bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abducens Nerve Pareses Associated with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Munakata Akira , Ohkuma Hiroki , Nakano Takahiro , Shimamura Norihito
Published: October 2007

Background: This study was performed to reveal the incidence and the etiology of abducens nerve pareses associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods: At the time of admission, CT scan was carried out, and the thickness of the prepontine subarachnoid clot was measured. Results: In total 101 patients met the study requirements and abducens nerve pareses was apparent in 6 patients (5.9%). There were significant differences between the group with abducens nerve pareses and the group without in regard to the thickness of the prepontine subarachnoid clot on CT scan. Conclusions: The prepontine subarachnoid clot seemed to be the factor inducing the abducens nerve pareses.
Similarities and Differences in Design Considerations for Cell Therapy and Pharmacologic Cardiovascular Clinical Trials
Authors: Lewis Richard M. , Gordon David J. , Poole-Wilson Philip A. , Borer Jeffrey S. , Zannad Faiez
Published: October 2007

Cell therapies hold the potential for suppression, modification, or cure of disease. Several unique challenges have been recognized as this field has developed. Many of these involve considerations of trial design. This paper summarizes the discussion and suggestions constructed during the 8th Cardiovascular Clinical Trialists Workshop, a meeting involving cardiovascular clinical trialists, biostatisticians, National Institutes of Health scientists, European and United States regulators, and pharmaceutical industry scientists. Investigators must adapt research methods to accommodate the scientific advances associated with cell therapy. Safety and efficacy of cell therapy for cardiovascular indications should be evaluated with the same degree of scientific rigor required of pharmacologic agents, and the same fundamental regulatory requirements and scientific processes apply to both. Clinical trials for these indications should also meet standards similar to those set for drug therapies. Safety should be determined throughout development, dose responsiveness should be established and, while surrogate endpoints are important development tools, the ultimate demonstration of efficacy must rely on clinical benefit. The establishment of a global safety database for cell therapy would significantly advance the field. Efforts to discover innovative therapies must be balanced by a commitment to comprehensively evaluate the safety and efficacy of the new treatments.
Head-to-Head Comparison of Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography and Cardiac Computed Tomography for the Detection of Significant Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Nixdorff Uwe , Küfner Claudia , Achenbach Stephan , Stilianakis Nikolas , Voigt Jens-Uwe , Flachskampf Frank A. , Daniel Werner G. , Ropers Dieter
Published: October 2007

Objectives: Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and contrast-enhanced electron beam tomography (EBCT) both have the potential to noninvasively detect coronary artery disease (CAD). We compared the accuracy of both methods to detect significant CAD in a direct comparison. Methods: 79 patients (32 women, 47 men, mean age 62 years) who were admitted for coronary angiography due to suspected CAD were studied. By EBCT coronary calcification (CAC) as well as angiography (CTA) was assessed. Presence of significant CAD was assumed if the calcium score exceeded 400 or the contrast-enhanced images displayed significant lumen reduction. DSE was performed using a standard protocol (5–40 µg/kg/min dobutamine plus 0.25–1.0 mg atropine if necessary). DSE and EBCT were independently evaluated concerning the presence of signficant CAD. Results were compared to invasive, quantitative coronary angiography. Results: 6 patients (8%) in DSE and 2 patients (3%) in EBCT were unevaluable for various reasons and therefore excluded from further analysis. In the remaining 71 patients, 33 patients (46%) showed significant CAD. DSE demonstrated a sensitivity of 70% (23/33) and a specificity of 84% (32/38). EBCT showed a sensitivity of 91% (30/33) and a specificity of 74% (28/38). By combining DSE and EBCT sensitivity increased to 97% with a specificity of 63%. Conclusions: In a blinded comparison, DSE demonstrated lower sensitivity but higher specificity than EBCT for the detection of significant CAD. Sensitivity was improved by combining both modalities.
7,528 Patients Treated with PCI – A Scandinavian Real-Life Scenario
Authors: Pedersen Sune , Galatius Søren , Bech Jan , Jørgensen Erik , Saunamaki Kari , Helqist Steffen , Jensen Jan Skov , Kelbæk Henning , Madsen Jan Kyst
Published: October 2007

Aim: Analyze clinical, temporal and procedural characteristics from 7,528 consecutive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients in one of the largest published contemporary European PCI-database during a 6-year period. Method: Retrospective study design. Period: 1998–2004. Temporal and referral changes in a Danish PCI-registry were analyzed. Demographic and angiographic variables were compared with data from randomized clinical trials, US-registries and current guidelines. Results: 22,214 patients were examined with coronary angiography and 7,528 patients were treated with PCI. The annual number of PCI’s increased by 15%. Over time, the fraction of patients with risk factors increased, median age increased from 61 to 64 years and the coronary pathology was significantly worsened. ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients primarily admitted to hospitals without facilities for primary angioplasty, were less likely to receive primary PCI. Baseline-data were in general in par with randomized clinical trial study populations and large-scale US data-registries. Interestingly, 14% of all PCI-procedures were performed on patients with a clinical presentation, for which coronary artery bypass grafting would be recommended by guidelines. Conclusion: PCI is performed in an increasingly sicker population, but generally in accordance with randomized trials and similar to US tradition. However, 14% were treated with PCI even though coronary artery bypass grafting was recommended by guidelines.
An Alternative Salvage Regimen for Helicobacter pylori-Resistant Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Page II Robert Lee , Ferguson Debra , Cantu Mona
Published: October 2007

