bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Halothane Anesthesia in Mice: Effect on the Phagocytic Activity and Respiratory Burst of Peritoneal Macrophages
Authors: Colucci Darío , Harvey Guillermina , Gayol María Cristina , Elena Gustavo , Puig Nora
Published: July 2010

Objective: To study the effects of halothane anesthesia in mice not undergoing surgery on elements of the inflammatory and stress response; this involved assessment of the phagocytic activity and respiratory burst of peritoneal macrophages as well as plasma corticosterone levels and peripheral leukocyte counts. Methods: There were 2 experimental groups, i.e. mice anesthetized with halothane 1.5% in oxygen for 40 min and a control group of mice subjected to the same manipulations but no anesthesia. At the end of the anesthetic or sham procedure, peritoneal macrophages were evaluated for phagocytic and lytic activity after an immune challenge and spontaneous respiratory burst (chemoluminiscence). Plasma corticosterone and leukocyte counts in peripheral blood were evaluated as indicators of the stress response. Results: In halothane-anesthetized mice, increased numbers and activity of phagocytic cells were found, with regard to the number of ingested and digested particles, compared to the nonanesthetized group. The ex vivo peritoneal macrophage respiratory burst without antigenic stimulation also showed a higher response in anesthetized mice compared with the nonanesthetized controls. Halothane administration did not alter corticosterone levels. Treated and control mice displayed similar leukocyte profiles in peripheral blood, except for lower lymphocyte counts in the controls compared to the halothane group. Typical correlation between corticosterone and leukocyte subsets, together with a high positive correlation between plasma corticosterone and phagocytic cell counts, were found only in the control group. Conclusion: Halothane anesthesia might have beneficial effects on the inflammatory response mediated by phagocytes, namely the activity and efficiency of peritoneal macrophages, in a setting where plasma corticosterone and peripheral leukocyte counts were not affected.
Erythrocyte Indices in the Assessment of Iron Status in Dialysis-Dependent Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease on Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator versus Epoetin β Therapy
Authors: Jonckheere Stijn , Dierick Jan , Vanhouteghem Hilde , Devleeschouwer Mieke , Stove Veronique
Published: July 2010

Background: European guidelines stress that iron status should be regularly assessed for the optimal management of renal anemia. These guidelines include the hemoglobin content of reticulocytes and the percentage of hypochromic RBC as markers for functional iron deficiency. Recently, equivalents of these indices have become available on the automated hematology analyzer Sysmex XE-2100, these being reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) and DF-HYPO XE, respectively. Methods: In a prospective study, we closely monitored these parameters in dialysis-dependent patients with end-stage renal disease during the switch from a first-generation epoetin (EPO) once weekly to a third-generation EPO [continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA)] once monthly. As a control, patients staying on EPO β were monitored. Results: During follow-up, no changes in erythrocyte indices were noticed in the EPO β group. By contrast, in the CERA group, a decrease in Ret-He and an increase in DF-HYPO XE were transiently found 7–10 days after administration. The transient state of functional iron deficiency could not be prevented by extra intravenous iron. Conclusion: Fluctuations in Ret-He and DF-HYPO XE have to be taken into account when these parameters are used for the assessment of iron-deficient states. We suggest that a fixed time point in the CERA schedule should be chosen for iron monitoring.
Modulatory Role of the Ovarian Function in Neuroimmunoendocrine Axis Activity
Authors: Perelló Mario , Giovambattista Andrés , Castrogiovanni Daniel , Gaillard Rolf C. , Spinedi Eduardo
Published: July 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ovariectomy on the acute-phase response of inflammatory stress. Ex vivo adrenocortical, peripheral mononuclear cell (PMNC) and adipocyte activities were studied in intact and ovariectomized mice. Endotoxemia was mimicked by intraperitoneal administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 25 mg per mouse) to sham-operated and 21-day ovariectomized mice. Circulating corticosterone, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and leptin concentrations were monitored before and 30–120 min after the administration of LPS. Additionally, in vitro experiments were performed with isolated corticoadrenal cells, PMNCs and omental adipocytes from sham-operated and ovariectomized mice incubated with specific secretagogues. The results indicate that while ovariectomy enhanced TNFα secretion after in vivo administration of LPS, it reduced corticoadrenal response and abrogated LPS-elicited leptin secretion into the circulation. While the corticoadrenal sensitivity to ACTH stimulation was reduced by ovariectomy, the LPS-induced PMNC response was not affected. Exogenous leptin enhanced baseline PMNC function regardless of surgery. Finally, ovariectomy drastically reduced in vitro adipocyte functionality. Our data support the notion that ovariectomy modified neuroendocrine-immune-adipocyte axis function and strongly suggest that ovarian activity could play a pivotal role in the development of an adequate immune defense mechanism after injury.
Predicting Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents Placed in Real-World Clinical Practice
Authors: Stolker Joshua M. , Kennedy Kevin F. , Lindsey Jason B. , Marso Steven P. , Pencina Michael J. , Cutlip Donald E. , Mauri Laura , Kleiman Neal S. , Cohen David J. ,   on behalf of the EVENT Investigators
Published: July 2010

Background—

Prediction of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains challenging, and existing risk assessment algorithms were developed before the widespread adoption of drug-eluting stents (DES).

