bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pragmatist Perspectives on Theological and Religious Realism
Authors: Pihlström Sami
Published: March 2017

This essay first applies the general issue of realism vs. antirealism to theology and the philosophy of religion, distinguishing between several different ‘levels’ of the realism dispute in this context. A pragmatic approach to the problem of realism regarding religion and theology is sketched and tentatively defended. The similarities and differences of scientific realism, on the one hand, and religious and/or theological realism, on the other hand, are thereby also illuminated. The concept of recognition is shown to be crucially relevant to the issue of realism especially in its pragmatist articulation.
Metaphor and Theological Realism
Authors: Gäb Sebastian
Published: March 2017

In this paper, I argue that there are indispensable and irreducible metaphors in religious language and that this does not threaten a realist interpretation of religion. I first sketch a realist theory of religious language and argue that we cannot avoid addressing the problems metaphor poses to semantics. I then give a brief account of what it means for a metaphorical sentence to be true and how metaphors can refer to something even if what they mean is not expressible in literal terms. Finally, I discuss how this realist theory of metaphor influences our understanding of negative theology and gives a new perspective on religious pluralism.
Authority and Trust: Reflections on Linda Zagzebski's Epistemic Autohrity
Authors: Cottingham John
Published: March 2017

Our modern egalitarian and individualistic age is suspicious of authority, and in recent times there have been almost daily reports in the press of cases where trust in various authorities, including financial, governmental, political and religious, has been found to have been abused or misplaced. Such disappointments seem to bolster the case for withholding trust in external authority and falling back on one’s own resources. But if the lessons from Linda Zagzebski’s groundbreaking work are accepted, 1 self- reliance turns out to be a confused and probably incoherent ideal (this is the critical or negative part of her thesis); and (more positively) the rational and self-reflective person is committed to believing and acting on authority. In the second half of this short discussion paper I shall raise some possible concerns about Zagzebski’s positive case for reliance on authority, focussing on the moral and religious spheres. First however, let me say something about the negative part of Zagzebski’s work, her critique of self-reliance. Since I find this wholly convincing, I shall confine myself to some supplementary observations, mainly to do with the historical context in which her critique is located.
The Epistemology of Modest Atheism
Authors: Schellenberg John L.
Published: March 2017

Distinguishing between the old atheism, the new atheism, and modest atheism, and also between belief and acceptance, and belief and acceptance tokens and types, I defend the disjunctive view that either modest atheistic belief or modest atheistic acceptance, construed as type, is today epistemically justified in the context of philosophical inquiry. Central to my defence is a deductive version of the hiddenness argument and an emphasis on the early stage of philosophical inquiry that we presently occupy.
An Epistemological Problem for Resurrection
Authors: Schmitt Yann
Published: March 2017

Some theists have adopted materialism for human persons. They associate this metaphysics with their belief in resurrection and focus on problems arising from personal identity, temporal gaps or material constitution, but, in this paper, I argue that being a materialist for human persons leads to an epistemological problem regarding our knowledge of God’s life. The only way to avoid this problem is to choose a particular materialist metaphysics for human persons, that is, a constitution theory that emphasizes the irreducibility of the first-person perspective.
The Affective Dionysian Tradition in Medieval Northern Europe
Authors: Wainwright William
Published: March 2017

Recent students of mysticism have sharply distinguished monistic from theistic mysticism. The former is more or less identified with the empty consciousness experience and the latter with the love mysticism of such figures as Bernard of Clairvaux. I argue that a sharp distinction between the two is unwarranted. Western medieval mystics, for example, combined the apophatic theology of Dionysius the Areopagite with the erotic imagery of the mystical marriage. Their experiences were clearly theistic but integrally incorporated ‘monistic moments’. I conclude by discussing Nelson Pike’s claim that these monistic moments were themselves phenomenologically theistic.
The Many Problems of Special Divine Action
Authors: Göcke Benedikt Paul
Published: March 2017

Special divine action is an integral part of the Christian worldview. In fact, the plausibility of the Christian worldview depends on and is grounded in the putative reality, and therefore possibility, of special divine action. Without special divine action, Scripture does not make sense, and without Scripture, Christianity neither. However, the possibility of special divine action is highly contested in almost every field of human enquiry. In what follows, I briefly suggest a minimal definition of special divine action and show its indispensability for the internal plausibility of Christian faith. I then argue against the very possibility of special divine action. I end by way of identifying ways in which Christian theologians can respond to the arguments in order to justify the possibility of special divine action. It turns out that special divine action neither contradicts science nor metaphysics.
Special Divine Acts: Three Pseudo-Problems and a Blind Alley
Authors: Larmer Robert
Published: March 2017

