bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
β‐Catenin splice variants and downstream targets as markers for neoplastic progression of esophageal cancer
Authors: Roth Mark J. , Hu Nan , Johnson Laura Lee , Quon‐Hang Wang , Ahnen Dennis J. , Iwamoto Michiko , Dawsey Sanford M. , Taylor Philip R. , Huppi Konrad
Published: August 2005

This study characterizes the frequency of exon 3 CTNNB1 mutations and compares the expression of CTNNB1 transcript variants and downstream targets MYC and WAF1 (p21) across the neoplastic progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs). Mutational analysis was performed on 56 tumors and corresponding germline DNA, using primers to exon 3 of CTNNB1 and SSCP DNA sequencing gels. Quantitative Real Time RT‐PCR was performed on 45 foci representing the histological spectrum from normal to invasive cancer, using specific primer sets for alternative splice variants that differ by the presence (16A) or absence (16B) of a 159‐bp noncoding segment of exon 16 of CTNNB1, in conjunction with downstream targets MYC and WAF1. Two unique mutations were identified, S37F in the SxxxS repeat region, and a germline polymorphism, T59A. Thus, mutation of CTNNB1 exon 3 is a rare event in this population. RT‐PCR analysis successfully confirmed the presence of both β‐catenin splice variants in histologically normal and preneoplastic squamous epithelium, and invasive tumors of the esophagus, and identified a significant reduction in the 16A/16B ratio (P = 0.014) and an accompanying significant increase in the MYC/WAF1 expression ratio (P = 0.001) with progression from normal mucosa to dysplasia. This represents the first identification of two CTNNB1 transcripts in histologically “normal” esophageal squamous cells, squamous dysplasia, and invasive ESCC. These results show an increase in the minor mRNA (16B) isoform and changes in the expression of downstream markers consistent with increased transcription during the histological progression from normal to squamous dysplasia. Published 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Telomerase Antagonists GRN163 and GRN163L Inhibit Tumor Growth and Increase Chemosensitivity of Human Hepatoma *
Authors: Djojosubroto Meta W. , Chin Allison C. , Go Ning , Schaetzlein Sonja , Manns Michael P. , Gryaznov Sergei , Harley Calvin B. , Rudolph Lenhard K.
Published: August 2005

Abstract

Most cancer cells have an immortal growth capacity as a consequence of telomerase reactivation. Inhibition of this enzyme leads to increased telomere dysfunction, which limits the proliferative capacity of tumor cells; thus, telomerase inhibition represents a potentially safe and universal target for cancer treatment. We evaluated the potential of two thio-phosphoramidate oligonucleotide inhibitors of telomerase, GRN163 and GRN163L, as drug candidates for the treatment of human hepatoma. GRN163 and GRN163L were tested in preclinical studies using systemic administration to treat flank xenografts of different human hepatoma cell lines (Hep3B and Huh7) in nude mice. The studies showed that both GRN163 and GRN163L inhibited telomerase activity and tumor cell growth in a dose-dependent manner

in vitro

and

in vivo.

The potency and efficacy of the lipid-conjugated antagonist, GRN163L, was superior to the nonlipidated parent compound, GRN163. Impaired tumor growth

in vivo

was associated with critical telomere shortening, induction of telomere dysfunction, reduced rate of cell proliferation, and increased apoptosis in the treatment groups.

In vitro

, GRN163L administration led to higher prevalence of chromosomal telomere-free ends and DNA damage foci in both hepatoma cell lines. In addition,

in vitro

chemosensitivity assay showed that pretreatment with GRN163L increased doxorubicin sensitivity of Hep3B.
In conclusion
, our data support the development of GRN163L, a novel lipidated conjugate of the telomerase inhibitor GRN163, for systemic treatment of human hepatoma. In addition to limiting the proliferative capacity of hepatoma, GRN163L might also increase the sensitivity of this tumor type to conventional chemotherapy. (Hepatology 2005.)
Gastric cancer risk in a Mexican population: Role of Helicobacter pylori CagA positive infection and polymorphisms in interleukin‐1 and ‐10 genes
Authors: Sicinschi Liviu A. , Lopez‐Carrillo Lizbeth , Camargo M. Constanza , Correa Pelayo , Sierra Rosa A. , Henry Robin R. , Chen Jia , Zabaleta Jovanny , Piazuelo Maria B. , Schneider Barbara G.
Published: August 2005