Methods and Results—

We used data from the EVENT registry to develop a risk model for predicting target lesion revascularization (TLR) in 8829 unselected patients undergoing DES implantation between 2004 and 2007. Using a split-sample validation technique, predictors of TLR at 1 year were identified from two thirds of the subjects (derivation cohort) using multiple logistic regression. Integer point values were created for each predictor, and the summed risk score (range, 0 to 10) was applied to the remaining sample (validation cohort). At 1 year, TLR occurred in 4.2% of patients, and after excluding stent thrombosis and early mechanical complications, the incidence of late TLR (more likely representing restenosis-related TLR) was 3.6%. Predictors of TLR were age <60, prior PCI, unprotected left main PCI, saphenous vein graft PCI, minimum stent diameter ≤2.5 mm, and total stent length ≥40 mm. Comparison of observed versus predicted rates of TLR according to risk score demonstrated good model fit in the validation set. There was more than a 3-fold difference in TLR rates between the lowest risk category (score=0; TLR rate, 2.2%) and the highest risk category (score ≥5; TLR rate, 7.5%).

Conclusions—

The overall incidence of TLR remains low among unselected patients receiving DES in routine clinical practice. A simple risk model incorporating 6 readily available clinical and angiographic variables helps identify individuals at extremely low (<2%) and modestly increased (>7%) risk of TLR after DES implantation.
Impaired Autonomic Regulation of Resistance Arteries in Mice With Low Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor or Upon Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Trap Delivery
Authors: Storkebaum Erik , Ruiz de Almodovar Carmen , Meens Merlijn , Zacchigna Serena , Mazzone Massimiliano , Vanhoutte Greet , Vinckier Stefan , Miskiewicz Katarzyna , Poesen Koen , Lambrechts Diether , Janssen Ger M.J. , Fazzi Gregorio E. , Verstreken Patrik , Haigh Jody , Schiffers Paul M. , Rohrer Hermann , Van der Linden Annemie , De Mey Jo G.R. , Carmeliet Peter
Published: July 2010

Background—

Control of peripheral resistance arteries by autonomic nerves is essential for the regulation of blood flow. The signals responsible for the maintenance of vascular neuroeffector mechanisms in the adult, however, remain largely unknown.

Methods and Results—

Here, we report that VEGF
∂/∂
mice with low vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels suffer defects in the regulation of resistance arteries. These defects are due to dysfunction and structural remodeling of the neuroeffector junction, the equivalent of a synapse between autonomic nerve endings and vascular smooth muscle cells, and to an impaired contractile smooth muscle cell phenotype. Notably, short-term delivery of a VEGF inhibitor to healthy mice also resulted in functional and structural defects of neuroeffector junctions.

Conclusions—

These findings uncover a novel role for VEGF in the maintenance of arterial neuroeffector function and may help us better understand how VEGF inhibitors cause vascular regulation defects in cancer patients.
Paradigm of Genetic Mosaicism and Lone Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Thibodeau Isabelle L. , Xu Ji , Li Qiuju , Liu Gele , Lam Khanh , Veinot John P. , Birnie David H. , Jones Douglas L. , Krahn Andrew D. , Lemery Robert , Nicholson Bruce J. , Gollob Michael H.
Published: July 2010

Background—

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia observed in otherwise healthy individuals. Most lone AF cases are nonfamilial, leading to the assumption that a primary genetic origin is unlikely. In this study, we provide data supporting a novel paradigm that atrial tissue–specific genetic defects may be associated with sporadic cases of lone AF.

Methods and Results—

We sequenced the entire coding region of the connexin 43 (Cx43) gene (
GJA1
) from atrial tissue and lymphocytes of 10 unrelated subjects with nonfamilial, lone AF who had undergone surgical pulmonary vein isolation. In the atrial tissue of 1 patient, we identified a novel frameshift mutation caused by a single nucleotide deletion (c.932delC) that predicted 36 aberrant amino acids followed by a premature stop codon, leading to truncation of the C-terminal domain of Cx43. The mutation was absent from the lymphocyte DNA of the patient, indicating genetic mosaicism. Protein trafficking studies demonstrated intracellular retention of the mutant protein and a dominant-negative effect on gap junction formation of both wild-type Cx43 and Cx40. Electrophysiological studies revealed no electrical coupling of cells expressing the mutant protein alone and significant reductions in coupling when coexpressed with wild-type connexins.

