bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Communication Schedules with Buffers
Authors: GONZALEZ TEOFILO F.
Published: January 2009

We consider the multimessage multicasting over the n processor complete (or fully connected) static network when there are l incoming (message) buffers on every processor. We present an efficient algorithm to route the messages for every degree d problem instance in d2/l + l - 1 total communication rounds, where d is the maximum number of messages that each processor may send (or receive). Our algorithm takes linear time with respect to the input length, i.e. O(n + q) where q is the total number of messages that all processors must receive. For l = d we present a lower bound for the total communication time. The lower bound matches the upper bound for the schedules generated by our algorithm. For convenience we assume that the network is completely connected. However, it is important to note that each communication round can be automatically translated into one communication round for processors interconnected via a replication network followed by a permutation network (e.g., two adjacent Benes networks), because in these networks all possible one-to-many communications can be performed in a single communication round.
SUMS OF SQUARES FROM ELLIPTIC PFAFFIANS
Authors: ROSENGREN HJALMAR
Published: January 2009

We give a new proof of Milne's formulas for the number of representations of an integer as a sum of 4m2and 4m(m + 1) squares. The proof is based on explicit evaluation of pfaffians with elliptic function entries, and relates Milne's formulas to Schur Q-polynomials and to correlation functions for continuous dual Hahn polynomials. We also state a new formula for 2m2squares.
Transcription Factors in Long-Term Memory and Synaptic Plasticity
Authors: Alberini Cristina M.
Published: January 2009

Transcription is a molecular requisite for long-term synaptic plasticity and long-term memory formation. Thus, in the last several years, one main interest of molecular neuroscience has been the identification of families of transcription factors that are involved in both of these processes. Transcription is a highly regulated process that involves the combined interaction and function of chromatin and many other proteins, some of which are essential for the basal process of transcription, while others control the selective activation or repression of specific genes. These regulated interactions ultimately allow a sophisticated response to multiple environmental conditions, as well as control of spatial and temporal differences in gene expression. Evidence based on correlative changes in expression, genetic mutations, and targeted molecular inhibition of gene expression have shed light on the function of transcription in both synaptic plasticity and memory formation. This review provides a brief overview of experimental work showing that several families of transcription factors, including CREB, C/EBP, Egr, AP-1, and Rel, have essential functions in both processes. The results of this work suggest that patterns of transcription regulation represent the molecular signatures of long-term synaptic changes and memory formation.
Physiology of Cell Volume Regulation in Vertebrates
Authors: Hoffmann Else K. , Lambert Ian H. , Pedersen Stine F.
Published: January 2009

The ability to control cell volume is pivotal for cell function. Cell volume perturbation elicits a wide array of signaling events, leading to protective (e.g., cytoskeletal rearrangement) and adaptive (e.g., altered expression of osmolyte transporters and heat shock proteins) measures and, in most cases, activation of volume regulatory osmolyte transport. After acute swelling, cell volume is regulated by the process of regulatory volume decrease (RVD), which involves the activation of KCl cotransport and of channels mediating K+, Cl−, and taurine efflux. Conversely, after acute shrinkage, cell volume is regulated by the process of regulatory volume increase (RVI), which is mediated primarily by Na+/H+exchange, Na+-K+-2Cl−cotransport, and Na+channels. Here, we review in detail the current knowledge regarding the molecular identity of these transport pathways and their regulation by, e.g., membrane deformation, ionic strength, Ca2+, protein kinases and phosphatases, cytoskeletal elements, GTP binding proteins, lipid mediators, and reactive oxygen species, upon changes in cell volume. We also discuss the nature of the upstream elements in volume sensing in vertebrate organisms. Importantly, cell volume impacts on a wide array of physiological processes, including transepithelial transport; cell migration, proliferation, and death; and changes in cell volume function as specific signals regulating these processes. A discussion of this issue concludes the review.
Self-Assembly Synthesis of Mesoscopically Ordered Biphenyl-Bridged Organosilica Films with Molecular Periodicity in the Pore Walls
Authors: Wahab M. Abdul , He Chaobin
Published: January 2009