Several polymorphisms of the IL1B and IL10 gene promoters have been reported to be associated with gastric cancer risk in Caucasians. However, studies in other populations have shown differing results. We aimed to test for associations between polymorphisms in IL1B (−31 and +3954), IL10−592 and IL1RN variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and risk of gastric cancer in a Mexican population. DNA was extracted from sera of 183 gastric adenocarcinoma patients and 377 controls. The IL1B−31, IL1B+3954 and IL10−592 biallelic polymorphisms were discriminated using 5′ Nuclease (TaqMan) assays and Pyrosequencing. The IL1RN penta‐allelic VNTR polymorphism was genotyped using PCR followed by GeneScan analysis. A significant interaction was found between IL1B−31 and CagA status for the risk of intestinal‐type gastric cancer (p=0.023). Among CagA positive subjects, those with IL1B−31CC genotype had an increased risk of intestinal‐type gastric cancer (OR 3.19, 95%CI=1.05–9.68), compared to carriers of IL1B−31TT genotype. In contrast, among CagA negative subjects, no significant association of IL1B−31CC genotype with gastric cancer was observed. The IL10−592CC genotype was associated with more than doubling of the risk of the intestinal‐type gastric cancer (OR, 2.20, 95%CI=1.04–4.65). A nonsignificantly increased risk for intestinal‐type gastric cancer was found in IL1RN*2 carriers (OR 1.49, 95%CI=0.89–2.50). None of these polymorphisms was significantly related to the risk of diffuse‐type gastric cancer. No significant association was found between risk of gastric cancer and the IL1B+3954 polymorphism. Individuals carrying 2 or more of the risk‐associated alleles (IL1B−31C, IL1RN *2 and IL10−592C) were at increased risk for intestinal‐type gastric cancer, compared to those with 0 or 1 risk‐associated allele. The risk from multiple risk‐associated alleles was especially high in subjects infected with CagA positive H. pylori. Our results support the identification of the IL1B−31 promoter polymorphism as a useful marker for risk of intestinal type gastric cancer in persons with CagA positive H. pylori infections. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PKCδ protects human breast tumor MCF‐7 cells against tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand‐mediated apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Jindan , Liu Ning , Zhang Jingchun , Liu Shilian , Liu Yanxin , Zheng Dexian
Published: August 2005

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in a number of tumorogenic or transformed cells, yet is relatively non‐toxic to most normal cells, therefore, it is a promising agent for cancer therapy. However, some cancer cell lines were resistant to TRAIL cytoxicity, including MCF‐7 breast cancer cells. The mechanism is not clear. Here, we report that protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) protects MCF‐7 cells from the recombinant soluble TRAIL (rsTRAIL)‐ mediated apoptosis. It was demonstrated that rottlerin, a PKCδ inhibitor, sensitized MCF‐7 cells to rsTRAIL cytoxicity. Combination of rottlerin and rsTRAIL inhibited PKCδ translocation from the cytosol to membrane, and PKCδ kinase activity on the cell membrane was kept pace with the change of PKCδ expression. Moreover, inhibition of PKCδ by interference RNA could facilitate apoptosis of MCF‐7 cells induced by rsTRAIL. Further experiments on the signal machinery showed that rottlerin increased the sensitivity of MCF‐7 cells to rsTRAIL by suppressing the transcription activity of NF‐κB, and enhancing the caspase‐processing to generate executive apoptotic signals. These findings indicate that PKCδ functions as a survival factor protecting MCF‐7 cells from the apoptosis induced by rsTRAIL. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatio‐temporal expression of immediate early genes in the central nervous system of SJL/J mice
Authors: Gerhauser Ingo , Alldinger Susanne , Ulrich Reiner , Baumgärtner Wolfgang
Published: August 2005

Gene products of immediate early genes (IEGs) interact with specific binding sites in promoter regions of inducible and constitutively expressed genes. Thereby, they control transcription of down‐stream targets, like pro‐ and anti‐apoptotic genes and matrix‐metalloproteinases (MMPs), known to play an important role in development, plasticity, response to injury and repair of the central nervous system (CNS). A real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR and immunohistochemical investigation was performed to study mRNA expression levels and protein distribution patterns of IEGs in cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord of SJL/J mice between postnatal weeks 1 and 40. A down‐regulation of c‐jun, NF‐κB1, Max, Ets‐1, and p53 mRNA, and an up‐regulation of c‐fos mRNA was noticed. Down‐regulations of Ets‐1 and p53 were most prominent between week 1 and 3. The prominent role in CNS development for c‐jun, Ets‐1 and Max was supported by immunohistochemistry. One‐week‐old mice were strongly positive for all three proteins in cerebral cortex, medulla oblongata, and gray matter of the spinal cord. A high staining intensity was detected in the developing granule cell layer of the cerebellum for c‐jun and Ets‐1, and in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum for Max. In addition to the general down‐regulation of most mRNAs, minor up‐regulations of all IEG proteins could be detected in restricted parts of the CNS indicating regional variations and differential expression and translation during development. Apoptosis was demonstrated using immunohistochemistry for active caspase‐3. The expression patterns of IEGs might represent the key to understand the balance of proteolytic activities by MMPs, myelination, and the induction of apoptosis during the development of the CNS.
STCA, TCAS, Airproxes and Collision Risk
Authors: Brooker Peter
Published: August 2005

The focus here is on the performance of and interaction between the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and the controller's short-term conflict alert (STCA) system. The data source used is UK Airprox Board Reports of close encounters between aircraft, and the focus is on commercial air transport aircraft using UK controlled airspace with a radar service. Do the systems work well together? Are controllers surprised when they find out that a pilot has received a TCAS resolution advisory? What do TCAS and STCA events say about collision risk? Generally, the systems seem to work together well. On most occasions, controllers are not surprised by TCAS advisories: either they have detected the problem themselves or STCA has alerted them to it. The statistically expected rate of future mid-air collisions is estimated by extrapolation of Airprox closest encounter distances.
The microbiology and outcome of sepsis in Victoria, Australia
Authors: SUNDARARAJAN V. , KORMAN T. , MACISAAC C. , PRESNEILL J. J. , CADE J. F. , VISVANATHAN K.
Published: August 2005