Conclusions—

This study reports atrial tissue genetic mosaicism of a novel loss-of-function Cx43 mutation associated with lone AF. These findings implicate somatic genetic defects of Cx43 as a potential cause of AF and support the paradigm that sporadic, nonfamilial cases of lone AF may arise from genetic mosaicism that creates heterogeneous coupling patterns, predisposing the tissue to reentrant arrhythmias.
Interleukin 6 Mediates Myocardial Fibrosis, Concentric Hypertrophy, and Diastolic Dysfunction in Rats
Authors: Meléndez Giselle C. , McLarty Jennifer L. , Levick Scott P. , Du Yan , Janicki Joseph S. , Brower Gregory L.
Published: July 2010

Although there is a correlation between hypertension and levels of interleukin (IL) 6, the exact role this cytokine plays in myocardial remodeling is unknown. This is complicated by the variable tissue and circulating levels of IL-6 reported in numerous experimental models of hypertension. Accordingly, we explored the hypothesis that elevated levels of IL-6 mediate adverse myocardial remodeling. To this end, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with IL-6 (2.5 μg · kg
−1
· h
−1
, IP) for 7 days via osmotic minipump and compared with vehicle-infused, aged-matched controls. Left ventricular function was evaluated using a blood-perfused isolated heart preparation. Myocardial interstitial collagen volume fraction and isolated cardiomyocyte size were also assessed. Isolated adult cardiac fibroblast experiments were performed to determine the importance of the soluble IL-6 receptor in mediating cardiac fibrosis. IL-6 infusions in vivo resulted in concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, increased ventricular stiffness, a marked increase in collagen volume fraction (6.2% versus 1.7%;
P
<0.001), and proportional increases in cardiomyocyte width and length, all independent of blood pressure. The soluble IL-6 receptor in combination with IL-6 was found to be essential to producing increased collagen concentration by isolated cardiac fibroblasts and also played a role in mediating a phenotypic conversion to myofibroblasts. These novel observations demonstrate that IL-6 induces a myocardial phenotype almost identical to that of the hypertensive heart, identifying IL-6 as potentially important in this remodeling process.
Kidney-Induced Hypertension Depends on Superoxide Signaling in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla
Authors: Oliveira-Sales Elizabeth B. , Colombari Débora S.A. , Davisson Robin L. , Kasparov Sergey , Hirata Aparecida E. , Campos Ruy R. , Paton Julian F.R.
Published: July 2010

Reactive oxygen species in peripheral cardiovascular tissues are implicated in the pathogenesis of 2 kidney-1 clip hypertension. We recently identified an imbalance between reactive oxygen species generation and oxidant scavenging in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of 2 kidney-1 clip in rats. We tested whether enhanced superoxide signaling in RVLM of 2 kidney-1 clip rats contributes to the chronic hypertension via sympathetic activation in conscious rats. We enhanced superoxide scavenging in RVLM by overexpressing cytoplasmically targeted superoxide dismutase using an adenoviral vector (Ad-CMV-CuZnSOD) in Wistar rats (male, 150 to 180 g) in which the left renal artery was occluded partially 3 weeks earlier. Hypertension was documented using radiotelemetry recording of arterial pressure in conscious rats for 6 weeks. Renovascular hypertension elevated both serine phosphorylation of p47phox subunit of NADPH and superoxide levels in RVLM. The elevated superoxide levels were normalized by expression of CuZnSOD in RVLM. Moreover, the hypertension produced in the 2 kidney-1 clip rats was reversed 1 week after viral-mediated expression of CuZnSOD. This antihypertensive effect was maintained and associated with a decrease in the low-frequency spectra of systolic blood pressure variability, suggesting reduced sympathetic vasomotor tone. The expression of CuZnSOD was localized to RVLM neurons, of which some contained tyrosine hydroxylase. None of the above variables changed in control rats receiving Ad-CMV-eGFP in RVLM. In Goldblatt hypertension, superoxide signaling in the RVLM plays a major role in the generation of sympathetic vasomotor tone and the chronic sustained hypertension in this animal model.
Inhibition of Trophoblast-Induced Spiral Artery Remodeling Reduces Placental Perfusion in Rat Pregnancy
Authors: Verlohren Stefan , Geusens Nele , Morton Jude , Verhaegen Iris , Hering Lydia , Herse Florian , Dudenhausen Joachim W. , Muller Dominik N. , Luft Friedrich C. , Cartwright Judith E. , Davidge Sandra T. , Pijnenborg Robert , Dechend Ralf
Published: July 2010

