bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic Boundaries between Human Populations
Authors: Barbujani Guido , Belle Elise M.S.
Published: March 2006

Different authors disagree on whether human genome variation should be described as continuous or discontinuous; in the latter case, by attributing an individual’s genotype to one genetic cluster, one would also obtain information on the individual’s genome in general. An analysis of 377 microsatellites of the CEPH human diversity panel was interpreted as evidence that most genotypes cluster into one of five distinct groups, approximately corresponding to continents, which were pro- posed by some authors as the major biological subdivisions of humankind. Here we analyse the same dataset by a specific numerical method, designed to detect genomic boundaries, i.e. zones of increased change in maps of genomic variation. We show that statistically significant boundaries can be described between groups of populations, but different clusters are identified, depending on the assumptions of the model. In addition, these clusters do not correspond to the clusters inferred from previous analyses of the same or of other polymorphisms. We conclude that it is indeed possible to cluster genotypes according to geography, but no study so far identified unambiguously anything that can be regarded as a major genetic subdivision of humankind, and hence discontinuous models of human diversity are unsupported by data.
The Use of Random Controls in Genetic Association Studies
Authors: Garner Chad
Published: March 2006

Background: The optimal control sample would be ethnically-matched and at minimal risk of developing the disease. Alternatively, one could collect random individuals from the population or select individuals to reduce the number of at-risk individuals in the sample. The effect of randomly selected individuals in a control sample on the statistical power and the odds ratio estimate was investigated. Methods: Case and control genotype distributions were simulated using standard genetic models with an additional term representing the proportion of unidentified cases in the control sample. Power and odds ratio were calculated from the genotype distributions generated under different sampling scenarios using established methods. Results: Random sampling of controls resulted in a loss in power and a reduction in the odds ratio estimate to a degree that is determined by the proportion of random sampling and the prevalence of the disease. Random sampling resulted in a 19% loss in power for a disease having prevalence of 0.20, compared to a control sample that contained no at-risk individuals. Having random controls results in a decrease in the odds ratio estimate. Conclusions: Investigators planning case-control genetic association studies should be aware of the statistical costs of different ascertainment approaches.
Genetic Determinants of Susceptibility to UV Light-Associated Skin Cancer
Authors: Sprecher Eli
Published: March 2006

UV light exposure has been incriminated for the steady rise in skin cancer incidence observed during the last years. However, individual responses to the oncogenic effects of UV light are greatly variable. Among the many factors modulating the response to UV light, genetic variations play a pivotal role. This review examines major progress in our understanding of major hereditary and nonhereditary genetic modifiers involved in the pathogenesis of UV-induced skin cancer.
Exogenous Factors and Psoriasis
Authors: Dika E. , Maibach H.I.
Published: March 2006

Psoriasis is a chronic relapsing disease characterized by variable clinical features. Several factors may exacerbate its manifestations, or even trigger the disease, such as traumatic injury to the skin, physical and psychological stress, cold weather, excessive alcohol intake, and drugs such as lithium and beta-blockers. We describe the most common features of psoriasis and the exogenous factors that may induce, trigger or exacerbate the disease.
Exogenous Factors in Hair Disorders
Authors: Horev Liran
Published: March 2006

The health and beauty of human hair have immeasurable psychological importance. Hair structure and its cycle are influenced by intentionally or nonintentionally delivered factors such as grooming, heat styling, chemical agents and climatic exposure. All of these factors are capable of causing loss of hair color and luster, harshness, stiffness, weakness, brittleness and flyaway, transient loss of hair or scarring alopecia. In this review we describe the effects of various exogenous agents on hair, including hair cosmetics, traction, heat, water, solar radiation and X-irradiation.
Exogenous Factors in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Trattner Akiva
Published: March 2006

Exogenous factors implicated in or suspected of precipitating cutaneous lupus erythematosus are reviewed. Environmental risk factors (including infectious disease, dietary data, ultraviolet light, medications, pesticides and heavy metals) that are potentially related to the development of lupus erythematosus are discussed.
Cellular Uptake of the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Imatinib and AMN107 in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Cell Lines
Authors: Prenen Hans , Guetens Gunther , de Boeck Gert , Debiec-Rychter Maria , Manley Paul , Schöffski Patrick , van Oosterom Allan T. , de Bruijn Ernst
Published: March 2006

Imatinib and AMN107 are protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors which reduce KIT autophosphorylation with similar potency. This report describes the cellular uptake of these compounds in two human gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)-derived cell lines (GIST882 and GIST GDG1), which both express constitutively activated KIT. In GIST882 and GIST GDG1 cell lines, HPLC analysis revealed AMN107 intracellular concentrations to be 7- and 10-fold greater than those of imatinib. These data indicate either increased cellular uptake or decreased cellular efflux of AMN107 when compared to imatinib in GIST cell lines. The finding suggests that AMN107 might be less susceptible to transport-driven imatinib resistance. The stable and increased exposure of GIST cells to a highly active AMN107 agent could be important in the treatment of imatinib-resistant GIST patients in whom resistance has developed as a result of changes in cellular transport mechanisms for which AMN107 is not a substrate.
Is Genetic Vaccination against Allergy Possible?
Authors: Weiss Richard , Scheiblhofer Sandra , Gabler Maximilian , Ferreira Fatima , Leitner Wolfgang W. , Thalhamer Josef
Published: March 2006