Mild acidic one-step self-assembled synthesis of periodic mesoporous biphenyl-bridged organosilica films having hydrogen-bonded large molecular-scale periodicity in the pore walls from 4,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)biphenyl (BTSBp) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is successfully
described for the first time. High resolution X-ray diffraction analysis (HRXRD) along with transmission electron microscope observation (TEM) revealed the formation of periodic mesophase with molecular periodicity in the pore walls. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm shows
a type-IV isotherm with a pore diameter of 3.1 nm and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 714 m2g−1. FT-IR and NMR spectroscopic data confirmed that biphenyl fragment is covalently linked with silicon atoms in final acidic-ethanol washed material. The obtained
molecular-scale periodicity by structural model (1.389 nm) is consistent with experimental HRXRD value 1.40 nm. Nanoindentation hardness of biphenyl-bridged PMO films was found to be dependant on experimental conditions.
How Unclean Were Tax-Collectors?
Authors: Maccoby Hyam
Published: January 2009

The ideas that tax-collectors were unusually unclean and were regarded as incapable of repentance derive from misreadings of passages in the Mishnah and Talmud. These ideas sometimes form part of a general mistaken thesis that first-century Jewish society was riven by purity-based divisions. In fact, Jewish purity laws did not lead to social demarcation, since impurity was permitted except when entering the Temple, and purification when required was available to all, including tax-collectors. Disapproval of tax-collectors was on moral, not ritual-purity grounds, since they acted corruptly and oppressively. The case of the repentant tax-collector Zachaeus and his offer of reparation can be fully understood through rabbinic parallels.
Roland Murphy, The Pontifical Biblical Commission, Jews, and the Bible
Authors: Levine Amy-Jill
Published: January 2009

Roland Murphy's understanding of the Old Testament both on its own terms and as interpreted throughout the history of the Church provides a helpful complement to the Pontifical Biblical Institute's THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SACRED SCRIPTURES IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE. This article expands on Murphy's own critique of the document (BTB 32.3 [2002]: 145-49) in its analysis of seven issues: contextual understanding, historical criticism, use of the Old Testament to interpret the New, Jewish interpretation, comparing Testaments, Formative Judaism, and the Shoah. It concludes that Murphy's ways of understanding the Old Testament provide helpful guides for correcting and improving the PBC document.
Scripture and Interpretive Method: Why Read Scripture as Canon?
Authors: Stenstrup Kenneth G.
Published: January 2009

This article presents the practical benefits of interpreting Scripture as a composite or collection. Based upon Comparative Midrash and Intertextuality, the work of James A. Sanders suggests most fundamentally that Scripture can serve as a paradigm for how one understands the divine working through the world. The study provides a brief overview of this method and then through a critical assessment presents general implications that result from employing the method.
Comfort for Jerusalem: The Second Isaiah as Counselor to Refugees
Authors: Morrow William S.
Published: January 2009

Analogies exist between psychological problems faced by contemporary populations of displaced persons (e.g., refugees) and those exiled by the Babylonian empire after the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. The second-generation survivors of the Babylonian deportations inherited a shaming identity as defeated Israel, rejected by God. This traumatizing story was conveyed and reinforced by liturgies of lament. At the same time, the failure of Israel's laments to effect change led to a perception of unanswered prayer by a powerless or absent deity which further demoralized them. Their discouragement produced symptoms of the psychological harm called learned helplessness. The approach of the prophet who composed the poems and oracles found in Isaiah 40—55 is similar to some contemporary therapies. Through various genres of poetry, the Second Isaiah counseled the exiles to reframe their pessimism about Israel, YHWH, and their future.
Overvaluing the Stigma: An Example of Self-Stigmatization in the Jesus Movement (Q 14:26—27; 17:33)
Authors: Gil Arbiol Carlos J.
Published: January 2009

