bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myo6 Facilitates the Translocation of Endocytic Vesicles from Cell Peripheries
Authors: Aschenbrenner Laura , Lee TinThu , Hasson Tama
Published: March 2003

Immunolocalization studies in epithelial cells revealed myo6 was associated with peripherally located vesicles that contained the transferrin receptor. Pulse-chase experiments after transferrin uptake showed that these vesicles were newly uncoated endocytic vesicles and that myo6 was recruited to these vesicles immediately after uncoating. GIPC, a putative myo6 tail binding protein, was also present. Myo6 was not present on early endosomes, suggesting that myo6 has a transient association with endocytic vesicles and is released upon early endosome fusion. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to myo6 as well as the cargo-binding tail (M6tail) alone targeted to the nascent endocytic vesicles. Overexpression of GFP-M6tail had no effect on a variety of organelle markers; however, GFP-M6tail displaced the endogenous myo6 from nascent vesicles and resulted in a significant delay in transferrin uptake. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that transferrin accumulated in uncoated vesicles within the peripheries of transfected cells and that Rab5 was recruited to the surface of these vesicles. Given sufficient time, the transferrin did traffic to the perinuclear sorting endosome. These data suggest that myo6 is an accessory protein required for the efficient transportation of nascent endocytic vesicles from the actin-rich peripheries of epithelial cells, allowing for timely fusion of endocytic vesicles with the early endosome.
Transaction Costs and Coalition Stability under Majority Rule
Authors: Johnson Ronald N. , Libecap Gary D.
Published: March 2003

Government program allocations are more stable and more equally shared than theory predicts. Although various explanations have been offered, we emphasize the high transaction costs of political negotiations and coalition enforcement. Cycling predictions ignore the cost to politicians of repeatedly forming coalitions and neglect the opportunity costs of failed coalitions and the loss of related government programs that bring valuable constituent benefits. Because of these costs, Congress relies on coalitions larger than the minimum necessary to enact a program, adopts relatively egalitarian programmatic sharing rules, and resists efforts to change those allocations. To illustrate we analyze the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
Labor Supply of Older Men: Does Social Security Matter?
Authors: Vanderhart Michel J.
Published: March 2003

This article presents evidence of a negative and significant relationship between the level of Social Security wealth and the labor force participation of older men. The empirical analysis utilizes a panel data set containing participation, wage, and Social Security information for cohorts defined by birth year and educational attainment from 1967 to 1996. Increases in Social Security wealth levels are found capable of explaining most of the observed decline in labor force participation rates of older men since 1967.
Technology and Job Separation Among Young Adults, 1980–98
Authors: Zavodny Madeline
Published: March 2003

This analysis uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth during the period 1980–98 to examine the relationship between the likelihood that a worker remains at the same job for two years and several measures of technology usage at the industry level. The relationship between job separation and technology usage is generally negative. Quits (not involuntary job loss) generally account for the negative relationship between job separation and technology. Some results suggest that less educated workers are more likely than college graduates to lose jobs in technology‐intensive industries.
Specific Investments, Flexible Adaptation, and Requirement Contracts
Authors: Zhu Tian
Published: March 2003

In a simple hold‐up model with contractible cost‐related variables, I show that an optimal requirement contract with “standard cost”–based nonlinear pricing can provide both ex post flexibility for adaptation and ex ante incentives for relationship‐specific investments. The result is related to contractual arrangements observed in vertical procurement relationships.
Policy Linkage and Uncertainty in International Agreements
Authors: Ederington Josh
Published: March 2003

This article uses noncooperative game theory to analyze the potential benefits of linking trade agreements to agreements covering domestic policies in a world of uncertainty. I show that nonlinkage is more desirable if there is a positive probability that a country will erroneously believe that its trading partner is cheating on the agreement (triggering an unnecessary punishment phase). In contrast, linkage is more desirable if there is a positive probability that cheating will go unnoticed.
The Supply Side of the Digital Divide: Is There Equal Availability in the Broadband Internet Access Market?
Authors: Prieger James E.
Published: March 2003

The newest dimension of the digital divide is access to broadband (high‐speed) Internet service. Using comprehensive U.S. data covering all forms of access technology (chiefly DSL and cable modem), I look for evidence of unequal broadband availability in areas with high concentrations of poor, minority, or rural households. There is little evidence of unequal availability based on income or on black or Hispanic concentration. There is mixed evidence concerning availability based on Native American or Asian concentration. Other findings: Rural location decreases availability; market size, education, Spanish language use, commuting distance, and Bell presence increase availability.
The pathogenesis of autism: insights from congenital blindness
Authors: Hobson Peter R. , Bishop Martin
Published: March 2003