Genetic immunization has proven a powerful method to induce antiallergic immune responses. The underlying functional principle has been described to be based on the recruitment of allergen-specific Th1 cells, CD8+ cells and the establishment of a Th1 cytokine milieu, which prevent the development of a Th2-biased response in a protective setup and can balance an ongoing Th2-type response in a therapeutic situation. Genetic immunization with plasmid DNA offers innovative solutions to the major problems associated with protein immunization, such as crosslinking of pre-existing immunoglobulin E on mast cells/basophils or induction of de novo synthesis of immunoglobulin E by the protein immunization itself. It easily enables the routine production of hypoallergenic vaccines, which do not translate native allergens, thus avoiding potential anaphylactic side effects. DNA vaccines can also be applied as mixtures of single vaccines, making them interesting candidates for treatment based on component-resolved diagnosis, followed by an individualized therapy with the relevant allergens. In addition to the description of up-to-date allergen gene vaccine approaches, this review gives an overview of animal studies dealing with the following topics: danger signals as the inherent adjuvant properties, methods to optimize the vaccine immunogenicity, modulation of the immune response, nonparenteral applications and low-dose vaccination strategies.
Radiosurgery for the Treatment of Spinal Melanoma Metastases
Authors: Gerszten Peter C. , Burton Steven A. , Quinn Annette E. , Agarwala Sanjiv S. , Kirkwood John M.
Published: March 2006

Background: The role of stereotactic radiosurgery in treating metastatic melanoma involving the spine has previously been limited. Conventional external beam radiotherapy lacks the precision to allow delivery of large single-fraction doses of radiation and simultaneously to limit the dose delivered to radiosensitive structures such as the spinal cord. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of radiosurgery for the treatment of melanoma spinal metastases in 28 patients.Methods: Thirty-six melanoma spine metastases were treated with a single-session radiosurgery technique (1 cervical, 11 thoracic, 13 lumbar, and 11 sacral) with a follow-up period of 3–43 months (median 13 months). Tumor volume ranged from 4.1 to 153 cm3 (mean 47.6 cm3). Twenty-three of the 36 lesions had received prior external beam irradiation. Results: Maximum tumor dose was maintained at 17.5–25 Gy (mean 21.7 Gy). Spinal cord volume receiving >8 Gy ranged from 0.0 to 0.7 cm3 (mean 0.26 cm3); spinal canal volume at the cauda equina level receiving >8 Gy ranged from 0.0 to 3.5 cm3 (mean 0.98 cm3). No radiation-induced toxicity occurred during the follow-up period. Axial and radicular pain improved in 27 of 28 patients (96%) who were treated primarily for pain. Long-term tumor control was seen in 3 of 4 cases treated primarily for radiographic tumor progression. Two patients went on to require open surgical intervention for tumor progression resulting in neurological deficit. Conclusions: Spinal radiosurgery offers a therapeutic modality for the safe delivery of large dose fractions of radiation therapy in a single fraction for the management of spinal metastases in patients with advanced melanoma that are often poorly controlled with alternative conventional external beam radiation therapy, and is successful even in patients with previously irradiated lesions.
Effect of Pitavastatin on Urinary Liver-Type Fatty-Acid-Binding Protein in Patients with Nondiabetic Mild Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Nakamura Tsukasa , Sugaya Takeshi , Kawagoe Yasuhiro , Suzuki Tsukasa , Inoue Teruo , Node Koichi
Published: March 2006

Background/Aim: Urinary liver-type fatty-acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is a useful clinical marker in the monitoring of chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with tubulointerstitial damage. Statins have been shown to be effective in the treatment of renal disease. The aim of the present study was to determine whether pitavastatin, a newly developed statin, modulates the urinary L-FABP levels in normolipidemic patients with CKD. Methods: Thirty normolipidemic mild CKD patients (18 males and 12 females, mean age 40 years, mean serum creatinine level 1.0 mg/dl) were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) pitavastatin (1 mg/day, n = 15) and (2) placebo (n = 15). Urinary protein and urinary L-FABP levels were measured before the initiation of treatment and 3 and 6 months thereafter. Twenty age-matched healthy subjects were also studied as controls. Results: Before treatment, the urinary L-FABP levels in 30 CKD patients (84.0 ± 68.5 µg/g creatinine) were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects (6.4 ± 4.2 µg/g creatinine; p < 0.001). Pitavastatin slightly reduced serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but this was not statistically significant. However, pitavastatin reduced the urinary protein excretion from 1.8 to 1.0 g/day (p < 0.01), while the urinary L-FABP levels fell from 88.5 ± 70.5 to 28.0 ± 16.5 µg/g creatinine (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The present data suggest that pitavastatin ameliorates tubulointerstitial damage in CKD patients independent of the lipid-lowering effect.
History and Pseudo-History in the Jesus Film Genre
Authors: Reinhartz Adele
Published: March 2006