Traditionally, special divine acts have been understood as involving intervention in the course of nature, so as to cause events that nature would not, or could not, otherwise produce. The concept of divine intervention has come under heavy fire in recent times, however. This has caused many philosophers and theologians either to abandon the possibility of special divine acts or to attempt to show how such acts need not be understood as interventions in natural processes. This paper argues that three objections typically raised against special divine acts conceived as interventions in the natural order are pseudo-problems and pose no reason to abandon the traditional conception of such acts. Further, it argues that attempted noninterventionist accounts constitute a blind alley of investigation, inasmuch as they fail to provide a secure foundation for a robust account of the possibility of special divine acts.
Divine Action and God's Immutability: A Historical Case Study On How To Resist Occasionalism
Authors: Sangiacomo Andrea
Published: March 2017

Today’s debates present ‘occasionalism’ as the position that any satisfying account of divine action must avoid. In this paper I discuss how a leading Cartesian author of the end of the seventeenth century, Pierre-Sylvain Régis, attempted to avoid occasionalism. Régis’s case is illuminating because it stresses both the difficulties connected with the traditional alternatives to occasionalism (so-called ‘concurrentism’ and ‘mere-conservationism’) and also those aspects embedded in the occasionalist position that should be taken into due account. The paper focuses on Régis’s own account of secondary causation in order to show how the challenge of avoiding occasionalism can lead to the development of new accounts of divine action.
The Mind of God
Authors: McGinn Colin
Published: March 2017

A radically dualist view of the relationship between God and the universe is apt to make the problem of Divine intervention more difficult than under other metaphysical conceptions. We need to find a closer relationship than this if the causal picture is to work. We could try saying that God is realized by the universe, without being reducible to the universe. He has no further substance over and above that of the universe, but he is not simply identical to the universe (I suppose this would qualify as a type of pantheism). I am not sure I know what this idea of realization comes to for the case of God and the universe, but it least it promises to make it feasible for God to be enmeshed in the natural causal order, without collapsing into it. It is not so much that God intervenes as supervenes, to use the jargon. On this picture, there is a mega- universe that includes both the physical universe and God, with the two locked somehow together.
Atheism and Agatheism in the Global Ethical Discourse: Reply to Millican and Thornhill-Miller
Authors: Salamon Janusz
Published: March 2017

Peter Millican and Branden Thornhill-Miller have recently argued that contradictions between different religious belief systems, in conjunction with the host of defeaters based on empirical research concerning alleged sources of evidence for ‘perceived supernatural agency’, render all ‘first-order’, that is actual, religious traditions positively irrational, and a source of discord on a global scale. However, since the authors recognise that the ‘secularisation thesis’ appears to be incorrect, and that empirical research provides evidence that religious belief also has beneficial individual and social effects, they put forward a hypothesis of a ‘second-order religious belief’, with Universalist overtones and thus free of intergroup conflict, and free of irrationality, since supported (solely) by the Fine-Tuning Argument. While granting most of their arguments based on empirical research and embracing the new paradigm of the atheism/religion debate implicit in their paper, I contend that Millican’s and Thornhill-Miller’s proposal is unlikely to appeal to religious believers, because it misconstrues the nature and grounds of religious belief. I suggest that their hypothesis may be refined by taking into account a view of axiologically grounded religious belief that I refer to as ‘agatheism’, since it identifies God or the Ultimate Reality with the ultimate good (to agathon). I submit that agatheistic religious belief which is explicitly or implicitly presupposed in the first-order religious traditions as their doxastic core can be shown to be rational, and allows us to frame the relations between fundamental beliefs of adherents of various religions and worldviews in a non-conflictual way, conducive of their constructive participation in the global ethical discourse.
The Highways and Byways of Ritual: Pascal and Xunzi on Faith, Virtue, and Religious Practice
Authors: Cline Erin M.
Published: March 2017

Blaise Pascal contends that ritual is not simply an expression of religious faith; it is also the means by which religious faith is cultivated. While Pascal fails to offer a plausible account of how ritual can lead to faith, the classical Confucian philosopher Xunzi’s account of ritual – especially his account of how rituals shape a person’s character and how one comes to “acquire a taste” for the things that rituals achieve – is a helpful resource for extending and refining Pascal’s account of how ritual works to transform not just our actions but our feelings, desires, and beliefs, as well.
In Defense of Ritual Propriety
Authors: Stalnaker Aaron
Published: March 2017

Confucians think ritual propriety is extremely important, but this commitment perplexes many Western readers. This essay outlines the early Confucian Xúnzǐ’s defense of ritual, then offers a modified defense of ritual propriety as a real virtue, of value to human beings in all times and places, albeit one that is inescapably indexed to prevailing social norms in a non-objectionable way. The paper addresses five likely objections to this thesis, drawing on but going beyond recent Kantian defenses of courtesy and civility. The objections concern cultural relativity, insincerity, separating style from substance, elitism, and possible incoherence in the virtue itself.
Four (Or So) New Fine-Tuning Arguments
Authors: McGrew Lydia
Published: March 2017

