bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrothermal Upgrading of Korean MSW for Solid Fuel Production: Effect of MSW Composition
Authors: Kim Daegi , Prawisudha Pandji , Yoshikawa Kunio
Published: April 2012

In Korea, municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment is conducted by converting wastes into energy resources using the mechanical-biological treatment (MBT). The small size MSW to be separated from raw MSW by mechanical treatment (MT) is generally treated by biological treatment that consists of high composition of food residue and paper and so forth. In this research, the hydrothermal treatment was applied to treat the surrogate MT residue composed of paper and/or kimchi. It was shown that the hydrothermal treatment increased the calorific value of the surrogate MT residue due to increasing fixed carbon content and decreasing oxygen content and enhanced the dehydration and drying performances of kimchi. Comparing the results of paper and kimchi samples, the calorific value of the treated product from paper was increased more effectively due to its high content of cellulose. Furthermore, the change of the calorific value before and after the hydrothermal treatment of the mixture of paper and kimchi can be well predicted by this change of paper and kimchi only. The hydrothermal treatment can be expected to effectively convert high moisture MT residue into a uniform solid fuel.
Decreased Selenium-Binding Protein 1 Enhances Glutathione Peroxidase 1 Activity and Downregulates HIF-1α to Promote Hepatocellular Carcinoma Invasiveness
Authors: Huang Cheng , Ding Guangyu , Gu Chengyu , Zhou Jian , Kuang Ming , Ji Yuan , He Yifeng , Kondo Tadashi , Fan Jia
Published: April 2012

Purpose: We aimed to characterize the role of selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invasiveness and underlying clinical significance.

Experimental Design: SBP1 expression was measured in stepwise metastatic HCC cell lines by Western blotting. The role of SBP1 in HCC was investigated using siRNA. Immunofluorescence analyses were used to detect the interaction between SBP1 and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1). Nineteen fresh tumor tissues and 323 paraffin-embedded samples were used to validate in vitro findings and to detect the prognostic significance of SBP1, respectively.

Results: Inhibition of SBP1 effectively increased cell motility, promoted cell proliferation, and inhibited apoptosis only under oxidative stress; it also greatly enhanced GPX1 activity without altering GPX1 expression and downregulated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression. SBP1 and GPX1 formed nuclear bodies and colocalized under oxidative stress. In freshly isolated clinical HCC tissues, decreased SBP1 was linked with increased GPX1 activity and correlated with vascular invasion. Tumor tissue microarrays indicated that SBP1 was an independent risk factor for overall survival and disease recurrence; patients with lower SBP1 expression experienced shorter overall survival periods and higher rates of disease recurrence (P < 0.001). Further analyses indicated that the predictive power of SBP1 was more significant for patients beyond the Milan criteria than patients within the Milan criteria.

Conclusions: Decreased expression of SBP1 could promote tumor invasiveness by increasing GPX1 activity and diminishing HIF-1α expression in HCC; SBP1 could be a novel biomarker for predicting prognosis and guiding personalized therapeutic strategies, especially in patients with advanced HCC. Clin Cancer Res; 18(11); 3042–53. ©2012 AACR.
Heparanase-Induced GEF-H1 Signaling Regulates the Cytoskeletal Dynamics of Brain Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Ridgway Lon D. , Wetzel Michael D. , Ngo Jason A. , Erdreich-Epstein Anat , Marchetti Dario
Published: April 2012

Heparanase is the only mammalian endoglycosidase which has been widely implicated in cancer because of its capability to degrade heparan sulfate chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG). Specifically, the cell surface HSPG syndecan-1 and -4 (SDC1 and SDC4) are modulators of growth factor action, and SDC4 is implicated in cell adhesion as a key member of focal adhesion complexes. We hypothesized that extracellular heparanase modulates brain metastatic breast cancer (BMBC) cell invasiveness by affecting cytoskeletal dynamics, SDC4 carboxy-terminal–associated proteins, and downstream targets. We used two independently derived human BMBC cell systems (MB-231BR and MB-231BR3), which possess distinct cellular morphologies and properties. Highly aggressive spindle-shaped 231BR3 cells changed to a round cell morphology associated with expression of the small GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factor-H1 (GEF-H1). We showed that GEF-H1 is a new component of the SDC4 signaling complex in BMBC cells. Treatment with heparanase resulted in regulation of the SDC4/protein kinase C α axis while maintaining a constitutive GEF-H1 level. Third, GEF-H1 knockdown followed by cell exposure to heparanase caused a significant regulation of activities of Rac1 and RhoA, which are GEF-H1 targets and fundamental effectors in cell plasticity control. Fourth, L-heparanase augmented expression of β1 integrin in BMBC cells and of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1; the major β1 integrin receptor) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Finally, using a newly developed blood–brain barrier in vitro model, we show that BMBC cell transmigration was significantly reduced in GEF-H1 knockdown cells. These findings implicate heparanase in mechanisms of cytoskeletal dynamics and in the cross-talk between tumor cells and vascular brain endothelium. They are of relevance because they elucidate molecular events in the initial steps leading to BMBC onset and capturing distinct roles of latent and active heparanase in the brain microenvironment. Mol Cancer Res; 10(6); 689–702. ©2012 AACR.
Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Lang Gabriele E.
Published: April 2012