Helicobacter pylori infects over 50% of the worldwide population. For eradication, European, Canadian, and American guidelines recommend a regimen consisting of a proton pump inhibitor, clarithromycin, and metronidazole or amoxicillin dosed twice daily for at least 7 days. When this treatment strategy fails, a complex, multidosed bismuth-based quadruple regimen is recommended. Unfortunately, for patients with heart failure, this salvage regimen can be potentially hazardous due to the drug-drug interaction with tetracycline and digoxin, as well as the large salicylate content with bismuth subsalicylate. As H. pylori infection is so prevalent, providers will most likely encounter such a therapeutic dilemma. A safe, effective, and simplistic alternative is a 10-day fluoroquinolone-based regimen consisting of a proton pump inhibitor, levofloxacin and either clarithromycin or amoxicillin. Levofloxacin demonstrates excellent bioavailability, widespread tissue and fluid distribution, extended half-life, limited drug interaction profile, low incidence of side effects, and remarkable activity against H. pylori with minimal primary resistance. Compared to the 7-day quadruple regimen, a 10-day levofloxacin-based regimen demonstrated a greater eradication rate, better tolerability, and a lower rate of therapy discontinuation. We briefly provide a summary of the data regarding this levofloxacin-based regimen and two successful cases from our heart failure clinic.
Elimination of Organic Anions in Response to an Early Stage of Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion in the Rat: Role of Basolateral Plasma Membrane Transporters and Cortical Renal Blood Flow
Authors: Di Giusto Gisela , Anzai Naohiko , Endou Hitoshi , Torres Adriana M.
Published: October 2007

Background/Aims:The knowledge of molecular mechanisms determining drug pharmacokinetics in pathological states is relevant for the development of new therapeutic approaches. This study was undertaken to evaluate the cortical renal blood flow (cRBF) and the renal protein expression of the organic anion transporters (OAT1 and OAT3) in association with the elimination of organic anions in an early stage of renal ischemia-reperfusion. Methods:Ischemic acute renal failure (ARF) was induced in adult male Wistar rats by occlusion of both renal pedicles during 60 min, followed by 60 min of reperfusion (ARF group). Pair-fed sham-operated rats served as controls. The renal protein expression of OAT1 and OAT3 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry techniques and by Western blotting in renal cortex homogenates and in basolateral plasma membranes. A pharmacokinetic study of p-aminohippurate (PAH, a prototypical organic anion) was performed. cRBF was determined using fluorescent microspheres. Results: ARF rats displayed a significant decrease in systemic clearance and in renal excretion of PAH. OAT1 and OAT3 protein abundance showed a statistically significant reduction both in homogenates and in basolateral plasma membranes from ARF rats. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the changes in the cortical renal expression of these transporters. ARF animals also showed a decrease in cRBF. Conclusions: The decrease in PAH elimination observed in an early stage of renal ischemia-reperfusion in male Wistar rats might be explained by the sum of the lower OAT1 and OAT3 expression in renal basolateral plasma membranes plus the decrease in cRBF. These findings might have significant implications in the development of novel pharmacological strategies to be applied in the initial stages of ischemic ARF.
In vitro Replication of Hepatitis D Virus Using a New Construct Containing a cDNA Dimer of HDV Genome
Authors: Behzadian Farida , Sabahi Farzaneh , Sadeghizadeh Majid , Maghsoudi Nader , Chahooki Fatemeh Fotouhi , Karimi Mohsen
Published: October 2007

Background: There is no cell line susceptible to hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection and capable of stable replication of its genome. Different genetic-based approaches have been introduced to initiate HDV replication events so far. Methods: In order to construct a replicative model for HDV made from a unique genome sequence, two monomeric units of HDV full-length cDNA were joined together through a four-step cloning scheme. The resulting vector (pcDNA3.1-D2) containing two tandem repeats of HDV cDNA under CMV promoter control was then used in transfection experiments into COS7 and HuH7 cell lines. Results: HDV replication markers including expression of hepatitis δ antigen (HDAg), the only HDV-specific antigen, and synthesis of antigenomic RNA were shown in both transfected cell lines, indicating initiation of HDV genome replication. Conclusions: Our results suggested that pcDNA3.1-D2, a vector containing a cDNA dimer of the HDV genome, originated from a unique full-length HDV molecule that is capable of replicating in cultured cells. This vector can be used conveniently for transfection experiments to study HDV molecular biology.
Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus-Like Gene Sequences in Breast Cancer Samples of Mexican Women
Authors: Zapata-Benavides P. , Saavedra-Alonso S. , Zamora-Avila D. , Vargas-Rodarte C. , Barrera-Rodríguez R. , Salinas-Silva J. , Rodríguez-Padilla C. , Tamez-Guerra R. , Trejo-Avila L.
Published: October 2007

