bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in incidences of tuberculosis in subgroups of South African gold miners.
Authors: Kleinschmidt I , Churchyard G
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES: To determine risk factors and to identify groups at high risk of tuberculosis (TB) among South African gold miners. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was carried out with hospital and personnel databases on a random sample of the workforce of Freegold Mines, served by Ernest Oppenheimer Hospital, Welkom, South Africa. The outcome measure of interest was a reported first episode of TB while employed at Freegold. A person-years analysis was carried out to estimate incidence ratios between different categories of age group, period, cumulative service, mining occupation, and silicosis status. A separate analysis was carried out on a subgroup of men (non-random) whose HIV status was known. RESULTS: The main finding of the study was that TB was more strongly associated with age than expected with a rate ratio of reported incidence of 21 for the oldest age group compared with the youngest, after adjustment for period, cumulative service, occupation, and silicosis status. There was also a significant association between TB and occupations such as drilling with a rate ratio of 2.3 compared with low dust surface and maintenance workers, after adjustment for age, period, cumulative service, and silicosis. Analysis of the HIV tested subgroup showed that these results are unlikely to be the result of confounding due to HIV infection. Prevalence of HIV in this group has been rising sharply since 1991, but the increase was slowing towards the end of the study period. CONCLUSION: A profile of mineworkers who are at high risk of TB can be defined by age, mining occupation, silicosis status, and HIV infection with predicted rates of 100/1000 person-years. TB screening programmes should take special cognisance of high risk groups of gold miners.
Does occupational exposure to brown coal dust cause a decline in lung function?
Authors: Finocchiaro C , Lark A , Keating M , Ugoni A , Abramson M
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the rate of change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in subjects with high exposure to Latrobe Valley brown coal dust was significantly greater than the rate of change among subjects with low exposure. METHODS: A retrospective dynamic cohort design with variable time windows. This study was conducted over a period of 14 years from 1980 to 1994 and used data collected by the State Electricity Commission (SEC) Lung Function Unit for an asbestos surveillance programme. The subjects were exposed to low, medium, or high levels of coal dust. Basic spirometry with wedge bellows spirometers was used to assess lung function. A general linear model (GLM) was used to assess the effects of smoking and exposure to coal dust upon the change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) while adjusting for age and height. RESULTS: The mean (95% confidence interval (95% CI) rate of decline in FEV1 was 40 (36 to 44) ml/year. Age was a significant predictor of change. A significant effect was found for smoking (P = 0.02) and for exposure to coal dust (P = 0.008). The only significant difference with exposure to coal dust was between the high and mixed exposure categories. CONCLUSION: There is no convincing evidence of excessive decline in FEV1 with exposure to coal dust > 0.75 mg/m3. The absence of a dose response relation provides some evidence against a causal relation. On the basis of this study, reduction of the exposure standards currently applied to brown coal dust in the Victorian electricity industry is not warranted to prevent respiratory disease.
Benzo(a)pyrene-albumin adducts in humans exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an industrial area of Poland.
Authors: Kure E H , Andreassen A , Ovrebø S , Grzybowska E , Fiala Z , Strózyk M , Chorazy M , Haugen A
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES: The interaction of benzo(a)pyrene with serum albumin was measured in an attempt to identify the actual exposure and to evaluate albumin adduct measurements as biomarkers for exposure monitoring. METHODS: Benzo(a)pyrene-diol-epoxide (BPDE)-albumin adducts were measured by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in plasma of coke oven plant workers from three plants and from people living in a highly industrialised area of Silesia in Poland. Due to the high air concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in this area, a control group was selected from a rural non-industrialised area in Poland. Breathing zone air measurements of PAHs were collected from some of the participants. RESULTS: Coke oven plant workers and non-occupationally exposed people had similar concentrations of albumin adducts whereas the rural controls were significantly lower (2.74 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.124)). The mean concentration of BPDE-albumin adduct in plasma of both the occupational and the environmental groups were significantly higher in the summer samples (4.34 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.335) and 4.55 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.296), respectively) than in the winter samples (3.06 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.187) and 3.04 fmol adducts/microgram albumin (SEM 0.184), respectively) even though the air measurements showed higher concentrations of PAHs in the winter. The statistical analysis did not show any effects of air exposures on concentrations of BPDE-albumin adduct. CONCLUSIONS: A multiple regression analysis of the measured concentrations of BPDE-albumin adducts for all the groups, during both seasons, indicates that occupational exposures do not contribute significantly to the formation of adducts. In general, the concentrations of albumin adducts found vary within relatively small limits for the two seasons and between the various groups of participants. No extreme differences were found.
Allergy risk in an enzyme producing plant: a retrospective follow up study.
Authors: Johnsen C R , Sorensen T B , Ingemann Larsen A , Bertelsen Secher A , Andreasen E , Kofoed G S , Fredslund Nielsen L , Gyntelberg F
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of enzyme sensitisation and clinical allergy in workers exposed to enzymes at Novo Nordisk A/S. METHODS: The study was a retrospective follow up study based on medical history and test data originally collected at routine screenings for enzyme allergy by the Occupational Health Service (OHS) of Novo Nordisk A/S during the period 1970-92. Workers were exposed to proteases, lipases, cellulases, and carboxyhydrases. Medical records of 3815 subjects were registered in the OHS database. According to criteria including possible enzyme exposure, allergy tests at the time of engagement, and participation in the allergy screening programme 1064 were selected for the present study. Outcomes were allergy symptoms, specific IgE test (radioallergosorbent test (RAST)) to enzymes, skin test reactions to common allergens and enzymes, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC). Potential risk factors were smoking habits, workplace, type of job, age, and sex. RESULTS: Sensitisation occurred to all types of enzymes handled in the plant, most often in production areas and laboratories; 8.8% developed clinical enzyme allergy during the first three years of employment. The risk declined during the period. The frequency of enzyme sensitisation, expressed as RAST values > 0.5 SU, was 36%, and the frequency of significant RAST values > or = 2 SU was 8%. Ranking diagnoses of enzyme allergy by severity, the frequency of asthma was 5.3%, rhinitis 3.0%, and urticaria 0.6%. Half of the cases occurred within the first 15 months of exposure. Smoking was an independent risk factor for clinical enzyme allergy (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3 (95% exact confidence interval (95% CI) 1.4 to 3.9), measurable RAST > or = 0.5 SU (OR = 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.1)), and RAST > or = 2 SU (OR = 4.5 (95% CI 2.2 to 8.4)). Atopic predisposition at the time of engagement was not a significant risk factor for enzyme allergy. This could be due to various selection mechanisms.
MINING OVERREPRESENTED 3D PATTERNS OF SECONDARY STRUCTURES IN PROTEINS
Authors: COMIN MATTEO , GUERRA CONCETTINA , ZANOTTI GIUSEPPE
Published: December 2008

