bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Die Godsredes in die boek Job: Ideologie en eko-teologie
Authors: Maarschalk R. , Viviers H.
Published: August 2013

The divine speeches in the book of Job: Ideology and eco-theology The ecological crisis has sensitised many to ask seriously how eco-just are we towards the earth and its inhabitants? A “green”-awareness obviously also influences our reading of texts, like all readings which are never value free. A “green”-ideological focus on the divine speeches of Job, lays bare its subtext of eco-justice. Creation, in its intimate relationship with God, has intrinsic value and worth, and becomes - to a certain extent - even “holy”. Nature should be seen in a theocentric and not in a anthropocentric way. It does not exist for the sake of humans alone, in fact, it seems better off without human intervention. Humans are not above nature, but co-subjects of the earth community and should utilize its inhabitants as role models in the mastering of the art of life. Both school and church can play key roles in promoting a universal environmental ethics, as witnessed in Job.
De Gepredikte Jezus – De Prediking aangaande Jezus Christus tussen Theologie en Historie
Authors: Bos R.
Published: August 2013

The preached Jesus - The preaching of Jesus between theology and historism This article deals with the tension between the preaching of the gospel of Jesus (the preached Jesus) as a source of joy on the one hand and the critical questions of the theologian (the historical Jesus) on the other. In this field of tension the question arises: who Jesus is to us at this point in time. The author deals briefly with these two approaches. He pleads for caution against a rigorous confessional or doctrinal approach on the one hand and on the other an approach in terms of which only the historically founded may be stated. The author searches for a way where justice is done to the view that in Jesus we are confronted with the world of God, but where historical criticism is also taken seriously. In this quest Barth and Marquardt are used as partners in dialogue. The admission that the Spirit creates a bridge between God and man, guards preaching against petrification and opens the way to meaningful creativity. The author accepts that preaching in itself provides no answer, but creates a space in which Christ himself may enter to speak. This presupposition prevents an arrogant theology. The preacher and congregation pray that the Spirit of God enters this space to speak. It does not result in vague content, but leads the preacher to speak in a careful and humble way on Christ. The space is guarded by the diligent scanning of the witnesses regarding Jesus and by anchoring them in the books of Moses, the prophets and David. Through this testimony God enters into our midst.
Perspektiewe vanuit die psigologie en sosiale wetenskappe vir kerklike bediening aan die adolessent. ‘n Ondersoek na die ontwikkeling van die adolessent
Authors: Erasmus J. A. , De Klerk B. J.
Published: August 2013

In this article meta-theoretical perspectives for youth ministry are presented from the fields of psychology and sociology. In the first place, it is determined what the various psychological development phases of the adolescent are, and how they have to be accounted for in youth ministry. In the second place, it is also determined what the characteristics of the world are in which the adolescent lives, and what their influences are on adolescents.
Spiritualiteit te midde van ‘n kultuur van voorspoed. ‘n Fokus op die Ooste van Pretoria
Authors: M J. , De Koker W.
Published: August 2013

Spirituality in an affluent culture. A focus on the Eastern suburbs of Pretoria The eastern suburbs of Pretoria is a white, mainly Afrikaans speaking and Dutch Reformed community with a relatively high level of education and income and a mostly stable family life. Religion is important to most of the inhabitants. Church life is characterised by movement and change. Church members move to and fro between different churches and congregations, while many congregations experience change in their worship services. This leads to pain and schism in congregations, and members experience marginalisation. The research has been done by listening to the stories of individuals (co-researchers). The story of the research has developed under the themes of leadership, so called “American” and “European” attitudes towards life, change, relationships and service. The story reaches a climax when the predominant attitudes of prosperity and success is deconstructed in values that are shared by all the co-researchers, namely worship, care and service.
Die 'evangelie' van Paulus
Authors: Van Aarde A. G.
Published: August 2013

The 'gospel' of Paul This article focuses on Paul’s use of the term 'gospel'. It argues that the 'gospel of Christ' is God’s power for the recreation of humankind. Paul is Christ’s apostle who is sent to proclaim this message. The message is the 'gospel of God' and its proclamation is God’s dynamic act of recreation. The 'truth' of the gospel is that people do not need to seek salvation in anything transient. According to Paul, such a view is sin. A 'material relationship' exists between Paul’s 'gospel' and the historical Jesus’ 'subversive wisdom' which he expressed through his sayings and deeds. The center of the gospel is that God sends Jesus who, through his death and resurrection, terminates the old dispensation and inaugurates the new. However, the historical Jesus did not see his own death as God’s act of terminating the sinful dispensation. The reaction required by the 'gospel'of Paul is to accept and live by it. Paul calls this commitment 'faith'.
Kerk en gemeenskap
Authors: Kotz P. P. A.
Published: August 2013

Die onderwerp: Kerk en gemeenskap, is die mees aktuele onderwerp van ons dag. Dit blyk uit die roeringe in ons eie kerkgeledere gedurende die afgelope tyd. Dit gee aanleiding tot heftige diskussie en tog is die pad daarvan nog nie stofgetrap nie, omdat, so lyk dit my, denkers doelbewus nie graag in mekaar se voetspore wil trap nie.
Living out a calling to teach: A practical theological engagement
Authors: Botha Carolina , Van den Berg Jan-Albert
Published: August 2013