We analysed data from 33741 patients with ICD-10-AM-defined sepsis from an Australian hospital morbidity dataset to investigate the relationships between specific types of organisms, potential risk factors for infection, organ dysfunction, ICU utilization and hospital mortality. A total of 24% of patients received some of their care in an intensive care unit, and the overall hospital mortality rate was 18%. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 27% of cases and Gram-negative bacteria in 20%. Sepsis due to Staphylococcus aureus was associated with vascular and joint devices whereas Pseudomonasaeruginosa and Gram-negative rods were more common with genitourinary devices and lymphoproliferative disease. Sepsis-associated organ dysfunction most commonly involved the respiratory system, followed by the renal and circulatory systems. These patterns may provide useful clues to the pathogenesis and therapy of this often fatal syndrome which is a major ongoing problem for hospitalized patients.
Molecular epidemiology of long-term colonization of Candida albicans strains from HIV-infected patients
Authors: LI S. Y. , YANG Y. L. , CHEN K. W. , CHENG H. H. , CHIOU C. S. , WANG T. H. , LAUDERDALE T. L. , HUNG C. C. , LO H. J.
Published: August 2005

Twenty-one Candida albicans isolates from three HIV-infected patients were collected over a period of 3 years and characterized for fluconazole susceptibility, infectivity and genetic relatedness. Fluconazole resistance was found in five isolates, four exhibited dose-dependent susceptibility and the remainder were fully susceptible to this agent. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of SfiI restriction digests of the genomic DNA from the isolates revealed that isolates from the same swab specimen were identical despite differences in susceptibility to fluconazole and isolates recovered over time from the three patients retained clonally related DNA fingerprints within each patient. This small-scale study confirms the persistence of oral colonization of C. albicans strains in HIV-infected patients. Clinical data also suggests that the primary infecting strain may become a persistent colonist in the oral cavity once the immune function of the patient has been restored.
Cellular immune response to pulmonary infections in HIV-infected individuals hospitalized with diverse grades of immunosuppression
Authors: MIGUEZ-BURBANO M. J. , ASHKIN D. , RODRIGUEZ A. , DUNCAN R. , FLORES M. , ACOSTA B. , QUINTERO N. , PITCHENIK A.
Published: August 2005

The lymphocyte profile of 521 HIV-infected subjects hospitalized at Jackson Memorial (2001–2002) was compared across main respiratory diseases. Study data included medical history and all laboratory evaluations performed during hospitalization. Community-acquired pneumonias (CAP, 52%), Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP, 24%), tuberculosis (TB, 9%) and non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases (NTM, 12%) were the most frequent causes of admission. Patients hospitalized with PCP and NTM exhibited the lowest CD4 counts (P=0·003). PCP patients had the highest B-cell percentages (P=0·04). CAP patients had the highest CD8 and CD4 percentages and the lowest percentage of Natural Killer (NK) cells and viral burdens. TB patients exhibited the lowest NK-cell (11·4±6·3) and B-cell percentages (13·6±12) and the highest CD8 (59±14) percentage. NTM patients, in contrast, had the highest NK-cell percentages of the groups (19·1±11·6, P=0·01). Additionally, immune responses associated with respiratory pathogens differed in HIV-infected patients with CD4+ cells above and below 200 counts.
Land surface temperature retrieval from thermal infrared data: An assessment in the context of the Surface Processes and Ecosystem Changes Through Response Analysis (SPECTRA) mission
Authors: Sobrino José A. , Jiménez‐Muñoz Juan C.
Published: August 2005

SPECTRA (Surface Processes and Ecosystem Changes Through Response Analysis) is one of the core candidate missions which is being proposed for implementation in the European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Explorer program of research oriented missions. The scientific objective of the SPECTRA mission is to describe, understand, and model the role of terrestrial vegetation in the global carbon cycle and its response to climate variability under the increasing pressure of human activity. The SPECTRA satellite will embark an optical hyperspectral payload covering the solar spectral range (0.4 to 2.4 μm) and thermal infrared region (10.3 to 12.3 μm). This paper is focused on the land surface temperature retrieval from SPECTRA thermal infrared data. In the first part of the paper, generalized single‐channel and split‐window methods are discussed and compared, showing that single‐channel methods provide similar or better results than split‐window methods for low atmospheric water vapor content, whereas split‐window methods always provide better results for high atmospheric water vapor content. In the second part of the paper, split‐window and dual‐angle algorithms have been developed for SPECTRA thermal channels. A sensitivity analysis of the algorithms has been also carried out, revealing total errors for split‐window algorithms of around 1.5 K. For dual‐angle algorithms, total errors less than 1 K are obtained when the combination nadir‐60° is considered. Finally, a dual‐angle algorithm for sea surface temperature retrieval has been developed for different view angles. The study of the variation of the total error with observation angle allows estimation of the best nadir‐forward combination. Hence an optimal forward view of 52° referred to the observer zenithal angle (or 45° for satellite view angle) has been obtained, leading to an error of 0.4 K when the sensor noise error is 0.1 K and 0.3 K when the sensor noise error is 0.05 K.
Accuracy of a random-walk-based approach in the determination of equilibrium bond lengths and harmonic frequencies for some doublet first-row diatomic radicals
Authors: Lu Shih-I
Published: August 2005