There is substantial heterogeneity in the aetiology and clinical presentation of autism. So how do we account for homogeneity in the syndrome? The answer to this question will be critical for any attempt to trace the links between brain pathology and the psychological disabilities that characterize autism. One possibility is that the source of homogeneity in autism is not to be found ‘in the child’, but rather in dysfunction of the system constituted by child–in–relation–to–other. We have been exploring this hypothesis through the study of congenitally blind children, among whom features of autism, and the syndrome of autism itself, are strikingly common. To justify such an approach, one needs to establish that the clinical features in blind children have qualities that are indeed ‘autistic–like’. We conducted systematic observations of the social interactions of two matched groups of congenitally blind children who donothave autism, rating their social engagement, emotional tone, play and language during three sessions of free play in the school playground. The qualities of social impairment in the more disabled children were similar to those in sighted children with autism. Additional evidence came from independent ratings of the children in a different play setting: on the childhood autism rating scale (CARS), the socially impaired children had ‘autistic–like’ abnormalities in both social and non–social domains. If we can determine the way in which congenital blindness predisposes to features of autism, we shall be in a better position to trace the developmental pathways that lead to the syndrome in sighted children.
Does the perception of moving eyes trigger reflexive visual orienting in autism?
Authors: Swettenham John , Condie Samantha , Campbell Ruth , Milne Elizabeth , Coleman Mike
Published: March 2003

Does movement of the eyes in one or another direction function as an automatic attentional cue to a location of interest? Two experiments explored the directional movement of the eyes in a full face for speed of detection of an aftercoming location target in young people with autism and in control participants. Our aim was to investigate whether a low–level perceptual impairment underlies the delay in gaze following characteristic of autism. The participants' task was to detect a target appearing on the left or right of the screen either 100 ms or 800 ms after a face cue appeared with eyes averting to the left or right. Despite instructions to ignore eye–movement in the face cue, people with autism and control adolescents were quicker to detect targets that had been preceded by an eye movement cue
congruent
with target location compared with targets preceded by an
incongruent
eye movement cue. The attention shifts are thought to be reflexive because the cue was to be ignored, and because the effect was found even when cue–target duration was short (100 ms). Because (experiment two) the effect persisted even when the face was inverted, it would seem that the direction of movement of eyes can provide a powerful (involuntary) cue to a location.
The reach–to–grasp movement in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Mari Morena , Castiello Umberto , Marks Deborah , Marraffa Catherine , Prior Margot
Published: March 2003

Autism is associated with a wide and complex array of neurobehavioural symptoms. Examination of the motor system offers a particularly appealing method for studying autism by providing information about this syndrome that is relatively immune to experimental influence. In this article, we considered the relationship between possible movement disturbance and symptoms of autism and introduced an experimental model that may be useful for rehabilitation and diagnostic purposes: the reach–to–grasp movement. Research is reviewed that characterizes kinematically the reach–to–grasp movement in children with autism compared with age–matched ‘controls’. Unlike the age–matched children, autistic children showed differences in movement planning and execution, supporting the view that movement disturbances may play a part in the phenomenon of autism.
The role of the fusiform face area in social cognition: implications for the pathobiology of autism
Authors: Schultz Robert T. , Grelotti David J. , Klin Ami , Kleinman Jamie , Van der Gaag Christiaan , Marois René , Skudlarski Pawel
Published: March 2003

A region in the lateral aspect of the fusiform gyrus (FG) is more engaged by human faces than any other category of image. It has come to be known as the ‘fusiform face area’ (FFA). The origin and extent of this specialization is currently a topic of great interest and debate. This is of special relevance to autism, because recent studies have shown that the FFA is hypoactive to faces in this disorder. In two linked functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of healthy young adults, we show here that the FFA is engaged by a social attribution task (SAT) involving perception of human–like interactions among three simple geometric shapes. The amygdala, temporal pole, medial prefrontal cortex, inferolateral frontal cortex and superior temporal sulci were also significantly engaged. Activation of the FFA to a task without faces challenges the received view that the FFA is restricted in its activities to the perception of faces. We speculate that abstract semantic information associated with faces is encoded in the FG region and retrieved for social computations. From this perspective, the literature on hypoactivation of the FFA in autism may be interpreted as a reflection of a core social cognitive mechanism underlying the disorder.
Towards an understanding of the mechanisms of weak central coherence effects: experiments in visual configural learning and auditory perception
Authors: Plaisted Kate , Saksida Lisa , Alcántara José , Weisblatt Emma
Published: March 2003