Rats harboring the human angiotensinogen and human renin genes develop preeclamptic features in pregnancy. The preeclamptic rats exhibit a deeper trophoblast invasion associated with a reduced resistance index by uterine Doppler. Doxycycline inhibits matrix metalloproteinase activity. We tested the hypothesis that matrix metalloproteinase inhibition reduces trophoblast invasion with subsequent changes in placental perfusion. Preeclamptic and pregnant control Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with doxycycline (30 mg/kg of body weight orally) from gestational day 12 until day 18. Placental perfusion was assessed using a micromarker contrast agent. The animals were euthanized on day 18 of pregnancy; biometric data were acquired, and trophoblast invasion was analyzed. Doxycycline resulted in intrauterine growth retardation and lighter placentas in both groups. Maternal body weight was not affected. As shown earlier, preeclamptic rats exhibited a deeper endovascular trophoblast invasion. However, doxycycline treatment reduced trophoblast invasion in the preeclamptic rats. The physiological spiral artery remodeling, as assessed by the deposition of fibrinoid and α-actin in the spiral artery contour, was significantly reduced by doxycycline. The vascularity index, as assessed by perfusion measurement of the placenta, was reduced after doxycycline treatment in preeclamptic rats. Thus, matrix metalloproteinase inhibition with doxycycline leads to reduced trophoblast invasion and associated reduced placental perfusion. These studies are the first to show that reducing trophoblast-induced vascular remodeling decreases subsequent placental perfusion. Our model allows the study of dysregulated trophoblast invasion and vascular remodeling in vivo to gain important insights into preeclampsia-related mechanisms.
Recording from Two Neurons: Second-Order Stimulus Reconstruction from Spike Trains and Population Coding
Authors: Fernandes N. M. , Pinto B. D. L. , Almeida L. O. B. , Slaets J. F. W. , Köberle R.
Published: July 2010

We study the reconstruction of visual stimuli from spike trains, representing the reconstructed stimulus by a Volterra series up to second order. We illustrate this procedure in a prominent example of spiking neurons, recording simultaneously from the two H1 neurons located in the lobula plate of the fly Chrysomya megacephala. The fly views two types of stimuli, corresponding to rotational and translational displacements. Second-order reconstructions require the manipulation of potentially very large matrices, which obstructs the use of this approach when there are many neurons. We avoid the computation and inversion of these matrices using a convenient set of basis functions to expand our variables in. This requires approximating the spike train four-point functions by combinations of two-point functions similar to relations, which would be true for gaussian stochastic processes. In our test case, this approximation does not reduce the quality of the reconstruction. The overall contribution to stimulus reconstruction of the second-order kernels, measured by the mean squared error, is only about 5% of the first-order contribution. Yet at specific stimulus-dependent instants, the addition of second-order kernels represents up to 100% improvement, but only for rotational stimuli. We present a perturbative scheme to facilitate the application of our method to weakly correlated neurons.
Neuronal Population Decoding Explains the Change in Signal Detection Sensitivity Caused by Task-Irrelevant Perceptual Bias
Authors: Tajima Satohiro , Takemura Hiromasa , Murakami Ikuya , Okada Masato
Published: July 2010

Spatiotemporal context in sensory stimulus has profound effects on neural responses and perception, and it sometimes affects task difficulty. Recently reported experimental data suggest that human detection sensitivity to motion in a target stimulus can be enhanced by adding a slow surrounding motion in an orthogonal direction, even though the illusory motion component caused by the surround is not relevant to the task. It is not computationally clear how the task-irrelevant component of motion modulates the subject's sensitivity to motion detection. In this study, we investigated the effects of encoding biases on detection performance by modeling the stochastic neural population activities. We modeled two types of modulation on the population activity profiles caused by a contextual stimulus: one type is identical to the activity evoked by a physical change in the stimulus, and the other is expressed more simply in terms of response gain modulation. For both encoding schemes, the motion detection performance of the ideal observer is enhanced by a task-irrelevant, additive motion component, replicating the properties observed for real subjects. The success of these models suggests that human detection sensitivity can be characterized by a noisy neural encoding that limits the resolution of information transmission in the cortical visual processing pathway. On the other hand, analyses of the neuronal contributions to the task predict that the effective cell populations differ between the two encoding schemes, posing a question concerning the decoding schemes that the nervous system used during illusory states.
Probability of Repeating Patterns in Simultaneous Neural Data
Authors: Smith Anne C. , Nguyen Vinh Kha , Karlsson Mattias P. , Frank Loren M. , Smith Peter
Published: July 2010

Large data sets arising from neurophysiological experiments are frequently observed with repeating temporal patterns. Our ability to decode these patterns is dependent on the development of methods to assess whether the patterns are significant or occurring by chance. Given a hypothesized sequence within these data, we derive probability formulas to allow assessment of the likelihood of recurrence occurring by chance. We illustrate our approach using data from hippocampal neurons from awake, behaving rats.
Convergence Analysis of Three Classes of Split-Complex Gradient Algorithms for Complex-Valued Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Xu Dongpo , Zhang Huisheng , Liu Lijun
Published: July 2010

This letter presents a unified convergence analysis of the split-complex nonlinear gradient descent (SCNGD) learning algorithms for complex-valued recurrent neural networks, covering three classes of SCNGD algorithms: standard SCNGD, normalized SCNGD, and adaptive normalized SCNGD. We prove that if the activation functions are of split-complex type and some conditions are satisfied, the error function is monotonically decreasing during the training iteration process, and the gradients of the error function with respect to the real and imaginary parts of the weights converge to zero. A strong convergence result is also obtained under the assumption that the error function has only a finite number of stationary points. The simulation results are given to support the theoretical analysis.
Res Communes Omnium: The History of an Idea from Greek Philosophy to Grotian Jurisprudence
Authors: Schermaier Martin
Published: July 2010