This article tries to show the usefulness of social-scientific models for interpreting biblical texts. The Sociology of Knowledge can help Historical Criticism build a framework in which to locate the data recovered by textual, formal, literary, and narrative criticism. Thus, merging both sciences, social and exegetical, we can get a better knowledge of the beginnings of Christianity. A model called “self-stigmatization” is described to illustrate how a charismatic leader unmasks social interests, legitimizes, and establishes a new social structure by taking on negative values or behaviors and converting them into positive ones. This model can be observed in the three sayings contained in Q 14:26—27; 17:33 about “rejecting family,” “carrying the cross,” and “turning life upside down.”
BTB Readers Guide: Loyalty
Authors: Crook Zeba
Published: January 2009

This article looks at the nature of ancient loyalty, stressing its external (relationship) as opposed to its internal (emotional) features, and confirms this through an analysis of loyalty within three types of Graeco-Roman patronage— client kingship, manumission, and relationships with philosophical teachers. It then looks at examples of loyalty in the First and Second Testaments, noting the extent to which the former are similar or different from the latter, and makes some observations concerning the vocabulary of biblical loyalty.
Translation Errors in the Pontifical Biblical Commission's THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SACRED SCRIPTURES IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE
Authors: Miller Charles H.
Published: January 2009

The English version of the 2001 book from the Pontifical Biblical Commission, THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SACRED SCRIPTURES IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE, has numerous errors in the translation from the French original. These range from errors of fact to what might be construed as doctrinally misleading statements not intended by the Commission's original text. The article reviews the English and French texts of the book paragraph by paragraph to show the errors and the appropriate corrections for English readers.
New Testament Genealogies and the Families of Mary and Joseph
Authors: Sivertsen Barbara
Published: January 2009

This study explores the differences between the most recent parts of the genealogies of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, differences that have puzzled scholars for over seventeen hundred years. These differences do not conform to the types of inconsistencies found in most traditional genealogies. They are more effectively explained as being the products of different genealogical sources. Looking at these recent lineage segments from a genealogical perspective reveals four independent sources: the list of names after Zerubbabel from Abiud to Matthan to Joseph in Matthew 1:13—16; the name of Joseph's grandfather in Matthew 1:15, 16; the name of Joseph's grandfather in Luke 3:23; and the long listing of names between Nathan and Zerubbabel and after Zerubbabel in Luke 3:24—31. These sources were incorrectly combined, with the name of Joseph's father Jacob placed with a list of Mary's ancestors (Matthew 1:13—15) and the name of Mary's father (Joseph son of Heli, probably Joseph ben Elim, a Sepphoris priest) placed with the oral list that includes her husband's ancestors (Luke 3:29—30). Much of the confusion in these most recent genealogical segments is the result of the fact that Mary's husband and her father were both named Joseph, which was the second most popular male Jewish name in Second Temple times. Naming patterns derived from studies of Second Temple names and use of ancient sources help to recreate the family of Joseph, Mary's husband.
“Saving Judas”—A Social Scientific Approach to Judas's Suicide in Matthew 27:3—10
Authors: Reed David A.
Published: January 2009

This article examines Judas's suicide, reported in Matthew 27:3—10. Through the use of cross-cultural analysis with the Gainj of New Zealand, it argues that Judas's suicide is not a shameful act, but is an honorable one that atones for Judas's “sin” of betraying Jesus's innocent blood.
Jesus in Samaria (John 4:4—42): A Model for Cross-Cultural Ministry
Authors: Wyckoff Eric John
Published: January 2009

The narrative of Jesus' missionary journey to Samaria in John 4:4—42 had implications for the first-century Johannine community as they, like Jesus at Jacob's well, encountered new situations and new cultures. This article proposes that it may hold different but analogous implications for the church in every age. A contextual approach shaped by modern missiology, cultural anthropology, and local/contextual theology highlights the text's sensitivity to ethnic identity, cultural and religious traditions, past history, prejudice, marginalization, differences in perspective, and human processes in faith development. Read in this light, the passage can provide a model for ministry across cultural barriers in a pluralistic world still crisscrossed by divisions.
Tongues and Cymbals: Contextualizing 1 Corinthians 13:1
Authors: Portier-Young Anathea
Published: January 2009