The weak central coherence hypothesis of Frith is one of the most prominent theories concerning the abnormal performance of individuals with autism on tasks that involve local and global processing. Individuals with autism often outperform matched nonautistic individuals on tasks in which success depends upon processing of local features, and underperform on tasks that require global processing. We review those studies that have been unable to identify the locus of the mechanisms that may be responsible for weak central coherence effects and those that show that local processing is enhanced in autism but not at the expense of global processing. In the light of these studies, we propose that the mechanisms which can give rise to ‘weak central coherence’ effects may be perceptual. More specifically, we propose that perception operates to enhance the representation of individual perceptual features but that this does not impact adversely on representations that involve integration of features. This proposal was supported in the two experiments we report on configural and feature discrimination learning in high–functioning children with autism. We also examined processes of perception directly, in an auditory filtering task which measured the width of auditory filters in individuals with autism and found that the width of auditory filters in autism were abnormally broad. We consider the implications of these findings for perceptual theories of the mechanisms underpinning weak central coherence effects.
Superspace description of trigonal and orthorhombic A
1+x

A

x
′B
1−x
O3 compounds as modulated layered structures; application to the refinement of trigonal Sr6Rh5O15
Authors: Elcoro Luis , Perez-Mato J. Manuel , Darriet Jacques , El Abed Ahmed
Published: March 2003

The structures of the trigonal compounds A_{1+x}A_x^{'}B_{1-x}O_3 are described, to a first approximation, as a hexagonal close-packed stacking of A_3O_9 and A_3A^{'}O_6 layers. However, quantitative analyses are usually performed in superspace, with the structures considered as modulated composites made of two subsystems: chains of A cations, and columns of trigonal prisms, A^{'}O_6, and octahedra, BO_6. It is demonstrated that an alternative superspace description as a single modulated structure can be found in terms of the aforementioned layers, with a composition-dependent modulation parameter and discontinuous atomic domains. In this approach, these compounds fulfill layer-stacking rules analogous to those observed in other layered compounds. These rules translate into a so-called closeness condition for the discontinuous atomic domains in superspace; this condition is analogous to that postulated in quasicrystals. Both superspace models, the composite and the layered model, when considered without displacive modulations, can be taken as two limiting idealized paradigms and can be used as the starting point of a structure refinement. As an example, the structure of the trigonal phase Sr_6Rh_5O_{15}, which was previously refined as a modulated composite [Stitzer, El Abed et al. (2001), J. Am. Chem. Soc.
123, 8790–8796], has been refined anew, with equivalent results, as a single modulated structure taking as reference the ideal layered structure. A similar superspace layer description is applied to the recently reported orthorhombic family A_{4m+4n}A_n^{'}B_{4m+2n}O_{12m+9n}. This description allows the a priori derivation of a refineable superspace model that includes the superspace symmetry and crenel functions and is valid for the whole family. This model has been successfully applied to the refinement of the compound Ba_{12}Co_{11}O_{33} [Darriet et al. (2002), Chem. Mater.
14, 3349–3363].
New model for the hydroxyapatite–octacalcium phosphate interface
Authors: Fernández M. E. , Zorrilla-Cangas C. , García-García R. , Ascencio J. A. , Reyes-Gasga J.
Published: March 2003

Some experimental results have indicated that hydroxyapatite (HA) and octacalcium phosphate (OCP) can form an epitaxic interface. Subsequently the OCP–HA interface has become of great biological interest in the context of mineralized tissue formation. In this work a new OCP–HA interface model based on Brown's proposed configuration [Brown (1962), Nature, 197, 1048–1050] and using the minimum interface free-energy optimization is presented. This new model is formed by half a unit cell of HA and one unit cell of OCP, as in Brown's model, but in our case [1\overline 210] of HA is `glued' with [010] of OCP. Therefore, the relationship found was: [000\overline 1]HA parallel to [001]OCP and [1\overline 210]HA parallel to [010]OCP. Self-consistent field methods were used for the analysis of Brown's model and ours. It is shown that the atoms in our model have similar environments as in the HA and OCP unit cells and that, as a result of the differences between HA and OCP unit-cell parameters, this interface presents misfit-dislocation-like features. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM) simulated images for the new interface model have been included and, when they are compared with the experimental ones, the similarity is quite good.
Supramolecular structures of N
4-substituted 2,4-diamino-6-benzyloxy-5-nitrosopyrimidines
Authors: Melguizo Manuel , Quesada Antonio , Low John N. , Glidewell Christopher
Published: March 2003