The accuracy of equilibrium bond lengths and harmonic frequencies for 12 doublet first-row diatomic radicals is presented as predicted by the fixed-node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo method based on the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck random walk guided by the floating spherical Gaussian orbital and spherical Gaussian geminal-type trial wave function. Compared to the experimental determined values, the random-walk-based approach gives the absolute mean deviations of 0.0019 Å and 18cm−1 for the equilibrium bond length and harmonic frequency, respectively. We also compare the random-walk-based results with some coupled-cluster-based values.
Chemical reaction dynamics of Rydberg atoms with neutral molecules: A comparison of molecular-beam and classical trajectory results for the H(n)+D2→HD+D(n′) reaction
Authors: Song Hui , Dai Dongxu , Wu Guorong , Wang Chia Chen , Harich Steven A. , Hayes Michael Y. , Wang Xiuyan , Gerlich Dieter , Yang Xueming , Skodje Rex T.
Published: August 2005

Recent molecular-beam experiments have probed the dynamics of the Rydberg-atom reaction, H(n)+D2→HD+D(n) at low collision energies. It was discovered that the rotationally resolved product distribution was remarkably similar to a much more limited data set obtained at a single scattering angle for the ion-molecule reaction H++D2→D++HD. The equivalence of these two problems would be consistent with the Fermi-independent-collider model (electron acting as a spectator) and would provide an important new avenue for the study of ion-molecule reactions. In this work, we employ a classical trajectory calculation on the ion-molecule reaction to facilitate a more extensive comparison between the two systems. The trajectory simulations tend to confirm the equivalence of the ion+molecule dynamics to that for the Rydberg-atom+molecule system. The theory reproduces the close relationship of the two experimental observations made previously. However, some differences between the Rydberg-atom experiments and the trajectory simulations are seen when comparisons are made to a broader data set. In particular, the angular distribution of the differential cross section exhibits more asymmetry in the experiment than in the theory. The potential breakdown of the classical model is discussed. The role of the “spectator” Rydberg electron is addressed and several crucial issues for future theoretical work are brought out.
Entropy factor in the hopping frequency for ionic conduction in oxide glasses induced by energetic clustering
Authors: Garcia-Belmonte Germà , Bisquert Juan
Published: August 2005

The contribution of configurational entropy to the effective hopping frequency of ionic transport in amorphous systems is discussed. The effective rate of ion hopping has been extracted from the onset frequency of the ac conductivity measured in ionically conducting silicate glasses. Both the onset frequency and the dc conductivity exhibit Arrhenius-type thermal activation with similar values for the activation energy, ΔEa=0.65±0.3eV. The prefactor of the onset frequency results in ν0′=(1.05±0.05)×1011Hz, which is much lower than characteristic vibrational frequencies (1013Hz). Following standard hopping percolation theory, the long-range motion is dominated by a fraction of high-energy barriers that connect clusters of faster sites. The multiplicity of equivalent sites for ion hop entails a retardation of the effective jumping time with respect to the elementary hop. This effect can be assimilated into a negative activation entropy term in the frequency prefactor of the ion hopping rate, which depends on the features of energy clustering and accounts for the wide dispersion of ν0′ reported for many conducting glasses. The model implies an effective percolation length of Lc∼7nm, in good agreement with previous works.
An isotropic three-dimensional negative-refractive-index transmission-line metamaterial
Authors: Grbic Anthony , Eleftheriades George V.
Published: August 2005

We propose an isotropic three-dimensional (3D) negative-refractive-index medium using transmission lines loaded with reactive elements. The medium is referred to as the 3D dual transmission line (TL). Analytical expressions are derived which provide insight into the backward-wave propagation supported by the proposed medium. The dispersion characteristics of a physically realizable 3D dual TL are computed using a full-wave eigenmode solution of Maxwell’s equations based on the finite-element method. In addition, scattering parameters for a slab made of the 3D dual TL are presented. The described approach can be generalized for synthesizing a wide range of 3D metamaterials with tailored material parameters including both isotropic and anisotropic designs.
Praseodymium silicate layers with atomically abrupt interface on Si(100)
Authors: Lupina G. , Schroeder T. , Dabrowski J. , Wenger Ch. , Mane A. , Lippert G. , Müssig H.-J. , Hoffmann P. , Schmeisser D.
Published: August 2005

Synchrotron radiation x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was applied to study the solid state reaction between praseodymium and thin silicon dioxide layers on Si(100). Nondestructive depth profiling studies by variation of the incident photon energy indicate after praseodymium deposition at room temperature the reaction of the upper silicon dioxide to praseodymium oxide and silicide. High-temperature annealing of films with an appropriate praseodymium / silicon dioxide ratio results in homogeneous praseodymium silicate films with an atomically abrupt interface. Ab initio calculations corroborate the results of the photoemission study.
Anisotropy in ordered sexithiophene thin films studied by angle-resolved photoemission using combined laser and synchrotron radiation
Authors: Heiner C. E. , Dreyer J. , Hertel I. V. , Koch N. , Ritze H.-H. , Widdra W. , Winter B.
Published: August 2005

