbulent years 2002, 2003 and 2004 the Belgian health law seems to have reached calmer water. Indeed, after a quiet 2005, 2006 does not seem to have much to offer either. However, as will be shown in this article, this may be a wrong impression. There is a growing uneasiness with two important pieces of legislation that have been approved by Parliament in 2002: the act on euthanasia and the act on the rights of patients. This has resulted in debates and discussions that may finally lead to new legislation in the coming years.
Informing patients about small risks A comparative approach
Authors: Janssen
Published: July 2006

This article relates to the question to what extent patients should be informed about risks in the context of obtaining consent in case of treatment. To explore this issue, a comparative study has been carried out. The legal position taken with regard to informing about treatment risks in the Netherlands has been compared to that in the UK and Germany.
Developments in Medical Law in the United Kingdom in 2005 and 2006
Authors: Harmon Shawn , Gertz Renate , Pradella Geoff , Laurie Graeme
Published: July 2006

This article highlights and summarises the key developments in medical law in the jurisdictions of the United Kingdom in 2005 and to April 2006. Topics are mental health and mental capacity, data protection, freedom of information and the impact on health data, the Human Tissue Act, genetic research databanks, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act – Review of the legislation, consultations and related case law, developments in embryo and embryonic stem cell research, clinical trials and human subject research, medical futility, and physician assisted dying.
Recent Developments in Health Law in Greece
Authors: Canellopoulou-Bottis Maria
Published: July 2006

This article mainly analyzes the new Code of Ethics which is in place since 2005.
Recent Developments in Health Law in Poland: New Law on the Removal, Storage and Transplantation of Cells, Tissues and Organs
Authors: Sokalska Maria
Published: July 2006

This article describes the new Law on the removal, storage and transplantation of cells, tissues and organs of July 1, 2005, which entered into force on January 1, 2006.
Recent Developments in Health Law in the Netherlands
Authors: Roscam Abbing Henriette
Published: July 2006

This article gives a few examples of recent developments in Dutch health law, namely equal access to health care, compulsory placement and treatment in a psychiatric hospital, and end of life decisions. They are outstanding examples of trends in health legislation that require to be followed closely.
Decorrelation Scales of High-Resolution Turbulent Fluxes at the Ocean Surface and a Method to Fill in Gaps in Satellite Data Products
Authors: Romanou Anastasia , Rossow William B. , Chou Shu-Hsien
Published: July 2006

In the first part of the paper, a high space–time resolution (1° latitude/longitude and daily) dataset of the turbulent fluxes at the ocean surface is used to estimate and study the seasonal to annual near-global maps of the decorrelation scales of the latent and sensible heat fluxes. The decorrelation scales describe the temporal and spatial patterns that dominate the flux fields (within a bandpass window) and hence reveal the dominant variability in the air–sea interaction. Regional comparison to the decorrelation scales of the flux-related variables such as the wind stress, the humidity difference, and the SST identifies the main mechanism responsible for the variability in each flux field.

In the second part of the paper, the decorrelation scales are used to develop a method for filling missing values in the dataset that result from the incomplete satellite coverage. Weight coefficients in a linear regression function are determined from the spatial and temporal decorrelations and are functions of zonal and meridional distance and time. Therefore they account for all spatial and temporal patterns on scales greater than 1 day and 1° latitude/longitude and less than 1 yr and the ocean basin scale. The method is evaluated by simulating the missing-value distribution of the Goddard Satellite-Based Surface Turbulent Fluxes, version 2 (GSSTF2) dataset in the NCEP SST, the International Satellite Climatology Project (ISCCP)-FD (fluxes calculated using D1 series) surface radiation, and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) datasets and by comparing the filled datasets to the original ones. Main advantages of the method are that the decorrelation scales are unrestricted functions of space and time; only information internal to the flux field is used in the interpolation scheme, and the computation cost of the method is low enough to facilitate its use in similar large datasets.
Targeting the Poor orPoor Targeting
Authors: Mane Rahul Prahlad
Published: July 2006

As part of the structural adjustment programme the Government of India, in 1997, introduced the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with the objective of targeting the food subsidies to the poor and reducing fiscal deficit. While the universal Public Distribution System (PDS) had several limitations, the Targeted PDS has only worsened the problem of ‘adequate access to food’ for the poor. This article examines the limitations of income targeting based on the official poverty line under the TPDS. The article argues that the TPDS has worked counter-productively to the policy objective of reaching the poor. As per the National Sample Survey (1999-2000) and the National Family Health Survey (1998-9), a significant proportion of the poor and food insecure suffer from severe malnutrition and calorific deprivation. With a large section of the population falling out of the TPDS the article suggests policy alternatives to ensure better ‘access to food’ for the poor and vulnerable.
Protection of Sandwich Plates from Low-velocity Impact
Authors: Dvorak George J. , Suvorov Alexander P.
Published: July 2006

Sandwich plates used in marine structures are made of laminated face sheets bonded to a structural foam core. Low-velocity impact by a stiff indenter may cause local deflection of the face sheet and permanent deformation or crushing of an underlying volume of the foam core. Upon unloading, the face sheet tends to spring back, while the permanent strain in the core gives rise to residual stresses that may nucleate local interfacial cracks. Extension of such interfacial cracks by applied loads can compromise structural integrity. This article examines the protective effect of thin, ductile interlayers, inserted between the face sheet and the foam core, that absorb the face sheet deflection and thus prevent or reduce the extent of damage to the foam core. Finite element solutions are obtained for a stiff, incompressible, and very ductile polyurethane (PUR) interlayer, and also for a compliant and compressible elastomeric foam (EF) layer, in a sandwich plate made of quasi-isotropic AS4/3501-6 laminated face sheets and H100 PVC core. Loading is applied by a concentrated force acting on a rigid cylindrical indenter. Results show that the PUR interlayer better supports the impacted face sheet than does the foam core or the EF interlayer. The PUR layer also reduces the extent of permanent deformation of the foam core. At a given magnitude of applied load, the energy release rate for cracks extended by residual stresses at the interface between the foam core and either interlayer is much lower than that at the interface between the face sheet and the foam core in the conventional design.