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of visual loss. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is an ocular manifestation of the disease causing visual deterioration. The prevalence of visual impairment due to DME is estimated to be 5.4% in Europe. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is overexpressed in diabetic eyes and plays a key role in the development of DME. VEGF levels were proven to be elevated in the vitreous and retina in patients with diabetic retinopathy. VEGF causes a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier by influencing the tight junctions of retinal endothelial cells and leading to accumulation of fluid in the macula. Therefore, intravitreal VEGF inhibitors are ideal candidates to treat DME by counteracting VEGF overexpression. This review summarizes the results of the most recent prospective, controlled studies on DME with promising novel VEGF inhibitors. It focuses on the efficacy and safety aspects of anti-VEGF treatment of DME.
Family Income and Tooth Decay in US Children: Does the Association Change with Age?
Authors: Bernabé E. , Delgado-Angulo E.K. , Murasko J.E. , Marcenes W.
Published: April 2012

This study explored whether the association of family income with tooth decay changes with age among children in the United States. A second objective was to explore the role of access to dental health care services in explaining the interrelationships between family income, child age and tooth decay. Data from 7,491 2- to 15-year-old children who participated in the 1999–2004 National and Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The association of family income with the prevalence of tooth decay in primary, permanent and primary or permanent teeth was first estimated in logistic regression models with all children, and then, separately in four age groups that reflect the development of the dentition (2–5, 6–8, 9–11 and 12–15 years, respectively). Findings showed that the income gradient in tooth decay attenuated significantly in 9- to 11-year-olds only to re-emerge in 12- to 15-year-olds. The age profile of the income gradient in tooth decay was not accounted for by a diverse set of family and child characteristics. This is the first study providing some evidence for age variations in the income gradient in tooth decay among children in the United States.
Does Food Addiction Exist? A Phenomenological Discussion Based on the Psychiatric Classification of Substance-Related Disorders and Addiction
Authors: Albayrak Özgür , Wölfle Sebastian Mathias , Hebebrand Johannes
Published: April 2012

The relationship between overeating, substance abuse and (behavioral) addiction is controversial. Medically established forms of addiction so far pertain to substance use disorders only. But the preliminary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders V (DSM V) suggests replacing the previous category ‘Substance-Related Disorders’ with ‘Addiction and Related Disorders’, thus for the first time allowing the diagnosis of behavioral addictions. In the past psychiatrists and psychologists have been reluctant to systematically delineate and classify the term behavioral addiction. However, there is a broad overlap between chemical and behavioral addiction including phenomenological, therapeutic, genetic, and neurobiological aspects. It is of interest to point out that the hormone leptin in itself has a pronounced effect on the reward system, thus suggesting an indirect link between overeating and ‘chemical’ addiction. Thus, leptin-deficient individuals could be classified as fulfilling criteria for food addiction. In our overview we first review psychological findings in chemical (substance-based) and subsequently in behavioral addiction to analyze the overlap. We discuss the diagnostic validity of food addiction, which in theory can be chemically and/or behaviorally based.
Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease: Does the Evidence Support an Independent Association?
Authors: Lockhart Peter B. , Bolger Ann F. , Papapanou Panos N. , Osinbowale Olusegun , Trevisan Maurizio , Levison Matthew E. , Taubert Kathryn A. , Newburger Jane W. , Gornik Heather L. , Gewitz Michael H. , Wilson Walter R. , Smith Sidney C. , Baddour Larry M.
Published: April 2012

