bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salicylic acid production in response to biotic and abiotic stress depends on isochorismate in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Catinot Jérémy , Buchala Antony , Abou-Mansour Eliane , Métraux Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2008

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal involved in the activation of defence responses against abiotic and biotic stress. In tobacco, benzoic acid or glucosyl benzoate were proposed to be precursors of SA. This is in sharp contrast with studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, where SA derives from isochorismate. We have determined the importance of isochorismate for SA biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana using virus‐induced gene silencing of the isochorismate synthase (ICS) gene. Plants with silenced ICS expression do not accumulate SA after exposure to UV or to pathogen stress. Plants with silenced ICS expression also exhibit strongly decreased levels of phylloquinone, a product of isochorismate. Our data provide evidence for an isochorismate‐derived synthesis of SA in N. benthamiana
Correlated cleavage of single‐ and double‐stranded substrates by uracil‐DNA glycosylase
Authors: Sidorenko Viktoriya S. , Mechetin Grigory V. , Nevinsky Georgy A. , Zharkov Dmitry O.
Published: January 2008

Uracil‐DNA glycosylase (Ung) can quickly locate uracil bases in an excess of undamaged DNA. DNA glycosylases may use diffusion along DNA to facilitate lesion search, resulting in processivity, the ability of glycosylases to excise closely spaced lesions without dissociating from DNA. We propose a new assay for correlated cleavage and analyze the processivity of Ung. Ung conducted correlated cleavage on double‐ and single‐stranded substrates; the correlation declined with increasing salt concentration. Proteins in cell extracts also decreased Ung processivity. The correlated cleavage was reduced by nicks in DNA, suggesting the intact phosphodiester backbone is important for Ung processivity.
Cellular localization of Nicastrin affects amyloid β species production
Authors: Morais Vanessa A. , Leight Susan , Pijak Donald S. , Lee Virginia M.-Y. , Costa Júlia
Published: January 2008

The γ‐secretase complex, composed by presenilin, nicastrin, APH‐1 and PEN‐2, is involved in intramembranous proteolysis of membrane proteins, such as amyloid precursor protein or Notch. Cleavage occurs in multiple cellular compartments. Here, nicastrin mutants containing targeting signals to the endoplasmic reticulum, trans‐Golgi network, lysosomes, or plasma membrane have been shown to yield active γ‐secretase complexes with different activities and specificities: wild‐type and plasma membrane nicastrin complexes yielded the highest amounts of secreted amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ), predominantly Aβ40, whereas intracellular targeted mutants produced intracellular Aβ, with a comparatively higher amount of Aβ42. These results suggest that compartmental microenvironments play a role in γ‐secretase activity and specificity.
Support for a trimeric collar of myosin binding protein C in cardiac and fast skeletal muscle, but not in slow skeletal muscle
Authors: Flashman E. , Korkie L. , Watkins H. , Redwood C. , Moolman-Smook J.C.
Published: January 2008

Myosin‐binding protein C (MyBPC) is proposed to take on a trimeric collar arrangement around the thick filament backbone in cardiac muscle, based on interactions between cardiac MyBPC domains C5 and C8. We have now determined, using yeast two‐hybrid and in vitro binding assays, that the C5:C8 interaction is not dependent on the 28‐residue cardiac‐specific insert in C5. Furthermore, an interaction of similar affinity occurs between domains C5 and C8 of fast skeletal muscle MyBPC, but not between these domains of the slow skeletal muscle protein. These data have implications for the role and quaternary structure of MyBPC in skeletal muscle.
Processing and secretion of the N‐terminal domain of α‐dystroglycan in cell culture media
Authors: Saito Fumiaki , Saito-Arai Yuko , Nakamura Ayami , Shimizu Teruo , Matsumura Kiichiro
Published: January 2008

α‐Dystroglycan (α‐DG) plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of muscle cell membrane. Although it has been shown that the N‐terminal domain of α‐DG (α‐DG‐N) is cleaved by a proprotein convertase, its physiological significance remains unclear. We show here that native α‐DG‐N is secreted by a wide variety of cultured cells into the culture media. The secreted α‐DG‐N was both N‐ and O‐glycosylated. Finally, a small amount of α‐DG‐N was detectable in the normal human serum. These observations indicate that the cleavage of α‐DG‐N is a widespread event and suggest that the secreted α‐DG‐N might be transported via systemic circulation in vivo.
Mycobacterial lipomannan induces MAP kinase phosphatase‐1 expression in macrophages
Authors: Elass Elisabeth , Coddeville Bernadette , Kremer Laurent , Mortuaire Marlène , Mazurier Joël , Guérardel Yann
Published: January 2008

Mycobacterial lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) regulate macrophage activation by interacting with Toll‐like receptors (TLRs). The intracellular signalling pathways elicited by these complex molecules are poorly defined. We have demonstrated that LM purified from various mycobacterial species, but not LAM from Mycobacterium kansasii or Mycobacterium bovis BCG, induced expression of the MAP kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP‐1) in macrophages. Anti‐TLR2 antibodies, as well as specific ERK and p38 MAPK inhibitors, decreased MKP‐1 transcription in LM‐stimulated cells. These findings suggest that the binding of LM to TLR2 triggers MAPK activation, followed by an up‐regulation of MKP‐1 expression, which in turn may act as a negative regulator of MAPK activation.
History of the FIGO cancer staging system
Authors: Odicino Franco , Pecorelli Sergio , Zigliani Lucia , Creasman William T.
Published: January 2008