Both proponents and opponents of the argument for the deliberate fine-tuning, by an intelligent agent, of the fundamental constants of the universe have accepted certain assumptions about how the argument will go. These include both treating the fine-tuning of the constants as constitutive of the nature of the universe itself and conditioning on the fact that the constants actually do fall into the life-permitting range, rather than on the narrowness of the range. It is also generally assumed that the fine-tuning argument should precede biological arguments for design from, e.g., the origin of life. I suggest four new arguments, two of which are different orderings of the same data. Each of these abandons one or more of the common assumptions about how the fine-tuning argument should go, and they provide new possibilities for answering or avoiding objections to the fine-tuning argument.
Freedom: On the Concept and the Reality of Human Autonomy
Authors: Lutz-Bachmann Matthias
Published: March 2017

No abstract provided
Secondary-Cause Autonomy and Divine Motivation
Authors: Schröer Christian
Published: March 2017

An act-theoretical view on the profile of responsibility discourse shows in what sense not only all kinds of technical, pragmatic and moral reason, but also all kinds of religious motivation cannot justify a human action sufficiently without acknowledgment to three basic principles of human autonomy as supreme limiting conditions that are human dignity, sense, and justifiability. According to Thomas Aquinas human beings ultimately owe their moral autonomy to a divine creator. So this autonomy can be considered as an expression of secondary-cause autonomy and as the voice of God in the enlightened conscience.
A Defense of First and Second-Order Theism: The Limits of Empirical Inquiry and the Rationality of Religious Belief
Authors: Taliaferro Charles , Porot Christophe
Published: March 2017

We argue that the use of the term “supernatural” is problematic in philosophy of religion in general, and in the contribution by Thornhill-Miller and Millican (TMM) in particular. We address the disturbing parallel between Hume’s case against the rationality of belief in miracles and his dismissal of reports of racial equality. We do not argue that because Hume was a racist (or an advocate of white superiority) therefore his view against miracles is faulty, but we draw attention to how Hume sets up a framework that, for similar reasons, discounts evidence of black intelligence and divine intelligence (or evidence of acts of God). We go on to argue against TMM’s revision of Hume on miracles. We then argue that empirical testing on the veracity of petitionary belief is impossible for there is no control case (everyone is prayed for) and that empirical testing can no more evaluate the evidential merits of most religious experiences than it can assess the merits of any robust philosophical position in epistemology, metaphysics, value theory, logic and mathematics. We express doubts about the integrity and scope of how one might enjoy the good of religion without belief. In a final section we offer a defense of the rationality of believing in specific religious traditions based on religious experience along with what we refer to as sufficient philosophical reasoning.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts at Signalized Intersections Using Existing Infrastructure
Authors: Kothuri Sirisha , Nordback Krista , Schrope Andrew , Phillips Taylor , Figliozzi Miguel
Published: March 2017

Bicycling and walking have gained increased attention recently; however, systematic bicycle and pedestrian counts are still scarce. At intersections, transportation agencies are interested in counting bicycles and pedestrians and leveraging for counting purposes, if possible, existing signal detection equipment. This study evaluated four counting technologies: inductive loops and a thermal camera to count bicycles and passive infrared counters and pedestrian signal actuation data to count pedestrians. The four technologies were tested in a parking lot (controlled environment) and in an intersection (real-world environment). The findings revealed that while the inductive loops and thermal camera counted bicycles accurately in a controlled environment, the loops and cameras failed to do so at an intersection. Passive infrared counters were found to count pedestrians accurately at the intersection sidewalk, and pedestrian signal actuation data could be a cost-effective surrogate for pedestrian demand at signalized intersections.
Estimation of Average Payloads from Weigh-in-Motion Data
Authors: Hernandez Sarah
Published: March 2017

Average payloads define the ton-to-truck conversion factors that are critical inputs to commodity-based freight forecasting models. However, average payloads are derived primarily from outdated, unrepresentative truck surveys. With increasing technological and methodological means of concurrently measuring truck configurations, commodity types, and weights, there are now viable alternatives to truck surveys. In this paper, a method to derive average payloads by truck body type and using weight data from weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors is presented. Average payloads by truck body type are found by subtracting an estimated average empty weight from an estimated average loaded weight. Empty and loaded weights are derived from a Gaussian mixture model fit to a gross vehicle weight distribution. An analysis of truck body type distributions, loaded weights, empty weights, and resulting payloads of five-axle tractor trailer (FHWA Class 9 or 3-S2) trucks is presented to compare national and state-level Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) data and the WIM-based approach. Results show statistically significant differences between the three data sets in each of the comparison categories. A challenge in this analysis is the definition of a correct set of payloads because the WIM and survey data are subject to their own inherent misrepresentations. WIM data, however, provide a continuous source of measured weight data that overcome the drawback of using out-of-date surveys. Overall, average payloads from measured weights are lower than those for the national or California VIUS estimates.
Effects of age at first birth on health of mothers aged 45 to 56
Authors: Schlücker Friederike U. , Blumenfelder A. Raphaela
Published: March 2017