Movies in the Jesus film genre often claim to be not only faithful renditions of their texts—the New Testament Gospels—but also accurate representations of the person, words and deeds of the historical Jesus himself. More fundamentally, they also presume a tight connection between historicity and faith. A viewer who learns about the historical Jesus through these films, they suggest, will have his or her faith forever strengthened. The irony is that whereas the Gospels have inspired profound ideas and beliefs that have shaped Christian spiritually through the two millennia since Jesus' lifetime, their transformation on the silver screen almost always results in a superficial, shallow, simplistic representation of Jesus, his life and his significance for humankind. While almost every Jesus movie has its moments of grace and artistry, most of them plod through the story even as they claim to bring to life both the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith.This paper explores two films—Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Denys Arcand's Jesus of Montreal (1989)—that break out of this pattern, and in doing so mount a fundamental and explicit challenge to the links between scripture, history and faith. Paradoxically, this challenge allows them a more profound and nuanced exploration of Christian faith than can be found in most other films of this genre.
Angels in America and Semiotic Cocktails of Sex, Bible and Politics
Authors: Nutu Ela
Published: March 2006

This paper offers a reading of Mike Nichols' television adaptation of Tony Kushner's Angels in America with reference to biblical encounters with angels, whether direct, like those of Jacob and Elijah, or indirect, like that of the sick man by the Bethesda pool (John 5). Kushner's work is complex, and it addresses issues like the human condition, homosexuality, AIDS, race, religion and politics, while emphasising elements of choice and identity. For Kushner, it seems, 'angels' signify an absence rather than a presence of the divine, puzzles rather than answers (many of which refer to sex and gender identities), and turn-of-the-millennium angst. Kushner's 'Prior' character is declared a prophet by the messenger angel while dying of AIDS. Prior's encounter harbours echoes of Elijah's own encounter with an angel of the Lord while struggling with exhaustion and an apparent desire for death (1 Kings 19:1-9). Furthermore, unwilling to accept the role of prophet, Prior wrestles with the angel, and, in a similar vein to Jacob's experience (Gen. 32:22-32), this results in a ladder leading to heaven and a blessing. This paper explores the complex world of signifiers in Angels in America, while paying particular attention to the biblical elements present in the text.
The Wizard of Uz: Job, Dorothy, and the Limits of the Sublime
Authors: Linafelt Tod
Published: March 2006

Comparing the book of Job with The Wizard of Oz brings out quite a few substantial similarities between the two. Whether or not these similarities are the result of direct, conscious influence, considering these two classic works together leads to a more interesting and complex evaluation of each on its own. In particular, we may see that both works demonstrate a knowing engagement with what aesthetic theory would identify as "the beautiful" and "the sublime." Ultimately, The Wizard of Oz rejects the sublime in favor of the beautiful, whereas the book of Job, though implying a critique of the sublime as represented in the God-speeches, holds on to both the sublime and the beautiful as legitimate categories.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn a 'Abd al-Wahhāb and Shāh Walī Allāh: A Preliminary Comparison of Some Aspects of their Lifes and Careers
Authors: Ibrahim Hassan Ahmed
Published: March 2006

Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb (1703–1791) and Shāh Walī Allāh (1703–1762) were, indeed, the two key Mujaddis in the entire eighteenth-century Muslim world. Many scholarly and amateurish works were produced in English, Arabic, Urdu and other languages on their substantial achievements, but I am not aware of any independent comparative study of their careers and thought. This paper is, however, just a preliminary attempt to construct such a comparison and contrast through studying some aspects of their colourful lives and intellectual legacies. The discourse contests, in particular, the neologism "Indian Wahhābism", which had been coined by some orientalists to designate the Indian Islamic reformist movement, because, to say the least, it implicitly, but without justification, condemned it as a carbon copy of Wahhābism, and its vanguard, Shāh Walī Allāh, as a replica of his contemporary Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb. The discourse suggests that the Shaykh and the Shāh founded and spearheaded distinct, but largely dissimilar, systems and schools of thought in the pre-modernist era that have had far-reaching impacts on subsequent Islamic reformist movements worldwide.
A Yearning of the Heart: Spirituality and Politics
Authors: Tagesson Helena
Published: March 2006