Background: Previous reports related the presence of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-like gene sequences to human breast carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine whether MMTV-like env gene sequences are present in breast cancer samples of Mexican women and in breast and lung cancer cell lines. Methods: Using specific primers for MMTV, we tested 3 breast cancer cell lines, 4 non-small lung cancer cell lines and 119 breast cancer samples from Mexican women. Results: MMTV-like gene sequences were amplified in the lung cancer cell INER-51, but not in the MCF-7 cell line that has been used as a positive control in other reports and in 5 of 119 (4.2%) breast cancer biopsy tissues. Furthermore, the identity of sequences of PCR products from INER-51 and a breast cancer-positive sample are 98 and 99% when compared with the env region of MMTV (GenBank accession No. AY161347). Conclusion: These results indicate that MMTV-like gene sequences are present in the Mexican population.
Single Neuron Computation: From Dynamical System to Feature Detector
Authors: Hong Sungho , Agüera y Arcas Blaise , Fairhall Adrienne L.
Published: October 2007

White noise methods are a powerful tool for characterizing the computation performed by neural systems. These methods allow one to identify the feature or features that a neural system extracts from a complex input and to determine how these features are combined to drive the system's spiking response. These methods have also been applied to characterize the input-output relations of single neurons driven by synaptic inputs, simulated by direct current injection. To interpret the results of white noise analysis of single neurons, we would like to understand how the obtained feature space of a single neuron maps onto the biophysical properties of the membrane, in particular, the dynamics of ion channels. Here, through analysis of a simple dynamical model neuron, we draw explicit connections between the output of a white noise analysis and the underlying dynamical system. We find that under certain assumptions, the form of the relevant features is well defined by the parameters of the dynamical system. Further, we show that under some conditions, the feature space is spanned by the spike-triggered average and its successive order time derivatives.
Temporal Coding of Time-Varying Stimuli
Authors: Shamir Maoz , Sen Kamal , Colburn H. Steven
Published: October 2007

Temporal structure is an inherent property of various sensory inputs and motor outputs of the brain. For example, auditory stimuli are defined by the sound waveform. Temporal structure is also an important feature of certain visual stimuli, for example, the image on the retina of a fly during flight. In many cases, this temporal structure of the stimulus is being represented by a time-dependent neuronal activity that is locked to certain features of the stimulus. Here, we study the information capacity of the temporal code. In particular we are interested in the following questions. First, how does the information content of the code depend on the observation time of the cell's response, and what is the effect of temporal noise correlations on this information capacity? Second, what is the effect on the information content of reading the code with a finite temporal resolution for the neural response? We address these questions in the framework of a statistical model for the neuronal temporal response to a time-varying stimulus in a two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. We show that information content of the temporal response scales linearly with the overall time of the response, even in the presence of temporal noise correlations. More precisely, we find that positive temporal noise correlations have a scaling effect that decreases the information content. Nevertheless, the information content of the response continues to scale linearly with the observation time. We further show that finite temporal resolution is sufficient for obtaining most of the information from the cell's response. This finite timescale is related to the response properties of the cell.
Stochastic Dynamics of a Finite-Size Spiking Neural Network
Authors: Soula Hédi , Chow Carson C.
Published: October 2007

We present a simple Markov model of spiking neural dynamics that can be analytically solved to characterize the stochastic dynamics of a finite-size spiking neural network. We give closed-form estimates for the equilibrium distribution, mean rate, variance, and autocorrelation function of the network activity. The model is applicable to any network where the probability of firing of a neuron in the network depends on only the number of neurons that fired in a previous temporal epoch. Networks with statistically homogeneous connectivity and membrane and synaptic time constants that are not excessively long could satisfy these conditions. Our model completely accounts for the size of the network and correlations in the firing activity. It also allows us to examine how the network dynamics can deviate from mean field theory. We show that the model and solutions are applicable to spiking neural networks in biophysically plausible parameter regimes.
Enhanced Sound Perception by Widespread-Onset Neuronal Responses in Auditory Cortex
Authors: Hoshino Osamu
Published: October 2007