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul's message is one of unity. The key to understanding Paul's metaphor of the cymbal in 1 Corinthians 13:1 lies in knowing that within the biblical tradition, the cymbal was never played alone, but always accompanied other instruments, singing, and words of praise. Paul urges the tongue-speakers at Corinth to abandon their solo performances and place their gifts in the service of building up the community. Love mandates that all utterances be interpreted for the community, so that the gift of tongues will no longer divide God's church, but will instead contribute to its unity in Christ.
Intertextuality, the Hermeneutics of “Other,” and Mark 16:6-7: A New but Not New Challenge for Biblical Interpreters
Authors: Trainor Michael
Published: January 2009

The present cultural climate of alienation and suspicion creates a new moment for biblical scholarship. Reclaiming and redefining intertextuality in biblical interpretation with an appreciation for a hermeneutics of “other” can be helpful, especially an explicit and systematic “intertextual” conversation with the voices of the cultural “other” and the biblical text. Mark's resurrection narrative (Mk 16:1—8) and particularly the young man's words to the women at the tomb are studied, employing Julia Kristeva's appreciation of the inner and outer play of a text. A hearing of the Markan text from the perspective of the hermeneutics of “other” reveals startling insights into the gospel's meaning of the resurrection and its implications for a world that suspects the other.
Pilate the Villain: An Alternative Reading of Matthew's Portrayal of Pilate
Authors: Callon Callie
Published: January 2009

Several recent commentaries have assessed Matthew's portrayal of the figure of Pilate in ways that range from having at least some positive characteristic attributed to him to a thoroughly exonerating portrayal. Yet, these views rely on the assumption that Matthew had complete creative control of his representation, unimpeded by the negative traditions concerning the historical figure. This article argues that attributing to Matthew a depiction of Pilate that is in any way positive is incongruent with Matthew's historical context, his view of Jewish Law, as well as numerous internal aspects of his gospel. Rather, it is argued that Matthew crafts a vehemently negative portrayal of Pilate, culminating in 27:24, which would have been recognized as such by and found resonance with his community. An examination of how Matthew modifies and adds uniquely to his source Mark indicates that Matthew was familiar with traditions concerning the historical Pilate, shared a similar -- if not even harsher -- view, and created a narrative which reflects this.
This Old Text: An Analogy for Biblical Interpretation
Authors: Green Barbara
Published: January 2009

The PBS program “This Old House” provides a useful analogy for envisioning and understanding contemporary, critical, responsible interpretation of Scripture. Thus if we are renovating a house we live in (i.e., working with the biblical text which we inhabit) we will need to make extensive investigations into its many past features and study its aesthetics as well (historical and literary study of the text). However, our current, particular, and situated existence as a family will be the major driver in our choices for renovating, and those will need study and consultation as well (ideology and pragmatic studies). The essay reviews how the Bible has been approached as Scripture across three main periods of pre-critical appropriation and then explains, with consistent reference to the analogy, what changes in Modernity and beyond as well as what remains stable. It concludes with a consideration of the interface between biblical studies and biblical spirituality.
Worship in the Fourth Gospel: A Cultural Interpretation of John 14—17
Authors: Neyrey Jerome H.
Published: January 2009

Typical readers interpret John 14—17 as a Farewell Address, and for good reason. But that hardly exhausts its contents, for the form of a farewell address simply misses all that Jesus has to say about worship in the group. From the gospel's beginning we find a steady focus on temple, mountains for worship, feasts and their objects of prayer and celebration, and the like. But in John 14—17 we are told about prayer: Jesus' own prayer to God and his instructions to the disciples to petition “in my name.” If prayer is communication to God, God also communicates to his devotees, primarily in words. Hence we find exhortations to remain and to love; oracles of many sorts, such as warning, judgment, assurance, salvation and the like. We find a particular focus on the words of Jesus, things he said but were not understood, special revelations to a special group, all of which is facilitated by the Advocate/Spirit. Most importantly, the personnel of worship are clearly defined: the Patron Father who bestows benefaction on his clients by means of Jesus, the Broker. Jesus, in turn, brokers the concerns of the clients to the Patron. Finally, the household with many rooms is not space out of the world, but relationships brokered by Jesus. These remain miscellaneous pieces until seen in the light of a cultural model of worship.
Worship in the Fourth Gospel: A Cultural Interpretation of John 14—17—Part II
Authors: Neyrey Jerome H.
Published: January 2009