We consider the problem of finding overrepresented arrangements of secondary structure elements (SSEs) in a given dataset of representative protein structures. While most papers in the literature study the distribution of geometrical properties, in particular angles and distances, between pairs of interacting SSEs, in this paper we focus on the distribution of angles of all quartets of SSEs and on the extraction of overrepresented angular patterns. We propose a variant of the Apriori method that obtains overrepresented arrangements of quartets of SSEs by combining arrangements of triplets of SSEs. This specific case will pose the basis for a natural extension of the problem to any given number of SSEs. We analyze the results of our method on a dataset of 300 nonredundant proteins. Supplementary material is available at .
TSUNAMI SOURCE REGION PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION AND TSUNAMI FORECASTING
Authors: LIU PHILIP L.-F. , WANG XIAOMING
Published: December 2008

Although the tsunami early warning system in the Pacific/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center has successfully forecasted several recent tsunami events, many fundamental characteristics of the forecasting methodology are still not well understood. For example, what are the effects of the size of the sub-fault elements used in the approach on the accuracy of the forecasting results? What is the role of shape of seafloor displacement prescribed on each sub-fault element? In this paper, we have performed several numerical experiments to seek for answers. Two major points are concluded: (1) The size of sub-fault element must satisfy the long-wave assumption. In other words, if the width of the sub-fault element is denoted as Lsand h the water depth in ocean basin, Lsmust be greater than 20h. If the sub-fault element width is smaller than the above condition, the frequency dispersion becomes increasingly important and the forecasting procedure becomes less satisfactory. (2) If the geophysical properties of the subduction zone, such as the dip, strike, rake and the depth of the epicentre, can be reasonably estimated, Okada's theory is recommended to calculate the shape of seafloor deformation on each sub-fault element. However, when this information is lacking, the forecasting procedure can still provide useful forecasting with the Gaussian shape.
Improving peer-to-peer performance through server-side scheduling
Authors: Qiao Yi , Bustamante Fabián E. , Dinda Peter A. , Birrer Stefan , Lu Dong
Published: December 2008

We show how to significantly improve the mean response time seen by both uploaders and downloaders in peer-to-peer data-sharing systems. Our work is motivated by the observation that response times are largely determined by the performance of the peers serving the requested objects, that is, by the peers in their capacity as servers. With this in mind, we take a close look at this
server side
of peers, characterizing its workload by collecting and examining an extensive set of traces. Using trace-driven simulation, we demonstrate the promise and potential problems with scheduling policies based on shortest-remaining-processing-time (SRPT), the algorithm known to be optimal for minimizing mean response time. The key challenge to using SRPT in this context is determining request service times. In addressing this challenge, we introduce two new estimators that enable
predictive
SRPT scheduling policies that closely approach the performance of ideal SRPT. We evaluate our approach through extensive single-server and system-level simulation coupled with real Internet deployment and experimentation.
Data Collection with Self-Enforcing Privacy
Authors: Golle Philippe , McSherry Frank , Mironov Ilya
Published: December 2008

Consider a pollster who wishes to collect private, sensitive data from a number of distrustful individuals. How might the pollster convince the respondents that it is trustworthy? Alternately, what mechanism could the respondents insist upon to ensure that mismanagement of their data is detectable and publicly demonstrable?