South African teachers are confronted with a plethora of stressors on a daily basis. Often their experience of having a calling to teach is silenced by the realities they have to face. Becoming more aware of the presence of God in their classrooms might turn them into practical theologians. This in itself does not eliminate the factors that cause stress, but it becomes the driving force that keeps them coping in times of duress. Through a constant migration between theory and praxis within the habitus of practical theology, the academic discourses about teachers and about calling are explored. This specific context creates a moment of praxis where they can explore their identity as Christian teachers and their endeavours to create schools driven by their calling. The realisation that they are practical theologians has a profound effect on the different relationship-spheres in which teachers function. Thus they become empowered to be the hands and feet of God in their classrooms and, in turn, serve as agents of hope for their learners and for one another.
Die NG Kerk se buitelandse sending - gister, vandag en môre
Authors: Kritzinger J. J.
Published: August 2013

Dr J.M. Cronje se boek oor die buitelandse sending van die NG Kerk is 'n waardevolle hulpmiddel vir die bestudering van die sending. Die boek word reeds met groot waardering gelees en bestudeer en sal sekerlik vir ’n geruime tyd die standaardbron vir gegewens oor ons sendinggeskiedenis bly.
Die historiese betroubaarheid van die aartsvadervertellinge. 'n Beknopte bespreking van die huidige debat na aanleiding van die jongste publikasie
Authors: Vosloo W.
Published: August 2013

Die afgelope twintig jaar was daar ’n toenemende belangstelling in die aartsvadervertellinge in Genesis. Benewens die talle tydskrifartikels het skrywers soos die volgende ook boeke oor die onderwerp die lig laat sien: A. Parrot (1962), W. M. Clark (1964), R. Kilian (1966), R. E. Clements (1967), N. Lohfink (1967), H. Weidemann (1968), R. Martin-Achard (1969), T. L. Thompson (1974), J. van Seters (1975), J. P. Fokkelman (1975), C. Westermann (1976), R. Rendtorff (1977), J. Bright (1977), W. McKane (1979) en A. R. Millard en D. J. Wiseman (1980).
Rûah/gees in die Ou Testament
Authors: Vosloo W.
Published: August 2013

Die woord "rûah” kom byna 400 keer in die Ou Testament voor. In 'n groot aantal gevalle het dit niks met "gees" of "Gees" te doen nie en dikwels is dit moeilik om presies te bepaal wat met "Gees/gees" bedoel word. Hieruit blyk reeds dat die betekenis-aanwending in verskillende kategorieë verdeel kan word.
Die verhouding taal: predikant
Authors: Pretorius R.
Published: August 2013

Dit is nie 'n teologiese uitspraak nie, maar die erkentenis — met droefheid — van 'n taalentoesias.
Die pastorale sielkundige as diakonale pastor
Authors: Smuts A. J.
Published: August 2013

In die bedieningspatroon van die Ned. Geref. Kerk het die pastorale sielkundige die afgelope aantal jare steeds meer op die voorgrond begin tree. Hy is egter 'n problematiese figuur, wie se identiteit van meer as een kant onder bespreking is. In ander lande, selfs in die VSA waar die kerk veel gebruik maak van die sielkunde, is dit moeilik om 'n presiese parallel vir hom te vind. Sowel binne as buite die kerk word hy deur sommige bevraagteken. Daarom is dit noodsaaklik om vanuit die teologie te kyk na die werk wat hy doen.
'n Uitsig vanuit die kosmiese werk van die rûah op die Pneumatologie?
Authors: Vos C. J. A.
Published: August 2013

Die vraagstelling na die Pneumatologie vanuit die perspektief van die kosmiese werk van die ruah kan met 'n vraagteken, 'n ontkenning of 'n uitroepteken beantwoord word. 'n Teologies verantwoordbare keuse kan egter slegs in die lig van die betekenisspreiding en die woordhegting van die term rûah begrond word. Dit is die oogmerk van die onderhawige artikel om aan dié onderneming uitvoering te gee.
Faktore verantwoordelik vir die insinking en oplewing in die geestelike lewe van ou-Israel
Authors: Vosloo W.
Published: August 2013

Die insinking en oplewing in die geestelike lewe van ou Israel spruit voort uit 'n wye verskeidenheid faktore en kan op verskillende maniere benader word. In hierdie lesing wil ek my bepaal by die belangrikste faktore en hulle vanuit enkele gesigshoeke belig.
Marturia in Johannes 1
Authors: Du Toit A. B.
Published: August 2013

Hierdie artikel beweeg hoofsaaklik op die veld van komposisie-analise. In Joh. 1 tree die kwessie van bronne telkens na vore. Die versoeking is inderdaad groot om op die aard en oorsprong van hierdie bronne in te gaan. Nietemin wil skrywer hierdie versoeking weerstaan en net na bronne verwys waar dit vir die betoog funksioneel is.
Vernuwing in kategese en jeugarbeid
Authors: Nel M.
Published: August 2013