Some legal historians are startled by the fact that Grotius was able to develop a new theory of res communes omnium and mare liberum by using antique ideas whereas these ideas were known in philosophy and jurisprudence throughout the Middle Ages. This contribution shows that Grotius's theory of res communes omnium was innovative only because he developed a new concept of ownership and placed it within a new framework of ius naturale. Both new concepts, ownership and ius naturale, had their predecessors in medieval theology and the jurisprudence of the Spanish Scholastics, but it was Grotius who merged them to a consistent new theory. This theory of res communes also enabled him to reconcile it with both the Roman legal sources and with contemporary practical needs.
Grotius's Mare Liberum in the Political Practice of Early-Modern Europe
Authors: Weindl Andrea
Published: July 2010

In this article Mare liberum is placed within the context of seventeenth-century European politics. It focuses on the development of conventional relations between European States regarding their interests outside of Europe and their importance concerning the status of Asian and African 'actors'. It turns out that in spite of Mare liberum's high-sounding proclamation of equality of non-European sovereigns with European States, Grotius's position as well as Dutch policy was inspired by self-interest and was essentially opportunistic. The Dutch Republic – as well as other European States – used the 'liberal' principles of Freedom of trade and the Universality of the Law of Nations to attack the Portuguese/Spanish claims of monopoly. However, as the Dutch Republic, Great Britain and France developed their own 'Spheres of Interest' in Asia, Africa and the Americas, they effectively excluded would-be competitors. Indeed, in the eighteenth century the 'pacte colonial' constituted a distinctive characteristic of the conventional and customary 'European Law of Nations'. As non-European political actors in the eighteenth century relatively lost military and political power, the European States finally relegated them to an inferior position, beyond the charmed circle of full 'subjects of Public International Law'. The article also is a contribution to the ongoing discussion about the relation between European imperialism and the development of the doctrine of European International Law.
The European Convention On Human Rights and the Duties of the Individual
Authors: Eissen Marc-Anvre
Published: July 2010

It is no doubt a truism to say that the principal aim and object of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is to proclaim, define and safeguard a series of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is probably more controversial to state that individuals within the jurisdiction of Contracting States are entitled de jure to enjoy these rights; that the latter are created »subjectively« (droits »subjectifs«) and not »reflexively« (droits »reflexes«) as favoured by certain dualists; that individuals1) benefit directly (»sujets actifs«) from the standards laid down in the Convention — while still open to discussion, the truth of these statements is generally admitted. Let us simply accept the general view without going into the somewhat intricate problems which arise. If, then, the Contracting States assume obligations in respect not only of one another, but also of the individual, do they require anything of the individual in return? Does he not have international obligations corresponding to his rights?2) If so, what is the extent of these obligations and what are their practical consequences? The existence and extent of the obligations imposed on the individual by the Convention and the sanctions attaching thereto- these are the points which we will endeavour to deal with in turn.
Legal Tests for Applying the European Convention On Human Rights and Freedoms in Adjudicating On Alleged Discrimination
Authors: Sundberg-Weitman Brita
Published: July 2010

In this paper I have proposed some criteria for solving the "justification" problem inherent in Article 14 of the Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms. My conclusions are the following. Obviously a State measure does not need any justification under the Convention, if it does not lie within its scope. In my view, the measures in dispute in the Linguistic case and in the three cases against a State-Employer did not fall within the scope of the Convention and, therefore, did not need any justification. Justification presupposes a legitimate aim and a non-arbitrary manner of obtaining that aim. The basis for the "aim test" is the bona f ide principle in general international law. A State measure taken in order to pursue a policy that runs counter to the order sought to be realised by the Convention is not justified. In a situation where there are "aims within aims" both the superior aim and the subordinate aim(s) should be scrutinized under the aim test, and all must be justified. A State policy intended to prevent or discourage people from enjoying a right or freedom falling within the scope of the minimum standard granted by the Convention is not justified, unless it is covered by an expressly stated escape clause. In contrast, where there are lateral aims in the sense of "killing two birds with one stone", it is enough for the aim test that any one of these aims is legitimate; the presence of a concurrent illicit aim does not permit the conclusion that the measure under examination is illegitimate, but its presence may, of course, show the invoked aim to be only a pretext. The "arbitrariness test" invokes the principle that it is not justifiable to frustrate a human right or freedom in order to pursue a policy that could as effectively, or more effectively, be realised with less or no adverse effect on human rights and freedoms. The fact that a State policy is not consistently pursued is not in itself a proof of non-justification. The most fruitful way of dealing with such situations would be to examine separately the differential treatment of the subcategories, according to the tests mentioned.
War, Piracy and Religion: Godfried Udemans' Spiritual Helm (1638)
Authors: van Eijnatten Joris
Published: July 2010