We detail this problem, and provide simple data submission protocols with the properties that a) leakage of private data by the pollster results in evidence of the transgression and b) the evidence cannot be fabricated without breaking cryptographic assumptions. With such guarantees, a responsible pollster could post a “privacy-bond,” forfeited to anyone who can provide evidence of leakage. The respondents are assured that appropriate penalties are applied to a leaky pollster, while the protection from spurious indictment ensures that any honest pollster has no disincentive to participate in such a scheme.
The role of the G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 in the effects of estrogen in ovariectomized mice
Authors: Windahl S. H. , Andersson N. , Chagin A. S. , Mårtensson U. E. A. , Carlsten H. , Olde B. , Swanson C. , Movérare-Skrtic S. , Sävendahl L. , Lagerquist M. K. , Leeb-Lundberg L. M. F. , Ohlsson C.
Published: December 2008

In vitro studies suggest that the membrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 is a functional estrogen receptor (ER). The aim of the present study was to determine the possible in vivo role of GPR30 as a functional ER primarily for the regulation of skeletal parameters, including bone mass and longitudinal bone growth, but also for some other well-known estrogen-regulated parameters, including uterine weight, thymus weight, and fat mass. Three-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) GPR30-deficient mice (GPR30−/−) and wild-type (WT) mice were treated with either vehicle or increasing doses of estradiol (E2; 0, 30, 70, 160, or 830 ng·mouse−1·day−1). Body composition [bone mineral density (BMD), fat mass, and lean mass] was analyzed by dual-energy-X ray absorptiometry, while the cortical and trabecular bone compartments were analyzed by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography. Quantitative histological analyses were performed in the distal femur growth plate. Bone marrow cellularity and distribution were analyzed using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The estrogenic responses on most of the investigated parameters, including increase in bone mass (total body BMD, spine BMD, trabecular BMD, and cortical bone thickness), increase in uterine weight, thymic atrophy, fat mass reduction, and increase in bone marrow cellularity, were similar for all of the investigated E2doses in WT and GPR30−/−mice. On the other hand, E2treatment reduced longitudinal bone growth, reflected by decreased femur length and distal femur growth plate height, in the WT mice but not in the GPR30−/−mice compared with vehicle-treated mice. These in vivo findings demonstrate that GPR30 is not required for normal estrogenic responses on several major well-known estrogen-regulated parameters. In contrast, GPR30 is required for a normal estrogenic response in the growth plate.
Regulation of human organic anion transporter 1 by ANG II: involvement of protein kinase Cα
Authors: Li Shanshan , Duan Peng , You Guofeng
Published: December 2008

Human organic anion transporter 1 (hOAT1) belongs to a family of organic anion transporters that play critical roles in the body disposition of clinically important drugs, including anti-human immunodeficiency virus therapeutics, anti-tumor drugs, antibiotics, antihypertensives, and anti-inflammatories. hOAT1 is abundantly expressed in the kidney. In the current study, we examined the regulation of hOAT1 by ANG II in kidney COS-7 cells. ANG II induced a concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of hOAT1 transport activity. Such inhibition mainly resulted from a decreased cell surface expression without a change in total cell expression of the transporter, kinetically revealed as a decreased maximal velocity without significant change in Michaelis constant. ANG II-induced inhibition of hOAT1 activity could be prevented by treating hOAT1-expressing cells with staurosporine, a general protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. To obtain further information on which PKC isoform mediates ANG II regulation of hOAT1 activity, cellular distribution of various PKC isoforms was examined in cells treated with or without ANG II. We showed that ANG II treatment resulted in a significant translocation of PKCα from cytosol to membrane, and such translocation was blocked by treating hOAT1-expressing cells with Gö-6976, a PKCα-specific inhibitor. We further showed that ANG II-induced inhibition of hOAT1 activity and retrieval of hOAT1 from the cell surface could also be prevented by treating hOAT1-expressing cells with Gö-6976. We concluded that ANG II inhibited hOAT1 activity through activation of PKCα, which led to the redistribution of the transporter from the cell surface to the intracellular compartments.
Adiponectin translation is increased by the PPARγ agonists pioglitazone and ω-3 fatty acids
Authors: Banga Anannya , Unal Resat , Tripathi Preeti , Pokrovskaya Irina , Owens Randall J. , Kern Philip A. , Ranganathan Gouri
Published: December 2008