A link between oral health and cardiovascular disease has been proposed for more than a century. Recently, concern about possible links between periodontal disease (PD) and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) has intensified and is driving an active field of investigation into possible association and causality. The 2 disorders share several common risk factors, including cigarette smoking, age, and diabetes mellitus. Patients and providers are increasingly presented with claims that PD treatment strategies offer ASVD protection; these claims are often endorsed by professional and industrial stakeholders. The focus of this review is to assess whether available data support an independent association between ASVD and PD and whether PD treatment might modify ASVD risks or outcomes. It also presents mechanistic details of both PD and ASVD relevant to this topic. The correlation of PD with ASVD outcomes and surrogate markers is discussed, as well as the correlation of response to PD therapy with ASVD event rates. Methodological issues that complicate studies of this association are outlined, with an emphasis on the terms and metrics that would be applicable in future studies. Observational studies to date support an association between PD and ASVD independent of known confounders. They do not, however, support a causative relationship. Although periodontal interventions result in a reduction in systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in short-term studies, there is no evidence that they prevent ASVD or modify its outcomes.
Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Variations over the South Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Nobre Paulo , De Almeida Roberto A. , Malagutti Marta , Giarolla Emanuel
Published: April 2012

The impact of ocean–atmosphere interactions on summer rainfall over the South Atlantic Ocean is explored through the use of coupled ocean–atmosphere models. The Brazilian Center for Weather Forecast and Climate Studies (CPTEC) coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model (CGCM) and its atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) are used to gauge the role of coupled modes of variability of the climate system over the South Atlantic at seasonal time scales. Twenty-six years of summer [December–February (DJF)] simulations were done with the CGCM in ensemble mode and the AGCM forced with both observed sea surface temperature (SST) and SST generated by the CGCM forecasts to investigate the dynamics/thermodynamics of the two major convergence zones in the tropical Atlantic: the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ). The results present both numerical model and observational evidence supporting the hypothesis that the ITCZ is a thermally direct, SST-driven atmospheric circulation, while the SACZ is a thermally indirect atmospheric circulation controlling SST variability underneath—a consequence of ocean–atmosphere interactions not captured by the atmospheric model forced by prescribed ocean temperatures. Six CGCM model results of the Ensemble-based Predictions of Climate Changes and their Impacts (ENSEMBLES) project, NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data, and oceanic and atmospheric data from buoys of the Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA) Project over the tropical Atlantic are used to validate CPTEC’s coupled and uncoupled model simulations.
Projected Changes in the Seasonal Cycle of Surface Temperature
Authors: Dwyer John G. , Biasutti Michela , Sobel Adam H.
Published: April 2012

When forced with increasing greenhouse gases, global climate models project a delay in the phase and a reduction in the amplitude of the seasonal cycle of surface temperature, expressed as later minimum and maximum annual temperatures and greater warming in winter than in summer. Most of the global mean changes come from the high latitudes, especially over the ocean. All 24 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 models agree on these changes and, over the twenty-first century, average a phase delay of 5 days and an amplitude decrease of 5% for the global mean ocean surface temperature. Evidence is provided that the changes are mainly driven by sea ice loss: as sea ice melts during the twenty-first century, the previously unexposed open ocean increases the effective heat capacity of the surface layer, slowing and damping the temperature response. From the tropics to the midlatitudes, changes in phase and amplitude are smaller and less spatially uniform than near the poles but are still prevalent in the models. These regions experience a small phase delay but an amplitude increase of the surface temperature cycle, a combination that is inconsistent with changes to the effective heat capacity of the system. The authors propose that changes in this region are controlled by changes in surface heat fluxes.
On the Generalized Eigenvalue Problem for the Rossby Wave Vertical Velocity in the Presence of Mean Flow and Topography
Authors: Tailleux Rémi
Published: April 2012

In a series of papers, Killworth and Blundell have proposed to study the effects of a background mean flow and topography on Rossby wave propagation by means of a generalized eigenvalue problem formulated in terms of the vertical velocity, obtained from a linearization of the primitive equations of motion. However, it has been known for a number of years that this eigenvalue problem contains an error, which Killworth was prevented from correcting himself by his unfortunate passing and whose correction is therefore taken up in this note. Here, the author shows in the context of quasigeostrophic (QG) theory that the error can ultimately be traced to the fact that the eigenvalue problem for the vertical velocity is fundamentally a nonlinear one (the eigenvalue appears both in the numerator and denominator), unlike that for the pressure. The reason that this nonlinear term is lacking in the Killworth and Blundell theory comes from neglecting the depth dependence of a depth-dependent term. This nonlinear term is shown on idealized examples to alter significantly the Rossby wave dispersion relation in the high-wavenumber regime but is otherwise irrelevant in the long-wave limit, in which case the eigenvalue problems for the vertical velocity and pressure are both linear. In the general dispersive case, however, one should first solve the generalized eigenvalue problem for the pressure vertical structure and, if needed, diagnose the vertical velocity vertical structure from the latter.
The Pretornadic Phase of the Goshen County, Wyoming, Supercell of 5 June 2009 Intercepted by VORTEX2. Part I: Evolution of Kinematic and Surface Thermodynamic Fields
Authors: Markowski Paul , Richardson Yvette , Marquis James , Wurman Joshua , Kosiba Karen , Robinson Paul , Dowell David , Rasmussen Erik , Davies-Jones Robert
Published: April 2012

The authors analyze the pretornadic phase (2100–2148 UTC; tornadogenesis began at 2152 UTC) of the Goshen County, Wyoming, supercell of 5 June 2009 intercepted by the second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2). The analysis relies on radar data from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) in Cheyenne, Wyoming (KCYS), and a pair of Doppler-on-Wheels (DOW) radars, mobile mesonet observations, and mobile sounding observations.

