bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Marital Dissolution in East Asian Societies: Gender Attitudes and Social Expectations towards Marriage in Taiwan, Korea and Japan
Authors: Yen Pei-Chih , Yang Wen-Shan
Published: March 2012

Abstract

The rising trend of marital dissolution, just like marriage delay and non-marriage, has received much attention in both academic and public arena in East Asia in recent years. Taking a gender and comparative perspective, our research investigates marital dissolution by examining the changes in marital attitudes, gender roles, socio-economic status and educational opportunity of women and their influence on marital decisions in three East Asian countries, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In addition, we also investigate the impact of shifting social expectations towards marriage and the reconfiguration of the meaning of matrimony. Furthermore, our study aims to explore the clash between institutional purposes of marriage in Confucian and Collectivist values and modern and individualistic goals of marriage in East Asian societies today. Our analysis is based on data from the special family module of the 2006 East Asia Social Survey conducted simultaneously in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
Degradation of the nematicide oxamyl under field and laboratory conditions
Authors: Haydock Patrick P.J. , Ambrose Emma L. , Wilcox Andrew , Deliopoulos Thomas
Published: March 2012

The persistence of nematicides such as oxamyl can vary greatly in field conditions. The objectives of the present studies were: i) to compare oxamyl degradation in soils with different properties; ii) to quantify and examine the influence of various abiotic factors on oxamyl degradation; iii) to establish the validity of using simulated models to predict the degradation in the field; and iv) to examine if a second application of oxamyl to the same soil 13 or 26 weeks after the first application enhances degradation. The first two studies included field measurements of oxamyl concentration and parallel laboratory incubations. For the field measurements, soils were collected from each of ten potato (Solanum tuberosum) fields in Shropshire, UK, immediately after application of oxamyl on the day of planting and then at weekly intervals for the duration of the two experiments. After each collection, oxamyl was extracted and its concentration determined. For the laboratory incubations, soils were collected from the same ten sites immediately prior to field application and received one application of oxamyl in the laboratory at the same day (day 0). The PERSIST model was then used to predict oxamyl degradation in the field (modelled degradation). Modelled degradation was then compared with the measured degradation up to 91 days (study 1) or 56 days (study 2) after application. In study 3, an extra application of oxamyl to that in the field at day 0 was made in the laboratory at 13 or 26 weeks after application. There were wide variations in the persistence of oxamyl between the ten sites, with the field half-life ranging from 10 to 24 days. Degradation in the field was significantly greater at site 4, where it could not be detected 28 days after application. At other sites, the chemical persisted for 42-63 days and was still detectable at two sites 91 days following application. Soil temperatures had a greater impact on oxamyl degradation than rainfall accounting for up to a maximum of 79% of the variation. The short persistence at site 4 was attributed to the combination of warm and moist conditions in a higher pH soil. The PERSIST model predicted the same rate of decline of oxamyl as actually occurred in the field at only four (sites 5, 6, 7 and 8) sites. At the other sites, degradation in the field occurred at more rapid rates than predicted. This could be as a result of the model not allowing for the movement of nematicide by leaching, or because enhanced degradation of nematicides occurred at these latter sites, or due to a combination of these factors. The wide variation in half-lives and the behaviour of soils after subsequent additions of oxamyl in study 3 were suggestive of complex microbial dynamics even under controlled conditions. Further studies would be required to establish the influence of soil microflora together with that of abiotic parameters on oxamyl degradation.
Effect of small lipophilic molecules in tomato and rice root exudates on the behaviour of Meloidogyne incognita and M. graminicola
Authors: Dutta Tushar K. , Powers Stephen J. , Gaur Hari S. , Birkett Michael , Curtis Rosane H.C.
Published: March 2012