The molecular and supramolecular structures of eight N
4-substituted 2,4-diamino-6-benzyloxy-5-nitrosopyrimidines are discussed, along with one analogue containing no nitroso substituent. The nitroso derivatives all exhibit polarized molecular-electronic structures leading to extensive charge-assisted hydrogen bonding between the molecules. The intermolecular interactions include hard hydrogen bonds of N—H...O and N—H...N types, together with O—H...O and O—H...N types in the monohydrate of 2-amino-6-benzyloxy-4-piperidino-5-nitrosopyrimidine, soft hydrogen bonds of C—H...O, C—H...π(arene) and N—H...π(arene) types and aromatic π...π stacking interactions. The predominant supramolecular structure types take the form of chains and sheets, but no two of the structures determined here exhibit the same combination of hydrogen-bond types.
Conventional cells: monoclinic I- and C-centered cells
Authors: Mighell Alan D.
Published: March 2003

In the selection of a centered cell in the monoclinic system, it is recommended that the experimentalist select an I-centered cell for those cases in which it is the conventional cell — cases in which a and c are coincident with the shortest two translations in the net perpendicular to b (b-axis unique). The common practice of selecting a non-conventional C-centered cell in such cases should be discontinued.
Space group and atomic structure determination of a nano-sized ordered phase derived from a f.c.c. structure in maraging steel 12Cr–9Ni–4Mo–2Cu using transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Liu Ping
Published: March 2003

The unique properties of maraging steel Sandvik 1RK91 were attributed to unique precipitation: a nano-sized L phase in addition to the quasi-crystalline R′ phase, which differs from any precipitation system in conventional maraging steels. The L phase was observed after ageing at either 748 or 823 K. It has flake morphology with dimensions ∼100 × 500 × 500 Å. In the present study the structure of the L phase was examined using convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The L phase could be described as Ti19Fe9Mo9Al8Cr5Ni50 or simply M
50Ni50 (M = Ti, Fe, Mo, Al and Cr). The L phase is isostructural to FeNi. Its crystal structure was determined to have the ordered structure of the uAu-I type (L10, P4/mmm, a = 3.52, c = 3.63 Å and Z = 2) with two Ni atoms at ½ 0 ½ and 0 ½ ½, and two M atoms at 0 0 0 and ½ ½ 0. The crystal structure of the L phase can also be described using a primitive tetragonal cell and lattice parameters: a = 2.49 and c = 3.63 Å, Z = 1. The volume of the primitive tetragonal unit cell is 22.5 Å3 and the density is ∼6.98 g cm−3. The present study has demonstrated the possibility of determining the structure of an extremely small crystal by utilizing the information from CBED, EDX analysis and HREM.
The acquisition and maintenance costs associated with library automation systems in Finnish public libraries
Authors: Saarti Jarmo
Published: March 2003

This paper reports the results from a survey of the costs and types of the library automation systems in use in public libraries in Finland. The study was carried out during 2000. The results show that almost all of the Finnish public libraries have some kind of library automation system and that 80 per cent of them are already offering services via the Internet. The costs of establishing public library automation have been approximately 16.8 million Euros with annual operating costs of about 5.7 million Euros, i.e. about 1.2 Euros for every Finnish citizen. The labour costs used in building and maintaining library automation systems had been poorly monitored in the libraries. Thus it is proposed that a model for a better cost‐effective analysis of library automation should be established for the Finnish public libraries.
The role of the British Nutrition Foundation
Authors: Stanner Sara , Ballam Roy
Published: March 2003

This article provides a brief overview of the role of the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). The Foundation is a charity set up in 1967 with the aim of promoting nutritional wellbeing by disseminating accurate information about diet and health. Unfortunately, many of the messages that the general public receive about diet and health are inconsistent and as such do not enable them to make positive changes to their dietary behaviour. The premature reporting of scientific findings in the media, particularly when these conflict with previous research, contributes to the confused messages and encourages the common perception of disagreement among scientists. The findings of any single study are unlikely to provide convincing evidence and any new research needs to be interpreted in the light of previous reports and any discrepancies addressed. One of the key roles of the Foundation is to independently review the totality of the evidence, to make a judgement about various dietary issues and to interpret the science in a format suitable for different audiences. Current work includes the provision of training and resources for teachers and health professionals and an information and consultancy service for consumers, the media, government and the food industry. Much of its work also involves producing literature and running conferences to disseminate up‐to‐date information about various nutritional topics to health professionals both in the UK and across Europe.
A survey of food hygiene and safety training in the retail and catering industry
Authors: Worsfold Denise , Griffith Christopher J.
Published: March 2003