Die stelling dat vernuwing in die kategese vernuwing in die gemeente meebring, is slegs gedeeltelik waar. Kategese op sigself alleen en beter kategese op sigself alleen is nie die enigste "waarborg" vir kerkvernuwing nie. "Dienst toon tereg aan dat hierdie 'hooggespanne verwagting' van die sestiger jare, nl. dat kategese op sigself kerkhervorming waarborg, intussen grootliks tot nugterheid getemper is.
'n Veranderende boek- en biblioteekwese: Implikasies vir teoloog en predikant
Authors: Gerryts E. D.
Published: August 2013

By 'n geleentheid soos hierdie behoort ek seker oor die belangrikheid van die boek vir die teoloog en predikant te praat. Die boek is vir geen ander vak of beroep van groter belang nie. Dit gaan vir u immers om die Heilige Skrif, om die Boek van alle boeke. Daarbenewens het boek en literatuur 'n uiters belangrike rol in die geskiedenis van die kerk en van die Bybel gespeel.
Die verband tussen kuns en kerk
Authors: Roos N. O.
Published: August 2013

Die verband tussen kerk en kuns strek oor baie eeue en is steeds van aktuele belang. Vanweë die noue verband wat tussen godsdienstige en die estetiese ervaring bestaan, is dit aanvaarbaar dat die kerk van tyd tot tyd standpunt sal inneem oor die aard en funksie van die kunste, en eweneens aanvaarbaar dat die kunste soms rigtings sal inslaan wat skynbaar in stryd is met die strewes en standpunte van die Christelike kerk.
Die prinsipiële plek van oudiovisuele middele in die erediens
Authors: Muller J. C.
Published: August 2013

Tot 70% van wat ons sê, sê ons sonder woorde! Ons gebare, houding, gesigsuitdrukking, kleredrag, stemtoon, selfvertroue of gebrek daaraan, oogbeweging — die duur van 'n kyk, die posisie van die oë (m.a.w. loer ek, of gluur ek, of kyk ek met deernis), ensovoorts, dra alles betekenis oor en sê geweldig baie. Wanneer daar gepreek word is dit nie slegs die inhoud wat van belang is nie.
Die Islam as uitdaging in kerklike en staatkundige perspektief
Authors: Naude J. A.
Published: August 2013

Die geskiedenis van kontak tussen Moslems en Christene is 'n tragiese geskiedenis van gebrekkige kommunikasie. Die meeste van ons weet so min van die Islam dat daar gewoonlik daarna as Mohammedanisme en na Moslems as Mohammedane verwys word. As u ooit so ver gekom het om die Koran in vertaling te lees, het u dit seker betreklik vervelige leesstof gevind. Die Oosterse kleredrag, die lang rokke van die mans en die vormlose rokke van die vroue waaronder langbroeke uitsteek, vind ons eienaardig.
Hoe direk lei die Gees? 'n Dogmatiese en eksegetiese ondersoek rondom Romeine 8:14
Authors: Nicol W.
Published: August 2013

In Rom. 8:14 en Gal. 5:18 sê Paulus dat die Gees die gelowige t.o.v. sy praktiese lewe lei. Hy verduidelik nie eksplisiet hoe die gelowige dié leiding ontvang nie. Daar is aspekte van die saak waaroor daar onder ons nie onsekerheid bestaan of hoef te bestaan nie. Dit is duidelik dat die basiese middel waardeur die Gees lei die Woord is, d.w.s. die boodskap van die koninkryk.
G.M. Pellissier oor die prediking
Authors: Smuts A. J.
Published: August 2013

In 'n sekere sin kan professor Pellissier die vader van die teologiese fakulteit van die Ned. Geref. Kerk aan die Universiteit van Pretoria genoem word. George Murray Pellissier was naamlik die eerste en vir vier jaar lank die enigste professor van die Ned. Geref. Kerk in die teologiese fakulteit aan die Universiteit van Pretoria. In 1934 — tans al meer as 'n halwe eeu gelede — is hy aangestel as professor in die teologiese fakulteit.
Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk en die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke
Authors: Borchardt C. F. A.
Published: August 2013

The Dutch Reformed Church and the South African Council of Churches The General Missionary Conference which was founded in 1904 became the Christian Council of South Africa in 1936. In 1940 a founder member, viz. the Transvaal Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church withdrew from the council. In 1968 a change of name to the South African Council of Churches reflected a deeper involvement in social and political matters and it gradually also became more representative of the black Christian point of view. Despite various invitations, the Dutch Reformed Church has not rejoined the Council and relations have been very strained, but at its last synod in 1986 the Dutch Reformed Church decided that informal discussions could be held.
Die betekenis en konteks van genade en waarheid in Johannes 1:14-18
Authors: Kotz P. P. A.
Published: August 2013

The meaning and context of "grace and truth" in John 1:14—18 The meaning of a word or phrase must be determined in its immediate context. This is a very sound hermeneutical principle, but it cannot be absolutised as will be pointed out in this article where the principle is applied to the concept "grace and truth" in John 1:14—18. As will become clear this phrase gathers the wealth of its meaning from outside the text itself. Only from its extra-textual context can the true meaning, which focuses on the faithfulness of God to His covenant, be appreciated.
Die gebed: Enkele gesigspunte in verband met die aard en die inhoud van die Christelike gebed met besondere verwysing na die Heidelbergse Kategismus
Authors: Wethmar C. J.
Published: August 2013