The main objectives of any good staging system – essential to an evidence‐based approach to cancer – are: to aid the clinician in planning treatment; to provide indication of prognosis; to assist the physician in evaluating the results of treatment; to facilitate the exchange of information between treatment centers, thus disseminating knowledge; and to contribute to continuing investigations into human malignancies. A good staging system must have 3 basic characteristics: it must be valid, reliable, and practical. The first staging system for gynecological cancers appeared around the turn of the 20th century and applied to the carcinoma of the cervix uteri—the most common cancer affecting women in high income countries at that time. The classification and staging of the other gynecological malignancies was not put forward until the 1950s. Over the years, these staging classifications – with the exception of cervical cancer and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia – have shifted from a clinical to a surgical–pathological basis. This paper reviews the history of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) cancer staging system, how it was developed, and why.
The effect of dietary fish oil-supplementation to healthy young men on oxidative burst measured by whole blood chemiluminescence
Authors: Bartelt Stine , Timm Michael , Damsgaard Camilla T. , Hansen Erik W. , Hansen Harald S. , Lauritzen Lotte
Published: January 2008

Dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) are thought to have immune-modulating effects, but the specific effects and mechanisms are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary n-3 LCPUFA could affect ex vivo oxidative burst in healthy young men. The study had a randomised 2 × 2-factorial design in which subjects were randomly assigned to 8-week supplementation with capsules containing fish oil (about 2·9 g n-3 LCPUFA/d) or olive oil (control). Subjects were also randomly assigned to household use of oils and fat spreads with a high or a low 18 : 2n-6 content. At baseline and at the end of the intervention, the fatty acid composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was analysed by GLC and oxidative burst was studied in whole blood stimulated with zymosan using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. The PBMC content of n-3 LCPUFA was markedly increased by the fish oil-supplementation (P < 0·001, compared to the olive oil groups). No effect of the intervention was observed on neutrophil count, but one measure of the zymosan-induced oxidative burst was higher in the fish oil groups (P = 0·03) compared to the olive oil groups. The fat intervention did not in itself affect oxidative burst neither did it change the effect of the fish-oil intervention. The measures of oxidative burst at the end of the intervention period were found to be associated with the DHA content of PBMC (r 0·44, P = 0·016), suggesting a dose–response relationship. These results indicate that n-3 LCPUFA may have immuno-stimulating effects.
Optimal growth and transition to turbulence in channel flow with spanwise magnetic field
Authors: KRASNOV DMITRY , ROSSI MAURICE , ZIKANOV OLEG , BOECK THOMAS
Published: January 2008

Instability and transition to turbulence in a magnetohydrodynamic channel flow are studied numerically for the case of a uniform magnetic field imposed along the spanwise direction. Optimal perturbations and their maximum amplifications over finite time intervals are computed in the framework of the linear problem using an iterative scheme based on direct and adjoint governing equations. It is shown that, at sufficiently strong magnetic field, the maximum amplification is no longer provided by classical streamwise rolls, but rather by rolls oriented at an oblique angle to the basic flow direction. The angle grows with the Hartmann numberHaand reaches the limit corresponding to purely spanwise rolls atHabetween 50 and 100 depending on the Reynolds number. Direct numerical simulations are applied to investigate the transition to turbulence at a single subcritical Reynolds numberRe= 5000 and various Hartmann numbers. The transition is caused by the transient growth and subsequent breakdown of optimal perturbations, which take the form of one or two symmetric optimal modes (streamwise, oblique or spanwise modes depending onHa) with low-amplitude three-dimensional noise added at the moment of strongest energy amplification. A sufficiently strong magnetic field (Halarger than approximately 30) is found to completely suppress the instability. At smaller Hartmann numbers, the transition is observed but it is modified in comparison with the pure hydrodynamic case.
Tilt-induced instability of a stratified vortex
Authors: BOULANGER NICOLAS , MEUNIER PATRICE , LE DIZÈS STÉPHANE
Published: January 2008

This experimental and theoretical study considers the dynamics and the instability of a Lamb–Oseen vortex in a stably stratified fluid. In a companion paper, it was shown that tilting the vortex axis with respect to the direction of stratification induces the formation of a rim of strong axial flow near a critical radius when the Froude number of the vortex is larger than one.