Describes a survey of food safety training for staff in the retail, care and catering industry. Training provisions were evaluated against the guidance in the relevant industry guides. Additional information was collected on the managers’ perceptions of and attitudes towards hygiene training. The extent and level of training of the retail butchers, who had to comply with the licensing regulations, was better than care homes and caterers of an equivalent size. Some of the care homes were not compliant with the training requirements of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations. There was a similar lack of hygiene management systems in most of the catering businesses in this study but senior staff were better trained and were able to provide in‐house training to greater effect. All the businesses carried out on‐the‐job training, although in some this was restricted to induction training, the content of which was often ill defined. There was a lack of documented hygiene procedures, reinforcement strategies and very little refresher training activity. Many managers failed to provide feedback on performance, to test hygiene knowledge or praise good hygienic performance. Half of the managers were not trained to train, and often were untrained in elementary hygiene themselves. Some managers recognised that conditions in the workplace and time pressures could contribute to poor hygiene performances.
The effect of the Internet in industrial channels: an industry example
Authors: Lightfoot William , Harris James R.
Published: March 2003

This paper critically examines the affect of the Internet on industrial sales channels. The technology and strategy of industrial exchanges is discussed. Recent critiques of B2B activities are reviewed within the context of the motion control industry. Conclusions are provided that should assist managers in this industry.
The effects of streamlined operations on the perceived quality success criteria at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics – Fort Worth
Authors: Getty Robert L. , Prybutok Victor R.
Published: March 2003

The reduction in the US defense budget has resulted in reduced employment at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics – Fort Worth site by more 20,000 employees within the last decade. The company pursued a strategy to increase productivity and quality with the reduced work force while maintaining not only the public trust, but also the trust of its employees. Maintaining employee trust is directly linked to employees’ belief in the security of their employment. While the recently won Joint Strike Fighter contract will cause the need to expand, today’s competitive aerospace environment implies the need to maintain those strategies that resulted in that contract. Due to the requirement for high employee involvement, the company embraced a strategy to develop an environment that fostered a committed and highly motivated workforce. The University of North Texas, Center for Quality and Productivity assisted by completing a quality success factors survey to assess the employees’ perceptions of quality. As the questionnaire was analyzed, it was discovered that the cohesive work force was homogeneous in its strong identification with the quality goals of the company.
Applying a knowledge‐focused management philosophy to immature economies
Authors: Huseby Todd , Chou Seng‐cho T.
Published: March 2003

As firms, especially manufacturers, seek value‐creating opportunities, many are moving operations to low‐cost labor centers. Can firms in the mature economies seize these windows of opportunity to increase productivity in immature economies before wages rise to make their own profits, thus increasing shareholder value? This paper contemplates the ideas that a knowledge‐focused management philosophy, whether technological, process‐oriented, organization structure focused, or cultural can provide managers with techniques to seize this opportunity to create value by increasing labor productivity with less expensive labor. Measuring the value created after implementation of knowledge‐focused management programs can be hard and usually requires comparison to pre‐implementation metrics.
Apparel manufacturing: a strategy for productivity improvement
Authors: Bheda Rajesh , Narag A.S. , Singla M.L.
Published: March 2003

The apparel industry is truly global in nature. Apparel manufacturing being labour intensive has been migrating from the high wage developed world to developing countries. However, the developing countries will need to have efficient manufacturing operations if they are to retain their competitiveness in the apparel industry. This paper attempts to evaluate the productivity levels achieved by Indian apparel manufacturers vis‐à‐vis their counterparts from the rest of the world; to ascertain factors associated with productivity performance; and to recommend strategies for productivity improvement.
US apparel manufacturers’ company characteristic differences based on SCM activities
Authors: Lee Yuri , Kincade Doris H.
Published: March 2003

Supply chain management (SCM) in the apparel industry was empirically examined through a quantitative research design. The objectives of the study were to identify the level of SCM activities and to examine the relationship of selected company characteristics for a set of US apparel manufacturers. Through the literature review, six dimensions of SCM (i.e. partnership, information technology, operational flexibility, performance measurement, management commitment, demand characterization) were identified. US apparel manufacturer groups, based on their SCM activity levels, showed statistically significant differences in company characteristics including product fashion level, fabric supplier delivery performance, relationship with fabric suppliers and retail customers and relative size of retail customers. For example, a high level of SCM activity implementation is closely related with the characteristics of more basic goods production, higher delivery performance of fabric supplier, and relatively big retailers. These manufacturers also had more partnership‐like relationship with their supply chain members.
Risk perception and e‐shopping: a cross‐cultural study
Authors: Choi Jayoung , Lee Kyu‐Hye
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study is to examine first, whether there are differences in risk perception between the USA and Korea, second, whether there are differences in risk perception between apparel purchasers and non‐apparel purchasers across countries, third whether there are differences in the effect of risk factors on purchasing intention between the USA and Korea, and, fourth, whether there are differences in the effect of risk factors on purchasing intention between apparel purchasers and non‐apparel purchasers across countries. The findings suggest that there were differences in consumers’ risk perception between apparel and non‐apparel purchasers across countries. In addition, there are similarities and differences in the relationships between risk perception and purchase intention across countries.
The price of space: the convergence of value in use and value in exchange
Authors: French Nick , Wiseman Georgina
Published: March 2003