Prayer: Some aspects of the nature and content of Christian prayer with special reference to the Heidelberg Catechism This article briefly describes a few basic aspects of the Reformed doctrine on prayer as represented by the Heidelberg Catechism. The focal point of this view is the conviction that prayer is primarily rooted In God's providential acts towards man and only secondarily in man's dialogical relationship to God. The concrete applicability of this basic tenet is then studied by way of a short analysis of the manner In which the Heidelberg Catechism explains the Lord's Prayer. The approach suggested by this Catechism seems to be able to provide solutions to some present day problems experienced with prayer — problems represented by terms such as "lethargy", "resistance" and "distrust".
Teks, verwysing, waarheid. Die relevansie van die verwysingskwessie vir die besinning oor die epistemologiese aard van die dogmatiek
Authors: Du Toit C. W.
Published: August 2013

Text, reference, truth. The relevance of the reference issue to the reflection on the epistemological character of dogmatics In this article an outline is given of the way in which the reference of words, sentences and texts takes place. The emphasis is placed on the intra-textual text reference, which is also the meaning or world of the text. Some aspects of Derrida's notion of différence is considered and the différence-character of metaphor is recognized, especially in the diaphoric sense of the word. In the Christian faith, faith itself is a prerequisite for the ultimate reference of the religious text (which is to God). This makes the religious text auto-referential and intra-textual. Dogmatics is a science which is dependent on texts, and which continually transgresses and reinterprets these texts. This qualifies the truth-character of dogmatics as anti-metaphysical, metaphorical, relational and textual.
Lyding ‘om U ontwil’ in Psalms 44 en 69
Authors: Coetzee J. H.
Published: August 2013

Suffering "for Your sake" in Psalms 44 and 69 Suffering "for Your sake" in the Old Testament is often incorrectly interpreted as vicarious suffering. In Psalms 44:23 and 69:8 where this expression occurs, it has a multiple function which excludes vicarious suffering. While the question of the reason and purpose of the suffering remains unanswered because the covenant theology had become a mystery, this expression was implemented as an escape to God's loving-kindness as the only ground for salvation. The problem of innocent suffering is not totally resolved hereby, but the tension between innocence and suffering is relieved and a shift in covenant theology introduced by the use of this expression.
'n Samevatting en kritiese evaluasie van B. S. Childs se kanoniese benadering
Authors: Janse van Rensburg N. A.
Published: August 2013

A summary and critical evaluation of B. S. Childs' canonical approach Childs is disappointed with the results of the historical critical method. He made an appeal for a totally new approach in which the relation between historical critical study of the Bible and its theological use as religious literature within the community of faith will be completely rethought. He proposes a canonical approach in which the final form of the text, not the pre- or past-canonical developments, will be normative for the community of faith. Because of Childs' enormous influence as Old Testament interpreter and the high standard of his work in the past, expectations ran high for the publication of his Old Testament Theology. In the light of his bold influence and the enormous promise of his work, Old Testament Theology in a canonical context is unfortunately a disappointment. One can only hope that he still intends writing a book that will illustrate how a theology is written in canonical context.
'n Dialogiese kommunikasieteorie vanuit 'n Prakties-Teologiese perspektief
Authors: Pieterse H. J. C.
Published: August 2013

A dialogical theory of communication from a practical theological perspective For our practical theological reflection on the communication of the gospel in ministry, we need a sound theory of communication. We choose for a dialogical theory of communication which suits the nature of Christian communication. This theory is developed with insights from theology and philosophy. The roots of a dialogical theory of communication are found in the thoughts of Socrates, Plato en Augustine. Kierkegaard is seen as the founder of the modern dialogical theory of communication, whilst the contributions of Buber, Jaspers, Gadamer and Habermas are traced. In an era of mass communication and propaganda, Christians need a communicative context where dialogue, freedom and an existential experience of God's love and grace can develop.
Die histories-kritiese metode(s) in perspektief
Authors: Prinsloo W. S.
Published: August 2013

The historical critical method in perspective The historical critical method has made a major contribution to the scientific study of the Bible, especially since the 18th century. The historical critical method, influenced by 19thcentury positivistic and evolusionistic principles of the natural sciences has mainly concentrated on the intention of the original author, the original situation and the growth of the text. The text as it stands has to a large extent been neglected. In reaction to this the text-immanent and structuralistic approaches emerged during the 20th century. The ideal situation would be to combine the three basic elements of the communication process, i.e. the author, the text and the reader in a complementary exegetical model.
A diagnostic dilemma in a patient with lymphoma
Authors: Shah Kajal , Prabhash Kumar , Noronha Vanita , Patil Prachi , Desai Sangeeta , Joshi Amit
Published: August 2013