Employing the data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) for 13 European countries, we analyse the relationship between mother’s age at first birth and her health at age 45 to 56. Compared to mothers who gave birth at middle age, we found a significantly higher risk of illness among young first-time mothers. In a first step, we show that this effect largely remains after controlling for selection effects which determine age at first birth. Next, we examine whether the biosocial view could be confirmed. This approach explains the negative effect of early births on later health through a lack of social and economic resources during young mothers’ life course. Thus, fewer resources are expected to affect health outcomes. However, the results indicate that the negative effect of young age at first birth remains even after controlling for health-related resources throughout the life course. The operationalisation of health-related resources as well as unobserved effects might be regarded as possible explanations for this. Due to data restrictions, indicators for educational history, job history and social support, that are all likely to depend on age at first birth and also affect later health, could not be taken into account. The results identify mechanisms of cumulative social inequality when disadvantaged women become mothers at younger age and thereby further increase their risk of disease.

Zusammenfassung

Anhand der Daten des Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) für 13 europäische Länder wird der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Alter der Mutter bei Erstgeburt und ihrer Gesundheit im Alter von 45 bis 56 Jahren untersucht. Im Vergleich zu Müttern, die ihr erstes Kind im mittleren Alter bekommen haben, zeigen sich signifikant höhere Erkrankungsrisiken unter jungen Erstgebärenden. In einem ersten Schritt wird gezeigt, dass dieser Effekt auch unter Berücksichtigung von Selektionseffekten, welche das Alter bei Erstgeburt bestimmen, weitgehend bestehen bleibt. Anschließend wird untersucht, ob sich der biosoziale Ansatz, der den negativen Effekt früher Geburten auf die spätere Gesundheit anhand geringerer sozialer und ökonomischer Ressourcen im Lebensverlauf von jungen Müttern erklärt, bestätigt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen jedoch, dass sich ein junges Alter bei Erstgeburt auch unter Berücksichtigung von gesundheitsrelevanten Ressourcen im Lebensverlauf negativ auf die Gesundheit auswirkt. Mögliche Erklärungen liegen in der Operationalisierung der gesundheitsrelevanten Ressourcen und in unbeobachteten Effekten. Aufgrund von Datenbeschränkungen konnten Indikatoren zur Bildungs- und Berufshistorie und zur sozialen Unterstützung, die vom Alter bei Erstgeburt abhängig sein können und die spätere Gesundheit beeinflussen, nicht berücksichtigt werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen Mechanismen kumulativer sozialer Ungleichheit auf, wenn benachteiligte Frauen jünger Mütter werden und dadurch ihre Gesundheitsrisiken zusätzlich verstärkt werden.
Humanin Specifically Interacts with Amyloid-β Oligomers and Counteracts Their in vivo Toxicity
Authors: Romeo Margherita , Stravalaci Matteo , Beeg Marten , Rossi Alessandro , Fiordaliso Fabio , Corbelli Alessandro , Salmona Mario , Gobbi Marco , Cagnotto Alfredo , Diomede Luisa
Published: March 2017

The 24-residue peptide humanin (HN) has been proposed as a peptide-based inhibitor able to interact directly with amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers and interfere with the formation and/or biological properties of toxic Aβ species. When administered exogenously, HN, or its synthetic S14G-derivative (HNG), exerted multiple cytoprotective effects, counteracting the Aβ-induced toxicity. Whether these peptides interact directly with Aβ, particularly with the soluble oligomeric assemblies, remains largely unknown. We here investigated the ability of HN and HNG to interact directly with highly aggregating Aβ42, and interfere with the formation and toxicity of its oligomers. Experiments were run in cell-free conditions and in vivo in a transgenic C. elegans strain in which the Aβ toxicity was specifically due to oligomeric species. Thioflavin-T assay indicated that both HN and HNG delay the formation and reduce the final amount of Aβ42 fibrils. In vitro surface plasmon resonance studies indicated that they interact with Aβ42 oligomers favoring the formation of amorphous larger assemblies, observed with turbidity and electron microscopy. In vivo studies indicated that both HN and HNG decrease the relative abundance of A11-positive prefibrillar oligomers as well as OC-positive fibrillar oligomers and had similar protective effects. However, while HN possibly decreased the oligomers by promoting their assembly into larger aggregates, the reduction of oligomers caused by HNG can be ascribed to a marked decrease of the total Aβ levels, likely the consequence of the HNG-induced overexpression of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin. These findings provide information on the mechanisms underlying the anti-oligomeric effects of HN and HNG and illustrate the role of S14G substitution in regulating the in vivo mechanism of action.
Self-powered electromagnetic energy harvesting for the low power consumption electronics: Design and experiment
Authors: Yan Bo , Zhang Shuwen , Zhang Xinong , Wang Ke , Wu Chuanyu
Published: March 2017