Accumulating evidence suggests that auditory cortical neurons exhibit widespread-onset responses and restricted sustained responses to sound stimuli. When a sound stimulus is presented to a subject, the auditory cortex first responds with transient discharges across a relatively large population of neurons, showing widespread-onset responses. As time passes, the activation becomes restricted to a small population of neurons that are preferentially driven by the stimulus, showing restricted sustained responses. The sustained responses are considered to have a role in expressing information about the stimulus, but it remains to be seen what roles the widespread-onset responses have in auditory information processing. We carried out numerical simulations of a neural network model for a lateral belt area of auditory cortex. In the network, dynamic cell assemblies expressed information about auditory sounds. Lateral excitatory and inhibitory connections were made between cell assemblies, respectively, by direct and indirect projections via interneurons. Widespread-onset neuronal responses to sound stimuli (bandpassed noises) took place over the network if lateral excitation preceded lateral inhibition, making a time widow for the onset responses. The widespread-onset responses contributed to the accelerating reaction time of neurons to sensory stimulation. Lateral interaction among dynamic cell assemblies was essential for maintaining ongoing membrane potentials near thresholds for action potential generation, thereby accelerating reaction time to subsequent sensory input as well. We suggest that the widespread-onset neuronal responses and the ongoing subthreshold cortical state, for which the coordination of lateral synaptic interaction among dissimilar cell assemblies is essential, may work together in order for the auditory cortex to quickly detect the sudden occurrence of sounds from the external environment.
Multiple Almost Periodic Solutions in Nonautonomous Delayed Neural Networks
Authors: Lin Kuang-Hui , Shih Chih-Wen
Published: October 2007

A general methodology that involves geometric configuration of the network structure for studying multistability and multiperiodicity is developed. We consider a general class of nonautonomous neural networks with delays and various activation functions. A geometrical formulation that leads to a decomposition of the phase space into invariant regions is employed. We further derive criteria under which the n-neuron network admits 2n exponentially stable sets. In addition, we establish the existence of 2n exponentially stable almost periodic solutions for the system, when the connection strengths, time lags, and external bias are almost periodic functions of time, through applying the contraction mapping principle. Finally, three numerical simulations are presented to illustrate our theory.
Towards a Comparative History of Concepts
Authors: den Boer Pim
Published: October 2007

Building upon an introductory discussion on linguistic exchange - the problem of missing words - and the emergence of transnational concepts, this article consists of a comparative study of the history of the concept of civilisation in some major European languages and the concept of beschaving in Dutch, the closest translation to civilisation in that language. According to the author, the particular and independent conceptual evolution of beschaving should be in part explained by the early development of a modern socio-economic structure in Holland.
Testosterone and Aggression in a Simulated Crisis Game
Authors: McDermott Rose , Johnson Dominic , Cowden Jonathan , Rosen Stephen
Published: October 2007

This study investigated the impact of testosterone on aggression in a crisis simulation game. We found a significant positive relationship between levels of testosterone and aggression. Men were much more likely to engage in aggressive action than women. They were more likely to lose their fights as well. Since testosterone was around five times higher among men, and men engage in such fights more than women, there is an automatic statistical link between testosterone and aggression that is hard to separate from other possible gender-based causes.
Genetic Configurations of Political Phenomena: New Theories, New Methods
Authors: Carmen Ira H.
Published: October 2007

Recent research by E. O. Wilson, Alford-Hibbing, Carmen, and others indicates that the competing social science paradigms of behavioralism and rational choice are in their last throes. Their salient weakness is insensitivity, bordering on ignorance, to politics as a biologically orchestrated phenomenon. More specifically, political scientists know precious little about either genetics or evolutionary dynamics. In this article, the author presents a new theory—sociogenomics—to replace the shopworn conceptions of yesterday's political science. The author then demonstrates how social scientists can employ the tools of molecular biology to flesh out the genes coding for baseline political attitudes and behaviors. The theory and methods of sociogenomics will serve to synthesize the social sciences with the natural sciences in a broader consilient framework, so that the laboratory of Darwinian investigation can become the laboratory of Aristotelian investigation.
Balancing Ambition and Gender Among Decision Makers
Authors: Larimer Christopher W. , Hannagan Rebecca J. , Smith Kevin B.
Published: October 2007

In this article, we use an original laboratory experiment to test how people react to ambitious decision makers, allowing for interactions with gender. In the experiment, participants are told two decision makers will be dividing some valuable resource on their behalf. One decision maker (either high or low in ambition) is “appointed.” Participants vote from a slate of candidates, about whom they have information on gender and ambition, for the second decision maker. We find that people tend to associate high ambition with male and self-interested behavior and that the selection of the second decision maker depends on the level of ambition of the first decision maker as well as perceptions of gender of that decision maker. We conclude by suggesting important implications for research on vote choice and representation.
The Biology of Political Behavior: An Introduction
Authors: Hibbing John R. , Smith Kevin B.
Published: October 2007

A broad cross-section of the social sciences is increasingly turning to biology and evolutionary theory to help explain human behavior. Political science is a notable exception to this trend, even though there are sound conceptual reasons for expecting biological processes to play an important role in explaining political behavior. While agreeing with the conceptual arguments, the authors believe original empirical research is the most persuasive means of convincing political science to incorporate biology in explanations of political behavior. Techniques developed in neuroscience, behavioral genetics, agent-based simulation, experimental economics, and other fields offer exciting research opportunities to explore questions of central interest to political scientists. The research presented in this volume provides examples of replicable, empirical evidence that political beliefs and behavior are a product of biological as well as environmental factors.
An Evolutionary Model of Racial Attitude Formation: Socially Shared and Idiosyncratic Racial Attitudes
Authors: Craemer Thomas
Published: October 2007