The Calvinist minister Godfried Udemans (1581/2–1649) is generally considered to be one of the more important seventeenth-century theologians from the province of Zeeland. He specialized in writings for a broader public, including, in particular, publications on ethical and religious codes in trade and seafaring. Of his various writings on moral theology, 't Geestelyck roer van 't coopmans schip, first published in 1638, is the most important.The Spiritual helm appeared in print some thirty years after Grotius occupied himself with De jure praedae (the manuscript dates from 1604), but Udemans had already begun articulating his thoughts in 1608. It is instructive to examine the ethical writings of a contemporary of Grotius. It has been claimed that in the early modern period, Calvinism, especially in its English Puritan variety, did much to propagate the medieval traditions of holy war that to all appearances had been laid to rest by Spanish theoreticians during the sixteenth-century Renaissance. In this article, I examine the extent to which Udemans draws upon religion as a means of legitimizing violence on behalf of secular political authorities such as the prince (or, as in the case of the Dutch Republic, the States or States General), and, more in particular, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and West India Company (WIC). If Udemans is representative of the religious tradition to which he reckoned himself, holy war thought did not figure prominently in Dutch Calvinism.
Tuck's Grotius: De Iure Praedae in Context
Authors: Wright George
Published: July 2010

This paper explores Richard Tuck's account of Grotius as the key innovator in the history that leads to the invention both of the free individual, protective of his or her rights, and of the modern liberal state, respectful of individuals' rights. Contextualism as a method for dealing with texts is discussed by way of a recent interview given by Tuck's teacher, Quentin Skinner. The attempt is made to see contextualism in context.
Secularization in De Iure Praedae: from Bible Criticism to International Law
Authors: Somos Mark
Published: July 2010

This article shows that the conspicuous and consistent idiosyncrasy of Grotius's Biblical interpretation is an important part of his revolutionary effort to secularize natural law. In De iure praedae and related works, Grotius systematically deployed a range of exegetical techniques in order to demonstrate that the Bible, like all texts, is open to multiple interpretations and susceptible to hijacking by rival agendas. This strategy aimed to render the Bible inadmissible as evidence in legal disputes and political legitimacy claims. The consistent instrumentality of Grotius's use of the Bible in IPC cannot be dismissed as mere legalistic opportunism or described as an atheistic move. Rather, Grotius's exegetical strategy was motivated by pacifism and a desire to protect religion from politicization. The article positions this secularization strategy in the intellectual environment of the Leiden Circle, and shows how competing Catholic, Calvinist, and Mennonite political readings of the same key biblical passages during the Dutch-Iberian conflict provided the immediate occasion for writing IPC. In order to construct a natural law theory that was independent from, and therefore acceptable to, all religious sides, it was necessary to ensure that the Bible have no final word in law or politics, lest its invocation link disagreements to belief and thereby render them impossible to resolve.
Grotius, Stoicism and 'Oikeiosis'
Authors: Brooke Christopher
Published: July 2010

For thirty years now there has been considerable debate concerning the foundations of modern natural law theory, with Richard Tuck emphasising the role self-preservation plays in anchoring Grotius's system and his critics pointing to the contribution of a principle of sociability. With reference to recent contributions in the literature on Stoicism from Julia Annas, A. A. Long and Tad Brennan, I argue that Grotius's use of the outline of Stoic ethics from Book III of Cicero's De finibus is crucial for understanding the nature of his argument. Drawing on Cicero's presentation of the Stoics' oikeiosis (Latin: appetitus societatis) helps Grotius to generate an argument which issues not in any demand for altruism, charity or mutual aid, but rather for organising justice around very strong protections for private property. The argument remains one about human sociability, however, and ought not to be mistaken for an account of self-interest, nor for a doctrine with substantially Epicurean roots.
Einige Bemerkungen zu Grotius' Lucan-Nachahmung
Authors: Brouwers J.H.
Published: July 2010

Grotius' Latin poetry is typical for its manifold reminiscences of examples from Roman antiquity. His favourite Latin poets were Lucan, Manilius, Statius and Claudian. Especially the influence of the first-mentioned poet (whose work was also edited by Grotius with critical notes) is prominent. It is shown here by some examples from the Genealogia Nassaviorum (1601), the Silva in Annales Borrhii (1603) and other poems in what way Grotius made use of Lucan.
Classification of Polar-Night Jet Oscillations and Their Relationship to Fast and Slow Variations in a Global Mechanistic Circulation Model of the Stratosphere and Troposphere
Authors: Kohma Masashi , Nishizawa Seiya , Yoden Shigeo
Published: July 2010

Polar-night jet oscillation (PJO), which is a low-frequency intraseasonal oscillatory variation in the winter stratosphere, is analyzed statistically with a 14 000-yr-long dataset obtained with an idealized global mechanistic circulation model of the stratosphere and troposphere. After performing an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on the low-pass-filtered time series of the northern polar temperature, 10 647 PJO events are identified and classified into four groups. About 80% of them are two groups of warm events while the rest are two groups of cold events, which are newly identified variations with opposite sign from the warm events by the same EOF analysis. All of them show slow downward propagations of a positive or negative temperature anomaly, with a relatively short or long lifetime.