In order to meet energy consumption of the electronics and reuse the structural vibration energy, this study investigates a novel electromagnetic energy harvesting (EEH) method by employing a step-up and step-down circuit. The principle of the EEH system is introduced, and the electrical governing equation of the harvesting circuit is analyzed. A cantilever beam structure with EEH system is built up. The theoretical model is established and the corresponding experiment is setup to verify the energy harvesting performance of the EEH circuit. The experimental results prove that the proposed EEH system is able to harvest the vibrational energy and effectively step-up and step-down the harvested signal by changing the duty circle of the control circuit. Finally, the self-powered ratio of the EEH system is proposed and analyzed, which reaches to 6.1% for an electric circuit with 0.1 W consumption. The EEH method provides an effective self-powered solution for the low power consumption electronics.
An omni-directional kinetic energy harvester using a novel spherical Halbach array transducer
Authors: Ren Long , Chen Renwen , Xia Huakang , Ding Zhiqiang
Published: March 2017

A spherical electromagnetic energy harvester is designed to harvest omni-directional kinetic energy. A novel spherical Halbach array is proposed, which increases the magnetic field gradient in the coil compared with the traditional permanent magnet array, to increase the output performance. The parameter optimization of the spherical structure is carried out in accordance with the analytical results of the corresponding physical model. Finite element analysis and experimental performance test are carried out on the prototype. Experimental results demonstrate that the novel transducer can harvest kinetic energy in any direction, and then transfer to electric power. When the excitation direction is horizontal with frequency of 7.5 Hz, the load resistance is 3.2 Ω, the electric power reaches its maximum value. The maximum load power of a single coil is 0.18 mW. It can meet the needs of some microelectronic devices and has the potential to take the place of chemistry batteries and supply power to wildlife monitoring and positioning systems.
L-DOPA
Authors: Hornykiewicz Oleh
Published: March 2017

Today we would find it difficult to place ourselves in the position of the physician or the patient prior to the L-DOPA era of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). David Marsden, the eminent British neurologist, neuroscientist and PD researcher of the second half of the last century and an eyewitness to that historical turning point, paints with few brush strokes, as it were, a vivid, telling picture of that period: “... Before the 1960s the clinical features and basic neuropathology of the disorder had been established, anticholinergic drugs and stereotaxic surgery were popular, but the illness progressed relentlessly and was the cause of miserable disability... The discovery of selective striatal dopamine deficiency in the parkinsonian brain in the early 1960s changed everything [ 1 ]”.

This paper by Oleh Hornykiewicz recounts the remarkable mixture of science, intrigue and politics behind the author’s work in the 1950s and early 1960s that triggered the modern era of Parkinson’s disease research: the discovery of the dopamine deficit in the brain of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Neonatal outcomes following planned preterm delivery in diabetic mothers
Authors: Cope E.V. , Sultana N. , Masson E.A. , Allen B.J. , Oboh A. , Wilkinson L. , Wood C. , Lindow S.W.
Published: March 2017

OBJECTIVE: Women with diabetes may need elective preterm delivery due to pregnancy or diabetes related complications. The aim of this study was to describe the neonatal outcomes arising from elective preterm delivery in diabetic women.

METHOD: Suitable patients were identified by the obstetric team at Hull Royal Infirmary Women and Children’s Hospital and data was extracted from their case notes. 45 diabetic women with planned preterm delivery were identified within a set time frame, resulting in 48 babies.

RESULTS: Of the 48 babies born, 47 survived. 36 out of 48 were delivered via caesarean section. Gestational ages ranged from 29+3 to 36+6 weeks, and 24 out of 48 (50%) had a birth weight greater than the 90th centile for gestational age.

34 out of the 48 babies experienced some form of neonatal complication and were admitted to the neonatal unit. The median duration of stay in the neonatal unit was 7 days. 14 of the surviving neonates suffered from respiratory distress, although only 4 required surfactant therapy to regain respiratory function. However, the incidence of serious neonatal complications in those born after 34 weeks was shown to be low.

CONCLUSIONS: Elective preterm delivery after 34 weeks had little effect on overall neonatal outcome. Therefore it could be proposed that elective preterm delivery after 34 weeks gestation may be an acceptable option in diabetic women if there are maternal or obstetric complications.
Association between cytotoxin producing H. pylori and gastric carcinoma
Authors: Hassan Md Ali , Ahad MA , Rahman MH , Bhuiyan MSH , Khan MAH
Published: March 2017

Background: Enormous studies have been conducted worldwide regarding CagA+ status of H. pylori in gastric carcinoma Objective: No study relating CagA+ status and gastric carcinoma has been carried out in our country yet. This study has been designed to see the association between CagA+ H. pylorl strain and gastric carcinomaMethods: For this purpose, a total number of 80 (eighty) patients were selected. Of the 80 (eighty) patients, 40 (forty) were selected as cases (malignant) and the remainder 40 (forty) were selected as controls (non malignant). H. pylori was detected by applying non invasive (H. pylori IgG serology and CagA-IgG serology) and invasive (Histology and rapid urease test) technique. Of them Histology was done by Modified giemsa stain which was regarded as gold standard, CagA IgG was detected by ELISA method.Results: In this study, among the 40 cases, 35 (thirty five) possess the CagA+ H. pylori strain and among the 40 controls, 33 (thirty three) bear the CagA+ H. pylori strain. In this study, no significant difference between case and control on the point of CagA-IgG status was found.Conclusion: H.pylori may be a simple initiator and not the actual cause of gastric carcinoma.Bang Med J (Khulna) 2016; 49 : 13-17
Prevalence of Transfusion Transmitted Infection among Blood Donors at Medical University in Bangladesh
Authors: Ara Ferdous , Alam ABM Mashiul , Rahman Manjuma , Jahan Asifa , Yusuf Abdullah , Hassan Mohammad Syaeed , Sonia Sheikh Farjana , Nasreen Zubaida , Biswas Jolly
Published: March 2017