A growing body of research in political science has uncovered evidence of a “split personality” among Americans when it comes to racial attitudes—people express different attitudes in public than they personally hold. At present no theoretical model can account for the emergence of this discrepancy. This article proposes a simple neural model of racial attitude formation that makes an important distinction between socially shared and idiosyncratic racial attitudes. A computational model based on Kimura's (1983) Neutral Theory of Evolution predicts that socially shared racist attitudes may be able to coexist with, and eventually be replaced by, more favorable idiosyncratic racial attitudes. Results of a laboratory-based study ( N = 555) involving reaction-time-based implicit measures of socially shared and idiosyncratic attitudes are consistent with the predictions derived from the computational model. The implications of the theoretical model and the empirical findings are discussed.
Personality and Emotional Response: Strategic and Tactical Responses to Changing Political Circumstances
Authors: Wolak Jennifer , Marcus George E.
Published: October 2007

Emotions enable people to navigate various political environments, differentiating familiar situations where standard operating procedures are suitable from unfamiliar terrain when more attention is needed. While previous research identifies consequences of emotion, we know less about what triggers affective response. In this article, the authors investigate what role personality has in the operation of the systems of affective intelligence. Using experimental data as well as responses from the 2000 and 2004 American National Election Studies, the authors first consider whether personality affects the activation of emotional response. Next, they explore the degree to which citizen attitudes like openness to information and compromise are explained by personality characteristics and subconscious emotional response. Finally, they consider the implications of these results for our normative understanding of democratic citizenship.
A Dual-Edged Sword: Empathy and Collective Action in the Prisoner's Dilemma
Authors: Sautter John A. , Littvay Levente , Bearnes Brennen
Published: October 2007

Researchers guided by evolutionary psychology have theorized that in an iterated prisoner's dilemma, reciprocal behavior is a product of evolutionary design, where individuals are guided by an innate sense of fairness for equal outcomes. Empathy as a prosocial emotion could be a key to understanding the psychological underpinnings of why and who tends to cooperate in a collective act. In short, why are some individuals more prone to participate in collective action? The authors test the hypothesis that a prosocial psychological disposition, stemming from self-reported empathy, will lead to group-oriented behavior in an iterated prisoner's dilemma game. Results suggest that an empathetic disposition does not lead to a higher rate of cooperation but interacts with environmental conditioning to produce either a highly cooperative or highly uncooperative personality type.
The Social Construction of Indigenous `Native Title' Land Rights in Australia
Authors: Short Damien
Published: October 2007

Legal scholars and political theorists dominate academic writing on the issue of indigenous peoples' rights. This article, however, adopts a sociological approach, analysing indigenous rights in Australia as a socially constructed phenomenon, the product of ideals, entrenched colonial structures and the balance of power between political interests. It shows how, during rights institutionalization processes, ably aided by a receptive government and media, commercial lobby groups constructed propaganda campaigns to further their interests to the detriment of indigenous interests. The resultant legislation was an exercise in rights limitation behind a veneer of agrarian reform. The article concludes by highlighting the tension between national rights regimes of this nature and international human rights norms and suggests an approach that could overcome this problem.
Cosmopolitans and Locals
Authors: Olofsson Anna , Öhman Susanna
Published: October 2007

The aim of this study is to empirically test Roudometof's suggested one-dimensional operationalization of transnationalism, from cosmopolitanism to localism, and compare it with an alternative two-dimensional operationalization. The study uses Swedish survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), for 1995 and 2003. The results indicate that a two-dimensional, rather than a one-dimensional, solution fits the data better. Transnationalism can therefore be seen as one dimension ranging from local to global and one ranging from protectionism to openness. The same result was obtained for both 1995 and 2003. The results also show that people with different attitudes differ socioeconomically and that there is a trend over time towards more protectionist, rather than open, attitudes among the Swedish public.
Social Movements, the Media and the Emergence of a Global Public Sphere
Authors: Thörn Håkan
Published: October 2007

This article focuses on the anti-apartheid movement, perhaps the most highly transnationally integrated social movement during the post-war era, and compares it with the contemporary movement for global justice. The article specifically analyses strategies of public communication; the formation of `alternative media' and a movement `counterpublic' with global reach. The major questions addressed in the article are: What were the main strategies of public communication of the anti-apartheid movement — and what was their impact? How did the counter-public(s) of anti-apartheid relate to the established media dominating the global public sphere? What are the implications of the case of anti-apartheid for contemporary research and theorising on transnational/global public spheres and counterpublics? What are the similarities and differences between the anti-apartheid movement and the global justice movement regarding strategies of public communication? Theoretically, it raises the question about the concept of `society' and its empirical referent in the context of increasing globalization. It is argued that in the context of social movement studies, there is a need to develop a conceptual framework around the concept of `global civil society'.
Institutional and Popular Interpretations of the Bible in Africa: Towards an Integration
Authors: Nyende Peter
Published: October 2007