This paper discusses concepts of value from the point of view of the user of the space and the counter view of the provider of the same. Land and property are factors of production. The value of the land flows from the use to which it is put, and that in turn, is dependent upon the demand (and supply) for the product or service that is produced/provided from that space. If there is a high demand for the product (at a fixed level of supply), the price will increase and the economic rent for the land/property will increase accordingly. This is the underlying paradigm of Ricardian rent theory where the supply of land is fixed and a single good is produced. In such a case the rent of land is wholly an economic rent. Economic theory generally distinguishes between two kinds of price, price of production or “value in use” (as determined by the labour theory of value), and market price or “value in exchange” (as determined by supply and demand). It is based on a coherent and consistent theory of value and price. Effectively the distinction is between what space is “worth” to an individual and that space’s price of exchange in the market place. In a perfect market where any individual has access to the same information as all others in the market, price and worth should coincide. However in a market where access to information is not uniform, and where different uses compete for the same space, it is more likely that the two figures will diverge. This paper argues that the traditional reliance of valuers to use methods of comparison to determine “price” has led to an artificial divergence of “value in use” and “value in exchange”, but now such comparisons are becoming more difficult due to the diversity of lettings in the market place, there will be a requirement to return to fundamentals and pay heed to the thought process of the user in assessing the worth of the space to be let.
Corporate real estate in Ireland
Authors: Roulac Stephen , Adair Alastair , McGreal Stanley , Berry Jim , Brown Louise , Heaney George
Published: March 2003

Corporate activity in Ireland has experienced a significant growth as the economy has benefited from extensive inward investment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of real estate in corporate decision making within Ireland. Corporate real estate issues are initially discussed as the contextual anchoring for a survey of corporate occupiers within both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Findings indicate a high level of professional and practical experience in relation to real estate but this has not been fully exploited by companies in developing a proactive corporate strategy. Real estate plays a largely traditional role within organisations although it appears that differences exist between indigenous and externally parented companies. Comparisons are drawn with other similar surveys at an international level.
God, Genes, and Cognizing Agents
Authors: Peterson Gregory R.
Published: March 2003

Much ink has been spilled on the claim that morality and religion have evolutionary roots. While some attempt to reduce morality and religion to biological considerations, others reject any link whatsoever. Any full account, however, must acknowledge the biological roots of human behavior while at the same time recognizing that our relatively unique capacity as cognitive agents requires orienting concepts of cosmic and human nature. While other organisms display quasi‐moral and proto‐moral behavior that is indeed relevant, fully moral behavior is only possible for organisms that attain a higher level of cognitive ability. This, in turn, implies a significant role for religion, which has traditionally provided an orientation within which moral conduct is understood.
Measurement and Indeterminacy in the Quantum Mechanics of Dirac
Authors: Helrich Carl S.
Published: March 2003

The quantum‐measurement problem and the Heisenberg indeterminacy principle are presented in the language of the Dirac formulation of the quantum theory. Particularly the relationship between quantum state prior to measurement and the result of the measurement are discussed. The relation between the indeterminacy principle and the analog between quantum and classical systems is presented, showing that this principle may be discussed independently of the wave‐particle duality. The importance of statistics in the treatment of many body systems is outlined and the approach to investigating God's interaction with human beings is discussed in this context. The treatment is nonmathematical.
God's Action in the World: The Relevance of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Hodgson Peter E.
Published: March 2003

It has been suggested that God can act on the world by operating within the limits set by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle (HUP) without violating the laws of nature. This requires nature to be intrinsically indeterministic. However, according to the statistical interpretation the quantum mechanical wavefunction represents the average behavior of an ensemble of similar systems and not that of a single system. The HUP thus refers to a relation between the spreads of possible values of position and momentum and so is consistent with a fully deterministic world. This statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics is supported by reference to actual measurements, resolves the quantum paradoxes, and stimulates further research. If this interpretation is accepted, quantum mechanics is irrelevant to the question of God's action in the world.
God, Chaos, and the Quantum Dice
Authors: Koperski Jeffrey
Published: March 2003