Plant chemicals in the rhizosphere originating from root exudates or sites of previous nematode penetration can influence nematode behaviour, and a number of plant compounds, some present in root exudates, have been shown either to attract nematodes to the roots, or to result in repellence, motility inhibition, or even death. The present work was conducted to isolate small lipophilic molecules (SLMs) emitted by root exudates of Solanum lycopersicum and Oryza sativa to investigate their effect on root-knot nematodes. SLMs extracted, through solid phase extraction, from hydroponically collected root exudates of 40 tomato and rice plants had an inhibitory impact on the motility of second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita and M. graminicola and showed a nematotoxic or nematostatic (upon dilution) effect on both species. The semiochemicals present in the SLMs induced a very small, albeit statistically significant, effect on stylet thrusting. A small quantity of salivary secretion around the stylet tip and a significant decrease in nematode head movement were observed. The semiochemicals negatively influenced behaviour of M. incognita and M. graminicola by strongly affecting their mobility. Therefore, it is proposed that SLMs present in both tomato and rice root exudates play important roles during the interaction of Meloidogyne spp. with their host plant, and that they might exert a repellent, or allellopathic, effect on these nematodes.
Key Metaphors in the Sociology of Professions: Occupations as Hierarchies and Landscapes
Authors: Liljegren Andreas
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Key metaphors guide our way of thinking in that, among other things, they provide perspective, relations, directions, distances, causality, features, and principles. The literature on professions appears to encompass at least two overarching key metaphors, one that likens professional groups to a hierarchy, and another that describes them as a landscape. This article provides an analysis of two key metaphors in the literature on professions, the purpose being to outline, analyse, and relate them to a number of other central concepts. In carrying out this analysis, questions relating to the similarities and differences between the two metaphors will be addressed. What are their epistemic virtues, and what are the consequences of privileging one metaphor over the other?
Declining US Hegemony and Rising Chinese Power: A Formula for Conflict?
Authors: Shor Francis
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Is declining US hegemony and China’s rising power a formula for regional and/or global conflict? In this article I address the present conditions and contradictions of US neo-imperialism and the role of China as a potential competitor to and challenger of US global hegemony. Given the entrenched interests of US military neo-imperialism such conflicts appear inevitable.
Le Noyau le Plus Ancien des Hymnes de la Collection ‘Sur L’Epiphanie’ et la Question de Leur Authenticité
Authors: Rouwhorst Gerard
Published: March 2012

Abstract

The authenticity of the madrashe/hymns contained in the collection On Epiphany, which is traditionally ascribed to Ephrem the Syrian, is considered as doubtful by most scholars. One of the major arguments advanced against Ephrem’s authorship is the fact that the collection presupposes the existence of the feast of Epiphany commemorating Jesus’ baptism on 6 January, with which Ephrem certainly was not familiar. This, however, does not exclude the possibility that some of the hymns were written by Ephrem. It is argued in this article that the texts forming the nucleus of this collection actually were composed by him and, moreover, that they are important sources for the study of Ephrem’s baptismal theology.
Advance Directives as an Instrument in an Ageing Europe
Authors: Goffin Tom
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Advance directives are written or oral statements that are intended to govern healthcare decision-making for their authors, for both positive and negative decisions, should they lose decisional capacity in the future. In a Europe which is facing an ageing population, advance directives play an increasing role to (help) formulate the wishes from elderly patient once they start losing the capacity to decide independently. Advance directives should not only be used as a formulation of the patients’ previously made decision, but can also be used as guidelines to better understand the previous expressed wishes of the patient. If the advance directive is formulated in too vague form, the healthcare proxy and/or the healthcare trustee can help the physician interpret the directive. This broader approach towards advance directives is reflected in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as on the European legislative level.
Small States in the UN Security Council: Means of Influence?
Authors: Thorhallsson Baldur
Published: March 2012

Summary

This article argues that there are two broad categories of qualitative factors that determine the ability of small states to influence the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The first is the internal competence of small states in areas such as knowledge, initiative, and diplomatic, coalition and leadership skills. The second is the image of the state in the international system with specific regard to its perceived neutrality or reputation as a norm entrepreneur in particular policy fields. These qualitative features need to be combined with quantitative variables — such as population, territorial size, gross domestic product (GDP) and military capacity — that are normally used in International Relations (IR) in order to understand small states’ ability to become active participants in the UNSC.
Eros Tyrannos: Alcibiades as the Model of the Tyrant in Book IX of the Republic
Authors: Larivée Annie
Published: March 2012

Abstract

The aim of this article is to make use of recent research on ‘politicaleros’ in order to clarify the connection that Plato establishes betweenerosand tyranny inRepublicIX, specifically by elucidating the intertextuality between Plato’s work and the various historical accounts of Alcibiades. An examination of the lexicon used in these accounts will allow us to resolve certain interpretive difficulties that, to my knowledge, no other commentator has elucidated: why does Socrates blameerosfor the decline from democracy into tyranny? What does he mean by ‘eros’ here, and what link existed betweenerosand tyranny in the minds of his contemporaries? And finally, who are the mysterious ‘tyrant-makers’ (turannopoioí, 572e5-6) who, according to Socrates, introduce a destructiveerosin the soul of the future tyrant? After a careful examination of the passage from book IX on the genesis of the tyrannical man (focused on the last stage of the metamorphosis, which is concerned withéros túrannos, 572d-573b), I will offer answers to these questions by turning to the writings of Thucydides, Aristophanes and Plutarch while examining the portrait of Alcibiades that Plato paints in theAlcibiades IandSymposium.
Plotinus on the Making of Matter Part III: The Essential Background
Authors: O’Brien Denis
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Plotinus did not set out to be obscure. Difficulties of interpretation arise partly from his style of writing, compressed, elliptical, allusive. The allusions, easily enough recognisable by those he was writing for, are often not recognised at all by the modern reader who no longer has at his fingertips the texts of Plato and Aristotle that Plotinus undoubtedly alludes to, but whose authors he has no need to name. So it is pre-eminently with his subtle use of earlier ideas in tackling the difficult question of the nature of matter and its place in the scheme of emanation. The frequent references to matter as ‘non-being’ and as ‘privation’ can be understood only if they are seen as a radical adaptation of the paradoxical definition of a ‘form that is, of what is not’ in Plato’s
Sophist(258 D 5-7) and as a deliberate correction of Aristotle’s unsuccessful attempt at including female desire in an analysis of privation in the
Physics(i 9, 192 a 22-25). Only when the debt to Plato and Aristotle has been recognised for what it is are we able to appreciate that matter defined as ‘non-being’ is not therefore ‘non-existent’, and that the ‘privation’ that is matter is not a
terminus a quoof change, but a permanent substrate of change. The adaptation and the daring syncretism lead to deliberate paradox in Plotinus’ own definition of matter as both ‘so to speak a form of sorts’ and ‘formless’ (I 8 [51] 3). The seeming inconsistency is Plotinus’ acknowledgment of the use he has made of earlier ideas when he writes of matter, so defined, as ‘made’ by a lower manifestation of soul, and therefore as the last and the least of the products flowing from, but not created by, the One.
Parameterization of Cloud Microphysics Based on Full Integral Moments
Authors: Kogan Yefim L. , Belochitski Alexei
Published: March 2012