In this paper, I examine how the Bible is interpreted in Africa's theological institutions (including university Religious Studies Departments and Faculties of Theology), as well as Africa's churches, homes and open spaces, with the intention of finding out how the two can be best integrated for the sake of African Christian communities. I argue that we can not venture a mutual relationship between the two ways of interpreting the Bible in Africa until we first establish the principles behind the explication of biblical texts in popular interpretations of the Bible in Africa. However, since we posses insufficient data on popular interpretations of the Bible in Africa to allow us to establish such principles, I propose that African biblical scholarship should undertake the task of collecting such data as an integral part of its scholarship.
Theology and the Practice of Meaning-Making
Authors: Marsh Clive
Published: October 2007

Theological enquiry today has to take account not only of the texts people use to make meaning but also the practices by which people 'consume' texts (theological or otherwise). Linking with Stewart Hoover's research on media-consumption in religion, this article investigates how film-watching and cinema-going offer insights for contemporary theology. Affectivity, attentiveness, escape/entertainment, imagination and the sharing of experience are explored not merely as ways in which theology is like cinema-going, but as contexts in which the content of theology begins to develop.
`On a Cliff's Edge': Actualizing Luke 8:22—39 in an Intentional Christian Community on the North Devon Coast
Authors: Lawrence L.J.
Published: October 2007

This article charts an actualization of Luke 8:22—39 in an intentional and international Christian community in North Devon. The scriptural story provided an astute commentary on not only the identity and vision of the community but also their physical and ideological place `on a cliff's edge'.
Social and economic justice, human rights and peace
Authors: Lundy Colleen , van Wormer Katherine
Published: October 2007

English

Social work in Canada and the USA shares a common heritage in the commitment to advancing social and economic justice. Today the capitalist global market and increasing militarization affect social work in both nations. This paper discusses these challenges and presents a vision for social work as a human rights profession.

French

Au Canada et aux É tats-Unis, le travail social partage l’héritage d’un engagement à faire évoluer la justice sociale et économique. Aujourd’hui, la mondialisation du marché capitaliste et la militarisation croissante ont un impact sur le travail social dans les deux pays. Cette étude se penche sur ces enjeux et formule une vision du travail social en le considérant comme une profession liée aux droits de la personne.

Spanish

El trabajo social en Canadá y los Estados Unidos comparte una herencia común en su compromiso de avanzar hacia la justicia social y económica. Actualmente, el mercado global capitalista y la creciente militarización impacta al trabajo social en ambas naciones. Este trabajo discute estos retos y presenta una visión para el trabajo social como profesión de los derechos humanos.
Walking between worlds
Authors: Marais Lorraine , Marais Lizelle C.
Published: October 2007

English

Findings of a research study are offered, which explored the interface between indigenous and industrial culture from the perception of indigenous people from South Africa and New Mexico, USA. Adaptability and resilience are confirmed, as are confusion and threats to indigenous ways of life.

French

Cette étude livre les résultats d’une recherche visant à explorer l’interface entre la culture autochtone et la culture industrielle à partir du point de vue des peuples autochtone de l’Afrique du Sud, du Nouveau-Mexique (É tas-Unis d’Amérique). Les notions d’adaptation et de résilience y sont confirmées, de même que sont soulevées la confusion et les menaces à l’endroit des modes de vie autochtone.

Spanish

Se presentan los hallazgos de una investigación que explora la junción entre la cultura indígena y la industrial, a partir de la percepción de indígenas de Sud Africa y Nuevo México, en los Estados Unidos de América. Se confirman la adaptabilidad y la resistencia, lo que supone confusión y amenaza para el estilo de vida indígena.
Translation of Franz Overbeck, How Christian Is Our Present-day Theology? (Chapter One) 1
Authors: Henry Martin
Published: October 2007

This translation is the first to be published in English of any significant portion of Franz Overbeck's famous text, Über die Christlichkeit unserer heutigen Theologie. In Chapter I of this work — translated here, together with the foreward to the original edition — Overbeck deals with the question of the general relationship between theology and Christianity.
In the Image of God: The Trinitarian Anthropology of St Bonaventure, St Thomas Aquinas, and the Blessed J an Van Ruusbroec (1)
Authors: Van Nieuwenhove Rik
Published: October 2007

The overall aim of this two-part article - the second part of which is to be published m the next issue of the ITQ - is to illustrate the varied approach to trinitarian theology of some major medieval thinkers and the significant place which that theology occupies in their understanding of the human person. Part one deals with the trinitarian theology, in the strict sense, of Bonaventure, Aquinas, and Ruusbroec.
In the Image of God: The Trinitarian Anthropology of St Bonaventure, St Thomas Aquinas and the Blessed Jan Van Ruusbroec (2)
Authors: Van Nieuwenhove Rik
Published: October 2007