We present angle-resolved photoemission (PE) spectra of ordered multilayer sexithiophene (6T) films, 200nm thick, grown on a Au(110) single crystal. However, the measurement of sharp and nonshifted PE spectral features from the low-conducting organic material is only possible if the positive surface charge, generated in the PE process, is fully compensated. We have accomplished this by simultaneous laser irradiation. On the basis of the resulting data we found that for these thick films the 6T molecules are preferentially oriented with their long axes nearly normal to the surface.
The Atheistic Answer
Authors: Crenshaw James L.
Published: August 2005

The simplest response to the problem of evil is to deny that God exists and therefore to view evil as a matter of chance, like everything else. Two biblical psalms, 10 and 14 (which has an almost exact duplicate in 53), denounce this approach as a moral flaw rather than a cognitive deficiency and attribute such thinking to fools. The perspective is championed in Prov 30:1–14 by a certain Agur, whose practical atheism nevertheless possesses admirable moral values.
Suffering as Atonement
Authors: Crenshaw James L.
Published: August 2005

In the ancient world, breaches of covenantal loyalty were thought to have been forgiven through substitutionary atonement. This “wiping the slate clean” took several forms: for example, human sacrifice, animal oblations, gifts of wine and cereal, and a ritual involving a scapegoat that carried transferred human guilt into the wilderness. Beyond these, episodic instances of innocents suffering because of other’s folly are recorded such as Jephthah’s daughter’s “immolation” and the death of the first child born to David and Bathsheba. This substitutionary concept reaches its highest point in the suffering servant of Isa 52:12–13 and is echoed in the passion of Jesus.
Disinterested Righteousness
Authors: Crenshaw James L.
Published: August 2005

Given divine hiddenness, every depiction of God is a literary construct, and when reified, becomes a source of consternation to religious people. The book of Job dramatizes both the negative consequences of absolutization and the positive results of struggle for truth about God. Spiritual allegiance does not depend on external circumstances, for a truly devout person will serve God without thought of reward and punishment. Reflecting on the book of Job, Saadia Gaon grounds all worship in nature itself, noting that the creator has already bestowed life, the highest gift, on humankind and therefore owes us nothing.
Characteristics and Functions of Rituals
Authors: Cooke Bernard , Macy Gary
Published: August 2005

The study of symbols and rituals raise several problems given their ambiguous nature and central importance to human communities. This chapter discusses the problems of objectivity in describing rituals, the relationship of power to rituals, their ambiguous nature, and their uniqueness. It introduces the areas of human life in which rituals play a central role: maturation, friendship and marriage, meals, healing, and death and dying.
Rituals of Prayer, Worship, and the Eucharist
Authors: Cooke Bernard , Macy Gary
Published: August 2005

From the very beginning, Christians have gathered together every week to pray together, read from their sacred texts (the Word of God) and interpret those readings, and to share a ritual meal. This is exemplified in the different names given to the ritual including “Lord’s Supper” and “Mass”. In this ritual, Christians believe that the risen Christ is present to them, although they differ greatly in their understanding of how the risen Christ makes that presence felt. This chapter describes the history and theology of this ritual, noting those areas where Christians disagree on the meaning and practice of this central ceremony.
Rituals of Service and Ministry
Authors: Cooke Bernard , Macy Gary
Published: August 2005

Beginning with a discussion of the need for organized religion, the theology and history behind the different forms of Christian ministry are introduced, including the offices (orders) of bishops, priests, deacons, ministers, and the papacy. The history of the ritual of ordination is discussed, as well as the influence of monasticism on the evolution of Christian ministry.
The Fourth Factor: Symbolic Resonance
Authors: Kieckhefer Richard
Published: August 2005

A church that is rich in symbolic associations conveys a strong sense of sacrality—the presence of the holy within the sacred. Different forms of symbolic association in the classic sacramental tradition are discussed in connection with Santa Maria Novella at Florence. Orientation (planning a church with the altar at the east end), legends of foundation, and ceremonies of consecration are all seen as ways of cultivating symbolic resonance. The “Cathedral of Huts” at Maciene in Mozambique is seen as one example of how churches reflect a process of indigenization in Africa.
Rudolf Schwarz
Authors: Kieckhefer Richard
Published: August 2005

Rudolf Schwarz: modern churches in a modern culture. In the twentieth century, religious communities often employed architects who were not grounded in the traditions for which they were building. Rudolf Schwarz, however, was a prominent Roman Catholic architect who had studied theology and was closely involved in the movement of liturgical reform. He was a friend and associate of the theologian Romano Guardini and of the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He worked in the years between the world wars (when modernist architecture was known for the boldness and clarity of its design) and again after World War II (when modern architecture was more widely accepted and sometimes risked falling into idiosyncracy and cliché—charges that have been raised against the famous chapel at Ronchamp, which Schwarz himself held in disdain). His churches were designed very largely as contemplative spaces, in which the congregation would have a clear sense of presence before God. They tend toward minimalism of form, but with multivalent symbolism that made for plenitude of meaning: Schwarz worked out a system of seven church plans, each of which had a richness of symbolic association, and he conceived each of his churches with specific symbolic reference. While the Roman Catholic worship had long been held in the longitudinal “Wegkirche” (pathway-church), Schwarz preferred the “Ringkirche” (ring-church) in which the congregation with the priest was gathered about the altar.
Reading the Signs of the Times
Authors: Frykholm Amy Johnson
Published: August 2005