A recent noninterventionist account of divine agency has been proposed that marries the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics to the instability of chaos theory. On this account, God is able to bring about observable effects in the macroscopic world by determining the outcome of quantum events. When this determination occurs in the presence of chaos, the ability to influence large systems is multiplied. This paper argues that, although the proposal is highly intuitive, current research in dynamics shows that it is far less plausible than previously thought. Chaos coupled to quantum mechanics proves to be a shaky foundation for models of divine agency.
Higher Pantheism
Authors: Knight David
Published: March 2003

Romantic sensibility and political necessity led Humphry Davy, Britain's most prominent scientist in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, to pantheism: nature worship, involving for him a fervent belief in the immortality of the soul. Rapt with a vision of sublimity, from mountain tops or balloons, men of science in succeeding generations also found in pantheism a reason for their vocation and a way of making sense of their world. It should be seen as an alternative both to active participation in church life (like Faraday's) and to a gritty agnosticism (like Huxley's), indicating again how subtle and complex relationships were between science and religion in the nineteenth century.
Science and Scientism in Huston Smith's Why Religion Matters
Authors: Barbour Ian G.
Published: March 2003

Huston Smith is justifiably critical of scientism, the belief that science is the only reliable path to truth. He holds that scientism and the materialism that accompanies it have led to a widespread denial of the transcendence expressed in traditional religious world‐views. He argues that evolutionary theory should be seen as a product of scientism rather than of scientific evidence, citing authors who claim that the fossil record does not support the idea of continuous descent with modification from earlier life forms. I suggest that he has underestimated the cumulative weight of evidence from many independent fields of science supporting neo‐Darwinism. I argue that methodological (but not philosophical) naturalism is a basic assumption of scientific inquiry. Proponents of intelligent design assume a fixed plan or blueprint, which is compatible with Smith's understanding of God's timeless vision. By contrast, almost all biologists and many theologians today envisage a dynamic and open‐ended process rather than the realization of the unchanging forms in a preexisting plan.
The Matter of Religion and Science: Response to Huston Smith
Authors: Peterson Gregory R.
Published: March 2003

Huston Smith's Why Religion Matters is the culminating reflections of one of the most respected religion scholars of our day. In this work, Smith sees modern society to be in the midst of a spiritual crisis. According to Smith, this crisis has been brought about by the advance of science and the inroads into what Smith calls the traditional worldview. While Smith's work is of some importance, I believe that several of its fundamental claims are mistaken. Smith often does not accurately portray the content of science and frequently conflates the actual practice of science with philosophical scientism. Smith wrongly blames science alone for the decline of religion among Western elites. His claim that all religions can be equivocally described in terms of the traditional worldview is also problematic. Despite this, Smith does have a clear conception of what the issues are in the relation between science and religion. It is my hope that these issues will continue to be taken seriously.
Paul Tillich's Perspectives on Ways of Relating Science and Religion
Authors: Arther Donald E.
Published: March 2003

Where do Paul Tillich's views of the relationship between religion and science fit in Ian Barbour's four classifications of conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration? At different levels of analysis, he fits in all of them. In concrete religions and sciences, some conflict is evident, but religion and science can be thought of as having parallel perspectives, languages, and objectives. Tillich's method of correlation itself is a form of dialogue. His theology of nature in “Life and the Spirit” (Part 4 of his Systematic Theology) fits the integration type. His strong “Two Types of Philosophy of Religion” (in Theology of Culture) is a latent natural theology. His system of the sciences is a form of synthesis, a type of integration.
Belief‐Ful Realism and Scientific Realism
Authors: MacLennan Ronald B.
Published: March 2003

Despite tensions between Tillich's category of belief‐ful realism and a view of science that embraces metaphysical and epistemological realism, a constructive relationship can be developed between the two. Both are based on common understandings about reality. Belief‐ful or theonomous realism thus affirms scientific realism. On the other hand, scientific realism is open to the ecstatic, self‐transcending elements of belief‐ful realism. Finally, Tillich's formulation of the relationship between culture and religion can be reformulated specifically to include scientific and technological culture.
Ambiguity in Our Technical Society
Authors: Thomas J. Mark
Published: March 2003

The spiritual situation at the turn of the millennium can be interpreted through Paul Tillich's appropriation of modernity, by analysis of the determinative structures and decisive trends of our age. The methods and organization of industry determine modern society. Spiritually, this situation results in the proliferation of means without ends, the objectification of natural structures, and the reduction of persons to things. Extrapolating from Tillich's analysis, the spiritual situation at the turn of the millennium can be understood as a quasi‐religious struggle between the movements of liberal individualism and multiculturalism, both of which lose the sense of ambiguity. The communitarian movement and related interpretations remain the minority voice offering a mediating position.
Paul Tillich's Realistic Stance Toward the Vital Trends of Nature
Authors: Cruz Eduardo R.
Published: March 2003