Adiponectin, made exclusively by adipocytes, is a 30-kDa secretory protein assembled posttranslationally into low-molecular weight, middle-molecular weight, and high-molecular weight homo-oligomers. PPARγ ligand thiozolidinediones, which are widely used in the treatment of type II diabetes, increase adiponectin levels. PPARγ also has several putative ligands that include fatty acid derivatives. Overnight treatment of rat adipocytes with pioglitazone, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) triggered a twofold increase in the synthesis and secretion of HMW adiponectin, and this increase was blocked by the addition of PPARγ inhibitor GW-9662. Inhibition of glycosylation using 2,2′-dipyridyl decreased the synthesis of high-molecular weight adiponectin by pioglitazone, EPA, and DHA, but there was increased secretion of trimeric adiponectin resulting from increased translation. Although pioglitazone, DHA, and EPA increased adiponectin synthesis by more than 60%, there was no increase in total protein synthesis and no corresponding change in adiponectin mRNA expression, indicating the upregulation of translation. We examined the possibility of transacting factors in the cytoplasmic extracts from adipocytes treated with pioglitazone or DHA. In vitro translation of adiponectin mRNA was inhibited by S-100 fraction of control adipocytes and increased by S-100 extracts from adipocytes treated with pioglitazone or DHA. Consistent with this observation, both pioglitazone and DHA treatments increased the association of adiponectin mRNA with the heavier polysome fractions. Together, these data suggest that pioglitazone and the fish oils DHA or EPA are PPARγ agonists in adipocytes with regard to adiponectin expression, and the predominant mode of adiponectin stimulation is via an increase in translation.
T1R3 taste receptor is critical for sucrose but not Polycose taste
Authors: Zukerman Steven , Glendinning John I. , Margolskee Robert F. , Sclafani Anthony
Published: December 2008

In addition to their well-known preference for sugars, mice and rats avidly consume starch-derived glucose polymers (e.g., Polycose). T1R3 is a component of the mammalian sweet taste receptor that mediates the preference for sugars and artificial sweeteners in mammals. We examined the role of the T1R3 receptor in the ingestive response of mice to Polycose and sucrose. In 60-s two-bottle tests, knockout (KO) mice preferred Polycose solutions (4–32%) to water, although their overall preference was lower than WT mice (82% vs. 94%). KO mice also preferred Polycose (0.5–32%) in 24-h two-bottle tests, although less so than WT mice at dilute concentrations (0.5–4%). In contrast, KO mice failed to prefer sucrose to water in 60-s tests. In 24-h tests, KO mice were indifferent to 0.5–8% sucrose, but preferred 16–32% sucrose; this latter result may reflect the post-oral effects of sucrose. Overall sucrose preference and intake were substantially less in KO mice than WT mice. However, when retested with 0.5–32% sucrose solutions, the KO mice preferred all sucrose concentrations, although they drank less sugar than WT mice. The experience-induced sucrose preference is attributed to a post-oral conditioned preference for the T1R3-independent orosensory features of the sugar solutions (odor, texture, T1R2-mediated taste). Chorda tympani nerve recordings revealed virtually no response to sucrose in KO mice, but a near-normal response to Polycose. These results indicate that the T1R3 receptor plays a critical role in the taste-mediated response to sucrose but not Polycose.
Interference of Drug-Eluting Stents With Endothelium-Dependent Coronary Vasomotion
Authors: Hamilos Michalis , Sarma Jaydeep , Ostojic Miodrag , Cuisset Thomas , Sarno Giovanna , Melikian Narbeh , Ntalianis Argyrios , Muller Olivier , Barbato Emanuele , Beleslin Branco , Sagic Dragan , De Bruyne Bernard , Bartunek Jozef , Wijns William
Published: December 2008

Background—

There is evidence that endothelial coverage of drug-eluting stents might be delayed or absent, a risk factor for late thrombotic events. We studied the effects of different drug-polymer-device iterations on endothelium-dependent coronary vasomotion. Systemic markers of endothelial inflammation were correlated with coronary vasomotor changes.

Methods and Results—

Patients with paclitaxel-eluting stents (n=11), sirolimus-eluting stents (n=21), biolimus A9-eluting stents (n=28), zotarolimus-eluting stents (n=10), and bare-metal stents (n=13) were studied 10, 9, 9, 9, and 12 months after implantation, respectively. Endothelium-dependent coronary vasomotion was tested proximally and distally to the stent and at a reference vessel segment during atrial pacing at increasing heart rates by quantitative coronary angiography. Indexes of platelet-monocyte binding and other biomarkers were studied in a subgroup of 19 patients. The baseline characteristics and hemodynamics of the patients in the different stent groups were comparable. Significant differences were observed across the 5 stent groups, concerning the vasomotion of segments proximal (
P
=0.006) and distal (
P
=0.003) to the stent. Normal vasomotion (vasodilatation) was maintained in the biolimus A9-eluting stent, zotarolimus-eluting stent, and bare-metal stent groups, whereas vasoconstriction was observed in the sirolimus-eluting stent and paclitaxel-eluting stent groups. Platelet-monocyte binding in whole blood showed a significant inverse correlation with vasomotion in reference but not in segments adjacent to the stent (
r
=−0.57;
P
=0.01).