This paper describes a microphysics parameterization based on integral moments of the full drop size distributions (DSDs) as opposed to a partial moments approach (sometimes referred to as Kessler-type parameterization) based on the moments integrated separately over the cloud and rain drop portion of the drop spectrum. This approach does not assume a prescribed form of a DSD but employs as model variables full moments that have clear physical meaning: drop concentration and surface area, water content, precipitation flux, and radar reflectivity. These variables can be directly measured and assimilated into the model forecast cycle without intermediate retrievals. The approach avoids division of DSDs into cloud and rain drops. This eliminates the problem of defining the threshold between these two categories and subdivision of the physical coagulation process into artificial processes of autoconversion, accretion, and self-collection. The development and testing of the parameterization was made using the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) large-eddy simulation (LES) explicit warm rain microphysical model. The conversion and sedimentation rates were parameterized in the form of a product of power functions using nonlinear regression analysis to determine exponents of the approximated expressions. The comparison of bulk and explicit microphysics models demonstrated reasonably good prediction of both thermodynamic and microphysical parameters of the stratocumulus-topped boundary layer (STBL). The weaknesses and problems of the numerical implementation of the full moment approach are also discussed.
Uncertainties in Hydrologic and Climate Change Impact Analyses in Headwater Basins of British Columbia
Authors: Bennett Katrina E. , Werner Arelia T. , Schnorbus Markus
Published: March 2012

Three headwater basins located across British Columbia (BC) were analyzed using a hydrologic model driven by five global climate models (GCMs) and three scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) to project future changes in seasonal water budgets and assess the uncertainty in the projections arising from GCMs, emissions scenarios, and hydrologic model parameterizations under two future time periods. Future projected changes in temperature are for annual increases of approximately +2°C by the 2050s and +3°C by the 2080s. The 2050s and 2080s precipitation projections are for increased winter precipitation in all basins and decreases in summertime precipitation for two of the three basins—with increases projected in the northeastern BC subwatershed. The study found that the hydrologic parameter uncertainty ranged up to 55%, (average 31%) for winter runoff anomalies, which was less than the uncertainty associated with GCMs and emissions scenarios that ranged up to 135% and 78% (average 84% and 58%, respectively). The uncertainty results were variable across the three hydroclimate regimes. Coastal headwater systems in British Columbia experience more uncertainty associated with changes during winter and the summer, whereas interior systems experience the greatest uncertainties during the winter and spring. Changes projected for the 2050s at the coastal site fell outside of the range of natural variability, a robust shift that may result in a very different regime for this basin within the short planning horizon of 50 years. A small, semiarid watershed located on the Chilcotin Plateau exhibited changes to the hydrologic regime that were projected to be small in absolute terms and fell within the range of natural variability.
Mid-Twenty-First-Century Changes in Extreme Events over Northern and Tropical Africa
Authors: Vizy Edward K. , Cook Kerry H.
Published: March 2012

Changes in rainfall and temperature extremes are predicted by many global climate models as a response to greenhouse gas increases, and such changes will have significant environmental and social impacts. A regional climate model is used to predict changes in extremes across tropical and northern Africa for 2041–60 under a midline emissions forcing scenario. Six indicators are examined, including annual extreme and daily diurnal temperature ranges, heat wave days, number of dry days, number of extreme wet days, and extreme wet day rainfall intensity. Confidence in the projections is evaluated by examining the ensemble spread and the validation of extreme events in the twentieth-century simulation.