We report the case of a 49-year-old man with a diagnosis of gastric diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma, treated with two lines of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, and presented about 3 months after completing therapy with recurrent episodes of epigastric pain, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Computed tomography scan, positron emission tomography scan, and upper GI endoscopy revealed gastric wall thickening and lymphadenopathy. Biopsy and histopathology ultimately revealed Strongyloides stercoralis infection that was mimicking disease recurrence. Opportunistic parasitic infections represent one of the major challenges in the management of cancer patients.
Functioning Adrenocortical Carcinoma with Extension upto the Right Atrium Producing Cushing's Syndrome
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Choudhary Gautam R. , Pushkarna Arawat
Published: August 2013

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis. Surgery is the only curative therapy available and overall 5-year survival for patients who undergo a complete resection is 32% to 48%. They are known to produce intravascular invasion and into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and in rare cases they may reach the right atrium. We report a case of functioning ACC extending into the inferior vena cava and right atrium in a female with Cushing's syndrome.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Transcriptome Dynamics during Growth in Angus Cattle Longissimus Muscle
Authors: Moisá Sonia J. , Shike Daniel W. , Graugnard Daniel E. , Rodriguez-Zas Sandra L. , Everts Robin E. , Lewin Harris A. , Faulkner Dan B. , Berger Larry L. , Loor Juan J.
Published: August 2013

Transcriptome dynamics in the longissimus muscle (LM) of young Angus cattle were evaluated at 0, 60, 120, and 220 days from early-weaning. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using the dynamic impact approach (DIA) by means of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) databases. Between 0 to 120 days (growing phase) most of the highly-impacted pathways (eg, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, drug metabolism, cytochrome P450 and Retinol metabolism) were inhibited. The phase between 120 to 220 days (finishing phase) was characterized by the most striking differences with 3,784 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Analysis of those DEGs revealed that the most impacted KEGG canonical pathway was glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis, which was inhibited. Furthermore, inhibition of calpastatin and activation of tyrosine aminotransferase ubiquitination at 220 days promotes proteasomal degradation, while the concurrent activation of ribosomal proteins promotes protein synthesis. Therefore, the balance of these processes likely results in a steady-state of protein turnover during the finishing phase. Results underscore the importance of transcriptome dynamics in LM during growth.
Markers that can Reflect Asthmatic Activity before and after Reduction of Inhaled Corticosteroids: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kato Go , Takahashi Koichiro , Izuhara Kenji , Komiya Kazutoshi , Kimura Shinya , Hayashi Shinichiro
Published: August 2013

Evaluation of airway inflammation is important in achieving adequate dosing of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for treating bronchial asthma. However, there is no evaluation tool that can be used in clinical settings. We examined biomarkers that can precisely reflect airway inflammation when ICS are decreased in stable asthmatic patients. This was a 12-week, single-arm, open-label clinical study performed at a single university hospital. Twenty-five patients (6 male and 19 female) with stable asthma were included in this study. We investigated whether the levels of nitrite and nitrate in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) increase after ICS reduction. We also investigated whether blood eosinophils, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-13, IL-17, and periostin are different before and after ICS reduction. Peak expiratory flow (PEF), pulmonary function tests, asthma control test (ACT), and asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) were also examined. We considered an unscheduled hospital visit due to asthmatic symptoms and decline in average PEF over one week by more than 10% to indicate disease instability, and compared patients with stable and unstable disease for analysis. Unstable status was detected in 5 patients. Age, sex, asthma duration, ACT and AQLQ scores, and the level of serum IgE did not differ between stable and unstable groups. In the unstable group, the total concentration of nitrite and nitrate at the last visit was 9.84 (6.65–11.24) μM. Surprisingly, this was similar to the concentration at the first visit (5.58 (2.94–17.29) μM). Serum periostin before ICS reduction (141.9 [107.7–147.7] pg/mL) was higher in the unstable group than in the stable group (91.5 [78.75–103.5] pg/mL). The unstable group had a higher peripheral blood eosinophil count and wider diurnal variation of PEF at the first visit compared to the stable group. Higher eosinophils in peripheral blood and wider diurnal variation of PEF were predictive markers for unstable disease after ICS reduction. Serum periostin is another candidate for the predictive marker.
Improved Sparse Multi-Class SVM and Its Application for Gene Selection in Cancer Classification
Authors: Huang Lingkang , Zhang Hao Helen , Zeng Zhao-Bang , Bushel Pierre R.
Published: August 2013

Background

Microarray techniques provide promising tools for cancer diagnosis using gene expression profiles. However, molecular diagnosis based on high-throughput platforms presents great challenges due to the overwhelming number of variables versus the small sample size and the complex nature of multi-type tumors. Support vector machines (SVMs) have shown superior performance in cancer classification due to their ability to handle high dimensional low sample size data. The multi-class SVM algorithm of Crammer and Singer provides a natural framework for multi-class learning. Despite its effective performance, the procedure utilizes all variables without selection. In this paper, we propose to improve the procedure by imposing shrinkage penalties in learning to enforce solution sparsity.

Results

The original multi-class SVM of Crammer and Singer is effective for multi-class classification but does not conduct variable selection. We improved the method by introducing soft-thresholding type penalties to incorporate variable selection into multi-class classification for high dimensional data. The new methods were applied to simulated data and two cancer gene expression data sets. The results demonstrate that the new methods can select a small number of genes for building accurate multi-class classification rules. Furthermore, the important genes selected by the methods overlap significantly, suggesting general agreement among different variable selection schemes.