The storm resembles supercells that have been observed in the past. For example, it develops a couplet of counter-rotating vortices that straddle the hook echo within the rear-flank outflow and are joined by arching vortex lines, with the cyclonic vortex becoming increasingly dominant in the time leading up to tornadogenesis. The outflow in the hook echo region, where sampled, has relatively small virtual potential temperature θυ deficits during this stage of evolution. A few kilometers upstream (north) of the location of maximum vertical vorticity, θυ is no more than 3 K colder than the warmest θυ readings in the inflow of the storm. Forward trajectories originating in the outflow within and around the low-level mesocyclone rise rapidly, implying that the upward-directed perturbation pressure gradient force exceeds the negative buoyancy.

Low-level rotation intensifies in the 2142–2148 UTC period. The intensification is preceded by the formation of a descending reflectivity core (DRC), similar to others that have been documented in some supercells recently. The DRC is associated with a rapid increase in the vertical vorticity and circulation of the low-level mesocyclone.
Exploring Impacts of Rapid-Scan Radar Data on NWS Warning Decisions
Authors: Heinselman Pamela L. , LaDue Daphne S. , Lazrus Heather
Published: April 2012

Rapid-scan weather radars, such as the S-band phased array radar at the National Weather Radar Testbed in Norman, Oklahoma, improve precision in the depiction of severe storm processes. To explore potential impacts of such data on forecaster warning decision making, 12 National Weather Service forecasters participated in a preliminary study with two control conditions: 1) when radar scan time was similar to volume coverage pattern 12 (4.5 min) and 2) when radar scan time was faster (43 s). Under these control conditions, forecasters were paired and worked a tropical tornadic supercell case. Their decision processes were observed and audio was recorded, interactions with data displays were video recorded, and the products were archived. A debriefing was conducted with each of the six teams independently and jointly, to ascertain the forecaster decision-making process. Analysis of these data revealed that teams examining the same data sometimes came to different conclusions about whether and when to warn. Six factors contributing toward these differences were identified: 1) experience, 2) conceptual models, 3) confidence, 4) tolerance of possibly missing a tornado occurrence, 5) perceived threats, and 6) software issues. The three 43-s teams issued six warnings: three verified, two did not verify, and one event was missed. Warning lead times were the following: tornado, 18.6 and 11.5 min, and severe, 6 min. The three tornado warnings issued by the three 4.5-min teams verified, though warning lead times were shorter: 4.6 and 0 min (two teams). In this case, use of rapid-scan data showed the potential to extend warning lead time and improve forecasters’ confidence, compared to standard operations.
The United States’ and Japan’s Immigration Dilemmas in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Abella Manolo
Published: April 2012

This article explains the dilemmas facing Japan and the United States in undertaking immigration policy reform. For the Japanese, the main dilemma is how to confront the inevitable consequences of a rapidly aging population and declining workforce on Japan’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in the global market and to sustain its social security system without increasing immigration, which is still viewed by many as socially disruptive. The U.S. immigration dilemma is of a totally different nature, since it is about a broken migration system that continues to produce half a million undocumented migrants every year. On one hand, granting amnesty or an easy path to regularization to millions already in the country via irregular means is widely seen to be unfair and a strategy that will only undermine the established procedures for legal admissions. On the other hand, mass expatriation is not an option since labor shortages are still experienced by many American industries even at the height of unemployment. Moreover, the continued employment of Mexican migrants is important to Mexico’s economic development, which in the end is the key to solving the U.S. dilemma.
The Effects of Opportunity to Learn, Family Socioeconomic Status, and Friends on the Rural Math Achievement Gap in High School
Authors: Reeves Edward B.
Published: April 2012