Conclusions—

Paclitaxel-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents seem to cause endothelial dysfunction of the implanted vessel, whereas biolimus A9-eluting stents and zotarolimus-eluting stents behave more closely to bare-metal stents, with preserved endothelial vasomotor response. Coronary vasoconstriction was not associated with detectable systemic endothelial activation.
Triangular Relationships and Most Beautiful Bodies: On the Significance of απειρα at Timaeus 57d5, and on the Number of Plato's Elementary Triangles
Authors:   Lloyd
Published: December 2008

According to an interpretation first proposed by Cornford (1937), Plato intends that the many different triangles or squares required for the construction of 'elements' in the Timaeus are all built up using multiples of two elemental triangles, the στοιχεια. An alternative view, which also has wide acceptance, is that there are many elemental triangles, of different sizes; in an extreme form of this there is an unlimited or even infinite variety of the triangles. These views are analysed, and it is concluded that Cornford's interpretation, despite some problems, is still the best currently available.
Cognition in Aristotle's Poetics
Authors: Heath Malcolm
Published: December 2008

This paper examines Aristotle's understanding of the contributions of perceptual and rational cognition to the composition and reception of poetry. An initial outline of Aristotle's cognitive psychology shows that Aristotelian perception is sufficiently powerful to sustain very rich, complex patterns of behaviour in human as well as non-human animals, and examines the interaction between perception (cognition of the particular and the 'that') and the distinctive capacity for reason (which makes possible cognition of the universal and the 'why') in human behaviour. The rest of the paper applies this framework to a number of problems in the Poetics: (i) If Aristotelian tekhnê is defined as a productive disposition involving reason, how can poetic tekhnê be manifested in the work of poets who work by non-rational habit or talent? (ii) Why does Aristotle believe that the pleasure taken in imitation qua imitation involves rational inference? (iii) What does Aristotle mean when he contrasts history (concerned with the particular) and poetry (concerned with the universal)? (iv) How is Aristotle's insistence on universality and rationality in the construction of poetic plots to be reconciled with his willingness to tolerate irrationalities and implausibilities?
Historio-Critical Hermeneutics in the Study of Women in Early Indian Buddhism
Authors: Collett Alice
Published: December 2008

Modern scholarly study of women in early Indian Buddhism began over a hundred years ago, towards the end of the nineteenth century. In this article, I assess strategies that have been prominent in scholarly engagement with the texts from the period that are pertinent to this debate. The article is focused around discussion of four historical-critical hermeneutic strategies which either have figured within the debate or, as is the case in the final section, are suggested as pertinent to the debate. The four strategies are: a hermeneutics of resonance; gender-construct hermeneutics; comparativist hermeneutics; and finally revisionist hermeneutics. The first three comprise strategies which have featured significantly in the debate, from its origins to changes that have arisen particularly during the last two decades. The final strategy is, essentially, my own assertion.
The Ahistorical Nature of 1 Enoch 56:5-8 and Its Ramifications upon the Opinio Communis on the Dating of the Similitudes of Enoch
Authors: Erho Ted
Published: December 2008

Over the past several decades the hypothesis that 1 Enoch 56:5-8 alludes to the historical Parthian incursion into Palestine in 40 B.C.E. has garnered increasing support, and it is by this alleged allusion that the Similitudes of Enoch are often assigned a Herodian date. In contrast, this article argues that a more fruitful approach to the interpretation of 1 Enoch 56:5-8 would be to understand the text as drawing upon a (proto-)apocalyptic tradition that expects foreign invaders to attempt to wage war against Jerusalem in an eschatological battle. Since other passages containing this tradition (Ezek 38-39; Sib. Or. 3.657-732; Rev 20:7-10; 4 Ezra 13:5-11) are not considered to be rooted in vaticinium ex eventu, the validity of using this text within the historical-allusional method of dating is consequently called into question.
Precedents for Palamas' Essence-Energies Theology in the Cappadocian Fathers
Authors: Torrance Alexis
Published: December 2008

Following a brief summary of the main tenets of Palamas' theology relating to the immanent divine ενεργειαι, this article will explore possible precedents for such a concept in the Cappadocian Fathers. The aim is twofold: first to argue against the exclusive use of ενεργεια language in attempting to outline precedents for Palamite thought in the Cappadocians, and second to propose a framework for discussing the topic in terms of sanctification and deification. Through such an approach, I contend, it is possible to remain true to the Cappadocians, whilst concurrently finding striking precedents to the theology of Palamas.
The Reception of Greek Science in Gregory of Nyssa's De hominis opificio
Authors: Wessel Susan
Published: December 2008

One of the most significant philosophical questions that Gregory of Nyssa grappled with in his anthropological treatise, De hominis opificio, was how intelligible mind, the image of God that the human person contained, might possibly exist in the physically-circumscribed limits of the corporeal body. Gregory addressed this question by engaging in a medical controversy that was current in his day: where in the body was the reasoning faculty located? Against those who placed this faculty in the brain, Gregory argued that certain mental states and afflictions were due to physical conditions suffered by the body and, therefore, had nothing to do with the reasoning faculty being confined to the brain. I conclude that Gregory's selective use of the anatomical investigations of Galen and the Greek medical writers helped him construct a unified theory of the human person in which the intelligible activity of mind both interacted freely with the physical body and depended upon the body functioning naturally for the complete expression of its divine rationality.
Alleged Syriac Catchwords in the Gospel of Thomas
Authors:   Williams
Published: December 2008