Despite an increase in both daily minimum and maximum temperatures, diurnal temperature ranges decrease from West Africa to Ethiopia during spring and fall, over the Sahel during summer, and over the Congo basin during winter and spring. Diurnal temperature ranges increase over the Horn of Africa during boreal winter and over Kenya and Tanzania during boreal summer. The number of heat wave days increases north of 8°N with the largest increase (60–120 days) over the western Sahel. The number of dry days decreases over the Congo and the central Sahel but increases over East Africa, the latter associated with a reduction in the springtime long rains. The number of extreme wet rainfall days is projected to increase over West Africa, the Sahel, and the Ethiopian Highlands but decrease over the Congo. The predicted changes in extreme wet rainfall intensity are highly regional.
Turbulent Kinetic Energy Dissipation in Barrow Canyon
Authors: Shroyer E. L.
Published: March 2012

Pacific Water flows across the shallow Chukchi Sea before reaching the Arctic Ocean, where it is a source of heat, freshwater, nutrients, and carbon. A substantial portion of Pacific Water is routed through Barrow Canyon, located in the northeast corner of the Chukchi. Barrow Canyon is a region of complex geometry and forcing where a variety of water masses have been observed to coexist. These factors contribute to a dynamic physical environment, with the potential for significant water mass transformation. The measurements of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation presented here indicate diapycnal mixing is important in the upper canyon. Elevated dissipation rates were observed near the pycnocline, effectively mixing winter and summer water masses, as well as within the bottom boundary layer. The slopes of shear/stratification layers, combined with analysis of rotary spectra, suggest that near-inertial wave activity may be important in modulating dissipation near the bottom. Because the canyon is known to be a hotspot of productivity with an active benthic community, mixing may be an important factor in maintenance of the biological environment.
Mapping GPS Radio Occultation Data by Bayesian Interpolation
Authors: Leroy Stephen S. , Ao Chi O. , Verkhoglyadova Olga
Published: March 2012

Bayesian interpolation for mapping GPS radio occultation data on a sphere is explored and its performance evaluated. Bayesian interpolation is ideally suited to the task of fitting data randomly and nonuniformly distributed with unknown error without overfitting the data. The geopotential height at dry pressure 200 hPa is simulated as data with theoretical distributions of the Challenging Mini-Satellite Payload (CHAMP) and of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC). The simulated CHAMP data are found to be best fit with a spherical harmonic basis of 14th degree; the COSMIC data with a spherical harmonic basis of 20th degree. The best regularizer mimics a spline fit, and relaxing the penalty for purely meridional structures or for the global mean yields little advantage. Climatologies are most accurately established by binning in ≃2-day intervals to best resolve synoptic structures in space and time. Finally, Bayesian interpolation is shown to negate a source of systematic sampling error obtained in binning and averaging highly nonuniform data but to incur another systematic error due to incomplete resolution of the background atmosphere, notably in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Gradient Velocity Track Display (GrVTD) Technique for Retrieving Tropical Cyclone Primary Circulation from Aliased Velocities Measured by Single-Doppler Radar
Authors: Wang Mingjun , Zhao Kun , Lee Wen-Chau , Jou Ben Jong-Dao , Xue Ming
Published: March 2012

The ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD) technique was developed to estimate the primary circulations of landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) from single-Doppler radar data. However, GBVTD cannot process aliased Doppler velocities, which are often encountered in intense TCs. This study presents a new gradient velocity track display (GrVTD) algorithm that is essentially immune to the Doppler velocity aliasing. GrVTD applies the concept of gradient velocity–azimuth display (GVAD) to the GBVTD method. A GrVTD-simplex algorithm is also developed to accompany GrVTD as a self-sufficient algorithm suite.

The results from idealized experiments demonstrate that the circulation center and winds retrieved from GrVTD with aliased velocity and GBVTD with dealiased velocity are in good agreement, but GrVTD is more sensitive to random observation errors. GrVTD was applied to Hurricane Charley (2004) where the majority of the Doppler velocities of the inner-core region were aliased. The GrVTD-retrieved circulation pattern and magnitude are nearly identical to those retrieved in GBVTD with manually dealiased velocities. Overall, the performance of GrVTD is comparable but is more sensitive to the data distribution than that of the original GBVTD using dealiased velocity. GrVTD can be used as a preprocessor for dealiasing velocity in TCs before the data are used in GBVTD or other algorithms.
African American Males and Literacy Development in Contexts That are Characteristically Urban
Authors: Tatum Alfred W. , Muhammad Gholnecsar E.
Published: March 2012