Research has shown that rural high school students in the United States (and elsewhere) have lower academic achievement than their nonrural counterparts. The evidence for why this inequality exists is unclear, however. The present study takes up this issue with a narrowing of the focus. Using the database of the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002-2004, the author investigates reasons for the rural achievement gap in mathematics during the last 2 years of high school. His approach focuses on the geographic disparities in the opportunity to learn advanced math. The findings show that geographic variation in high school resources and practices—operationalized as the availability of advanced math courses, evidence for track assignment by family background, and the quality of instruction—do not account for the rural math achievement gap. On the other hand, geographic variations in the opportunity to learn that result from differences in family socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence of friends’ academic commitments and aspirations do help to explain why rural high school students learn less mathematics than their nonrural counterparts. The observed effects on math achievement by family SES and friends are in part direct effects, but these factors also have critically important indirect effects because they appear to influence student motivation to take advanced math courses.
Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance to Treat Children With Atopic Dermatitis in a Tertiary Pediatric Allergy Clinic
Authors: Bell Matthew C. , Stovall Stephanie H. , Scurlock Amy M. , Perry Tamara T. , Jones Stacie M. , Harik Nada S.
Published: April 2012

Background. Secondary skin infection with Staphylococcus aureus is a significant problem in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. Objective. This study evaluated antimicrobial resistance patterns of S aureus isolates from skin lesions in AD patients and empiric antimicrobial prescribing patterns. Methods. Resistance patterns from positive skin cultures obtained from AD patients in the Allergy/Immunology clinic from May 1, 2006, to December 31, 2008, were compared with all outpatient wound cultures over the same period. Results. Fifty-nine cultures were obtained from 38 AD patients. S aureus was the most common pathogen cultured from AD patients (53/59 cultures). S aureus resistance to clindamycin and methicillin differed significantly between the study group and the outpatient reference population (37.7% vs 9.4% and 45.3% vs 76.4%). Clindamycin was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial (59%). Overall, 31.4% of organisms showed resistance to the antimicrobial prescribed. Conclusions. Susceptibility profiles of S aureus isolates from AD patients vary significantly from that of the general population.
Rebels without a Territory
Authors: de la Calle Luis , Sánchez-Cuenca Ignacio
Published: April 2012

The large- n literature on political violence has paid little attention to the distinction between insurgencies that control territory and those that do not. Territorial control has consequences for the lethality of the group, its pattern of recruitment and bargaining power. The main determinant of territorial control, we argue, is state capacity: while territorial insurgencies are more frequent in poor countries, nonterritorial ones tend to occur in countries with intermediate levels of development (rich countries are free of internal violence). The authors show that the relationship between development and nonterritorial violence is a concave one, using a panel for the period 1970–1997 that combines existing data sets on civil wars and the Global Terrorism Database 1. The authors also find that nonterritorial violence is more likely in democratic, old states. Population, rough terrain, and inequality have a similar impact on both types of conflict. The authors discuss to what extent territorial conflicts correspond to civil wars and nonterritorial ones to terrorism.
Evaluating Interests in Social Science: Beyond Objectivist Evaluation and the Non-judgemental Stance
Authors: Kemp Stephen
Published: April 2012

This article attempts to move debates about interests beyond the impasse between proponents of objective evaluation and defenders of a non-judgemental approach to lay actors’ interests. It develops an evaluative approach to actors’ understandings of their interests but rejects ideas of ‘real’ or ‘objective’ interests in favour of an engagement with the limitations of actors’ understandings from within their own frameworks. These ideas are developed through a sympathetic but critical engagement with Lukes’ account of interests in Power: A Radical View. Issues explored include the viability of the divide between ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ interests, the notion of ‘contradictory interests’ and the relation between social scientific and agential accounts. Following Holmwood, I argue that social scientific evaluations are only justified when they identify limitations and problems in actors’ understandings of their interests and show how these are avoided in social scientific interest accounts.
Liquid Life, Solid Homes: Young People, Class and Homeownership in Australia
Authors: Colic-Peisker Val , Johnson Guy
Published: April 2012

This article examines the homeownership aspirations and plans of two groups of young Australian adults defined by their class position as ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘middle class’. We draw on Bauman’s idea of liquid modernity and ‘liquid life’ to frame our analysis. Despite being under less pressure to adopt socially prescribed adult transitions that applied to previous generations – a steady job, marriage, family and a house in the suburbs – young adults from both middle-class and disadvantaged backgrounds aspire to homeownership. In spite of an apparent multitude of choices and an increased emphasis on individual agency, the articulations of their aspirations and plans to achieve it, in the context of the uncertainties of ‘liquid life’, are strongly influenced by their class position, defined primarily through family background and education. The article uses qualitative data drawn from two projects conducted in Melbourne, Australia, 2007–2010.
The Role of Religiosity in African American Preadolescent Aggression
Authors: Holmes Khiela J. , Lochman John E.
Published: April 2012