This chapter describes the way that readers use the Left Behind series to “read” and understand contemporary culture and the signs of the end of the world. Drawing on a wide range of beliefs and expectations about how the world will end, readers examine culture for signals that their understanding of the world is true. This chapter focuses specifically on technology and consumer culture as significant elements within end-times reasoning. When taken together, these cultural readings suggest that evangelical dispensationalism is taking on increasingly world-engaged forms and dispensing with its more escapist elements.
Is the OECD Jobs Strategy behind U.S. and British Employment and Unemployment Success in the 1990s?
Authors: Schmitt John , Wadsworth Jonathan
Published: August 2005

The authors investigate the extent to which the logic of flexibility that underpins the OECD’s Job Study can explain the relative labor-market performance of the United States and the United Kingdom. Greater labor-market flexibility should be associated with relatively lower unemployment and higher employment of less-skilled workers, particularly young workers and those with lower levels of formal education: lower labor costs should “price” these workers back into jobs. Their principal findings call into question this central orthodox thesis. Labor market outcomes of both young and less-skilled workers in the flexible United States and United Kingdom are no better and frequently are far worse than those of their counterparts in most of the rest of the OECD. Regarding the U.K., Schmitt and Wadsworth conclude that “the serious restructuring of the country’s labor market since the early 1980s appears to have produced no noticeable improvement in the labor market prospects facing less-skilled workers in the 1990s relative to the 1980s.” Indeed, they find that all of the improvement in U.K. unemployment rates is accounted for, not by workers being priced into the labor market, but by workers dropping out of the labor market.
An Overview of Compliance for Pension Plans
Authors: Baker August , Logue Dennis E. , Rader Jack S.
Published: August 2005

This chapter presents an overview and interpretation of the major laws and regulations for both private and public pension plans. It focuses on three primary areas of compliance: the obligations related to reporting and disclosure; the funding requirements for defined benefit; and the requirements that a private pension plan must satisfy to count as a “qualified” plan under the tax code. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is discussed, which has implications of which pension decision makers should be aware.
The Asset Allocation Decision
Authors: Baker August , Logue Dennis E. , Rader Jack S.
Published: August 2005

A pension plan’s investment policy is put in place by allocating plan assets among available investment asset classes. This chapter discusses asset allocation in general, and presents aggregate data on how pension funds actually allocate assets. It then discusses the primary asset classes and their investment characteristics.
The Pension Plan as Shareholder
Authors: Baker August , Logue Dennis E. , Rader Jack S.
Published: August 2005

This chapter begins by providing an overview of how US corporations are governed. It then reviews the empirical work that has tried to determine whether active shareholding actually makes a difference. It outlines the alternative strategies available to pension fund managers who wish to be more active in the affairs of the companies in which they are invested. The reasons why some pension funds are not active shareholders and some practical issues to be considered by funds that choose to be more active shareholders are discussed.
Prologue: The Virtue of Scholarly Hope
Authors: Sawatsky Rodney J.
Published: August 2005

Conservative Protestants often assume that there was a time when American higher education was controlled by Christian saints, but whose legacy was lost via the slippery slope of secularization. Sawatsky writes that it is time to set aside this myth of declension and to celebrate the vibrant reality of contemporary Christian scholarship. The vocation of the Christian scholar is to seek wisdom as part of “a community of pilgrims on a journey into a hope-filled future.”
Militant Protestants
Authors: Bendroth Margaret Lamberts
Published: August 2005

The suspicion of Catholics that grew in the wake of the Boston Common arrests soon took on broader dimensions. In the late 1880s it focused on a contest over the city’s public schools, largely led by two women’s groups, the Loyal Women of American Liberty and the Independent Women Voters, both of them strongly anti-Catholic. The contest also raised moralistic tensions around social class, as evangelical Protestant temperance forces found themselves in political conflict with an alliance of convenience between upper-class Protestants and Roman Catholics. Conspiratorial thinking among conservative Protestants was also spurred by anti-Masonic rhetoric, British-American immigrants and their resentment of Irish-Catholics, and a form of premillennial eschatology that encouraged evangelicals to see themselves as an embattled but righteous minority in cosmic struggle with the forces of irreligion.
Early Years: 1891–1914
Authors: Scott William Taussig , Moleski Martin X.
Published: August 2005

Michael Polanyi was born in Budapest on March 11, 1891 to Mihály Pollacsek and Cecile Wohl, the fifth of their six children. This chapter describes Polanyi's family and cultural heritage, his education at the Minta Gymnasium ("Model School"), his studies in medicine at the University of Budapest, and his first publications on colloid chemistry. From his youth, Polanyi possessed the same breadth of interest from the physical sciences to the humanities that he exhibited later in life.
Coming of Age in the Great War: 1914–1919
Authors: Scott William Taussig , Moleski Martin X.
Published: August 2005