This text is a personal account of some of my experiences as an activist within the global justice movement and also as a Buddhist practitioner, and how these two ways of striving for human emancipation interlink and mutually reinforce each other. Using examples from the Swedish Attac movement and the EU summit mobilisations in Gothenburg in 2001, the text argues that social movement activism is often existentially challenging, in that its participants are made aware of their inability to live up to their own ideals of equality, inclusion, justice and dignity. Many activists experience a kind of deep, existential disappointment with themselves and their organisations, which makes it hard to sustain engagement, especially since most movements do not have a language for or a culture of speaking about these processes. The text shares experiences of using teachings and practices of teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Chögyam Trungpa and Pema Chödrön in order to understand and integrate such disappointment and sustain engagement.
Power as Subordination and Resistance as Disobedience: Non-violent Movements and the Management of Power
Authors: Vinthagen Stellan
Published: March 2006

This text synthesizes non-violent resistance theory (Sharp, 1973) and late modern power theory (Foucault, 1974), in an attempt to understand resistance to power. Contemporary non-violence research focuses on the power relation between the (free) Citizen and the (centralised) State, and does not consider the power which disciplines people's perception and behaviour in accordance with "truth-regimes", or non-violent activists. Hence, a modification of the consent theory is needed to destabilize its Cartesian assumption of a (non-violent) Subject with a free, autonomous and conscious will. At the same time, in opposition to prevalent interpretations of Foucault, I will argue that incorporated forms of power imply cooperative subordination. The actor still has a precarious space to choose or resist. This in turn, opens new space to understand resistance, which is indicated in the conclusion.
A War Against the Turks? Erasmus on War and Peace
Authors: Dallmayr Fred
Published: March 2006

In a time dominated by incessant warfare, violence and terrorism, it would do well to remember the great Dutch humanist Erasmus and especially his teachings on war and peace. The essay focuses on three Erasmus texts: "On the War against the Turks"; his comments on the classical adage "War is Sweet to the Inexperienced"; and his "Handbook for a Militant Christian". In the first text, Erasmus champions a slightly modified version of the traditional doctrine of "just war", by stipulating that war can only be conducted in self-defense against aggression, and only as a last resort after all other avenues have been exhausted. Outside these limits, he insists, war is an act of savagery; above all, if it is inspired by such motives as "lust for power, ambition or desire for revenge" it is not war but mere brigandage. The second text expands the critique of unrestricted warfare into a critique of some pretended justifications of war — especially arguments blaming a corrupt "human nature" or invoking the requirements of "public security". The final text opposes power plays and warmongering — the ethical standards of good will and respect for others as guideposts for inter-confessional relations and as antidotes to religiously sanctioned violence.
A Civilised Gemeinschaft: Ally of Civil Society in Capitalist Development
Authors: Lever-Tracy Constance
Published: March 2006

We have seen a new, distinctive and, to a considerable extent, self-directed implantation and flourishing of capitalist enterprises and accumulation in a number of previously economically under-developed parts of the world. This has been particularly notable in East Asia and coastal China, among some minorities in Southeast Asia and North America and also in parts of Eastern and Southern Europe.The first part of the paper discusses classical theories of civil society as an essential seedbed for capitalist development. The next section argues that some attributes of such a civil society are today interpenetrating with aspects of gemeinschaft type relationships of kinship and community, blurring the distinction and drawing from the combination a renewed dynamism, flexibility and developmental power. In the last sections, a closer look is taken at two situations of recently re-invigorated capitalist activity, amongst Chinese diaspora capitalists outside the mainland, and in the successful, export-oriented industrialisation of the villages of coastal China. The aim is to see if light can be thrown on these recently successful cases, by the notion of a strengthened civil society, reinvigorated by such a civilised gemeinschaft.
Who Owes and Who Pays? The Accumulated Debt of Neoliberalism
Authors: De La Barra Ximena
Published: March 2006

The imposition of the neoliberal capitalist model in Latin America remains the principal obstacle to development with dignity and rights. This model immerses poor countries into debt, loots their natural resources and imposes public policies that contradict genuine social development. The pursuit of global development goals through increased social investment could help make payment on the social debt, but this process is vastly limited, especially by the external financial debt. Developing countries cannot manage both debts while their own resources are compromised by privatisation, de-nationalisation, heavily conditioned development assistance, and free trade agreements. A global human rights perspective on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) helps us to anticipate their limitations and contradictions. In Latin America, the MDGs fail to adequately reflect the social debt posed by the region's enormous social inequalities. Those who most owe are really those who most benefit from the debt of others. Those who most pay are the excluded and vulnerable segments, namely, African descendants, indigenous peoples and the region's children. Current trends indicate that time is running out for reaching the MDG targets set for 2015. Neoliberalism's inability to comply with existing global commitments illustrates the urgent need of constructing an alternative development model. The moment may be ripe for change in Latin America because there are hopeful signs of cracks in the imperial order.
Social Movements and the State: Political Power Dynamics in Latin America
Authors: Petras James , Veltmeyer Henry
Published: March 2006