Nicholas Perrin in his 2002 monograph, Thomas and Tatian: The Relationship between the Gospel of Thomas and the Diatessaron, and in a series of subsequent publications has proposed that, if one translates it back into Syriac, a series of 502 catchwords can be found to run through the Gospel of Thomas. According to Perrin this number is greater than the number of catchwords in Coptic (269) or in Greek (263) and demonstrates that the Gospel of Thomas was originally composed in Syriac, which in turn makes it likely that the Gospel of Thomas was written with a knowledge of Tatian's Diatessaron. Here, a sample of Perrin's alleged catchwords is investigated and is found implausible. Consequently his late dating of the Gospel of Thomas cannot be established.
Theophilus of Antioch
Authors: Rogers Rick
Published: December 2008

Bishop Theophilus wrote three documents collectively called To Autolycus . Generally treated as apology, they are examined here as protreptic literature going well beyond merely defending faith to promoting a world and life view. Furthermore, these works have convinced some scholars to regard Theophilus as a Jewish-Christian thinker. However, this article maintains that the soteriological teachings of these books identify this bishop as a heterodox theologian within a conservative second-century Christianity.
Are Practical Prayers Pagan Prayers?
Authors: Crump David
Published: December 2008

Despite the Apostle Paul's encouragement to `present your requests to God,' the NT contains few examples of petitionary prayer for the mundane concerns of daily life. The Jewish, Greco-Roman and magical practices of petitionary prayer are examined in order to explain the apparent incongruity between NT practice and teaching.
Shared work values and team member effectiveness: The mediation of trustfulness and trustworthiness
Authors: Chou Li-Fang , Wang An-Chih , Wang Ting-Yu , Huang Min-Ping , Cheng Bor-Shiuan
Published: December 2008

Using a sample of 411 members and their respective leaders from 72 Taiwanese corporate teams, we conducted a cross-level study and found that 1) teammates' shared work values were positively related to team member performance and satisfaction with cooperation; 2) trustworthiness, or how a member was trusted by his or her teammates, mediated the relationship between shared work values and team member performance; and 3) trustfulness, or how a member trusted his or her teammates, mediated the relationship between shared work values and satisfaction with cooperation. Results provided support for the shared mental model theory and the directional nature of interpersonal trust.
Similarity, familiarity and access to elite work in Hollywood: Employer and employee characteristics in breakthrough employment
Authors: Skilton Paul F.
Published: December 2008

This study develops and tests hypotheses concerning factors that influence employers' decisions to create breakthrough opportunities for workers on elite Hollywood projects. A breakthrough is defined as employment in a new career area in which the employee has no experience. Similarity and familiarity are proposed as constructs that describe relationships between employees and employers. Similarity and familiarity play a major role in breakthroughs because, by definition, the employee's experience is insufficient to gauge his or her ability for the new area. The hypotheses are tested using archival data on employment in Hollywood motion picture production, with the breakthrough to directing an elite motion picture as the focal opportunity. The results show that while similarity and familiarity make breakthroughs more likely, the prospect's experience matters little. Breakthrough opportunities are created by employers with less experience in elite work and lower status.
The social meaning and function of food rituals in healthcare practice: An ethnography
Authors: Thomson Di , Hassenkamp Anne-Marie
Published: December 2008

This ethnographic study was undertaken to build a picture of physiotherapy practice through prolonged observation. Several building blocks of the therapists' culture were created one of which was the negotiation and meaning of food rituals in the practice of a team of physiotherapists in a UK National Health Service hospital. Interviews were carried out following the observations to gain the therapists' perspectives in an open critical exploration of assumptions and ideas. The analysis was iterative and followed a systematic recognized ethnographic approach. The findings revealed explicit and implicit meanings of the food rituals. Explicitly they were instrumental in sustaining continuity and a strong sense of harmony. They were seen as a morale-booster, a key ingredient to mark departures and a powerful component of the therapists' break time. They underpinned a need for cohesion within an environment of constant change. Implicitly, they were a vehicle to expose tensions and a catalyst for isolation. Food rituals, for this team, reduced the anxiety and stress, which unpredictability, a hallmark of clinical practice can engender. By hiding their concerns in rituals, the team members were able to avoid a real confrontation with issues of authority and hierarchy that underscored these activities. They also maintained the continuity of a professional tradition and contributed to a strong sense of professional autonomy which can smooth the pathway to inter-professional collaboration.
Buckling and Post-buckling Behavior if Composite Plates Containing Multiple Delaminations
Authors: Suemasu Hiroshi , Irie Takeshi , Ishikawa Takashi
Published: December 2008