Typical readers interpret John 14—17 as a Farewell Address, and for good reason. But that hardly exhausts its contents, for the form of a farewell address simply misses all that Jesus has to say about worship in the group. From the gospel's beginning we find a steady focus on temple, mountains for worship, feasts and their objects of prayer and celebration, and the like. But in John 14—17 we are told about prayer: Jesus' own prayer to God and his instructions to the disciples to petition “in my name.” If prayer is communication to God, God also communicates to his devotees, primarily in words. Hence we find exhortations to remain and to love; oracles of many sorts, such as warning, judgment, assurance, salvation and the like. We find a particular focus on the words of Jesus, things he said but were not understood, special revelations to a special group, all of which is facilitated by the Advocate/Spirit. Most importantly, the personnel of worship are clearly defined: the Patron Father who bestows benefaction on his clients by means of Jesus, the Broker. Jesus, in turn, brokers the concerns to the clients to the Patron. Finally, the household with many rooms is not space out of the world, but relationships brokered by Jesus. These remain miscellaneous pieces until seen in the light of a cultural model of worship.
Your, Ours, and Mine: Jesus' Use of the Prophetic Possessive in the Gospel of Matthew
Authors: Foster Robert L.
Published: January 2009

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus overwhelmingly prefers to use the term Father in addressing the disciples, which often appears to affirm the special relationship the disciples have with God. In several instances, however, Jesus uses the phrase “ my Father,” making a distinction between himself and the disciples. The use of this phrase extends over a significant portion of the gospel narrative and has the rhetorical force of pressing the disciples, and the implied readers who come to identify with the disciples, to adopt certain actions and avoid others, lest they lose their honored status in the Jesus-community.
Tsunami, Hurricane, and Jeremiah 4:23-28
Authors: Paul Kim Hyun Chul
Published: January 2009

Jeremiah 4:23—28 depicts one of the most stunning visions and imagery in the Hebrew Bible. The language and metaphors portray large scale devastation, an un-creation, of the entire world. Paying attention to the hermeneutical features of the metaphor and intertextuality, this study explores the ways in which this text is intended to be read and interpreted in dialogue with other interrelated texts, such as the creation accounts and flood narrative in Genesis. The intertextual correlations of key metaphors intensify the impact of threat and warning as well as their rhetorical functions both within the larger unit of Jeremiah 2—6 and within the entire book of Jeremiah. These devices signify that just as the text needs to be read from various intertextual dimensions, these visions as metaphors should be interpreted from various hermeneutical angles toward the implications in the aftermath of the recent natural tragedies in today's world.
Haggadic Midrash and the Hermeneutics of Reveal-ment
Authors: Maoz Daniel
Published: January 2009

The following paper addresses the longstanding notion that Jewish Midrash is exegesis. Hermeneutical methods that were designed to address Halakhic (legal) Midrash have traditionally been applied to texts of Haggadic (story) Midrash, with less than satisfactory results for Haggadic Midrash. By rethinking standard interpretive conclusions regarding this literary form and by advancing a reformulation to one essential aspect of the discussion, this study concludes that Haggadic Midrash is one way in which the ancient rabbis prepared its community to survive the “shock” of future change. It also appears to the author that Haggadic Midrash is better approached connotatively (described) than denotatively (defined).
Cultural Memory and Group Identity in Q
Authors: Guijarro Santiago
Published: January 2009

The Q Document includes a significant number of references to characters and events of Israelite history. The purpose of that intense recollection of the past was to construct a new social identity. Social memory studies have made an important contribution to the understanding of this process by which groups construct their identities. In this article some basic conclusions of social memory and social identity studies are applied to the analysis of the Q references to Abraham (Q 3:8; 13:29.28), to the persecuted prophets (Q 6:23; 11:33-34, 47-48, 49-51), and to non-Judean individuals and groups (Q 10:13-14; 11:30-32).
God's Work in the Secular World
Authors: Sanders James A.
Published: January 2009