Polanyi served as a medical officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. As time allowed, he worked on the Nernst Heat Theorem, a novel theory about the adsorption of gases and the paradoxes associated with isotopes. His experience of war left him with a life-long concern about understanding the strength of the liberal tradition that had enriched European civilization from 1870 to 1914 as well as the loss of faith in the tradition that had led Europe down the path of self-destruction.
The Strange Hybridity of Spinoza'sEthics
Authors: Wilson Catherine
Published: August 2005

This chapter shows how Spinoza's severe ontology is at odds with his commitment to the general ethical program. It then tries to explain why, as a recent commentator expresses it, “Spinoza's ethical theory has been historically less influential than the ethical theories of such early modern philosophers as Hume and Kant”. However, the same commentator suggests that “in its naturalism, its practical rationalism, its asymmetrical conception of moral freedom and responsibility, its nonretributivism, its emphasis on virtue as well as consequences, and its close relations to social and political theory, it is a forerunner of and of special relevance to contemporary trends in ethical theorizing”. It is argued that the vector of contemporary moral theory is irreversibly pointed away from Spinozism and shares few assumptions with it.
Berkeley, God, and Explanation
Authors: Jesseph Douglas M.
Published: August 2005

This chapter is divided into three sections. The first summarizes the three supposedly different arguments Berkeley used to show the existence of God and gives a brief overview of the interpretive puzzles posed by this classification. The second section considers Berkeley's requirement that any proof of God's existence must show that God is immediately present in the world; this section also makes the case for seeing all three of Berkeley's arguments as instances of a common strategy of inference to the best explanation. The final section explores some difficulties that arise for this sort of argument, particularly in connection with Berkeley's account of causation and explanation.
Israel and Empire
Authors: Bryan Christopher
Published: August 2005

According to biblical and prophetic tradition, God wills that there shall be empires and superpowers: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia are all, at different times, said to rule by God’s mandate, but also within the limits of God’s sovereignty. That sovereignty is concerned for the well-being of Israel, but also for justice and courtesy among all the nations. Empires that flout God’s sovereignty bring destruction upon themselves, for not even a superpower can long defy God. Where, however, there is acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty, there may (as in the case of Persia) be cooperation between Israel and Empire. Israel itself, as an imperial power (as it was under David and Solomon), is subject to the same conditions: the Israelite king may no more absolutize himself or his power than may a pagan emperor.
Jesus and Empire
Authors: Bryan Christopher
Published: August 2005

Jesus appeared as a prophet, proclaiming the Kingdom (Sovereignty) of God. As regards foreign rule over Israel, he stood within the biblical and prophetic tradition and seems to have accepted the second option noted in chapter 2: he accepted such rule but challenged rulers to remember why they held power and to whom they were answerable. Thus he is delighted when Zacchaeus the tax collector reforms, but does not suggest Zacchaeus stop working for Rome. He regards payment of Caesar’s head-tax as “permitted.” He accepts the faith of the centurion, described in terms of the latter’s service to imperial authority. Jesus is nowhere portrayed as attacking the imperial system. There is no evidence that his healing miracles symbolized the overthrow of Rome.
Jesus' Followers and the Roman Empire
Authors: Bryan Christopher
Published: August 2005

Luke’s primary purpose is theological, but he is also interested in preparing his readers for persecution, whatever its source, and he is concerned with “legitimation”: the process whereby those who become members of a new order need to have it explained and justified, especially if they have commitments that bind them to the old. Luke portrays some Roman officials negatively; he portrays many more positively. As Luke’s narrative begins, Mary’s obedience to Caesar is God’s instrument, bringing her to the place where she may fulfill God’s purpose; as it ends, Paul’s Roman citizenship is God’s instrument, protecting him and bringing him to proclaim the gospel in Rome. 1 Peter tells believers to “honor” the Emperor, though they are to “fear” no one but God. The seer of Revelation attacks Rome for what he sees as its idolatry (worship of emperor and empire), but even he does not counsel resistance to Rome or rebellion.
Unscientific Postscript
Authors: Bryan Christopher
Published: August 2005

The biblical tradition subverts human order not by attempting to dismantle or replace it with other structures, but by confronting its representatives with the truth about its origin and its purpose. Its origin is that God wills it. Its purpose is to serve God’s glory by promoting God’s peace and God’s justice for all. There is no evidence that Jesus or his followers stood aside from this tradition. Jesus made no common cause with those whose agenda was to exchange one structure—imperial Roman rule—for another: Jewish home rule. Power is a sacred trust, and those who have it may not abandon their responsibility. The Bible offers two images of the life of God’s people: that of exile (an image of weakness) and that of exodus (an image of power). We may not abandon either, nor may we escape the problem of violence that goes with the latter image. We, too, are constantly under judgment for our use of power.
Pursuit of the Concept of Truth
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2005