In part one, the author discussed the different approaches of Bonaventure, Aquinas and Ruusbroec to the mystery of the Trinity (see the previous issue of the ITQ) The implications of these different views of the Trinity for their anthropology, in particular their understanding of the soul as imago Dei, are examined in part two.
Newman: Conscience and Mission
Authors: Keating James
Published: October 2007

Examining Newman's metaphor of conscience as the voice of God and the New Testament notion of mission, the author uncovers what he calls the missionary dimension of conscience and outlines some of the implications of this view of conscience, in particular for the missionary task of the laity to transform culture and society.
The Annunciation
Authors: Henry Martin
Published: October 2007

The somewhat ambiguous understanding of angels that marked Jewish culture before Christ throws new light on Luke's account of the Annunciation.
Franz Overbeck on Carl Albrecht Bernoulli
Authors: Henry Martin
Published: October 2007

In 1897 Franz Overbeck's1 pupil, C.A. Bernoulli,2 published a long essay on his ideas for a new method in theology, entitled Die wissenschaftliche und die kirchliche Methode in der Theologie. Ein enzyklopädischer Versuch (The Academic and the Church-Based Method in Theology. A General Essay). On the first blank page of his own copy of this book,3 Overbeck in the same year wrote some brief comments on this work, which are here translated. Part of the interest of this short piece lies in the concise and candid statement it contains of Overbeck's fundamental attitude to theology and Christianity. In the following few years, he added, again in his own copy of the book, a further few comments to the remarks he had initially written. All but one of these additions are also translated here. The original German text follows below after the translation.
Balthasar's Theological Aesthetics and Lacanian Psychoanalysis
Authors: Dalzell Thomas
Published: October 2007

Convergences between the theological aesthetics of von Balthasar and the thought of Jacques Lacan allow the author to interpret the aesthetic moments of perception and rapture in terms of truth and desire. A study of Lacan's appraisal of Las Meninas demonstrates how the work of art engages the truth and desire of the subject. In turn, these are presupposed and perfected in the encounter with God's own work of art, Jesus Christ.
Accountability and Sexual Abuse in the United States: Lessons for the Universal Church
Authors: Pope Stephen
Published: October 2007

The crisis caused by the revelations of child sexual abuse highlights the importance of moral accountability within the Christian community, especially that of bishops to the laity. Has this issue has been avoided to some degree by issuing apologies and asking forgiveness? What has, and can be, done to foster greater accountability and thus strengthen the genuine authority of the Church?
Recent Trends in British Sociology of Religion
Authors: Sweeney James
Published: October 2007

That religion has many strands and contradictory features is becoming ever more apparent. Keeping up with its 'new visibility' in different contexts is now a central task of the sociology of religion. Another challenge is careful analysis of the phenomenon, and avoiding simplistic or reductionist explanations. This survey looks mainly at the work of the British school. An interesting feature is the new relaxed openness of much of this sociology to theological perspectives.
The Mystical Body of Christ and Communion Ecclesiology: Historical Parallels
Authors: Hahnenberg Edward P
Published: October 2007

Recognizing that the Church cannot be encompassed by a single and eternal ecclesiology, and that there are stages in the development of the Church's self-understanding, the author examines the history and development of two of the dominant twentieth century models : the earlier Mystical Body ecclesiologies, and the post-conciliar Communion/ Koinonia models. They contain interesting parallels, one of which is the risk of ignoring the concrete Church — the mystery manifested in history. What ecclesiological models may next rise to dominance?
G. W. F. Hegel: A Secularized Theologian?
Authors: Henry Martin
Published: October 2007

This article pursues an idea underlying two previous contributions by the same author to the ITQ from the year 1998. It aims to examine the extent to which Hegel's thought is rooted in the Western theological tradition and draws its strength from it. At the same time, it argues that Hegel secularized that tradition, no doubt unintentionally, by reacting too recklessly against the notion of divine transcendence.
Chance and Necessity, Providence and God
Authors: Ormerod Neil
Published: October 2007

This article addresses the issue of difficulties raised by process theology for the traditional understanding of God. Far from new, the issues raised by process thinkers were not unknown to past thinkers, such as Aquinas, who dealt adequately with them. The author argues that the classical view of God, more recently expressed by Lonegran in a more modern idiom, is more in accordance with contemporary scientific thinking on space, time, and matter, than the view of its detractors.
Between Subimperialism and Globalization
Authors: Flynn Matthew
Published: October 2007

A synthesis of the thesis of subimperialism developed by the Brazilian economist Ruy Mauro Marini with more dynamic theories of global capitalism sheds light on the international relations of South America's largest country. Shifts in Brazil's foreign economic relations may be seen as structured more by the changes wrought by globalization than by institutional changes or conjunctural policies enacted by the Partidos dos Trabalhadores (Workers' party—PT). Instead of representing a new form of social justice—based internationalism resulting from a shift in the internal balance of class power in favor of the working classes and other progressive forces, the country's foreign policy initiatives are structured more by the regional orientation of Brazilian elites interested in reproducing their class position in a globalized capitalist economy.
Synthesis of Poly(lactide) Blends by Melt/Solid Polycondensation
Authors: Essawy Hisham A. , Helaly Fahima M. , Shabana Mohamed A.
Published: October 2007