Composite analysis with such a large number of samples shows that each group has its own typical relationship to unfiltered relatively fast variations in the polar stratosphere known as stratospheric sudden warming and polar vortex intensification and to the slow variation in the troposphere known as the Arctic Oscillation. Statistically significant evidence of the downward dynamical influence of PJO on the surface is obtained for a group of warm events with a longer lifetime.
Automatic Detection of Wind Turbine Clutter for Weather Radars
Authors: Hood Kenta , Torres Sebastián , Palmer Robert
Published: July 2010

Wind turbines cause contamination of weather radar signals that is often detrimental and difficult to distinguish from cloud returns. Because the turbines are always at the same location, it would seem simple to identify where wind turbine clutter (WTC) contaminates the weather radar data. However, under certain atmospheric conditions, anomalous propagation of the radar beam can occur such that WTC corrupts weather data on constantly evolving locations, or WTC can be relatively weak such that contamination on predetermined locations does not occur. Because of the deficiency of using turbine locations as a proxy for WTC, an effective detection algorithm is proposed to perform automatic flagging of contaminated weather radar data, which can then be censored or filtered. Thus, harmful effects can be reduced that may propagate to automatic algorithms or may hamper the forecaster’s ability to issue timely warnings. In this work, temporal and spectral features related to WTC signatures are combined in a fuzzy logic algorithm to classify the radar return as being contaminated by WTC or not. The performance of the algorithm is quantified using simulations and the algorithm is applied to a real data case from the radar facility in Dodge City, Kansas (KDDC). The results illustrate that WTC contamination can be detected automatically, thereby improving the quality control of weather radar data.
William James and the Spirit of Complexity: A Pluralistic Reverie
Authors: Mendelowitz Ed , Kim Chae Young
Published: July 2010

May there not after all, William James once posed in a lecture, be a possible ambiguity in truth? This is the pervasive skepticism and thoroughgoing acumen and intellectual expanse with which this astonishingly brilliant scientific and philosophical mind begins, proceeds, and ends. In this brief reverie on James and complexity, the authors reflect on this essential spirit of the man (the spirit of complexity) and his natural affinity with the humanities, religion, and modernism—on the ever-proliferating interstices of the in-between and the reverberations of the beyond. Relentlessly, courageously, William James points us toward the significance of minutest observations and then onward to an awareness of the limits of our understanding, to an experience of things that is richer than words can say.
William James and the Humanistic Implications of the Neuroscience Revolution: An Outrageous Hypothesis
Authors: Taylor Eugene
Published: July 2010

William James anticipated that his views on a science of consciousness would have an impact even decades after he had passed away in 1910. His evolving model of consciousness is reviewed as it developed between the 1860s and the early 1900s. As a result of these investigations, James developed a metaphysics of pragmatism, pluralism, and radical empiricism to answer the question of how waking rational consciousness can understand states of consciousness beyond itself and to address the larger problem as to whether or not a science of consciousness is even possible. His answer led him to an investigation of the primary presuppositions underlying how consciousness is actually conducted and an alternative epistemology to reductionistic positivism. His view influenced subsequent developments in personality—social psychology in the 1930s and 1940s, and the birth of existential-humanistic psychology in the 1950s. Though emphasis on the person as the central focus of psychology has virtually disappeared in the era of the cognitive neurosciences, new developments in the area of neurophenomenology that draw on James’s ideas suggest the new focus of a person-centered science will be on the phenomenology of the science-making process itself, and the experimenter as the new confounding variable in the conduct of experiments. Humanistic psychologists are encouraged to turn their attention to the humanistic implications of the neuroscience revolution in order to answer aspects of the relationship between the brain and the mind that the reductionistic neuroscientists still cannot fathom.
Knowledge About and Preoccupation With Reading Disabilities: A Delicate Balance
Authors: Shany Michal , Wiener Judith , Feingold Liat
Published: July 2010

This study investigated the extent to which children’s knowledge about reading disabilities, preoccupation with their own reading disability, and anxiety predicted reading comprehension in fifth and sixth grade children with reading disabilities ( N = 85). Participants provided rich and accurate information about reading disabilities and the academic and emotional implications of having a reading disability. Children’s knowledge about the characteristics of reading disabilities was positively associated with reading comprehension, and preoccupation with their own disability was negatively associated with reading comprehension. Girls reported higher levels of preoccupation and anxiety than boys did. In addition to gender, children’s reading comprehension, trait anxiety, and perceptions of their mothers’ worry about their reading disabilities predicted their preoccupation with their own disability. Children with the most adaptive profile in terms of reading comprehension and anxiety were those who had high levels of knowledge and low levels of preoccupation with their disability.
Towards a component-based framework for interoperability and composability in Modeling and Simulation
Authors: Benali Houda , Ben Saoud Narjès Bellamine
Published: July 2010