This study examined the role of parent and preadolescent religiosity in aggression among African American preadolescents with moderate to high aggression. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to determine (a) which aspects of parent and preadolescent religiosity (i.e., church attendance, private religious activities, and intrinsic religiosity) accounted for the most variance in preadolescent aggression and (b) the potential moderating role of socioeconomic status. Participants were 157 African American preadolescents (110 males, 47 females) with elevated levels of aggression and their primary caregivers. Results indicated that higher levels of parent church attendance and preadolescent intrinsic religiosity predicted lower preadolescent aggression. The relation between preadolescent private religious activities and aggression was moderated by socioeconomic status. Implications for prevention and intervention among African American preadolescents with elevated levels of aggression are discussed.
Further Reflections on Biblical Inspiration and Truth
Authors: Grech Prosper
Published: April 2012

The present article is a theological and, in some ways, a philosophical interpretation of neglected aspects of the traditional doctrine on the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. The essay carries forward a discourse on the same subject initiated in some articles of mine in Italian (see P. Grech 1985 , 2005 , 2010 ). It is addressed to colleagues in biblical studies who take inspiration seriously for a possible discussion on this topic, which has perplexed the minds of theologians throughout the centuries.
Andy Isserman and the Early Years of the International Regional Science Review
Authors: Gerking Shelby
Published: April 2012

This paper chronicles Andy Isserman’s editorship of the International Regional Science Review during the period in which the first ten volumes were published (1975–86). The article first provides an overview of the articles that were published during that time, summarizes evidence of later citations to these papers, and presents some observations on Andy’s editorial style. The article concludes with a few thoughts on how my experiences as Andy’s coeditor of the Review during a portion of this period continue to influence my own work to the present day.
A Memoir for Andrew Isserman
Authors: Boyce David
Published: April 2012

In this short memoir, I try to recall some of my impressions of Andrew Isserman as well as offering an appreciation of his recent teaching activities.
Reconfiguring Policy and Clinical Practice
Authors: Niezen Maartje G. H. , Bal Roland , Bont Antoinette de
Published: April 2012

This article’s aim is to understand if and how the efforts to accumulate and organize clinical data transformed the regulation of pharmaceutical care. The authors analyze how the employment of databases by collectives of physicians and researchers shape both clinical and policy practice—and thereby reshape the relation between clinical work and policy. Since the late 1990s, Dutch government has supported the development of clinical databases for specific expensive medicines to gain oversight about actual medicine use. To be able to produce evidence for appropriate medicine use, the collectives set regulations in clinical practice. These internal regulations provide a framework for establishing “appropriate medicine use”, steering reimbursement decisions. However, internal regulation and policy rules differ in how quickly they can change. While the employment of databases in clinical practices results in a constant adjustment of the protocols, policy makers require the databases to provide for static moments of “proven appropriate medicine use” in order to account for and define a fixed and closed formulary. Subsequently, the employment of the databases did not deliver on the promise of oversight and control due to different clinical and policy requirements. Nevertheless, the databases did stimulate appropriate medicine use and reimbursement in clinical practice.
Contexts in Action—And the Future of the Past in STS
Authors: Asdal Kristin
Published: April 2012

Since the early 1980s, actor-network theory has contested the status of “context” as an explanatory resource. Expressions and concepts such as “transformations of social worlds,” “enactments,” and “ontological politics” provide resources for grasping the ways in which agents actively transform the world and add something new. This has been of immense importance and serves as a warning against reducing events and actors to a given context. But a side effect of this forward looking move is that not enough attention is given to that which enables issues and situations to emerge in the first place. Moreover, the focus on that which is constantly being enacted seems to have privileged the contemporary as the object of study and ethnography as the method of inquiry. History and the study of texts—from the past—seem, increasingly, to get lost in Science and Technology Studies. The aim of this article is instead to use actor-network theory resources as a historicizing method. The article explores the tense concern for the animal in political debates at the turn of the twentieth century. The article argues that contexts should not be seen as something external, but rather integral to the relevant text and situation, thus the very issue at stake.
Analysing national practices after European state aid control: are multi-stakeholder negotiations beneficial for public service broadcasting?
Authors: Donders Karen , Raats Tim
Published: April 2012

This article analyses the increasing emphasis on multi-stakeholder approaches in the development of public broadcasting policies. The European Commission, in particular, reinforces this trend, having pointed to the necessity of ‘third parties’ being involved in procedures that allow public broadcasters to expand activities to new media markets. The article’s research question is twofold. First, what type of multi-stakeholder approach has been advocated for by the Commission? Second, are multi-stakeholder approaches, implemented by Member States after an encounter with the Commission, adding to more democratic (understood as more inclusive) decision-making on public service broadcasting or, rather, simply providing an additional forum for private sector interests? Evidence derives from two case studies in the Netherlands and Flanders, where some form of ex ante evaluation has been developed and a multi-stakeholder consultation has been set up in preparation for management contract renewals. Findings show that the newly developed multi-stakeholder policy practices are far from inclusive and fail to meet several aspects of deliberative democracy. Essentially, they have been created in response to market pressures (and, hence, over-focus on market questions) and rarely take as their starting point the improvement of public service broadcasting as a democratic policy project.
Modes of interactivity: analysing the webdoc
Authors: Nash Kate
Published: April 2012