Different blend compositions of amorphous poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) and crystalline poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) of various molecular weights are prepared in one step by melt/solid polycondensation in the presence of different concentrations of either SnCl2·2H2O/p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) 1 : 1 or Sb2O3 as a catalyst. The prepared blends are characterized using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results confirm that using a monomer source in the form of a non-racemic D,L-lactic acid mixture leads to PLA containing both amorphous (DL-based) PLA and crystalline (L-based) PLA. In addition, the polymers prepared in the presence of Sb2O3 as a catalyst acquire higher molecular weights (two- or three-fold) with respect to the comparable polymers prepared from a pure L-lactic acid source. The molecular weight measurements of the samples after exposure to degradation medium (phosphate buffer pH 7.4 at 37°C) prove that the degradation occurs preferentially in the amorphous part.
Processing and Performance Characteristic Study of Polybutadiene Rubber (BR) in Different Mixing Techniques
Authors: Agrawal S.L. , Bandyopadhyay S. , Dasgupta S. , Ameta R. , Mukhopadhyay R. , Deuri A.S.
Published: October 2007

In the present study, polybutadiene rubber has been mixed in ASTM standard formulation using different mixing equipment like Banbury, Mixing mill, and Brabender Plasticorder. The combination of a Banbury mixer and two-roll mill has also been used in one of the combinations. Two sets of each combination are mixed for studying repeatability and reproducibility. Processing properties like Mooney viscosity and rheometric study including performance properties like stress—strain and Payne effect study are made. Among all four combinations, the compound mixed using a Brabender Plasticorder shows exceptionally different behavior in processing as well as in performance properties.
Properties of Polyurethane Containing New Phenolic Additives
Authors: Yokoyama Naoki , Omori Fumihiro , Yanai Tomoko
Published: October 2007

For non-tar anticorrosive polyurethane coatings, polyurethane containing phenolic additives (i.e., phenol, styrene adducts with phenol ([St] n—Ph), and indene adducts with phenol ([In]n—Ph)) are prepared and the effusion properties are investigated. As an index on the effusion, the weight change of the polyurethane sheets soaked in water as a function of the soaking time and total organic carbon (TOC) in the water used for the soaking tests are measured. Only the weight of the polyurethane sheet containing [In]n—Ph did not decrease during the soaking test and the TOC was the least. Furthermore, the properties of the phenolic additives plasticizers or `antiplasticizer' are investigated. Although the density and the coefficient of thermal expansion of polyurethane containing [In]n—Ph are increased, since the tensile strength decreased and the elongation increased, [In]n—Ph will be regarded as a plasticizer rather than `antiplasticizer'.
Compatibilization Effects in SAN/EPDM Blends Prepared by Reactive Extrusion
Authors: Kratofil L.J. , Ptiček A. , Hrnjak-Murgić Z. , Jelenčić J. , Mlinac-Mišak M.
Published: October 2007

Styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) are known as immiscible polymers but their blends are interesting for application because of good stability in use. The blending of SAN and EPDM by reactive extrusion under various conditions is studied. SAN/EPDM blends are investigated to obtain improved SAN/EPDM miscibility and to determine the effect of rubber (EPDM) on the polymer morphology and mechanical properties. The first series of samples is prepared with different ratios of SAN and EPDM, the second series with addition of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) as a compatibilizer, and the third series with free radical initiators α,α '-di(t-butylperoxy)diisopropyl-benzene (Peroximon F40) and 2,2-azo-di-(2-acetoxy) propane (Luazo AP). The blends are characterized by determination of mechanical properties. Then the blends are separated on its components: SAN, EPDM, graft (EPDM-g-SAN), and gel to elucidate the extrusion process. The identification of extracted polymers has been made by IR spectrophotometry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to observe the morphology. The dominant grafting reaction, which improves compatibility, is observed in blends prepared with HIPS compatibilizer and with Peroximon F40 initiator.
Toward a Teleology of Peace: Contesting Matthew's Violent Eschatology
Authors: Neville David J.
Published: October 2007

The reality of violence and the question of how best to respond to it are crucial dimensions of biblical interpretation. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus teaches nonviolence and conducts his mission nonviolently, yet Matthew envisages that as the returning Son of humanity he will indulge in violent retribution at the parousia. This article probes the discrepancy between Matthew's ethical portrait of Jesus as a teacher of nonretaliation and his (own) violent eschatology. Following a survey of select studies of Matthew's retributive eschatology, the moral problem of eschatological violence is considered. The article concludes with some hermeneutical reflections on potential responses to eschatological vengeance in Matthew.