Conclusions

High accuracy and sparsity make the new methods attractive for cancer diagnostics with gene expression data and defining targets of therapeutic intervention.

Availability

The source MATLAB code are available from http://math.arizona.edu/∼hzhang/software.html.
Serum Prolidase Activity in Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Uçar Demet , Em Serda , Bozkurt Mehtap , Oktayoglu Pelin , Yüksel Hatice Kurt , Çaglayan Mehmet , Gezer Orhan , Nas Kemal
Published: August 2013

The aim of the present study was to emphasize the collagen turnover in 2 of the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases by evaluating serum prolidase activity (SPA) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 30 patients who met the modified New York Criteria for the classification of AS, 29 patients who met the 2010 Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria for the classification of RA, and 31 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum samples of the patients and the controls were collected and SPA was measured by a spectrophotometric method. The comparison of the SPA in these 3 groups was statistically examined. In both patient groups, the SPA was lower than in the control group. SPA in patients with AS was statistically significantly lower than in the control and RA groups ( P < 0.001/ P = 0.002). No statistically significant difference was found between the RA and the control groups ( P = 0.891). In conclusion, lower SPA is presumably associated with decreased collagen turnover and fibrosis, leading to decreased physical functions in both chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases.
Cervical Squamous Cell Lymph Node Metastases from an Unknown Primary Site: Survival and Patterns of Recurrence after Radiotherapy
Authors: Gani Cihan , Eckert Franziska , Müller Arndt-Christian , Mauz Paul-Stefan , Thiericke John , Bamberg Michael , Weinmann Martin
Published: August 2013

Introduction

The purpose of the present retrospective study was to review outcome and patterns of failure of patients who were treated with radiotherapy for cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary site (CUP).

Patients and Methods

Between 2000 and 2009, 34 patients diagnosed with squamous cell CUP were admitted to radiotherapy in curative intent. In 26 of 34 patients (76%) neck dissection was performed prior to radiotherapy, extracapsular extension (ECE) was seen in 20 of 34 patients (59%). Target volumes included the bilateral neck and panpharyngeal mucosa. Concomitant chemotherapy was applied in 14 of 34 patients (41%).

Results

After a median follow-up of 45 months for the entire group, 2 of 34 patients (6%) presented with an isolated regional recurrence, another 2 of 34 patients (6%) developed both local and distant recurrence, and 6 of 34 patients (18%) had distant failure only. Estimated overall survival after 2- and 5 -years was 78% and 63%. All patients with N1 or N2a disease (n=6) were disease free after 5 years. ECE, concomitant chemotherapy and involvement of neck levels 4 and 5 were associated with worse overall survival on univariate analysis.

Conclusion

Radiotherapy of the panpharynx and bilateral neck leads to excellent local control while distant metastases are the most frequent site of failure and prognostically limiting. Therefore intensified concomitant or sequential systemic therapies should be evaluated in future trials.
Article Commentary: Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)
Authors: Weldring Theresa , Smith Sheree M.S.
Published: August 2013

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on placing patients at the center of health care research and evaluating clinical care in order to improve their experience and ensure that research is both robust and of maximum value for the use of medicinal products, therapy, or health services. This paper provides an overview of patients’ involvement in clinical research and service evaluation along with its benefits and limitations. We describe and discuss patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the trends in current research. Both the patient-reported experiences measures (PREMs) and patient and public involvement (PPI) initiative for including patients in the research processes are also outlined. PROs provide reports from patients about their own health, quality of life, or functional status associated with the health care or treatment they have received. PROMs are tools and/or instruments used to report PROs. Patient report experiences through the use of PREMs, such as satisfaction scales, providing insight into the patients’ experience with their care or a health service. There is increasing international attention regarding the use of PREMS as a quality indicator of patient care and safety. This reflects the ongoing health service commitment of involving patients and the public within the wider context of the development and evaluation of health care service delivery and quality improvement.
Complexity Theory
Authors: Bürgisser Peter , Goldreich Oded , Sudan Madhu , Vadhan Salil
Published: August 2013

Computational Complexity Theory is the mathematical study of the intrinsic power and limitations of computational resources like time, space, or randomness. The current workshop focused on recent developments in various sub-areas including arithmetic complexity, Boolean complexity, communication complexity, cryptography, probabilistic proof systems, and pseudorandomness. Many of the developments are related to diverse mathematical fields such as algebraic geometry, combinatorial number theory, probability theory, representation theory, and the theory of error-correcting codes.
The twisting representation of the $L$-function of a curve
Authors: Fité Francesc , Lario Joan-Carles
Published: August 2013

Let

C

be a smooth projective curve defined over a number field and let

C'

be a twist of

C

. In this article we relate the

\ell

-adic representations attached to the

\ell

-adic Tate modules of the Jacobians of

C

and

C'

through an Artin representation. This representation induces
global
relations between the local factors of the respective Hasse–Weil

L

-functions. We make these relations explicit in a particularly illustrative situation. For all but a finite number of