Here, we demonstrate that this tilt-induced flow is responsible for a three-dimensional instability. We show that the instability results from a shear instability of the basic axial flow in the critical-layer region. The theoretical predictions for the wavelength and the growth rate obtained by a local stability analysis of the theoretical critical-layer profile are compared to experimental measurements and a good agreement is observed. The late stages of the instability are also analysed experimentally. In particular, we show that the tilt-induced instability does not lead to the destruction of the vortex, but to a sudden decrease of its Froude number, through the turbulent diffusion of its core size, when the initial Froude number is close to 1. A movie is available with the online version of the paper.
Dense flows of cohesive granular materials
Authors: ROGNON PIERRE G. , ROUX JEAN-NOËL , NAAÏM MOHAMED , CHEVOIR FRANÇOIS
Published: January 2008

Using molecular dynamic simulations, we investigate the characteristics of dense flows of model cohesive grains. We describe their rheological behaviour and its origin at the scale of the grains and of their organization. Homogeneous plane shear flows give access to the constitutive law of cohesive grains which can be expressed by a simple friction law similar to the case of cohesionless grains, but intergranular cohesive forces strongly enhance the resistance to the shear. Then we show the consequence on flows down a slope: a plugged region develops at the free surface where the cohesion intensity is the strongest. Moreover, we measure various indicators of the microstructure within flows which evidence the aggregation of grains owing to cohesion and we analyse the properties of the contact network (force distributions and anisotropy). This provides new insights into the interplay between the local contact law, the microstructure and the macroscopic behavior of cohesive grains. Movies are available with the online version of the paper.
On the spatial length scales of scalar dissipation in turbulent jet flames
Authors: VAISHNAVI P. , KRONENBURG A. , PANTANO C.
Published: January 2008

Spatial length scales of the rate of dissipation, χ, of fluctuations of a conserved scalar, Z, are inferred numerically using a DNS database of a turbulent planar jet flame. The Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers lie in the range of 38 to 58 along the centreline of the simulated jet flame. Three different methods are used to study the spatial length scales associated with χ. First, analysis of the one-dimensional dissipation spectra shows an expected Reδ−3/4 (Kolmogorov) scaling with the outer-scale Reynolds number, Reδ. Secondly, thin sheet-like three-dimensional scalar dissipation structures have been investigated directly. Such structures were identified within the computational domain using level-sets of the χ-field, and their thicknesses were subsequently computed. The study shows, in accordance with experimental studies, that the captured dissipation-layer thickness also shows a Kolmogorov scaling with Reδ. Finally, spatial filters of varying widths were applied to the instantaneous Z field in order to model the averaging effect that takes place with some experimental measurement techniques. The filtered scalar dissipation rate was then calculated from the filtered scalar field. The peaks in the instantaneous filtered χ-profiles are observed to decrease exponentially with increasing filter width, yielding estimates of the true value of χ. Unlike the dissipation length scales obtained from the spectral analysis and the level-set method, the length-scale estimates from the spatial-filtering method are found to be proportional to Reδ−1. This is consistent with the small-scale intermittency of χ which cannot be captured by techniques that just resolve the conventional Batchelor/Obukhov–Corrsin scale. These results have implications when considering resolution requirements for measuring scalar dissipation length scales in experimental flows.
On weakly nonlinear convection in mushy layers during solidification of alloys
Authors: OKHUYSEN B. S. , RIAHI D. N.
Published: January 2008

We consider the problem of weakly nonlinear buoyant convection in horizontal mushy layers with permeable mush–liquid interface during the solidification of binary alloys. We analyse the effects of several parameters of the problem on the stationary modes of convection in the form of either a hexagonal pattern or a non-hexagonal pattern such as rolls, rectangles and squares. No assumption is made on the thickness of the mushy layer, and a number of simplifying assumptions made in previous theoretical investigations of the problem are relaxed here in order to study the problem based on a more realistic model. Using both analytical and numerical methods, we determine the steady solutions for the nonlinear problem in a range of the Rayleigh number R near its critical value. Both the nonlinear basic state and variable permeability of the present problem favour hexagon-pattern convection. The results of the analyses and computations indicate that depending on the range of values of the parameters, bifurcation to hexagonal or non-hexagonal convection can be either supercritical or subcritical. However, among all the computed solutions in the particular range of values of the parameters that are most relevant to those of the experiments, only convection in the form of down-hexagons with downflow at the cell centres and upflow at the cell boundaries, was found to be realizable, in the sense that its amplitude increases with R.
An analysis of convection in a mushy layer with a deformable permeable interface
Authors: ROPER S. M. , DAVIS S. H. , VOORHEES P. W.
Published: January 2008

We study the dynamics of a mushy layer in directional solidification for the case of a thin near-eutectic mush with a deformable and permeable mush–liquid interface. We examine the onset of convection using linear stability analysis, and the weakly nonlinear growth of liquid inclusions that signal the onset of chimneys. This analysis is compared to past analyses in which the mush–liquid interface is replaced by a rigid impermeable lid. We find qualitative agreement between the two models, but the rigid-lid approximation gives substantially different quantitative behaviour.