This essay explores the shift in Quine’s thinking about the relation between meaning and truth. Quine has long been a deflationist about truth. A deflationist is one who holds that to say of a sentence in one’s own language that it is true, is to say no more than one says by uttering that sentence. In Pursuit of Truth (1990), Quine takes shared external circumstances as the key to the correct interpretation of observation sentences rather than shared patterns of stimulation; this shift has saved the natural relation between meaning and truth.
What is Quine's View of Truth?
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2005

This essay explores Quine’s concept of truth. Quine substitutes radical translation for translation which aims to preserve ‘meaning’. Although radical translation does not always preserve truth value, much less meaning, truth is nevertheless very much in view in the practice of radical translation. Meaning, as preserved by radical interpretation, is needed to apply our truth predicate to any speech but our own, and we need truth to understand meaning. Such basic relations between truth and meaning are incompatible with a deflationary attitude toward the concept of truth.
The Third Man
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2005

This essay discusses the series of ‘Blind-Time Davidson’ drawings made by artist Robert Morris, which were inspired by Davidson’s Essays on Actions and Events. Each drawing contains a fragment from an essay by Davidson and a description of the artist’s intention in making the drawing (blindfolded). It argues that Morris depicted the essential element on which the concept of an autonomous object (and world) depends — an intersubjective measure of error and success, of truth and falsity. He has put his viewers in a position to triangulate with him the location of his creative acts.
Locating Literary Language
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2005

This essay explores the constraints on the interpretation of a literary text. The possibility of language, thought, and interpretation depends on the triangular situation which relates speaker and listener, and both to a shared object in the public world which they can observe together, and to which they can observe each other’s responses. Such a triangular situation exists in literature. Interpretations of a text will vary from person to person, culture to culture, and century to century. However, it does not follow that a text means whatever its readers take it to mean, since disagreements about the meaning of a text are only possible against a shared basis of agreement.
Plato's Philosopher
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2005

This essay discusses Plato’s embrace of the Socratic elenchus, the inconclusive dialectic of conversational give and take wherein Socrates elicits a statement from his interlocutor, then sets out to show the statement’s inconsistency with other things the interlocutor believes. Someone who practices the elenchus can claim that he does not know what is true; it is enough that he has a method that leads to truth. It is only in the context of frank discussion, communication, and mutual exchange that trustworthy truths emerge.
Theological Trajectories In the Early Fourth Century: I
Authors: Ayres Lewis
Published: August 2005

Turns to the fourth and the most important point of departure: pre-existing tensions among theological trajectories present c.300. Looks first at Alexander and Athanasius’ theology and finds parallels in Gregory Thaumaturgus, in some Antiochene theology and in some third century Alexandrian figures. Looks second at ‘Eubseian’ theology, a category that includes diverse figures such as Arius, Eusebius of Caesarea and Eusebius of Nicomedia and Asterius. Both trajectories considered here owe something to Origen. Also questions the usefulness of the term ‘subordinationism.’
Confusion and Controversy: AD 325–340
Authors: Ayres Lewis
Published: August 2005

Initially focuses on the council and creed of Nicaea. Sketches the course of the discussion at the council and asks if the creed was intended as a universal standard of faith. The middle sections of the chapter focuses on Nicaea’s controversial terminology. The author then asks if we can identify a common theology among the architects of the creed. The last section of the chapter narrates the progress of controversy after Nicaea up to 342.
The East From Valens To Theodosius
Authors: Ayres Lewis
Published: August 2005

Begins by considering Basil’s theological work against the background of his attempts at alliance-building in Asia Minor, in the eastern provinces, and with the West. Often, Basil faced constant setbacks and the perception that his attempts to secure his own power base were as important as any higher motive. Considers the pro-Nicene theology of Ephrem the Syrian, presenting him not as an isolated figure but as offering a distinctly pro-Nicene theology directly parallel to those found in Greek and Latin authors. Then discusses the author’s use of pro-Nicene over and against other terminologies, and ends with a consideration of Theodosius’s accession.
Victory and the Struggle For Definition
Authors: Ayres Lewis
Published: August 2005

Begins with a discussion of Gregory Nazianzen’s preaching in Constantinople and the theology of the Theological Orations. Considers the imperial definition of Nicaea ‘orthodoxy’ in the early 380s. These definitions attempt to embody the pro-Nicene logic or grammar that had become the understood context for interpreting Nicaea. A discussion of the Council of Constantinople in 381 is followed by a discussion of Latin theology during the 365–400 period. In this discussion, the author focuses on Ambrose of Milan. Ends by arguing that the story of these controversies and of the non-Nicene theology should not be seen as ending in 381. By the early 380s the pro-Nicene ‘solution’ that endured had emerged, but argument and controversy continued.
‘Walk Towards him Shining’
Authors: Ayres Lewis
Published: August 2005

Builds on the previous two, looking first at common pro-Nicene anthropological themes. Pro-Nicenes share ‘dual-focus’ anthropologies, in which a rightly ordered soul is attentive both to the governing of the body and to the presence of God to the soul. These beliefs form the background to the accounts of purification that are, in turn, taken to be the context for the good practice of Trinitarian theology. The second half of the chapter considers shared pro-Nicene accounts of Scripture. Pro-Nicenes share a new sense of the efficacy and yet the mysteriousness of the scriptural text that shapes and is shaped by the pro-Nicene aesthetic is outlined in the previous chapter.