Advancing the literacy development of African American males in contexts that are characteristically urban has been a challenging task for educators across the P-12 spectrum. Frames that have been traditionally used to improve the reading achievement of African American males have not reversed trends in reading achievement that find many of these young males underperforming on traditional reading assessments. The purpose of this article is to reframe the discussion on the literacy development of African American males based on a review of several bodies of literature. Attention is given to evidence-based reading research: three historical frames of the literacy development of African American males and a literacy model for advancing the literacy development of African American male youth in urban schools. Finally, a research agenda is proposed for advancing the literacy development of African American male youth with the goal of offering guidance to teachers, teacher educators, researchers, and policymakers.
Science and the City
Authors: Tate William F. , Jones Brittni D. , Thorne-Wallington Elizabeth , Hogrebe Mark C.
Published: March 2012

The purpose of this article is to describe several conceptual areas that warrant attention by scholars and practitioners interested in improving access and opportunity to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning in urban cities. Thinking conceptually about the urban context has been a part of intellectual traditions in the social sciences for decades. Like in other fields of study, for example, economics, sociology, and political science, the treatment of urban communities as unique geospatial organizations in terms of sites of intervention and policy reform has a history in STEM education, but the aligned research and development strategy is best characterized as nascent.
In the Arid Zone
Authors: Iddings Ana Christina DaSilva , Combs Mary Carol , Moll Luis
Published: March 2012

This article presents a variety of issues related to the effects of restrictive language and educational policies that ultimately limits important resources for English language learners (i.e., services, funding, time, and information). The authors spotlight the state of Arizona as an unfortunate case of language control through policies, which has the promise of being replicated in other areas of the United States. As these forms of control make their way into everyday classroom life, English language learners are further stripped from essential educational opportunities when denied the right to draw on their own social, cultural, and linguistic resources for learning.
Mantic Mary? The Virgin Mother as Prophet in Luke 1.26-56 and the Early Church
Authors: Croy N. Clayton , Connor Alice E.
Published: March 2012

Scholars have noted that Luke’s portrait of Mary, particularly in Lk. 1.26-56, characterizes her as a prophet. Nevertheless, the evangelist refrains from explicitly calling Mary a prophet. A case for the Lukan prophetic characterization of Mary is made on literary, lexical and thematic grounds. The connection between prophecy and virginity is examined in Judaism, Greco-Roman antiquity and early Christianity. Finally, the explicit characterization of Mary as a prophet in the early Church Fathers is demonstrated, and a hypothesis is offered to explain both Luke’s reluctance and the later patristic readiness to identify Mary in such terms.
Contested Paternity and Contested Readings: Jesus’ Conception in Matthew 1.18-25
Authors: Lincoln Andrew T.
Published: March 2012

Some recent readings of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ conception have questioned whether it would have been originally understood in the way it has traditionally been interpreted, namely, as a miraculous divine act in which there was no human male agency. This article presents their case in regard to how the language of ‘begotten by the holy Spirit’ (1.18, 20) would have been understood in a Jewish context, whether Matthew changes the force of παρθένος in his citation of LXX Isa. 7.14 (1.23) and what the reference to Joseph’s abstinence from intercourse with Mary until after the birth (1.25) might signify. It asks whether the traditional or revised reading ﬁts better in its Matthean context and what light might be shed on each by Matthew’s use of tradition. It revisits the use of LXX Isa. 7.14 and the interpretation of ‘begotten by the holy Spirit’ in a Jewish context, before assessing the rival readings in the light of ancient views of procreation and conception and of the story’s apparent apologetic features. Finally, the article provides brief reﬂection on how this contest of readings might be adjudicated.
Does Sport Build Character? A Progress Report on a Victorian Idea
Authors: Erdozain Dominic
Published: March 2012

This paper discusses the Victorian idea that sport builds character, which was one of the inspirations for the modern Olympic movement and remains central to policy debates on sport. The argument is that sport, even in the highly moralised context of ‘muscular Christianity’, failed in this character-forming role, and should not be seen as a source of moral regeneration. The paper argues that the tendency to over-moralise sport, like the commercialisation of sport, has the effect of diminishing the ‘play element’. Recovering sport as play, it is argued, is essential to unlocking its potential to lift the spirit—if not to build character, as the muscular Christians believed.
John Paul II’s Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: A Paradigm for a Christian Ethic of Sport
Authors: White John
Published: March 2012

John Paul II proposes that 1 Cor. 9:24-27 includes sport among the human values and offers a paradigm to recognise ‘the fundamental validity of sport, considering it not just as a term of comparison to illustrate higher ethical and aesthetic ideal, but also in its intrinsic reality as a factor in the formation of man as a part of his culture and his civilization’. In this paper, I intend to follow John Paul II’s interpretation and moral reasoning in order to demonstrate how 1 Cor. 9:24-27 can be used in Christian ethics as a paradigm for theological reflection on sport.
Gender-Based Violence Against Civilian Women in Postinvasion Iraq
Authors: Lee-Koo Katrina
Published: March 2012