In linear theory, the rigid-lid approximation leads to an over-estimate of the critical Rayleigh number and wavenumber of the instability. The condition for the onset of oscillatory instability is also changed by a factor of about 5 in composition number C. In the weakly nonlinear theory, the location of the onset of liquid inclusions is near the undisturbed front for the free-boundary analysis, whereas it lies at the centre of the mushy layer when the rigid-lid approximation is used. For hexagonal patterns, the boundary between regions of parameter space in which up and down hexagons are stable, shifts as a result of coupling between the liquid and mush regions.
Dynamics of an acoustically levitated particle using the lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: BARRIOS G. , RECHTMAN R.
Published: January 2008

When the acoustic force inside a cavity balances the gravitational force on a particle the result is known as acoustic levitation. Using the lattice Boltzmann equation method we find the acoustic force acting on a rounded particle for two different single-axis acoustic levitators in two dimensions, the first with plane waves, the second with a rounded reflector that enhances the acoustic force. With no gravitational force, a particle oscillates around a pressure node; in the presence of gravity the oscillation is shifted a small vertical distance below the pressure node. This distance increases linearly as the density ratio between the solid particle and fluid grows. For both cavities, the particle oscillates with the frequency of the sound source and its harmonics and in some cases there is a much smaller second dominant frequency. When the momentum of the acoustic source changes, the oscillation around the average vertical position can have both frequencies mentioned above. However, if this quantity is large enough, the oscillations of the particle are aperiodic in the cavity with a rounded reflector.
Direct numerical simulation of turbulent flow past a trailing edge and the associated noise generation
Authors: SANDBERG RICHARD D. , SANDHAM NEIL D.
Published: January 2008

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are conducted of turbulent flow passing an infinitely thin trailing edge. The objective is to investigate the turbulent flow field in the vicinity of the trailing edge and the associated broadband noise generation. To generate a turbulent boundary layer a short distance from the inflow boundary, high-amplitude lifted streaks and disturbances that can be associated with coherent outer-layer vortices are introduced at the inflow boundary. A rapid increase in skin friction and a decrease in boundary layer thickness and pressure fluctuations is observed at the trailing edge. It is demonstrated that the behaviour of the hydrodynamic field in the vicinity of the trailing edge can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using triple-deck theory if the eddy viscosity is accounted for. Point spectra of surface pressure difference are shown to vary considerably towards the trailing edge, with a significant reduction of amplitude occurring in the low-frequency range. The acoustic pressure obtained from the DNS is compared with predictions from two- and three-dimensional acoustic analogies and the classical trailing-edge theory of Amiet. For low frequencies, two-dimensional theory succeeds in predicting the acoustic pressure in the far field with reasonable accuracy due to a significant spanwise coherence of the surface pressure difference and predominantly two-dimensional sound radiation. For higher frequencies, however, the full three-dimensional theory is required for an accurate prediction of the acoustic far field. DNS data are used to test some of the key assumptions invoked by Amiet for the derivation of the classical trailing-edge theory. Even though most of the approximations are shown to be reasonable, they collectively lead to a deviation from the DNS results, in particular for higher frequencies. Moreover, because the three-dimensional acoustic analogy does not provide significantly improved results, it is suggested that some of the discrepancies can be attributed to the approach of evaluating the far-field sound using a Kirchhoff-type integration of the surface pressure difference.
Instability of a viscous coflowing jet in a radial electric field
Authors: LI FANG , YIN XIE-YUAN , YIN XIE-ZHEN
Published: January 2008

A temporal linear instability analysis of a charged coflowing jet with two immiscible viscous liquids in a radial electric field is carried out for axisymmetric disturbances. According to the magnitude of the liquid viscosity relative to the ambient air viscosity, two generic cases are considered. The analytical dimensionless dispersion relations are derived and solved numerically. Two unstable modes, namely the para-sinuous mode and the para-varicose mode, are identified in the Rayleigh regime. The para-sinuous mode is found to always be dominant in the jet instability. Liquid viscosity clearly stabilizes the growth rates of the unstable modes, but its effect on the cut-off wavenumber is negligible. The radial electric field has a dual effect on the modes, stabilizing them when the electrical Euler number is smaller than a critical value and destabilizing them when it exceeds that value. Moreover, the electrical Euler number and Weber number increase the dominant and cut-off wavenumbers significantly. Based on the Taylor–Melcher leaky dielectric theory, two limit cases, i.e. the small electrical relaxation time limit (SERT) and the large electrical relaxation time limit (LERT), are discussed. For coflowing jets having a highly conducting outer liquid, SERT may serve as a good approximation. In addition, the dispersion relations under the thin layer approximation are derived, and it is concluded that the accuracy of the thin layer approximation is closely related to the values of the dimensionless parameters.
Sound transmission in strongly curved slowly varying cylindrical ducts with flow
Authors: BRAMBLEY E. J. , PEAKE N.
Published: January 2008

In this paper we consider the propagation of acoustic waves on top of an inviscid steady flow along a curved hollow or annular duct with hard or lined walls. The curvature of the duct centreline (which is not restricted to being small) and the wall radii vary slowly along the duct, allowing application of an asymptotic multiple-scales analysis. The modal wavenumbers and mode shapes are determined locally as modes of a torus with the same local curvature, while the amplitude of the modes evolves as the mode propagates along the duct. The duct modes are found explicitly at each axial location using a pseudospectral numerical method.