Background: Blood transfusion is associated with a number of complications. Transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) are one of the major health problem in Bangladesh.Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the status of transfusion transmitted infections among the apparently healthy donors.Methodology: This study we carried out among 12,294 blood donors from September 2009 to March 2010 at Department of Transfusion Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. All the samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1 and 2, venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL) and malaria to see the prevalence of TTI.Results: Prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis were 0.009, 0.0004, 0.0001 and 0.0001% respectively. No blood donor tested showed positivity for malarial parasite.Conclusion: Mandatory screening of donated blood and use of sensitive screening test should be done to reduce TTI in Bangladesh.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2014, Vol.6(1); 11-13
Carnitine Palmitoyl Tranferase Type 1 Deficiency in Fatty acid oxidation disorder: A Case report
Authors: Naher Nurun , Nahar Laila Nurun , Sultana Sabina , Matin Abdul , Fakir Md Hasan Jamal , Islam Md Rafiqul
Published: March 2017

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1(CPT-1) catalyzes the formation of acylcarnitine, which is the first step in the oxidation of long chain fatty acid in the mitochondria. CPT-1 deficiency is an inborn error of metabolism. Reported patient with CPT -1 deficiency was a 16 months old boy present with hypoketotic hypoglycaemia, hepatomegaly with raised liver transaminases, hyperamminaemia, convulsion and unconsciousness. Diagnosis was established by IMD panel study. Treatment was done by correction of hypoglycemia, avoidance of hypoglycemia by ensuring frequent feeding, avoidance of prolonged fasting, treatment of infection & other supportive measures.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2014, Vol.6(1); 38-40
A Case of Cervical Dystonia with Non Responsive To Usual Noninvasive Treatment
Authors: Hafez Fahmida , Islam Md Zahidul , Nessa Jebun , Shahidullah Md Sk , Sobhan Shahina , Begum Shahanaz
Published: March 2017

Cervical dystonia is a focal dystonia characterized by neck muscles contracting involuntarily-causing abnormal movement and awkward posture of the head and neck. A rare disorder can occur at any age even at infancy. Symptoms generally begin gradually and then reach a point where they don't get substantially worse. Asymmetry of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) is often present in untreated patient. There is no cure for cervical dystonia. Injecting botulinum toxin into the affected muscles often reduces the signs and symptoms of cervical dystonia. In this case, it has been described a rare case of a forty seven year old male patient with a history of cervical dystonia presented with struggle with head position, resisting but never overcoming the tendency of his head to assume an unnatural position. The management including drugs like oral analgesic, muscle relaxant, anti-Parkinson drug & even antipsychotic drug were used. Physiatric approach like different modalities of heat such as Short wave diathermy (SWD), Microwave diathermy (MWD) & Ultra sound therapy (UST) were used. Brace like cervical collar and different type of exercise was also prescribed, even botulinum toxin injected into suspected muscles but all discussed above failed in this case.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2014, Vol.6(1); 44-46
"Voice" the Original Social Media: Bangladesh Perspective
Authors: Murshed KM Mamun
Published: March 2017

Abstract not availableJ Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2015; 7(1):1-2
Socioeconomic Determinants of Psychotropic Drug Utilization at a Tertiary Hospital in Dhaka City
Authors: Any Omma Hafsa , Parveen Feroza , Sultana Rezina , Iqbal Md Jalal Uddin
Published: March 2017

Background: Mental illness is the most neglected disease in Bangladesh with a large number of people suffering from different types of mental illness.Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to find out socioeconomic determinant of psychotropic drug in tertiary level hospital.Methodology: This cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at the Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital (SSMC & MH), Dhaka from the period of July 2009 to June 2010. All the patients attended at psychiatry outpatient department were included as study population. The collected data include socio-demographic details by depth interview; Informed consent was obtained verbally from the patient or legal guardian. The psychiatry out-patient departments are selected because both rural and urban population of different classes and different socio-economic status daily come to these out-patient departments for their treatment purposes. They predominantly represent poor rural and urban population.Result: A total 300 patients were included in this study. Out of 300 patients158 patient (52.66%) were female, most of the patients were age group 18-27 years, 108(36%) patient were house wife. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder are most common complaint among the patient attending the psychiatry OPD, 293(97.67%) patient came from rural areas, 175(58.33%) patient were married. Most of the patients are illiterate. It was observed that less educated, illiterate, housewife, unemployed and lower income group of patients generally attend psychiatry out-patient department.Conclusion: In conclusion less educated, illiterate, house wife, unemployed and lower income group of patients generally attend psychiatry out-patient department.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2015; 7(1):10-13
‘Imagined San Francisco’: Unpacking Urban Regime Theory through Interactive Cartography
Authors: Howell Ocean
Published: March 2017