This article explores the increase in gender-based violence against civilian women in Iraq since 2003 and connects it to the U.S.-led invasion of that country. It outlines the complex nature of the gender-based violence and the impact that it has had on civilian women in Iraq. It then analyzes the links between this violence and the politics of the postinvasion period. This article also explores how this violence has been politicized. Ultimately, the article (re)politicizes gender-based violence through a feminist lens and argues that the security of Iraq’s women is fundamental to the stability of Iraq as a whole.
Don’t Just Widen One Lens; Instead Use Many
Authors: Walker Robert , Clark James J.
Published: March 2012

This paper responds to the commentaries offered by Mulla and Hlavka, Conte, Cerulli, and Cromer and Newman. We reflect on their differing points of view, attempt clarifications, and then re-state our central concern in regard to research ethics in studies of violence against women. We think that IRB-oriented approaches suffer from too much rule adherence, too much focus on doing things the right way and too little attention to the larger ethical question of to how figure out the right things to do. We continue to raise concern about inept research as potentially damaging to a class of persons, not to the specific subjects of any particular study. Thus, we see not just a matter of poor design, mishandling of analyses, or even of clumsy inferences from the data in some research; these errors are correctible by better training and review. But these errors also have the potential for misleading the public and policy makers and thus suggest ethical dimensions to clumsy work. We conclude by proposing use of wide reflective equilibrium as a way of entering into deeper dialogue about the complex ethical issues surrounding this field of research. Hopefully, we can move beyond mere rule compliance to seriously considering the end effects of our science.
Beyond Borders
Authors: Frías Sonia M. , Angel Ronald J.
Published: March 2012

We employ two surveys to identify similarities and differences in the risk of abuse among poor urban Mexican-origin women in the United States and Mexico. While the two surveys reveal basic structural similarity in the predictors of partner violence, the rate of violence among Mexican women is far lower than among either foreign-born or native-born Mexican origin women in the United States. While these differences may reflect reality, we argue that survey data must be interpreted cautiously and with an understanding of the cultural, economic, and political context in which the information is collected as well as methodological differences between the surveys.
Measuring Social Support in Battered Women
Authors: Bauman Emily M. , Haaga David A. F. , Kaltman Stacey , Dutton Mary Ann
Published: March 2012

Social support is related to mental health outcomes among battered women. It is unclear, however, whether researchers should measure social support as a unidimensional or multidimensional concept. Efforts to identify the latent dimensions underlying a common measure of social support, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), have yielded inconsistent results. This study used exploratory factor analytic procedures to determine the most appropriate factor structure for the ISEL. The ISEL was completed by two samples (one help seeking, one non–help seeking) of primarily African American, low-income battered women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) within the previous year. Results indicated that social support in battered women is best conceptualized as unidimensional.
Women’s Perceptions of Safety and Risk Following Police Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Dichter Melissa E. , Gelles Richard J.
Published: March 2012

Police intervention is a primary response to intimate partner violence (IPV) but does not guarantee a victim’s future safety. This study sought to identify factors associated with IPV survivors’ perceptions of safety and risk of revictimization following police intervention. One hundred sixty-four women completed a questionnaire, and 11 of those women also took part in qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that feeling unsafe and perceiving oneself to be at risk of future violence is associated with experiencing particular forms of IPV, including battering, lethality threats, and sexual violence. Having support from others and distance from the partner helps women feel safe.
Back to Basics
Authors: Kulkarni Shanti J. , Bell Holly , Rhodes Diane McDaniel
Published: March 2012

Survivor voice is essential to effectively implement survivor-focused IPV (intimate partner violence) services. In this focus group study, domestic violence survivors ( n = 30) shared detailed perspectives as service seekers and recipients, whereas national hotline advocates ( n = 24) explored relationships between service providers and survivors based on their interactions with both. Four thematic categories related to enhancing IPV services emerged: providing empathy, supporting empowerment, individualizing care, and maintaining ethical boundaries. Advocates identified additional factors that interfered with quality services, including the following: inadequate organizational resources, staff burnout, lack of training, and poor integration with other community resources. Respectful, empowering relationships are the centerpiece for quality IPV services.
Radiological investigation of an over 2000-year-old Egyptian mummy of a cat
Authors: Gnudi Giacomo , Volta Antonella , Manfredi Sabrina , Ferri Filippo , Conversi Roberta
Published: March 2012

A radiographical study of a cat mummy from the Egyptian collection of the National Archeological Museum in Parma, Italy was carried out in order to evaluate the content and to describe how cats were wrapped and mummified. The mummy contained the complete skeleton of a 4–5-month-old cat. Radiology revealed the position of the cat’s body; it was wrapped to occupy the smallest space possible. In order to better position the cat, the ribs of the thorax were compressed cranio-caudally and the fore limbs were then positioned very close to the thorax. The hind limbs were flexed close to the lumbar spine and the tibio-tarsal joints were subluxated to allow the repositioning of the tarsal, metatarsal and phalanx bones cranio-caudally near the tibiae. A coccygeal vertebra was fractured in order to reposition the tail as close as possible to the body. Atlanto-occipital subluxation and a fracture/hole was present in the occipital region of the skull: whether this was made for draining skull contents as a mummification process and/or to euthanase the cat remains open for discussion.
The colour of gayness: Representations of queers of colour in Québec’s gay media
Authors: Roy Olivier
Published: March 2012