Unlike the case of a straight duct carrying uniform flow, there is a fundamental asymmetry between upstream and downstream propagating modes, with some mode shapes tending to be concentrated on either the inside or outside of the bend depending on the direction of propagation, curvature and steady-flow Mach number. The interaction between the presence of wall lining and curvature is also significant; for instance, in a representative case it is found that the curvature causes the first few acoustic modes to be more heavily damped by the duct boundary than would be expected for a straight duct.

Using ray theory, we suggest explanations of these features. For the lowest azimuthal-order modes, three distinct regimes are found in which the modes are localized in different parts of the duct cross-section. This phenomenon is explained by a balance between whispering-gallery effects along the duct and refraction by the steady flow. At the opposite extreme, strongly spinning modes are investigated, and are seen to be due to a different whispering-gallery effect across the duct cross-section.
Pair-sphere trajectories in finite-Reynolds-number shear flow
Authors: KULKARNI PANDURANG M. , MORRIS JEFFREY F.
Published: January 2008

The pair trajectories of neutrally buoyant rigid spheres immersed in finite-inertia simple-shear flow are described. The trajectories are obtained using the lattice-Boltzmann method to solve the fluid motion, with Newtonian dynamics describing the sphere motions. The inertia is characterized by the shear-flow Reynolds number ${\it Re} \,{=}\,\rho\dot{\gamma}a^2/\mu$, where μ and ρ are the viscosity and density of the fluid respectively, $\dot{\gamma}$ is the shear rate and a is the radius of the larger of the pair of spheres in the case of unequal sizes; the majority of results presented are for pairs of equal radii. Reynolds numbers of 0 ≤ Re ≤ 1 are considered with a focus on inertia at Re = O(0.1). At finite inertia, the topology of the pair trajectories is altered from that predicted at Re = 0, as closed trajectories found in Stokes flow vanish and two new forms of trajectories are observed. These include spiralling and reversing trajectories in addition to largely undisturbed open trajectories. For Re = O(0.1), the limits of the various regions in pair space yielding open, reversing and spiralling trajectories are roughly defined.
Numerical investigation of particle–particle and particle–wall collisions in a viscous fluid
Authors: ARDEKANI A. M. , RANGEL R. H.
Published: January 2008

The dynamics of particle–particle collisions and the bouncing motion of a particle colliding with a wall in a viscous fluid is numerically investigated. The dependence of the effective coefficient of restitution on the Stokes number and surface roughness is analysed. A distributed Lagrange multiplier-based computational method in a solid–fluid system is developed and an efficient method for predicting the collision between particles is presented. A comparison between this method and previous collision strategies shows that the present approach has some significant advantages over them. Comparison of the present methodology with experimental studies for the bouncing motion of a spherical particle onto a wall shows very good agreement and validates the collision model. Finally, the effect of the coefficient of restitution for a dry collision on the vortex dynamics associated with this problem is discussed.
Public health implications of soil contaminated with helminth eggs in the metropolis of Kaduna, Nigeria
Authors: Maikai B.V. , Umoh J.U. , Ajanusi O.J. , Ajogi I.
Published: January 2008

Environmental and socio-cultural variables influencing the distribution of helminth eggs in 608 soil samples were studied in 14 playgrounds that differ in socio-economic status in Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria, using a modified sieving method and a sucrose flotation medium of specific gravity 1.27. Helminth eggs were found in 62% of the soil samples and the distribution was as follows:Toxocaraspp. 50.4%,Taeniaspp./Echinococcusspp. 36.9%,Dipylidium caninum26.3%,Ancylostomaspp. 9.0%,Ascarisspp. 7.2%,Trichurisspp. 3.7% andAscaridiaspp. 1.9%. A higher prevalence (68.1%) was recorded during the dry harmattan period while in the rainy period the rate was 58.1%. Mean egg densities ranged from 1.11 ± 0.32 to 3.92 ± 2.47 in areas moderately rated. Samples from site 14, which was highly rated, were more contaminated (78.1%) than those collected from other sites, while the intensity of contamination (14.0%) was more in moderately rated site 4 than in the rest of the sites. There were significant associations between the prevalence of helminth eggs and rainy period of the study (odds ratio (OR) = 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) on OR: 0.20 < OR < 0.70), presence of dogs (OR = 0.56; 95% CI on OR: 0.37 < OR < 0.85) and grass (vegetation) (OR = 1.44; 95% CI on OR: 1.03 < OR < 2.04) in the sites. On the other hand, there was no association between the prevalence of helminth eggs and the dry period of the study, presence of refuse in the playgrounds, topography of playgrounds, depth of sample collection and socio-economic status of people in playgrounds (P>0.05). This study shows that the period of study, the presence of dogs and vegetation influence the prevalence of helminth eggs in soil in Kaduna metropolis.
Biblical theology and/or theological interpretation of scripture?
Authors: Treier Daniel J.
Published: January 2008