American urban historians have begun to understand that digital mapping provides a potentially powerful tool to describe political power. There are now important projects that map change in the American city along a number of dimensions, including zoning, suburbanization, commercial development, transportation infrastructure, and especially segregation. Most projects use their visual sources to illustrate the material consequences of the policies of powerful agencies and dominant planning ‘regimes.’ As useful as these projects are, they often inadvertently imbue their visualizations with an aura of inevitability, and thereby present political power as a kind of static substance–possess this and you can remake the city to serve your interests. A new project called ‘Imagined San Francisco’ is motivated by a desire to expand upon this approach, treating visual material not only to illustrate outcomes, but also to interrogate historical processes, and using maps, plans, drawings, and photographs not only to show what did happen, but also what might have happened. By enabling users to layer a series of historical urban plans–with a special emphasis on unrealized plans–‘Imagined San Francisco’ presents the city not only as a series of material changes, but also as a contingent process and a battleground for political power.
Beyond Interpersonal Competence: Teaching and Learning Professional Skills in Sustainability
Authors: Brundiers Katja , Wiek Arnim
Published: March 2017

Successful careers in sustainability are determined by positive real-world change towards sustainability. This success depends heavily on professional skills in effective and compassionate communication, collaborative teamwork, or impactful stakeholder engagement, among others. These professional skills extend beyond content knowledge and methodical expertise. Current sustainability programs do not sufficiently facilitate students’ acquisition of such skills. This article presents a brief summary of professional skills, synthesized from the literature, and why they are relevant for sustainability professionals. Second, it presents how these skills have been taught in an undergraduate course in sustainability at Arizona State University, USA. Third, it critically discusses the effectiveness and challenges of that exemplary course. Finally, the article concludes with outlining the lessons learned that should be incorporated into future course offerings.
ACTH and Polymorphisms at Steroidogenic Loci as Determinants of Aldosterone Secretion and Blood Pressure
Authors: MacKenzie Scott , Freel E. , Connell John , Fraser Robert , Davies Eleanor
Published: March 2017

The majority of genes contributing to the heritable component of blood pressure remain unidentified, but there is substantial evidence to suggest that common polymorphisms at loci involved in the biosynthesis of the corticosteroids aldosterone and cortisol are important. This view is supported by data from genome-wide association studies that consistently link the CYP17A1 locus to blood pressure. In this review article, we describe common polymorphisms at three steroidogenic loci (CYP11B2, CYP11B1 and CYP17A1) that alter gene transcription efficiency and levels of key steroids, including aldosterone. However, the mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear. While the renin angiotensin system is rightly regarded as the major driver of aldosterone secretion, there is increasing evidence that the contribution of corticotropin (ACTH) is also significant. In light of this, we propose that the differential response of variant CYP11B2, CYP11B1 and CYP17A1 genes to ACTH is an important determinant of blood pressure, tending to predispose individuals with an unfavourable genotype to hypertension.
What Is New in the miRNA World Regarding Osteosarcoma and Chondrosarcoma?
Authors: Palmini Gaia , Marini Francesca , Brandi Maria
Published: March 2017

Despite the availability of multimodal and aggressive therapies, currently patients with skeletal sarcomas, including osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, often have a poor prognosis. In recent decades, advances in sequencing technology have revealed the presence of RNAs without coding potential known as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which provides evidence that protein-coding genes account for only a small percentage of the entire genome. This has suggested the influence of ncRNAs during development, apoptosis and cell proliferation. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in 1993 underscored the importance of these molecules in pathological diseases such as cancer. Increasing interest in this field has allowed researchers to study the role of miRNAs in cancer progression. Regarding skeletal sarcomas, the research surrounding which miRNAs are involved in the tumourigenesis of osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma has rapidly gained traction, including the identification of which miRNAs act as tumour suppressors and which act as oncogenes. In this review, we will summarize what is new regarding the roles of miRNAs in chondrosarcoma as well as the latest discoveries of identified miRNAs in osteosarcoma.
Spotlight on Biomimetic Systems Based on Lyotropic Liquid Crystal
Authors: De Souza Juliana , Pontes Katiusca , Alves Thais , Amaral Venâncio , Rebelo Márcia , Hausen Moema , Chaud Marco
Published: March 2017