Many scientists have argued forcefully for the pointlessness of nature, something that challenges any doctrine of Creation. However, apparent design and comprehensibility are also to be found in nature; it is ambivalent. This trait is nowhere more evident than in the natural inclinations that lead to concupiscence and the “seven deadly sins” in human beings. These inclinations are dealt with as pertaining to the “pre‐fallen” condition of nature and human beings. As a framework to make sense of the goodness of creation in this context, Paul Tillich's notion of the “vital trends of nature” is called to the fore. Being at the intersection of a philosophy of religion and a philosophy of nature, this notion hints at the goodness of Creation in fragment and anticipation.
Eschatology: Eternal Now or Cosmic Future?
Authors: Peters Ted
Published: March 2003

Paul Tillich's eternal now is the ground from which all things emerge and perish in each and every moment. A Tillichean eschatology involves the gathering of all things finite into the eternity of the present moment, into God. Salvation is present moment. But is the “eternal now” enough? This essay offers biblical and theological critiques of Tillich's present eschatology and posits an eschatology that combines Tillich's “eternal now” with Wolfhart Pannenberg's “end‐oriented eschatology.” The result is an eschatology that recognizes the eternal now in which all things (including all time) belong to God yet with an eye toward the God‐given possibilities of the next moment, the future. The end of being is not cessation; rather, it is the fulfillment of time, the consummation of all things.
How to Make Naturalism Safe for Supernaturalism: An Evaluation of Willem Drees's Supernaturalistic Naturalism
Authors: Rottschaefer William A.
Published: March 2003

Naturalism is often considered to be antithetical to theology and genuine religion. However, in a series of recent books and articles, Willem Drees has proposed a scientifically informed naturalistic account of religion, which, he contends, is not only compatible with supernaturalistic religion and theology but provides a better account of both than either purely naturalistic or purely supernaturalistic accounts. While rejecting both epistemological and methodological naturalism, Drees maintains that ontological naturalism offers the best philosophical account of the natural world and that, in addition, it provides the opening for a supernaturalistic understanding of religion and theology, one that best fits the condition of epistemic and moral distance from the transcendent characteristic of religious wonderers and wanderers. In this paper I examine Drees's claim and argue that it is seriously flawed. I show that Drees's naturalism is, in fact, both methodologically and epistemologically naturalistic. I also show that his attempts to limit naturalism to the sphere of the natural world by means of the phenomena of limit questions and underdetermination fail. Arguing for a more optimistic, but also, I contend, more empirically accurate account of human epistemic and moral capacities, I propose a full‐fledged scientifically based naturalistic account of theology.
Naturalism Need Not Be “Made Safe”: A Response to William Rottschaefer's Misunderstandings
Authors: Drees Willem B.
Published: March 2003

In this article, I respond to William Rottschaefer's analysis of my writings on religion and science, especially my Religion, Science and Naturalism (1996). I show that I am not trying “to make naturalism safe,” as Rottschaefer contends, but rather attempting to explore options available when one endorses naturalistic approaches. I also explain why I object to the label “supernaturalistic naturalism” used by Rottschaefer. Possible limitations to naturalistic projects are discussed, not as limitations imposed but rather as features uncovered.
Understanding Biology in Religious Experience: The Biogenetic Structuralist Approach of Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg
Authors: Spezio Michael L.
Published: March 2003

What are the biological bases of religious experience? Are there biological constraints upon or determinants of religious narratives and practices? How does understanding the biology of religious experience inform the ongoing reconstruction of religious rituals and myths? In The Mystical Mind, Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg address these central questions and others from a distinct perspective called biogenetic structuralism. They propose a model of how brain activity gives rise to mystical experiential states, examine how neurobiological responses to rhythmic behavior form religious ritual, and point toward the development of a megatheology, or a theological system appealing to the widest scope of religious world‐views. This paper is a critical review of d’Aquili and Newberg's exciting work.
Neuroscience in Pursuit of the Holy: Mysticism, the Brain, and Ultimate Reality
Authors: Albright Carol Rausch
Published: March 2003

Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew B. Newberg's The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experience presents a core theory regarding the neurophysical nature of mystical experience; extensions of this theory, focusing upon near‐death experiences and the nature of religion itself; and buttressing arguments proposing that genetically based neurophysical “operators” within the brain compel human beings to think in certain ways. On the basis of this work, the authors pose a “metatheology,” suggesting that certain brain operations may underlie all the religions of the world. The core theory, its extensions, and related arguments are discussed in turn, concluding with commentary on the authors’ constructive theology.