‘Biblical theology’ has long influenced modern theological method, especially Protestant, as both boon and bane. Its role has been seen as either pivotal or problematic in the attempt to construe the Christian Bible as scripture with unified teaching for the contemporary church. The attempt to unfold biblical teaching as having organic unity, related to an internal structure of theological concepts, is frequently perceived as a failure, a has-been that leaves us only with fragmentation – between parts of the Bible, between academy and church, church and world, clergy and laity, and between various theological disciplines. Today a new movement is afoot, often labelled ‘theological interpretation of scripture’. Some of its adherents define this practice as distinct from, even opposed to, biblical theology. Others treat the two practices as virtually coterminous, while perhaps contesting what ‘biblical theology’ is typically taken to be in favour of new theological hermeneutics. Much of the difficulty in defining the relationship, then, stems from lingering debates about what biblical theology can or should be. The rest of the difficulty is perhaps rooted in the dilemma of any interdisciplinary efforts: how to breach unhelpful sections of disciplinary boundaries without redefining territory so nebulously that no one knows where they are.
‘Not every wrong is done with pride’
Authors: Couenhoven Jesse
Published: January 2008

This paper provides a reading of the late Augustine which supports the hypothesis that, while the early Augustine believed that pride is the basic sin, he changes his views during the Pelagian controversies, and advocates instead (contra Pelagius) the thesis that sin, post-fall, does not take on any one form. Augustine makes some key, though rarely discussed, statements about the nature of sin that, particularly when his views are put into perspective within his larger doctrine of sin, indicate that Augustine does not think all sin can be reduced to pride. Indeed, Augustine's controversial views about original sin incline him to believe that, far from being self-aggrandising, sin often takes the form of (and is often a sign and result of) ignorance and weakness. Thus, a careful reading of Augustine's doctrine of sin shows that he has significant commonalities with his feminist critics, precisely at one of the points on which he has been most criticised.
Does the advance of science mean secularisation?
Authors: Martin David
Published: January 2008

The relation of science to secularisation is discussed in relation to the sociological frameworks of rationalisation and social differentiation in the context of cross-national and cross-cultural comparison. It is argued that there is no consistent relation between the degree of scientific advance and a reduced profile of religious influence, belief and practice. The crucial factors are sociological and historical, in particular the relation of religion to power and to the role of the intelligentsia in promoting radical social change. It is also argued that mental space constitutes a manifold so that there is in principle no zero-sum relation between science and religion. That there is such a relation derives from the Enlightenment master narrative and it acquires much of its emotional power not from the logical consequences for religion of science as from a putative relation between religion and moral evil and the legitimation of oppressive regimes. However there are indirect consequences of science for religion through the social consequences of technological change. In practice the consequences of historical studies, for example biblical criticism, are probably greater than the consequences of science.
Preserving the world for Christ
Authors: Harvey Barry
Published: January 2008

The practices, habits and convictions that once allowed the inhabitants of Christendom to determine what they could reasonably do and say together to foster a just and equitable common life have slowly been displaced over the past few centuries by new configurations which have sought to maintain an inherited faith in an underlying purpose to human life while disassociating themselves from the God who had been the beginning and end of that faith. In the end, however, these new configurations are incapable of sustained deliberations about the basic conditions of our humanity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology provides important clues into what it takes to make and keep human life human in such a world. The first part of this essay examines Bonhoeffer's conception of the last things, the things before the last, and what binds them together. He argues that the things before the last do not possess a separate, autonomous existence, and that the positing of such a breach has had disastrous effects on human beings and the world they inhabit. The second part looks at Bonhoeffer's account of the divine mandates as the conceptual basis for coping with a world that has taken leave of God. Though this account of the mandates has much to commend it, it is hindered by problematic habits of interpretation that leave it vacillating between incommensurable positions. Bonhoeffer's incomplete insights are thus subsumed within Augustine's understanding of the two orders of human society set forth in City of God.
Trinity and freedom
Authors: Hensley Jeffrey
Published: January 2008

Despite the renaissance of trinitarian reflection during the last half-century of Christian theology, the doctrine of the immanent Trinity – God's triune being in se as distinct from God's acts or operations ad extra – has suffered significant neglect. Following Karl Rahner's now famous axiom that ‘the “economic” Trinity is the “immanent” Trinity and the “immanent” Trinity is the “economic” Trinity’, contemporary theologians have focused primarily on the economy of salvation as the means by which God's triune being is known. Speculation about the inner life of God, abstracted from God's own self-revelation, has been eschewed for its tendency to turn the immanent Trinity into a rarified, esoteric doctrine with little influence on practical piety. Thus for most contemporary theologians, the neglect of the doctrine of the immanent Trinity is quite benign.
What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is indispensable to a properly conceived doctrine of the immanent Trinity?
Authors: Molnar Paul D.
Published: January 2008