In Latin America, it is possible to identify three basic modalities of social change and political power: electoral politics, the construction of social movements, and social action in the direction of local development. But radical politics of mass mobilisation remains the indispensable condition for advancing the struggle for social change towards a new world of social justice and real development based on popular power. An analysis of events over recent years shows that the regional scene has become punctuated with new dynamics of change. This change is based on the advance of an alternative social or non-political approach associated with the rise of grassroots, community forms of social organisation and local development. This phenomenon constitutes a central issue in political developments across Latin America today. The authors have come to this conclusion on the basis of a systematic comparative analysis of the relationship between the state and social movements in four countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Democratic Governability in Latin America: Limits and Possibilities in the Context of Neoliberal Domination
Authors: Salinas Figueredo Dario
Published: March 2006

It is no longer possible, not even in the strictly theoretical sense, to speak of governability in the abstract. The spectrum of problems presented by the current Latin American reality constitutes the antipodal context in which Huntington's conception of governability was formulated. In analysing the recent political and economic experience in the region, a set of emergent tendencies can be observed which form part of a changing matrix of problems and challenges shared in common. The consolidation of neoliberalism became associated with the formation of restrained democracies. Nevertheless, political events since the 1990s have yielded counter-systemic tendencies and corresponding advances in the sphere of progressive politics. These changes suggest the incubation of new development strategies and an unfolding tendency towards the creation of new forms of democracy.
The Bolivarian Government of Hugo Chávez: Democratic Alternative for Latin America?
Authors: Figueroa Víctor M.
Published: March 2006

An analysis of opinion surveys throughout Latin America concerning state institutions and electoral participation reveals that the region's population displays an ever weaker commitment to the political and ideological institutions of Latin American capitalism. Despite this generalised lack of political legitimacy found in most Latin American countries, the opposite appears to be occurring in Venezuela. The Bolivarian process has therefore become an obligatory point of reference for studies of present day Latin American democracy. Following a discussion of different forms of capitalist democracy, especially neoliberal democracy in Latin America, consideration is extended to the political and social content of the Bolivarian process being directed by Hugo Chávez. Particular attention is given to the corresponding actions of different Venezuelan social sectors.
Neoliberal Meltdown and Social Protest: Argentina 2001—2002
Authors: Vilas Carlos M.
Published: March 2006

As a result of a variety of factors that in the final analysis point to the macro-economic design implemented for over a decade, poverty and social inequality accelerated throughout the 1990s in Argentina and contributed to the unfolding of a political crisis already in gestation for some time. It culminated in 2001—2002 with an extraordinary political mobilisation that brought down the government. However, the lack of political articulation of the massive social protests created conditions for the crisis to be processed in the short run by the institutional actors of the established political system. Against a backdrop of intense social turmoil, a set of assistance-oriented emergency policies was enacted along with changes in several macro-economic instruments. These measures proved capable of containing the most virulent expressions of social protest, thereby deferring treatment of the substantive causes of the crisis to a government that would arise out of the electoral process.
Latin America and Imperialism in the 21st Century
Authors: Gandásegui Marco A.
Published: March 2006

Imperialism is a useful analytical tool that must be further developed to comprehend the present day contradictions of a multi-polar, capitalist system and its implications for Latin American social struggles. A critical look at the contributions of Wallerstein and Arrighi are taken as a point of departure for suggesting how imperialism in the context of its sharpening contradictions can help inform oppositional forces to think in terms of social transformation. A critical look at provisions within the general framework of regional and bilateral free trade agreements reveals their tactical relationship to recent attempts to maintain and further consolidate U.S. hegemony. The “total market utopia” of imperialist projects such as the FTAA can be usefully understood when conceptualised against the backdrop of neoliberal and imperialist crisis.
Identity Conflict in Modern Orthodox Judaism and the Laws of Family Purity
Authors: Guterman Mark
Published: March 2006

This research was designed to study the issue of observance of the ritually unclean period amongst Modern Orthodox Jews. A sample group of fifty-three congregants filled out a questionnaire survey. The sample was then subdivided into "older" and "younger" groups. Measurements of thirteen dependent variables were broken down into "strict" and "lenient" categories. The study concludes that many laws are being broken overall, that more "lenient" laws are being broken than "strict" ones, and that older congregants are more likely to break the laws than younger ones.
The Formation and Function of the Category "Religion" in Anthropological Studies of Taiwan
Authors: Feuchtwang Stephan , Tremlett Paul-François , Shih Fang-Long
Published: March 2006