Various stereotypes of racialized sexuality seem to be prevalent among White gay men, effectively objectifying other men and thus building frontiers. Drawing from a critical discourse analysis of three main gay magazines ( Fugues, RG, and Être), this article will discuss how differences are constructed and performed in the symbolic representation of male homosexuality in the French-speaking gay media in Québec. This analysis, informed by both an intersectional feminist theorization and the poststructuralist thought of Judith Butler, is based on a discursive analysis of these three magazines' articles since 2000, as well as the visual representations on their front covers.
Hapax Legomena: A Neglected Field in Biblical Studies
Authors: Mardaga Hellen
Published: March 2012

The current essay offers an overview of major studies on hapax legomena in the MT, LXX and NT. The focus of the contribution is on the definition of hapax legomenon. Authors disagree as to whether the term should point to (a) a word found only once in a specific biblical corpus or to (b) a word occurring more than once as well as unique grammatical forms of a word as well as unique meanings. The present article defends that hapax legomenon should only be reserved for a word found only once in the MT, the LXX or the NT.
Recent Research on Warfare in the Old Testament
Authors: Trimm Charles
Published: March 2012

In an introduction to the English translation of Gerhard von Rad’s classic work Holy War in Ancient Israel, Ollenburger (1991) reviewed the major contributions on the topic of warfare through to 1990. My article will update Ollenburger’s survey with new research on warfare in the Old Testament from 1990 to 2010, treating historicity, broad histories of warfare, and diversity of warfare. In addition, this article expands Ollenburger’s survey by looking at recent research on other topics connected to warfare ( herem, warfare in Psalms and Chronicles, military history, and ethics), and at new perspectives on warfare (ancient Near Eastern connections, feminism, peace, and early reception history).
Layered titanosilicates
Authors: Lin Zhi , Paz Filipe A. Almeida , Rocha Joāo
Published: March 2012

Layered materials have much potential for applications as ion exchangers, gas sorbents and catalysts. Layered titanosilicates are of particular interest because on the one hand they possess large amounts of titanium and, on the other, they exhibit a wide variety of crystal structures. This chapter summarizes the main structural features in the family of heteropolyhedral layered titanosilicates and presents briefly the synthesis and application studies on some of these materials. The most representative members have been described in terms of the construction of each individual sheet from the individual building blocks. In general, the structures of these materials encompass single layers, micatype layers (heterophyllosilicates) and perforated ‘microporous’ layers. The most commonly used synthesis process and potential applications of some layered titanosilicates are reviewed briefly. The materials with perforated ‘microporous’ sheets are particularly interesting because they can be considered as microporous materials with one of the dimensions in the nano size regime, meaning the materials have fast transport properties. Most of the structures reviewed are known only as minerals. Both the synthesis and potential applications of layered titanosilicates have been significantly underexplored and still present a great number of challenges and opportunities for future research.
Intercalation processes of layered minerals
Authors: Bergaya Faïza , Lagaly Gerhard
Published: March 2012

Understanding clay mineral intercalation is the aim of this chapter. Intercalation, which corresponds to a reversible inclusion of different species between two layers, depends on the geometrical, physical and chemical characteristics of each type of clay mineral.

In most phyllosilicates, the interlayer space is occupied by cations which are more or less hydrated. These water molecules which separate two successive layers enable further intercalation reactions by physical adsorption or by chemical grafting of a great variety of species. It is noteworthy that intercalation of inorganic or organic species by ion exchange of these interlayer cations is often the first step in intercalation and is of primary importance in much basic and applied research of the modified clay minerals obtained. This concerns organo-clay minerals (OC), pillared clays (PILC) and clay mineral-polymer nanocomposites (CPN). In non-swelling clay minerals where, generally, the interlayer space is empty, the layers are held by van der Waals interactions or by hydrogen bonds between the stacked layers. In this case, different mechanisms of intercalation can occur and are described.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and adsorption methods, which induce swelling, and how they are used to confirm intercalation are described below. The meanings of the commonly used terms ‘intercalated’ and ‘exfoliated structures’ in CPN literature and the meanings of the confusing terms, ‘exfoliation’ and ‘delamination’, are also discussed.