Post-buckling behaviors of rectangular composite plates with multiple circular delaminations are studied experimentally and numerically. The plate is fixed at its loading edges and simply-supported at its side edges considering the CAI test method recommended by SACMA. Multiple circular delaminations are placed at regular intervals in the thickness direction at the plate center. The diameters of the delaminations are increased from the top surface to the bottom surface, which is an idealized pattern of foreign object impact damage of composite laminates as reported by many researchers. A three-dimensional brick element is adopted. The contact problem of the delaminated surfaces is approximately considered by placing spring elements between the double nodes at the upper and lower delamination surfaces, which have no resistance in the tensile direction and high stiffness in the compressive direction. The numerical results are compared with experiment and found to be consistent with the experiment. The effects of the delaminations on the post-buckling behavior of the laminates are discussed parametrically through finite element results.
XRD Study of the Effect of the Processing Variables on the Synthesis of Nanozirconia in the Presence of MWCNT
Authors: Garmendia N. , Arteche A. , García A. , Bustero I. , Obieta I.
Published: December 2008

Several challenges must be solved to obtain an effective introduction of carbon nanotubes in a ceramic matrix. Dispersion, good load transfer, and wettability are the major issues to be overcome to obtain good final properties of a zirconia nanocomposite. We have developed a process to coat multi-wall carbon nanotubes with nanozirconia to deal with these challenges. The process is based on the hydrothermal synthesis of tetragonal zirconia nanoparticles in the presence of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). In this work, X-ray diffraction has been used to study the influence of the processing variables in order to optimize this process. The theoretical mathematical models that relate the percentage of tetragonal zirconia and their crystallinity in relation to the processing variables have been extracted.
Dynamic Relaxation Nonlinear Viscoelastic Analysis of Annular Sector Composite Plate
Authors: Reza Falahatgar Seyed , Salehi Manouchehr
Published: December 2008

The geometrically nonlinear laminated annular plate structure with nonlinear viscoelastic orthotropic composite is considered using the dynamic relaxation (DR) method for the first time in the present study. The DR technique in conjunction with the finite difference discretization is used to study the behavior of a Mindlin plate. The plate is made of nonlinear viscoelastic orthotropic material expressed by the Schapery single integral model. A recursive-iterative formulation is implemented for the hereditary integral of the material. Under uniform lateral pressure and clamped and hinged edged constraints, the unsymmetrical laminated sector plate deformation is predicted in different times. The present results are compared with the elastic finite element (FE) generated numerical results. The correlations are very satisfactory. The load-center deflections for linear and nonlinear viscoelastic material plate along the symmetrical radial line for elastic and viscoelastic plate are illustrated. The dimensionless deflection results for up to 480min are predicted to show the creep behavior of the material. Finally, the dimensionless stress couple results are obtained after 8 h creep time for a graphite/epoxy composite plate.
Z-pin Reinforcement on the Core Shear Properties of Polymer Foam Sandwich Composites
Authors: Du L. , Jiao Guiqiong  , Huang Tao
Published: December 2008

The influence of orientation of carbon fiber rods on the core shear properties of Z-pins reinforced foam core sandwich was investigated by a series of out-of-plane shear tests. The reinforcing pins were aligned along or opposite to the shear loading direction, or they were arrayed in an X-shaped configuration. Experimental results indicate that the compression pin and the tension pin have an equivalent contribution to core shear stiffness when they are arrayed opposite to each other. Pull-out of Z-pins from facesheets and foam core can absorb strain energy after debonding and hinder crack extension. Two shear failure modes were observed in the tests, and analytical formulae predicting the shear strength have been presented.
Carbon Black Reinforced Epoxy Resin Nanocomposites as Bending Sensors
Authors: Wei Zhang  , Blackburn Richard S. , Dehghani-Sanij Abbas A.
Published: December 2008

By blending electrically conducting carbon black particles and silica into poly(bisphenol A-co-epichlorohydrin) epoxy resin polymer, conductive nanocomposites were prepared by printing onto transparency films and curing. Application of a milling procedure prior to application is beneficial for the reduction of cracks in the subsequent nanocomposites. Electrical conduction of nanocomposite is CB content dependent. A percolation region (19—24% CB on mass of resin) exists where the nanocomposite exhibits a transition from an electrical insulator to conductor. Nanocomposites with 14% and 19% CB on mass of resin demonstrated greatest sensitivity to changes in bending angle, attributed to greater localized changes in the conductive paths within a semi-conducting sensor. Good reproducibility was observed as a result of molecular interactions between CB particles and the epoxy resin.
Personality Prototypes in Adult Offenders
Authors: Herzberg Philipp Yorck , Hoyer Jürgen
Published: December 2008

The authors applied a person-centered approach based on the five-factor model of personality to organize personality data of criminal offenders and examine psychological differences between resulting prototypes. In the first study, 91 offenders were administered the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the Antisocial Personality Questionnaire, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), the Borderline Personality Inventory, and the White Bear Suppression Inventory. In a second study of 102 offenders, the authors again used the NEO-FFI, IIP, and additional self-report instruments measuring psychopathological symptoms, social interaction problems, and functional and dysfunctional forms of self-consciousness. Cluster analyses revealed five prototypes that replicate previous ones from nonoffender studies. Subsequent analyses demonstrated systematic and psychologically meaningful differences between these groups in their tendencies to behave, think, and feel. These findings are discussed with reference to the advantages of the person-centered approach as a supplement to the predominant variable-centered approach of personality.
Differences in Ankle Range of Motion before and after Exercise in 2 Tape Conditions
Authors: Purcell Steven B. , Schuckman Brynn E. , Docherty Carrie L. , Schrader John , Poppy Wendy
Published: December 2008

Background

Athletic tape has been used on the ankle to decrease range of motion and to prevent injuries. Results from previous research found that with physical exercise athletic tape loses some of its restricting properties; recently, a new self-adherent taping product was developed that may restrict range of motion regardless of exercise.