The behavior of lyotropic biomimetic systems in drug delivery was reviewed. These behaviors are influenced by drug properties, the initial water content, type of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC), swell ability, drug loading rate, the presence of ions with higher or less kosmotropic or chaotropic force, and the electrostatic interaction between the drug and the lipid bilayers. The in vivo interaction between LCC—drugs, and the impact on the bioavailability of drugs, was reviewed. The LLC with a different architecture can be formed by the self-assembly of lipids in aqueous medium, and can be tuned by the structures and physical properties of the emulsion. These LLC lamellar phase, cubic phase, and hexagonal phase, possess fascinating viscoelastic properties, which make them useful as a dispersion technology, and a highly ordered, thermodynamically stable internal nanostructure, thereby offering the potential as a sustained drug release matrix for drug delivery. In addition, the biodegradable and biocompatible nature of lipids demonstrates a minimum toxicity and thus, they are used for various routes of administration. This review is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview, but focuses on the advantages over non modified conventional materials and LLC biomimetic properties.
Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Involving Organic Fluorine: NMR Investigations Corroborated by DFT-Based Theoretical Calculations
Authors: Mishra Sandeep , Suryaprakash N.
Published: March 2017

The combined utility of many one and two dimensional NMR methodologies and DFT-based theoretical calculations have been exploited to detect the intramolecular hydrogen bond (HB) in number of different organic fluorine-containing derivatives of molecules, viz. benzanilides, hydrazides, imides, benzamides, and diphenyloxamides. The existence of two and three centered hydrogen bonds has been convincingly established in the investigated molecules. The NMR spectral parameters, viz., coupling mediated through hydrogen bond, one-bond NH scalar couplings, physical parameter dependent variation of chemical shifts of NH protons have paved the way for understanding the presence of hydrogen bond involving organic fluorine in all the investigated molecules. The experimental NMR findings are further corroborated by DFT-based theoretical calculations including NCI, QTAIM, MD simulations and NBO analysis. The monitoring of H/D exchange with NMR spectroscopy established the effect of intramolecular HB and the influence of electronegativity of various substituents on the chemical kinetics in the number of organic building blocks. The utility of DQ-SQ technique in determining the information about HB in various fluorine substituted molecules has been convincingly established.
Improvement of Interfacial Adhesion by Bio-Inspired Catechol-Functionalized Soy Protein with Versatile Reactivity: Preparation of Fully Utilizable Soy-Based Film
Authors: Wang Zhong , Kang Haijiao , Zhang Wei , Zhang Shifeng , Li Jianzhang
Published: March 2017

The development of materials based on renewable resources with enhanced mechanical and physicochemical properties is hampered by the abundance of hydrophilic groups because of their structural instability. Bio-inspired from the strong adhesion ability of mussel proteins, renewable and robust soy-based composite films were fabricated from two soybean-derived industrial materials: soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) and catechol-functionalized soy protein isolate (SPI-CH). The conjugation of SPI with multiple catechol moieties as a versatile adhesive component for SSPS matrix efficiently improved the interfacial adhesion between each segment of biopolymer. The biomimetic adherent catechol moieties were successfully bonded in the polymeric network based on catechol crosslinking chemistry through simple oxidative coupling and/or coordinative interaction. A combination of H-bonding, strong adhesion between the SPI-CH conjugation and SSPS matrix resulted in remarkable enhancements for mechanical properties. It was found that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus was improved from 2.80 and 17.24 MPa of unmodified SP film to 4.04 and 97.22 MPa of modified one, respectively. More importantly, the resultant films exhibited favorable water resistance and gas (water vapor) barrier performances. The results suggested that the promising way improved the phase adhesion of graft copolymers using catechol-functionalized polymers as versatile adhesive components.
Soil Organic Matter Responses to Anthropogenic Forest Disturbance and Land Use Change in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Durigan Mariana , Cherubin Maurício , De Camargo Plínio , Ferreira Joice , Berenguer Erika , Gardner Toby , Barlow Jos , Dias Carlos , Signor Diana , Junior Raimundo , Cerri Carlos
Published: March 2017

Anthropogenic forest disturbance and land use change (LUC) in the Amazon region is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere in Brazil, due to the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) emitted from vegetation clearance. Land use conversion associated with management practices plays a key role in the distribution and origin of C in different soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. Here, we show how changing land use systems have influenced soil C and N stocks, SOM physical fractions, and the origin of SOM in the Santarém region of the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Soil C and N stocks were calculated for the surface layer of 0–30 cm. Anthropogenic disturbances to the standing forest, such as selective logging and wildfires, led to significant declines in soil C and N stocks. However, in the long-term, the conversion of the Amazon forest to pasture did not have a noticeable effect on soil C and N stocks, presumably because of additional inputs from pasture grasses. However, the conversion to cropland did lead to reductions in soil C and N content. According to the physical fractionation of SOM, LUC altered SOM quality, but silt and clay remained the combined fraction that contributed the most to soil C storage. Our results emphasize the importance of implementing more sustainable forest management systems, whilst also calling further attention to the need for fire monitoring systems, helping to ensure the resilience of C and N stocks and sequestration in forest soils; thereby contributing towards urgently needed ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change.