\overline{\mathbb{Q}}

-isomorphism classes of genus 2 curves defined over

\mathbb{Q}

with

\operatorname{Aut}(C)\simeq D_8

or

D_{12}

, we find a representative curve

C/\mathbb{Q}

such that, for every isomorphism

\phi\colon C'\rightarrow C

satisfying some mild condition, we are able to determine either the local factor

L_{ p}(C'/\mathbb{Q},T)

or the product

L_{p}(C'/\mathbb{Q},T)\cdot L_{p}(C'/\mathbb{Q},-T)

from the local factor

L_{p}(C/\mathbb{Q},T)

.
Transversal multilinear Radon-like transforms: local and global estimates
Authors: Bennett Jonathan , Bez Neal , Gutiérrez Susana
Published: August 2013

We prove local “

L^p

-improving” estimates for a class of multilinear Radon-like transforms satisfying a strong transversality hypothesis. As a consequence, we obtain sharp multilinear convolution estimates for measures supported on fully transversal submanifolds of Euclidean space of arbitrary dimension. Motivated by potential applications in diffraction tomography, we also prove global estimates for the same class of Radon-like transforms under a natural homogeneity assumption.
An operator inequality for weighted Bergman shift operators
Authors: Olofsson Anders , Wennman Aron
Published: August 2013

We prove an operator inequality for the Bergman shift operator on weighted Bergman spaces of analytic functions in the unit disc with weight function controlled by a curvature parameter

\alpha

assuming nonnegative integer values. This generalizes results by Shimorin, Hedenmalm and Jakobsson concerning the cases

\alpha=0

and

\alpha=1

. A naturally derived scale of Hilbert space operator inequalities is studied and shown to be relaxing as the parameter

\alpha>-1

increases. Additional examples are provided in the form of weighted shift operators.
Análisis de la adaptación a la red en los editoriales on line de cinco países europeos
Authors: García Orosa Berta , López García Xosé , Gallur Santorum Santiago
Published: August 2013

El artículo analiza los editoriales de periódicos on line de cinco países europeos con el objetivo principal de realizar una radiografía de sus características y su grado de adaptación a la red. Metodología. Se estudiaron los editoriales publicados en El País, The Times, Le Monde, Diario de Noticias y Corriere della Sera a través del análisis de contenido. Resultados. El editorial mantiene en la red una posición privilegiada y diferenciada entre los artículos de opinión de los medios revisados; además, retiene su función como voz institucionalizada del medio. Discusión. Visto lo anterior, pese a la importancia del editorial, su rol como orientador de la opinión pública ante asuntos de actualidad se ve oscurecido por su función como actor político. Conclusiones. El editorial conserva las características formales y de contenido tradicionales del género con una escasa adaptación a la red y posibilidades de participación del ciudadano.
La información de las administraciones públicas locales. Las webs de los ayuntamientos de Cataluña
Authors: Moreno Sardà Amparo , Molina Rodríguez-Navas Pedro , Corcoy Rius Marta
Published: August 2013