Let me begin by thanking Jeff Hensley for taking the time and expending the effort to respond to my book on the Trinity. Naturally I appreciate his positive assessments offered in the opening pages of his paper. As any reader might expect, I was less enthusiastic about his Rahnerian proposals, together with his other two critical questions. As Hensley mentioned, it might very well be helpful to discuss these issues in greater depth so that we might come to a deeper appreciation of how and why a properly conceived doctrine of the immanent Trinity might help us recognise more clearly both divine and human freedom at a time when God's freedom for us so frequently takes the form of a purely economic trinitarianism which leaves no room for God really to act for us within history in his own distinctive way. And it is worth noting, of course, that the purpose of my book was not to discuss any and every possible implication of a properly conceived doctrine of the immanent Trinity; my purpose, rather, was to clear the ground of misconceptions of divine freedom, in order that any theology claiming to be based on sound trinitarian doctrine could be seen to be grounded in God rather than being the product of human projection. My book, then, was not a book about social justice, which certainly is a worthy topic of discussion in its own right, even though it seems Hensley would have preferred such a work.
Frobenius n-homomorphisms, transfers and branched coverings
Authors: BUCHSTABER V. M. , BUCHSTABER V. M. , REES E. G.
Published: January 2008

The main purpose is to characterise continuous maps that are n-branched coverings in terms of induced maps on the rings of functions. The special properties of Frobenius n-homomorphisms between two function spaces that correspond to n-branched coverings are determined completely. Several equivalent definitions of a Frobenius n-homomorphism are compared and some of their properties are proved. An axiomatic treatment of n-transfers is given in general and properties of n-branched coverings are studied and compared with those of regular coverings.
Banach spaces whose algebras of operators have a large group of unitary elements
Authors: GUERRERO JULIO BECERRA , BURGOS MARÍA , KAIDI EL AMIN , PALACIOS ÁNGEL RODRÍGUEZ
Published: January 2008

We prove that a complex Banach spaceXis a Hilbert space if (and only if) the Banach algebra$\mathcal L (X)$(of all bounded linear operator onX) is unitary and there exists a conjugate-linear algebra involution • on$\mathcal L (X)$satisfyingT•=T−1for every surjective linear isometryTonX. Appropriate variants for real spaces of the result just quoted are also proven. Moreover, we show that a real Banach spaceXis a Hilbert space if and only if it is a realJB*-triple and$\mathcal L (X)$is$w_{op}'$-unitary, where$w'_{op}$stands for the dual weak-operator topology.
Elementary remarks on units in monoidal categories
Authors: KOCK JOACHIM
Published: January 2008

We explore an alternative definition of unit in a monoidal category originally due to Saavedra: a Saavedra unit is a cancellable idempotent (in a 1-categorical sense). This notion is more economical than the usual notion in terms of left-right constraints, and is motivated by higher category theory. To start, we describe the semi-monoidal category of all possible unit structures on a given semi-monoidal category and observe that it is contractible (if non-empty). Then we prove that the two notions of units are equivalent in a strong functorial sense. Next, it is shown that the unit compatibility condition for a (strong) monoidal functor is precisely the condition for the functor to lift to the categories of units, and it is explained how the notion of Saavedra unit naturally leads to the equivalent non-algebraic notion of fair monoidal category, where the contractible multitude of units is considered as a whole instead of choosing one unit. To finish, the lax version of the unit comparison is considered. The paper is self-contained. All arguments are elementary, some of them of a certain beauty.
Homeomorphisms of finite distortion: discrete length of radial images
Authors: KOSKELA PEKKA , NIEMINEN TOMI
Published: January 2008

We study homeomorphisms of finite exponentially integrable distortion of the unit ball Bn onto a domain Ω of finite volume. We show that under such a mapping the images of almost all radii (in terms of a gauge dimension) have finite discrete length. We also show that our dimension estimate is essentially sharp.
Sets with large intersection and ubiquity
Authors: DURAND ARNAUD
Published: January 2008

A central problem motivated by Diophantine approximation is to determine the size properties of subsets of$\R^d$ ($d\in\N$)of the formwhere ‖⋅‖ denotes an arbitrary norm,Ia denumerable set, (xi,ri)i∈ Ia family of elements of$\R^d\$× (0, ∞) and ϕ a nonnegative nondecreasing function defined on [0, ∞). We show that ifFId, where Id denotes the identity function, has full Lebesgue measure in a given nonempty open subsetVof$\R^d\$, the setFϕbelongs to a class Gh(V) of sets with large intersection inVwith respect to a given gauge functionh. We establish that this class is closed under countable intersections and that each of its members has infinite Hausdorffg-measure for every gauge functiongwhich increases faster thanhnear zero. In particular, this yields a sufficient condition on a gauge functiongsuch that a given countable intersection of sets of the formFϕhas infinite Hausdorffg-measure. In addition, we supply several applications of our results to Diophantine approximation. For any nonincreasing sequenceψof positive real numbers converging to zero, we investigate the size and large intersection properties of the sets of all points that areψ-approximable by rationals, by rationals with restricted numerator and denominator and by real algebraic numbers. This enables us to refine the analogs of Jarník's theorem for these sets. We also study the approximation of zero by values of integer polynomials and deduce several new results concerning Mahler's and Koksma's classifications of real transcendental numbers.
Projective manifolds of sectional genus three as zero loci of sections of ample vector bundles
Authors: LANTERI ANTONIO , MAEDA HIDETOSHI
Published: January 2008