Hypothesis

Self-adherent tape will maintain ankle range of motion restriction more than traditional white cloth tape both before and after activity.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Twenty volunteers participated in testing procedures on 3 separate days, 1 for each taping condition (self-adherent, white cloth, and no tape). The participant's ankle range of motion was measured with an electrogoniometer before application of the tape, immediately after application of the tape, and after 30 minutes of physical exercise. Range of motion was measured in 2 planes of motion: inversion to eversion and dorsiflexion to plantar flexion.

Results

White cloth tape and self-adherent tape both restricted inversion to eversion range of motion immediately after application, but with 30 minutes of exercise only the self-adherent tape maintained the decreased range of motion. For dorsiflexion to plantar flexion range of motion, the white tape and self-adherent tape both significantly decreased range of motion immediately after application and after the exercise protocol.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

The self-adherent tape maintained range of motion restriction both before and after exercise. Conversely, the white cloth tape lost some of its restrictive properties after 30 minutes of exercise.
How Should We Conceive the Continued Resilience of the U.S. Dollar as a Reserve Currency?
Authors: Morgan Jamie
Published: December 2008

In the following paper I explore the issue of the dollar as the unofficial reserve currency of the global finance system. I look at arguments for its “resilience” or continued use and how there is an inbuilt mechanism in liberalized capital that tends to reinforce the use of the dollar, and how this is to the advantage of the United States. I then look at the various ways in which the dollar has become increasingly vulnerable as a reserve currency because of the current constitution of the U.S. economy and because of its mutual dependency with China. I also set out how finance and other markets can go into sudden decline because of these vulnerabilities and how the constitution of the markets themselves can exacerbate this. Both of these factors, I argue, are problematic for the system, and provide the basis on which the dollar may ultimately cease to be the unofficial reserve currency.
Ethnographic Approaches to the Internet and Computer-Mediated Communication
Authors: Garcia Angela Cora , Standlee Alecea I. , Bechkoff Jennifer , Yan Cui
Published: December 2008

In this article we review ethnographic research on the Internet and computer-mediated communication. The technologically mediated environment prevents researchers from directly observing research participants and often makes the interaction anonymous. In addition, in the online environment direct interaction with participants is replaced by computer-screen data that are largely textual, but may include combinations of textual, visual, aural, and kinetic components. We show how the online environment requires adjustments in how ethnographers define the setting of their research, conduct participant observation and interviews, obtain access to settings and research subjects, and deal with the ethical dilemmas posed by the medium.
The Politics of Another Side
Authors: Anderson Gary L.
Published: December 2008

This article provides documentation of the current military presence in U.S. secondary schools and groups that have mobilized to monitor or oppose this presence. This documentation provides the background for a narrative of a multiple-year effort the author engaged in to promote academic freedom for teachers and students and to provide high school students greater balance in the information they receive with regard to opting for military service. This narrative provides insights on the ways advocacy efforts build on previous efforts, the kinds of obstacles advocates encounter when working with school professionals, and strategies for effective activism and policy advocacy with regard to military presence in schools.
The New Politics of Education
Authors: DeBray-Pelot Elizabeth , McGuinn Patrick
Published: December 2008

This article develops a framework, drawn from earlier work by education scholars, as well as broader theoretical insights on advocacy and policymaking developed by political scientists, for thinking about education politics in the post-No Child Left Behind era. The authors use this framework to examine the evolution of the national education policy arena over the past ten years. The authors describe the key political dynamics and actors which drove education policymaking at the national level for forty years after the passage of ESEA in 1965; and then explain the forces which transformed this educational status quo in the 1990s and led to the passage of NCLB in 2001. Finally, the article analyzes how the law itself has altered the national politics of education, including the growth and diversification of the think tank sector in the inter-reauthorization period. Implications for the future of federal education policy and politics are considered.
Stories of Hope and Decline
Authors: Itkonen Tiina
Published: December 2008

This study analyzes parent and professional organizations' effectiveness in national special education policy from 1975 to the present. Of specific interest are the relationships between groups' policy victories, how groups construct their political messages, and organizational characteristics. The research is significant in that it is one of the first major studies of education client groups that examines group effectiveness over several decades. Drawing from coded Congressional testimonies and elite interviews with policy makers and organizational leaders, the major findings indicate that problem definition—how groups frame their interests, portray students with disabilities, and narrate their policy stories—is a significant determinant of effectiveness overriding group resources. The implications for policy formulation are discussed.