When the reversibility of the intercalation can be controlled, applications become possible. In conclusion, this chapter aims to draw attention to the importance of the geo-metrical arrangement of the different clay mineral units in predicting their properties. The unique intercalation property of clay minerals allows us to consider possible further development in aid of our environment, our health and our wellbeing.
Trace inequalities for positive semidefinite matrices with centrosymmetric structure
Authors: Zhao Di , Li Hongyi , Gong Zhiguo
Published: March 2012

In this article, we present some results on the Hadamard product of positive semidefinite matrices with centrosymmetric structure. Based on these results, several trace inequalities on positive semidefinite centrosymmetric matrices are obtained.
Association of single nucleotide polymorphic sites in candidate genes with aggressiveness and deoxynivalenol production in Fusarium graminearum causing wheat head blight
Authors: Talas Firas , Würschum Tobias , Reif Jochen C , Parzies Heiko K , Miedaner Thomas
Published: March 2012

Background

Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto (s.s.) is an ubiquitous pathogen of cereals. The economic impact of Fusarium head blight (FHB) is characterized by crop losses and mycotoxin contamination. Our objective was to associate SNP diversity within candidate genes with phenotypic traits. A total of 77 F. graminearum s.s. isolates was tested for severity of fungal infection (= aggressiveness) and deoxynivalenol (DON) production in an inoculated field experiment at two locations in each of two years. For seven genes known to control fungal growth (MetAP1, Erf2) or DON production (TRI1, TRI5, TRI6 TRI10 and TRI14) single nucleotides polymorphic sites (SNPs) were determined and evaluated for the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD). Associations of SNPs with both phenotypic traits were tested using linear mixed models.

Results

Decay of LD was in most instances fast. Two neighboring SNPs in MetAP1 and one SNP in Erf2 were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with aggressiveness explaining proportions of genotypic variance (p

G
) of 25.6%, 0.5%, and 13.1%, respectively. One SNP in TRI1 was significantly associated with DON production (p

G
= 4.4).

Conclusions

We argue that using the published sequence information of Fusarium graminearum as a template to amplify comparative sequence parts of candidate genes is an effective method to detect quantitative trait loci. Our findings underline the potential of candidate gene association mapping approaches to identify functional SNPs underlying aggressiveness and DON production for F. graminearum s.s populations.
Alternative sigma factor σH activates competence gene expression in Lactobacillus sakei
Authors: Schmid Solveig , Bevilacqua Claudia , Crutz-Le Coq Anne-Marie
Published: March 2012

Background

Alternative sigma factors trigger various adaptive responses. Lactobacillus sakei, a non-sporulating meat-borne bacterium, carries an alternative sigma factor seemingly orthologous to σH of Bacillus subtilis, best known for its contribution to the initiation of a large starvation response ultimately leading to sporulation. As the role of σH-like factors has been little studied in non-sporulating bacteria, we investigated the function of σH in L. sakei.

Results

Transcription of sigH coding for σH was hardly affected by entry into stationary phase in our laboratory conditions. Twenty-five genes potentially regulated by σH in L. sakei 23 K were revealed by genome-wide transcriptomic profiling of sigH overexpression and/or quantitative PCR analysis. More than half of them are involved in the synthesis of a DNA uptake machinery linked to genetic competence, and in DNA metabolism; however, σH overproduction did not allow detectable genetic transformation. σH was found to be conserved in the L. sakei species.

Conclusion

Our results are indicative of the existence of a genetic competence state activated by σH in L. sakei, and sustain the hypothesis that σH-like factors in non sporulating Firmicutes share this common function with the well-known ComX of naturally transformable streptococci.
Protein kinase CK2 localizes to sites of DNA double-strand break regulating the cellular response to DNA damage
Authors: Olsen Birgitte B , Wang Shih-Ya , Svenstrup Tina H , Chen Benjamin PC , Guerra Barbara
Published: March 2012

Background

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a nuclear complex composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and a heterodimeric DNA-targeting subunit Ku. DNA-PK is a major component of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair mechanism, which is activated in the presence of DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation, reactive oxygen species and radiomimetic drugs. We have recently reported that down-regulation of protein kinase CK2 by siRNA interference results in enhanced cell death specifically in DNA-PKcs-proficient human glioblastoma cells, and this event is accompanied by decreased autophosphorylation of DNA-PKcs at S2056 and delayed repair of DNA double-strand breaks.

Results

In the present study, we show that CK2 co-localizes with phosphorylated histone H2AX to sites of DNA damage and while CK2 gene knockdown is associated with delayed DNA damage repair, its overexpression accelerates this process. We report for the first time evidence that lack of CK2 destabilizes the interaction of DNA-PKcs with DNA and with Ku80 at sites of genetic lesions. Furthermore, we show that CK2 regulates the phosphorylation levels of DNA-PKcs only in response to direct induction of DNA double-strand breaks.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results strongly indicate that CK2 plays a prominent role in NHEJ by facilitating and/or stabilizing the binding of DNA-PKcs and, possibly other repair proteins, to the DNA ends contributing to efficient DNA damage repair in mammalian cells.