This paper has two sections. The first constitutes a reflection on anthropological analyses of religion in Taiwan. We try to demonstrate that a shift has occurred in the conduct of these analyses that reflect engagements with the notion of "orientalism" and debates about the concept of "culture". We argue that the formation of the category "religion" in anthropology served a specific function: to signify the pre-modern. We outline the breakdown of this idea of religion in light of orientalism and the critique of culture as a bounded unit of analysis. We then argue that the strength of contemporary approaches to religion in Taiwan lie in their acknowledgement that studying religion provides new ways to examine processes of place-making and representational practices. The second part of the paper is an interview with Stephan Feuchtwang who has been writing on religion in China and Taiwan for over thirty years.
The Evolution of Religion: Three Anthropological Approaches
Authors: Dow James
Published: March 2006

This article examines three anthropological theories explaining how religion has evolved and continues to evolve. They are: commitment theory, which postulates that religion is a system of costly signaling that reduces deception and creates cooperation within groups; cognitive theory, which postulates that religion is the manifestation of mental modules that have evolved for other purposes; and ecological regulation theory, which postulates that religion is a master control system regulating the interaction of human groups with their environments. An assessment of the success of the theories is offered. The idea that the biological evolution of the capacity for religion is based on the group selection rather than individual selection is rejected as unnecessary. The relationship between adaptive systems and culturally transmitted sacred values is examined cross-culturally, and the three theories are integrated into an overall gene-culture view of religion that includes both the biological evolution and the cultural evolution of behavioral systems.
Characteristics of U.S. Extreme Rain Events during 1999–2003
Authors: Schumacher Russ S. , Johnson Richard H.
Published: March 2006

This study examines the characteristics of a large number of extreme rain events over the eastern two-thirds of the United States. Over a 5-yr period, 184 events are identified where the 24-h precipitation total at one or more stations exceeds the 50-yr recurrence amount for that location. Over the entire region of study, these events are most common in July. In the northern United States, extreme rain events are confined almost exclusively to the warm season; in the southern part of the country, these events are distributed more evenly throughout the year. National composite radar reflectivity data are used to classify each event as a mesoscale convective system (MCS), a synoptic system, or a tropical system, and then to classify the MCS and synoptic events into subclassifications based on their organizational structures. This analysis shows that 66% of all the events and 74% of the warm-season events are associated with MCSs; nearly all of the cool-season events are caused by storms with strong synoptic forcing. Similarly, nearly all of the extreme rain events in the northern part of the country are caused by MCSs; synoptic and tropical systems play a larger role in the South and East. MCS-related events are found to most commonly begin at around 1800 local standard time (LST), produce their peak rainfall between 2100 and 2300 LST, and dissipate or move out of the affected area by 0300 LST.
Mountain Wave–Induced Polar Stratospheric Cloud Forecasts for Aircraft Science Flights during SOLVE/THESEO 2000
Authors: Eckermann Stephen D. , Dörnbrack Andreas , Flentje Harald , Vosper Simon B. , Mahoney M. J. , Bui T. Paul , Carslaw Kenneth S.
Published: March 2006

The results of a multimodel forecasting effort to predict mountain wave–induced polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) for airborne science during the third Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE)/Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone (THESEO 2000) Arctic ozone campaign are assessed. The focus is on forecasts for five flights of NASA's instrumented DC-8 research aircraft in which PSCs observed by onboard aerosol lidars were identified as wave related. Aircraft PSC measurements over northern Scandinavia on 25–27 January 2000 were accurately forecast by the mountain wave models several days in advance, permitting coordinated quasi-Lagrangian flights that measured their composition and structure in unprecedented detail. On 23 January 2000 mountain wave ice PSCs were forecast over eastern Greenland. Thick layers of wave-induced ice PSC were measured by DC-8 aerosol lidars in regions along the flight track where the forecasts predicted enhanced stratospheric mountain wave amplitudes. The data from these flights, which were planned using this forecast guidance, have substantially improved the overall understanding of PSC microphysics within mountain waves. Observations of PSCs south of the DC-8 flight track on 30 November 1999 are consistent with forecasts of mountain wave–induced ice clouds over southern Scandinavia, and are validated locally using radiosonde data. On the remaining two flights wavelike PSCs were reported in regions where no mountain wave PSCs were forecast. For 10 December 1999, it is shown that locally generated mountain waves could not have propagated into the stratosphere where the PSCs were observed, confirming conclusions of other recent studies. For the PSC observed on 14 January 2000 over northern Greenland, recent work indicates that nonorographic gravity waves radiated from the jet stream produced this PSC, confirming the original forecast of no mountain wave influence. This forecast is validated further by comparing with a nearby ER-2 flight segment to the south of the DC-8, which intercepted and measured local stratospheric mountain waves with properties similar to those predicted. In total, the original forecast guidance proves to be consistent with PSC data acquired from all five of these DC-8 flights. The work discussed herein highlights areas where improvements can be made in future wave PSC forecasting campaigns, such as use of anelastic rather than Boussinesq linearized gridpoint models and a need to forecast stratospheric gravity waves from sources other than mountains.
Confidence Interval Estimation for Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF) Using Short-Range Ensemble Forecasts (SREF)
Authors: Im Jung-Sun , Brill Keith , Danaher Edwin
Published: March 2006

The Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC) at the NCEP has produced a suite of deterministic quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) for over 40 yr. While the operational forecasts have proven to be useful in their present form, they offer no information concerning the uncertainties of individual forecasts. The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology to quantify the uncertainty in manually produced 6-h HPC QPFs (HQPFs) using NCEP short-range ensemble forecasts (SREFs). Results presented herein show the SREFs can predict the uncertainty of HQPFs. The correlation between HQPF absolute error (AE) and ensemble QPF spread (SP) is greater than 0.5 at 90.5% of grid points in the continental United States, exceeding 0.8 at 10% of these, for the 6-h forecast in winter. On the basis of the high correlation, the linear regression equations of AE on SP are derived at each point on a grid covering the United States. In addition, the regression equations for data categorized according to the observed and forecasted precipitation amounts are obtained and evaluated. Using the regression model equation parameters for 15 categorized ranges of HQPF at each horizontal grid point for each season and individual forecast lead time, an AE associated with an individual SP is predicted, as is the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the AE. Based on the AE CI forecast and the HQPF itself, the 95% CI of the HQPF is predicted as well. This study introduces an efficient and advanced method, providing an estimate of the uncertainty in the deterministic HQPF. Verification demonstrates the usefulness of the CI forecasts for a variety of classifications, such as season, CI range, HQPF, and forecast lead time.
Christian Spirituality: Changes in the Inner Landscape
Authors: Neilson Peter
Published: March 2006

Many people find Christendom patterns of spirituality no longer sustain them. Clues to this situation are found in faith development insights, historical streams of spirituality, and cultural change. Exploring concepts of liminality and exile suggests that as we unlearn Christendom paradigms we may make fresh discoveries about God.
A Generalized Space-Time ARMA Model with an Application to Regional Unemployment Analysis in Italy
Authors: Di Giacinto Valter
Published: March 2006

The STARMA (space-time autoregressive moving average) model class was introduced in the mid-1970s as a spatio-temporal extension to the ARMA time series model class. To enhance the model’s ability in dealing with spatial dependence and heterogeneity of observations, the article extends the STARMA model specification by augmenting the set of explanatory variables with simultaneous spatial lags of the observed process and unobservable shocks and by letting model parameters vary with location in space. Having introduced the extended specification,the space time impulse response function is subsequently presented as a useful tool in addressing structural issues. The article then deals with maximum likelihood estimation and hypothesis testing; in particular, Lagrange multiplier tests are proposed for spatial heterogeneity in the intercept, conditional variance and ARMA coefficients. The article closes with an application to the analysis of the series of the regional unemployment rate in Italy, aimed at evaluating the extent of the spatial propagation of regional specific shocks to unemployment and the degree of spatial heterogeneity in the process parameters.
“Running Down the Up Escalator”: A Revisionist Perspective on Decentralization and Deconcentration in the United States, 1970-2000
Authors: Gottlieb Paul D.
Published: March 2006

This article proposes that decentralization and deconcentration in the United States be measured by tracking the proportion of people or jobs in fixed categories of places across census years, using metropolitan areas designated in each year rather than the fixed-year standard employed in studies that measure growth or migration rates. Measured this way, there was continuous centralization to metropolitan areas from 1970 to 2000 as well as a marked preference for very large metropolitan areas after 1980. This period of rapid economic transformation has generated theoretical explanationsnot only of decentralization,but also of recentralization(e.g., in the 1980s). Most of these explanations rely on fundamental shifts in society’s preferences for metropolitan or nonmetropolitan settings. The data suggest that decentralizing behavior, like the “nonmetro turnaround” of the 1970s, can instead be explained as an attempt to maintain the status quo. The essence of this behavior is captured in the phrase “running down the up escalator.” A related argument from the literature on metropolitan deconcentration is also analyzed.
The Measurement of Capital and the Measurement of Productivity Growth and Efficiency in State Manufacturing
Authors: Domazlicky Bruce R. , Weber William L.
Published: March 2006

No single way of measuring the capital stock has been agreed upon by regional researchers. The authors examine five methods that have been proposed for measuring the capital stock in state manufacturing. They discuss the properties of each of the five capital stock allocation methods and then estimate state efficiency levels and productivity growth rates during the period 1982 to 1996 for each of the five methods. Their findings indicate that efficiency levels are significantly different for states depending on which method of capital measurement is used. However, productivity growth rates do not appear to be as sensitive to capital measurement, averaging 2.5 to 3 percent annual rates for the period.
Bullying Among 9th Graders: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Harris Sandy , Petrie Garth , Willoughby William
Published: March 2006