As in biblical times God works more effectively with non-religious forces in the world today to bring about justice and equity among humans than with religious institutions. This has been the case in the last two centuries in the abolition of slavery, the eradication of racial segregation, the quest for women's rights, the rights of divorcees, and the acceptance of gays and lesbians in church and society. But the struggle for justice on all those fronts is far from over, and the forces of regression still come in large part from religious institutions. Biblical criticism provides the means to discern God's grace and to glean the Bible's wisdom without being mired in its ancient cultural traps and trappings, but the scholarly community seems reluctant to claim its relevant powers and to join the struggle for justice.
Love between Women: A Context for Theology
Authors: Radford Reuther Rosemary
Published: January 2009

Recognizing the contributions of four leading exponents of love between women, this article sets up a context for viewing lesbian relationships in an affirming social and religious environment. The historical perspectives of Bernadette Brooten, the theological and ethical reflections of Mary Hunt, Carter Heyward, and Virginia Mollenkott are all studied for their respective contributions to present-day understandings of human sexual identity within church and society.
Presbyterian Guidelines for Biblical Interpretation: Their Origin and Application to Homosexuality
Authors: Rogers Jack
Published: January 2009

In the midst of the debate over ordination of people who are homosexual, Presbyterians worked to understand their different approaches to biblical interpretation. The biblical theology movement, with roots in the theology of Karl Barth, had earlier provided a method of biblical interpretation that enabled the Presbyterian Church to change its stance on divorce and remarriage, and racial equality. Barth did not adhere to his own exegetical method when dealing with women and people who are homosexual, however, and so his writings proved a barrier to change within the church on the issue of homosexuality. Subsequently, the Presbyterian Church commissioned a task force to see if it could come to consensus about the best way to interpret the Bible. Guidelines based on the Reformed Confessions, developed by this task force and officially adopted by the church, now offer the possibility of resolving some of our deepest divisions.
God the Carer: Revelation and the Environment
Authors: Bredin Mark
Published: January 2009

This article is concerned with the extent to which Revelation can be claimed as a pro-creation text. It is argued that Revelation has a positive view of the whole of creation. Bredin suggests that Revelation has a strong ecological doctrine of creation, which is consistent with the Hebrew Bible and at the heart of both. An understanding of caring in the caring professions is applied to both the Hebrew Bible and Revelation to unpack important aspects of God's nature, which more common descriptions such as king and steward do not. It follows from this that understanding God as carer leads also to an understanding of human beings as carers made in God's image.
The Social Origins of Q: Two Theses in a Field of Conflicting Hypotheses
Authors: Rooney Ronan , Oakman Douglas E.
Published: January 2009

This article examines current written- and oral-tradition views of Q. Two theses are argued: (1) The case seems the stronger that Q was an elaborated written text in Greek rather than an oral-derived text. Moreover (2), there is good evidence that Q originated in oral Aramaic Jesus sayings, perhaps some of which were written down, either as maxims or pointed, brief chreiai. However these theses are evaluated, Jesus scholarship must account for several important socio-cultural transitions in this picture, notably: from Jesus material in oral (Aramaic?) form to written Greek form; from non-elite origin to documentation by scribes in service of the elites; from Jesus material with pointed political significance within Herodian social relations to polemical theological material within Judean political religion.
The Testament(s) : Continuities and Discontinuities
Authors: Murphy Roland E.
Published: January 2009

This article, based on a research report at the 1999 CBA annual meeting at Notre Dame, Indiana, approaches the topic from the point of view of the impact of the Israelite world view on the data of biblical theology: Sheol and immortality; the heavenly court and angelology; the levels of interpretation of the Song of Songs; and finally, discontinuity within the wisdom literature.
Molecular Characterization of Trimellitic Anhydride–induced Respiratory Allergy in Brown Norway Rats
Authors: kuper C. Frieke , Heijne Wilbert H. M. , Dansen Marinus , Verhoeckx Kitty C. M. , Boorsma Andre , Radonjic Marijana , Bruijntjes Joost , Stierum Rob , Muijser Hans , Arts Josje H. E.
Published: January 2009