The webdocumentary positions itself as documentary re-mediated for the internet age. Not only does the name webdocumentary consciously reference film and television documentary but it is possible to trace continuities in representational strategies, purpose and production practices that situate the webdoc within the documentary tradition. In spite of this family resemblance, however, the webdoc challenges current thinking about documentary representation. Interactivity in particular has consequences for theorizing in relation to modes of representation and user engagement. This article considers interactivity as a representational strategy, suggesting three dimensions for assessing its contribution to documentary. Following on from this it is suggested that, like film and television documentary, webdocs exhibit patterns of textual organization. It is suggested that there are at least three interactive structures found in webdocs: the narrative, the categorical and the collaborative. Each can be further divided – indicating the diverse uses of interactive features. A challenge of researching interactive texts is that the whole text is never completely available for analysis. Each viewing has the potential to be different from the last. Although necessarily provisional, this article seeks to demonstrate what might be achieved through close reading of the interactive documentary text.
Psychology and Theology Meet
Authors: Baldacchino Donia R. , Borg Josette , Muscat Charlene , Sturgeon Cassandra
Published: April 2012

This descriptive exploratory study explored illness appraisal and spiritual coping of three groups of individuals with life-threatening illness. These were hospice clients with cancer (Ca; n = 10), clients with first myocardial infarction (MI; n = 6), and parents of children with cystic fibrosis (CF; n = 16). Qualitative data were collected by audiotaped face-to-face interviews (parents) and focus groups (MI and Ca). Similarities in illness appraisal and spiritual coping were found across the three groups except appreciation of crafts, which was found only in clients with Ca and causal meaning of parents (CF). Overall, illness was appraised negatively and positively, whereas spiritual coping incorporated existential and religious coping. These findings confirm the psychological theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and theological theory (Otto, 1950), which guided this study. Recommendations were proposed to integrate spirituality and religiosity in the curricula, clinical practice and to conduct cross-cultural comparative longitudinal research.
The effects of nostalgia and avoidant attachment on relationship satisfaction and romantic motives
Authors: Juhl Jacob , Sand Elizabeth C. , Routledge Clay
Published: April 2012

The current research tested whether attachment-related avoidance interacts with nostalgia to predict individuals’ orientation towards romantic relationships. In Study 1, participants were in a relationship, and in Study 2, participants were single. In both studies, attachment-related avoidance and anxiety were measured and participants were assigned to a nostalgia or control induction. Subsequently, participants indicated their relationship satisfaction (Study 1) or desire to pursue a romantic relationship (Study 2). Results revealed that there was a negative relationship between attachment-related avoidance and high levels of relationship satisfaction (Study 1) and relationship desire (Study 2) in the nostalgia condition, but not in the control condition. These findings build upon previous research on attachment and nostalgia to suggest that attachment-related avoidance greatly influences how nostalgia affects romantic relationship-oriented outcomes. Nostalgia appears to orient low avoidant individuals towards relationships and high avoidant individuals away from relationships.
Face and resilience in divorce
Authors: Frisby Brandi N. , Booth-Butterfield Melanie , Dillow Megan R. , Martin Matthew M. , Weber Keith D.
Published: April 2012

Facework and resilience frameworks were employed to examine threats to, and the protection of, marital partners’ identity during divorce and as they relate to outcomes associated with divorce. Divorced participants ( N = 103) reported on the communicative face threats and support during divorce, reporting greater positive face threat and negative facework during divorce. The non-initiator experienced negative outcomes, including negative face threat and negative emotion, but reported no differences in stress when compared to the initiator or mutual decision makers. In addition, positive face threats and facework during divorce predicted post-divorce relationships. Specifically, low positive face threat and high positive face support were related to divorcees’ inclination to engage in positive interpersonal relationships after the divorce.
Coordinated sampling of dynamic oceanographic features with underwater vehicles and drifters
Authors: Das Jnaneshwar , Py Frédéric , Maughan Thom , O’Reilly Tom , Messié Monique , Ryan John , Sukhatme Gaurav S , Rajan Kanna
Published: April 2012