Let ϵ be an ample vector bundle of rank r ≥ 2 on a smooth complex projective variety X of dimension n such that there exists a global section of ϵ whose zero locus Z is a smooth subvariety of dimension n-r ≥ 2 of X. Let H be an ample line bundle on X such that the restriction HZ of H to Z is very ample. Triplets (X, ϵ, H) with g(Z, HZ) = 3 are classified, where g(Z, HZ) is the sectional genus of (Z, HZ).
DENTAL INDICATORS OF DIET AND HEALTH FOR THE POSTCLASSIC COASTAL MAYA ON WILD CANE CAY, BELIZE
Authors: Seidemann Ryan M. , McKillop Heather
Published: January 2008

Dental indicators of health and subsistence for Postclassic Maya from the island site of Wild Cane Cay, off the coast of southern Belize, are examined. A total of 213 teeth were recovered from 26 individuals in Fighting Conch Mound. This survey documents dental wear, calculus, alveolar resorption, caries, and alveolar abscesses. This study excludes deciduous teeth. The total sample examined in this study contains 188 teeth from 19 adults. In general, the dental sample indicates a healthier diet than what the inland contemporaries of the Fighting Conch Mound individuals were consuming, as shown by lower rates of several pathologies. The dental data support the interpretation that the healthy diet of the Wild Cane Cay Maya was a function of their island setting in the Caribbean. Plant and animal remains generally corroborate the dental findings.
SUBJECTIVE FAULT FOR CRIME: A Reinterpretation
Authors: Brudner Alan
Published: January 2008

This essay develops a liberal account of the mens rea requirement of criminal liability and identifies the fault level required by that account. By “a liberal account” is meant one that interprets the meaning of mens rea in a way that reconciles liability to coercion with the individual's inviolability. The article argues that the wrongdoer's choice to interfere or to risk interfering with another agent's capacity to act on his own ends is the level of fault required to make punishment implicitly self-imposed by the recipient and thus distinguishable from the wrongdoer's violence. Such a choice is one to which a denial of rights of agency may be logically imputed, a denial by which the wrongdoer implicitly authorizes his own coercibility. This version of subjectivism is, I argue, invulnerable against criticisms leveled against other versions. While staking out defensible subjectivist ground, the article criticizes the character, choice, and opportunity theories of mens rea proposed by Fletcher, Moore, and Hart, and elaborates the interpretations of exculpatory conditions flowing from the subjectivist thesis. Finally, it addresses arguments advanced by Ripstein, Duff, and Horder for eliminating the requirement of a conscious choice to do that which amounts to a denial of rights.
Bloody rain again! Red rain and meteors in history and myth
Authors: McCafferty P.
Published: January 2008

In July 2001, red rain fell over Kerala in India shortly after reports of a meteor. When analysed, this red rain appeared to contain red cells, apparently demonstrating that such cells must exist in space and that the theory of panspermia is correct. However, doubts have been expressed about whether reports of a meteor were merely a coincidence. This paper examines historical and mythical accounts of red rain, to establish if these, too, show a connection with meteors.
The Five Factor Model of Personality and Sales Performance
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Fudge Carl
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Research and meta-analysis has suggested that individuals with high Conscientiousness and Extraversion, as well as low Neuroticism, perform better in sales occupations. In the present study 66 sales consultants from a sports organization completed the NEO-FFI and scores were correlated with their sales performance. Conscientiousness and Openness did show a positive relationship and Agreeableness a negative relationship with sales, however, Extraversion and Neuroticism showed no statistically significant relationship. The implications of these results and the applicability of the Five Factor model or personality traits for personnel selection are discussed.
The DOG Scale
Authors: Crowson H. Michael , DeBacker Teresa K. , Davis Kendrick A.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Since the 1960s Rokeach's conception and measurement of dogmatism has dominated the landscape of dogmatism research. In 1996, Altemeyer proposed a new conception of dogmatism, suggesting that it is best defined as an unchangeable and unjustified certainty in one's beliefs. This conception was operationalized in the form of the DOG Scale with validity evidence generally coming in the form of relationships between the measure and several criterion-related variables. The present study assessed the factorial validity of the measure and tested for convergent and discriminant validity. Criterion-related validity evidence was also reconsidered. The DOG Scale demonstrated reasonable factorial, discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity, providing additional support for the measure's construct validity.
Gender-Related Occupational Interests Do Not Define a Masculinity-Femininity Factor
Authors: Ashton Michael C. , Lee Kibeom
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The possible existence of a broad factor of masculine versus feminine (M-F) occupational interests was tested. Data from Lippa (2005) were reanalyzed using common factor analysis and omitting redundant composite variables. The first unrotated factor, as obtained in male-only and female-only samples, was very small and showed weak loadings for most interest scales. Moreover, strong negative correlations between overall “masculine” and “feminine” interests were shown to be a statistical artifact. Second, analyses of new data on the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey indicated that, when gender differences were controlled, gender-related scales showed only very modest loadings on a potential M-F interests factor; in addition, several scales were mutually uncorrelated, a result that was not attributable to the influence of any second factor. Results undermine the hypothesis of a broad factor of M-F occupational interests.