This study describes the bullying behaviors reported by 136 grade 9 students in two high schools in the same Southern city. Nearly 75% of students reported observing some type of bullying at their school. Bullied students were most apt to tell their mother or a friend about their experience, but rarely told a teacher or an administrator. Findings also suggest that the students surveyed did not perceive their teachers or administrators to be interested in reducing bullying. Recommendations to help school administrators reduce bullying are offered.
Science Curriculum in Practice: Student Teachers' Use of Hands-On Activities in High-Stakes Testing Schools
Authors: Eick Charles J.
Published: March 2006

This article describes the influence of recently adopted high-stakes testing on the curriculum and instruction of 12 secondary science student teachers (or interns). The study, which used a postpositivist, qualitative method with researcher as participant as the university supervisor, focused on interns' abilities to implement hands-on, reform-minded practices in the context of their school placements. Findings indicate that high-stakes testing could adversely influence interns' use of hands-on activities in courses assessed on tests and in schools where students did not receive high scores.
Becoming a Data-Based Leader: An Introduction
Authors: Thornton Bill , Perreault George
Published: March 2006

This article focuses on data-based decision making at the school level and provides guidelines for principals. Necessary prior conditions, methods for developing a data-oriented culture, and expected outcomes are discussed. By using data, administrators can analyze programmatic decisions and promote empowerment of staff.
Leaders and Leadership in Middle Level Schools
Authors: Petzko Vicki N. , Clark Donald C. , Valentine Jerry W. , Hackmann Donald G. , Norn John R. , Lucas Stephen E.
Published: March 2006

An online survey of more than 1,400 middle level leaders (grades 5-9) was conducted as part of a national study. This article reports the findings; compares the results with previous studies conducted in 1965, 1980, and 1992; and discusses the implications and recommendations for recruiting initial training, and continuing professional development offuture middle level principals.
The Teacher Shortage: A Case of Wrong Diagnosis and Wrong Prescription
Authors: Ingersoll Richard M.
Published: March 2006

This article investigates the possibility that the organizational characteristics and conditions of schools are driving teacher turnover. The data used in this investigation comefrom the Schools and Staffing Survey and its supplement, the Teacher Follow-up Survey, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 1996). This analysis indicates that the amount of turnover accounted for by retirement is relatively minor when compared with that associated with otherfactors such as teachers'job dissatisfaction and teachers'pursuit of otherjobs. In fact, school staffing problems are not principally due to teacher shortages; they do not seem to stem from an insufficient supply of qualified teachers butfrom an excess demand. The data indicate that a revolving door exists, that large numbers of qualified teachers are departing their jobs for reasons other than retirement. Popular education initiatives, such as teacher recruitment programs, will not solve schools' staffing problems if they do not also address the organizational sources of low teacher retention.
Elements of Adult Learning in Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Terehoff Irina I.
Published: March 2006

This article examines the concept and philosophy of andragogy (the art and science of teaching adults) and the ways that adults'self-image, experiences, and readiness to learn differentiate adult education from pedagogy (the instruction of children). By creating an enviroment for adult learning and engaging the school staff in mutual planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of professional development learning experiences, school leaders can improve the process of school-based teacher professional development.
Changing Times: Findings From the First Longitudinal Study of Later High School Start Times
Authors: Wahistrom Kyla
Published: March 2006

In the early 1990s, medical research found that teenagers have biologically different sleep and wake patterns than the preadolescent or adult population. On the basis of that information, in 1997 the seven comprehensive high schools in the Minneapolis Public School District shifted the school start timefrom 7:15 a. m. to 8:40 a. m. This article examines that change, finding significant benefits such as improved attendance and enrollment rates, less sleeping in class, and less student-reported depression. Policy implications are briefly discussed, acknowledging this to be a highly charged issue in school districts across the United States.
A Study of Bullying in the Middle School
Authors: Harris Sandra , Petrie Garth
Published: March 2006

This study describes the bullying behaviors reported by 198 students in grade 8 in two middle schools in the same southern city. Of the students, 92% reported observing some type of bullying at their school at least "sometimes. " Nearly one half of the students did not tell anyone when they were bullied. Those who did report bullying were most likely to tell afriend or their mother Less than 3% reported that they would tell a teacher Findings also indicate that students perceived nearly 60% of teachers and more than 70% of administrators as "not interested" in reducing bullying on campuses.
School Accountability and Professional Job Responsibilities: A Perspective From Secondary Principals
Authors: Cooley Van E. , Shen Jianping
Published: March 2006

This article reports how secondary principals perceive the status of the accountability movement and their professional job responsibilities in the context of accountability. The data were collected frm a nationally representative sample of secondary principals during the Schools and Staffing Survey 1999-2000. Respondents reported that there were specific incentives or corrective measures for meeting performance goals, that numerous responsibilities were added to their traditional roles, that they paid substantial attention to instructional leadership, and that management tasks still occupied more time and energy than leadership initiatives.