In this paper, we explore how component-based Modeling and Simulation can benefit from the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model, which is a three-level interoperation model, by proposing an ontology-based and domain-independent approach supporting composability (conceptual level) and interoperability (during execution). The proposed approach is in accordance with three standards: High-level Architecture for the implementation level, Base Object Model for the conceptual level, and meta object facility for the knowledge level. We apply this approach in implementing a normalized large-scale rescue management system by reusing existing agent-based simulators. The proposed approach is useful for modeling complex systems and facilitating interoperation between models (conceptual level) and between simulators (implementation level).
Clothing and Adornment
Authors: Batten Alicia J.
Published: July 2010

This guide introduces readers to some of the primary and secondary literature on clothing and adornment in antiquity, spanning ancient near eastern contexts to those of early Christianity. In particular, the discussion examines the social roles of these phenomena, including how they can function as symbols of power, status and honor. Gender issues also come to the fore, as women’s dress faces increasing scrutiny by male writers.
The Internationalization of the Zimbabwe Crisis
Authors: Masunungure Eldred V. , Badza Simon
Published: July 2010

This essay argues that key to the longevity and protractedness of the Zimbabwe crisis was the internationalization of a problem characterized by multiple definitions and multiple actors with multiple interests and strategies. To this extent and from the beginning of the crisis, two schools of thought have contested each other for explanatory supremacy and each had its own disciples and adherents at local, regional and international levels. The essay pays particular attention to the pivotal actors at both the domestic and international levels before ending with a brief account and analysis of where Zimbabwe is today.
Graduated exercise training and progressive resistance training in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Gordon Brett A , Knapman Leona M , Lubitz Lionel
Published: July 2010

Objective: To investigate the differential effects of aerobic graded exercise and progressive resistance training on exercise tolerance, fatigue and quality of life in adolescent patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Design: Single-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial.

Setting: A major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Subjects: Twenty-two adolescents aged 13—18 years diagnosed with CFS and admitted to the inpatient chronic fatigue rehabilitation programme.

Intervention: Patients were randomized to either graded aerobic exercise training or a progressive resistance training programme, for five days/week for four weeks. The graded aerobic training consisted of 20—40 minutes of stationary cycling and treadmill exercise. The progressive resistance training involved 16 exercises performed with single set, moderate load and high repetitions.

Main measures: Exercise tolerance (time to fatigue) measured on a graded sub-maximal treadmill test, metabolic equivalents and quality of life, along with muscular strength (maximium push-ups) and endurance (sit-to-stand) and questionnaires evaluating depressive symptoms and fatigue severity.

Results: No intervention was significantly better than the other for any outcome. However, physical capacity and quality of life significantly improved in both groups, while fatigue severity and symptoms of depression improved only with aerobic training.

Conclusions: Resistance and aerobic training resulted in similar changes to physical capacity, quality of life and fatigue severity. Generally, patients who completed resistance training or aerobic training experienced significant improvements in outcomes from baseline when they entered the programme. Whether these improvements can be attributed to the treatment is unknown.
Learning from dying patients during their final days: life reflections gleaned from dignity therapy
Authors: Hack Thomas F , McClement Susan E , Chochinov Harvey M , Cann Beverley J , Hassard Thomas H , Kristjanson Linda J , Harlos Mike
Published: July 2010

Dignity therapy is a novel therapeutic approach designed to decrease suffering, enhance quality of life and bolster a sense of dignity for patients approaching death. The benefits of dignity therapy were previously documented in a sample of 100 terminally ill patients. One of the products of dignity therapy is a transcript of the edited therapy session(s). In this qualitative study, 50 of the 100 (17 from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and 33 from Perth, Australia) dignity therapy transcripts were randomly drawn, and independently coded and analysed by three investigators using a grounded theory approach. The transcripts revealed that dignity therapy serves to provide a safe, therapeutic environment for patients to review the most meaningful aspects of their lives in such a manner that their core values become apparent. The most common values expressed by the patients included ‘Family’, ‘Pleasure’, ‘Caring’, ‘A Sense of Accomplishment’, ‘True Friendship’, and ‘Rich Experience’. Exemplars of each of these values illustrate the pervasive, defining role of values in our lives. The findings are discussed in terms of values theory, the role of dignity therapy, and consideration of values clarification in clinicians’ efforts to enhance the dignity of terminally ill patients.
Revaluation of Tradition in the Ideology of the Radical Adivasi Resistance in Colonial Eastern India, 1855–1932—Part II
Authors: Chaudhuri Binay Bhushan
Published: July 2010

After presenting the elements of the radical adivasi movement and defining tradition and ideology, the first and published part of this article discussed the radical build-up and main features of the Santal, Munda, Oraon and the Ho movements, which believed in the supernatural intervention and reposed faith in their rebel leaders as redeemers. The belief is commonly known as millenarianism. The movements illustrate two crucial elements of millenarianism: appearance of a charismatic leader as the exponent of its radical ideology, and the pervasive belief among the rebels that their cause would inevitably triumph because it had been blessed by a supernatural agency.

The present and final part of the study discusses the cultural implications of the radical ideology for the adivasi world. These radical movements aimed at dismantling the structure of domination and creation of an independent adivasi polity. An essential part of the radical ideology was ‘religious revitalisation’, also known as purification programme.