La información de las administraciones públicas ha de ser completa e inteligible para que la ciudadanía pueda ejercer su derecho a la participación de forma fundamentada y para que los profesionales de los medios de comunicación dispongan de fuentes fiables. Metodología. El objetivo de esta investigación es elaborar un procedimiento de evaluación de las informaciones que ofrecen las webs de los ayuntamientos, aplicarlo y ofrecer los resultados en línea a través de una plataforma específica para incitar a los responsables a introducir mejoras. Hemos definido 41 indicadores de evaluación y hemos evaluado las webs de los 947 ayuntamientos de Cataluña. Resultados. Los resultados los hemos representado sobre una herramienta cartográfica, el Mapa de Buenas Prácticas de la Comunicación Pública Local, ofreciendo resultados individuales, de conjunto y estadísticas. Conclusiones. Su publicación ha propiciado cambios en las webs en muy poco tiempo. Ahora aplicaremos esta misma metodología en otras 5 comunidades autónomas de España.
Investigation of the effective peak supersaturation for liquid-phase clouds at the high-alpine site Jungfraujoch, Switzerland (3580 m a.s.l.)
Authors: Hammer E. , Bukowiecki N. , Gysel M. , Jurányi Z. , Hoyle C. R. , Vogt R. , Baltensperger U. , Weingartner E.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. Aerosols influence the Earth's radiation budget directly through absorption and scattering of solar radiation in the atmosphere but also indirectly by modifying the properties of clouds. However, climate models still suffer from large uncertainties as a result of insufficient understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions. At the high altitude research station Jungfraujoch (JFJ; 3580 m a.s.l., Switzerland) cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations at eight different supersaturations (SS) from 0.24% to 1.18% were measured using a CCN counter during Summer 2011. Simultaneously, in-situ aerosol activation properties of the prevailing ambient clouds were investigated by measuring the total and interstitial (non-activated) dry particle number size distributions behind two different inlet systems. Combining all experimental data, a new method was developed to retrieve the so-called effective peak supersaturation SSpeak, as a measure of the SS at which ambient clouds are formed. A 17 month CCN climatology was then used to retrieve the SSpeak values also for four earlier summer campaigns (2000, 2002, 2004 and 2010) where no direct CCN data were available. The SSpeak values varied between 0.01% and 2.0% during all campaigns. An overall median SSpeak of 0.35% and dry activation diameter of 87 nm was observed. It was found that the difference in topography between northwest and southeast plays an important role for the effective peak supersaturation in clouds formed in the vicinity of the JFJ, while differences in the number concentration of potential CCN only play a minor role. Results show that air masses coming from the southeast (with the slowly rising terrain of the Aletsch Glacier) generally experience lower SSpeak values than air masses coming from the northwest (steep slope). The observed overall median values were 0.41% and 0.22% for northwest and southeast wind conditions, respectively, corresponding to literature values for cumulus clouds and shallow-layer clouds. These cloud types are consistent with weather observations routinely performed at the JFJ.
Response of ecosystem respiration to experimental warming and clipping in Tibetan alpine meadow at three elevations
Authors: Fu G. , Zhang Y.-J. , Zhang X.-Z. , Shi P.-L. , Zhou Y.-T. , Li Y.-L. , Shen Z.-X.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. This study aims to understand the response of ecosystem respiration (Reco) to warming and clipping in the alpine meadow of Tibet. A field warming experiment using open top chambers was conducted in three alpine meadow sites at elevation 4313 m, 4513 m and 4693 m on the Tibetan Plateau since July 2008. Clipping was conducted three times a year since 2009. Reco was measured from June to September in 2010–2012. For most cases, the seasonal variation of Reco was mainly affected by soil water content rather than soil and air temperature, especially under warmer environment. Experimental warming tended to decrease seasonal average Reco by 21.6% and 10.9% at elevation 4313 m and 4513 m, respectively, but significantly increased seasonal average Reco by 11.3% at elevation 4693 m. The different responses of Reco to experimental warming could be mainly dependent on temperature and water availability condition. Clipping decreased seasonal average Reco by 6.9%, 36.9% and 31.6% at elevation 4313 m, 4513 m and 4693 m. The consistent declines caused by clipping may be mainly attributed to clipping-induced decline in aboveground biomass. Our findings suggested that the response of Reco to warming differed among the alpine meadow and was regulated by soil water content on the Tibetan Plateau.
A~simple model for predicting the global distribution of the N2 fixing host genus Alnus Mill.: impact of climate change on the global distribution in 2100
Authors: Sakalli A.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. The importance of N2-fixing plants has increased in last decades. Alnus (alder) is an important plant group because of its nitrogen fixation ability. Alders are generally distributed in humid locations of boreal, temperate and tropical climate zones, where the nitrogen fixation is an important nitrogen source for other plants. To model the nitrogen fixation by alder, data about the global distribution of alder is absolutely required. In this study a new method and model to predict the distribution of N2-fixing genus on global scale is presented. Three linear functions were defined for the determination of climate area of alder locations. The distribution model was improved with the aid of the soil units from FAO-Unesco Soil Database, and vegetation types from Schmithüsen's biogeographical atlas. The model (Alnus-Distribution-Model, ADM) was also developed to predict the impact of climate change on alder distribution by using climate data of five relevant climate models (PCM, ECHam4, HadCM3, CSIRO2 and CGCM2), and four IPCC climate scenarios (i.e. A1FI, A2, B1 and B2) in 2100. The model covered basic approaches to understand the climate change effect on plant migration in the future.
Technical Note: Approximate Bayesian parameterization of a complex tropical forest model
Authors: Hartig F. , Dislich C. , Wiegand T. , Huth A.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. Inverse parameter estimation of process-based models is a long-standing problem in ecology and evolution. A key problem of inverse parameter estimation is to define a metric that quantifies how well model predictions fit to the data. Such a metric can be expressed by general cost or objective functions, but statistical inversion approaches are based on a particular metric, the probability of observing the data given the model, known as the likelihood. Deriving likelihoods for dynamic models requires making assumptions about the probability for observations to deviate from mean model predictions. For technical reasons, these assumptions are usually derived without explicit consideration of the processes in the simulation. Only in recent years have new methods become available that allow generating likelihoods directly from stochastic simulations. Previous applications of these approximate Bayesian methods have concentrated on relatively simple models. Here, we report on the application of a simulation-based likelihood approximation for FORMIND, a parameter-rich individual-based model of tropical forest dynamics. We show that approximate Bayesian inference, based on a parametric likelihood approximation placed in a conventional MCMC, performs well in retrieving known parameter values from virtual field data generated by the forest model. We analyze the results of the parameter estimation, examine the sensitivity towards the choice and aggregation of model outputs and observed data (summary statistics), and show results from using this method to fit the FORMIND model to field data from an Ecuadorian tropical forest. Finally, we discuss differences of this approach to Approximate Bayesian Computing (ABC), another commonly used method to generate simulation-based likelihood approximations. Our results demonstrate that simulation-based inference, which offers considerable conceptual advantages over more traditional methods for inverse parameter estimation, can successfully be applied to process-based models of high complexity. The methodology is particularly suited to heterogeneous and complex data structures and can easily be adjusted to other model types, including most stochastic population and individual-based models. Our study therefore provides a blueprint for a fairly general approach to parameter estimation of stochastic process-based models in ecology and evolution.