We extend existing oceanographic sampling methodologies to sample an advecting feature of interest using autonomous robotic platforms. GPS-tracked Lagrangian drifters are used to tag and track a water patch of interest with position updates provided periodically to an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for surveys around the drifter as it moves with ocean currents. Autonomous sampling methods currently rely on geographic waypoint track-line surveys that are suitable for static or slowly changing features. When studying dynamic, rapidly evolving oceanographic features, such methods at best introduce error through insufficient spatial and temporal resolution, and at worst, completely miss the spatial and temporal domain of interest. We demonstrate two approaches for tracking and sampling of advecting oceanographic features. The first relies on extending static-plan AUV surveys (the current state-of-the-art) to sample advecting features. The second approach involves planning of surveys in the drifter or patch frame of reference. We derive a quantitative envelope on patch speeds that can be tracked autonomously by AUVs and drifters and show results from a multi-day off-shore field trial. The results from the trial demonstrate the applicability of our approach to long-term tracking and sampling of advecting features. Additionally, we analyze the data from the trial to identify the sources of error that affect the quality of the surveys carried out. Our work presents the first set of experiments to autonomously observe advecting oceanographic features in the open ocean.
Motion-aided network SLAM with range
Authors: Djugash Joseph , Singh Sanjiv
Published: April 2012

A key problem in the deployment of sensor networks is that of determining the location of each sensor such that subsequent data gathered can be registered. We would also like the network to provide localization for mobile entities, allowing them to navigate and explore the environment. In this paper, we present a thorough evaluation of our algorithm for localizing and mapping the mobile and stationary nodes in sparsely connected sensor networks using range-only measurements and odometry from the mobile node. Our approach utilizes an extended Kalman filter (EKF) in polar space allowing us to model the non-linearity within the range-only measurements using Gaussian distributions. Utilizing the motion information from a mobile node, we show additional improvements to the static network localization solution. In addition to this centralized filtering technique, an asynchronous and decentralized approach is investigated and experimentally proven. This decentralized filtering technique distributes the computation across all nodes in the network, leveraging their numbers for improved efficiency. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach using simulated and real-world experiments in challenging environments with limited network connectivity. Our results reveal that our proposed method offers good accuracy in these challenging environments even when little to no prior information is available. Additionally, it is shown that by initializing the network map with a static network solution, the network mapping with a mobile node can be further improved.
Delinquency, Androgens, and the Family
Authors: Ellis Lee , Das Shyamal
Published: April 2012

There is little doubt that family factors can influence involvement in delinquency, although the full nature and extent of their influences remain unclear. In recent decades, testosterone has been increasingly implicated as a contributor to adolescent offending. The present study sought to determine whether two important types of familial factors—parental socioeconomic status and amicable parent–child relationships—are interacting with testosterone (and possibly other androgens) to affect delinquency. A large sample of North American college students self-reported their involvement in eight categories of delinquency along with self-ratings of various androgen-promoted traits (e.g., muscularity and low-deep voice), parental social status, and the quality of the relationships they had with parents. In both sexes, parent–child relationships and androgens were significantly associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. Factor analysis revealed that the authors’ measures of all four categories of variables exhibited strong loadings onto their respective factors. Androgens and amicable parent–child relationships were associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. About one third of the influence of parent–child relationships on delinquency appeared to be attributable to androgens. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory of delinquent and criminal behavior.
Geographies of postsecular rapprochement in the city1
Authors: Cloke Paul , Beaumont Justin
Published: April 2012

This paper explores the emergence of urban spaces of partnership between people of faith and those of no religious faith who come together to offer care, welfare and justice to socially excluded people. The activities of such groups are understood in terms of adjustments to the secularization thesis pointing to the possibilities of a series of emerging geographies relating to postsecular rapprochement and different forms of reterritorialization in the city. In particular, the accounts of postsecularism by Klaus Eder and Jürgen Habermas are used to explain both how the hushed-up voice of religion is being released back into the public sphere in some settings, and how the assimilation and mutually reflexive transformation of secular and theological ideas may represent crossover narratives around which postsecular partnerships can converge around particular ethical precepts and practical needs. Taking the particular example of Christian religion in western Europe, the paper traces both how a critique of secularism has led to some instances of contemporary political expression underpinned by theological precepts that are converted into practical ethics, and how a greater propensity among the Christian faith to explore faith-by-praxis has fuelled increased activity in the public sphere. Not all such activity can be regarded as postsecular, but emergent spaces of postsecular partnership in the city offer possibilities for new, perhaps liminal, geographies of resistance that cannot be explained away as simply the incorporation of religious capital into neoliberal governance. The possibilities of mutually transformative possibilities in these partnerships open both politics and faith up to processes of poststructural reterritorializing as part of the faith-in-practice of postsecularism.