To contribute to the hazard identification of low molecular weight (LMW) respiratory allergens, respiratory allergy induced by trimellitic anhydride (TMA) was characterized by whole genome analysis of lung tissue and blood proteomics in Brown Norway rats. Dermal sensitization (50% and 25% w/v) with TMA and an inhalation challenge of 15 mg/m3 TMA-induced apneas, laryngeal inflammation, increased numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and increased immunoglobulin E levels in serum and lung tissue. Whole genome analysis of lung, sampled 24 hours after challenge, showed expression changes of not only genes belonging to several Gene Ontology groups with up-regulation of inflammatory-associated genes and those associated with lung remodeling but also genes involved in downsizing these processes. Blood proteomics reflected activation of inflammation-inhibiting pathways. Unsensitized animals challenged with TMA exhibited also an increased number of macrophages in BAL, but gene expression in the above-mentioned gene pathways was unchanged or down-regulated. The authors conclude that parameters for lung remodeling can be a valuable tool in hazard identification of LMW respiratory allergens.
The Correlates of War Data On War: an Update To 1997
Authors: Sarkees Meredith Reid , Schafer Phil
Published: January 2009

The shifting nature of international conflict has prompted a rethinking of the Correlates of War Project's classification of wars. This research note describes the new expanded war typology and the resultant three war data sets. Lists of the qualifying wars in the inter-state, extra-state, and intra-state categories during the 1816-1997 period are appended.
Alignment, Structural Balance, and International Conflict in the Middle East, 1948-1978
Authors: Lai David
Published: January 2009

System-level theories of international relations traditionally focus on the distribution of power capability as the main factor in influencing alignment behavior and the outcome of international conflict. However, the results have not been completely satisfactory. This study suggests that we improve the extant theories by considering the alignment bonds and links along the friend-enemy lines. From an analysis of the joint effect of the balancing of power capabilities and the balancing of the friend-enemy alignment relations, I conclude that in an international system with countries in conflict, an uneven distribution of power capability coupled with the balance of friend-enemy alignment relations in the system provides the best conditions for conflict management. This proposition is subsequently applied to examine the pattern of alignment relations and their impact on military conflict in the Middle East system from 1948 to 1978. The findings support this theoretical assertion.
Trade-Based Interactions: an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Authors: Polachek Solomon W.
Published: January 2009

This paper applies the "conflict-trade" international relations model to the question of labor unrest. Labor unrest is a particular form of conflict prevalent within the U.S. labor market. Labor unrest manifests itself when union workers strike for better wages and benefits during labor corur-act negotiations. The question addressed is why the more educated, less menial workers unionize and strike less. The conflict-trade model argues that dyads trading with each other engage in less conflict. More educated professional and managerial workers engage in more training. The costs and benefits of this training are shared between employers and employees. This sharing is a form of trade, which according to the conflict-trade model reduces worker-firm conflict more for professional-managerial workers than for menial workers. As such, union membership and strike activity are less premlem among the more skilled more educated workforce. The paper is interdisciplinary because it links a trade-based international relations model to labor relations.
Defining States: Reconsiderations and Recommendations
Authors: Bremer Stuart A. , Ghosn Faten
Published: January 2009

This article focuses on the definition of states-an issue that has been a central concern for the Correlates of War Project in particular and international relations in general. The paper argues that we need to move away from the crude dichotomous conceptualization of state system membership, which is far too simple and rigid, to the conceptualization of state membership as a continuous attribute. Two underlying dimensions of stateness are suggested. The first refers to the internal organization of the geopolitical units (GPUs) and focuses on the size, autonomy and cohesion (SAC Index) of the GPU, while the second reflects the way in which a GPU relates to other GPUs and concentrates on interdependence, interaction and recognition (IIR Index). Conceptualizing "stateness" in this way represents a richer and more sophisticated theoretical approach.
Dynamics of International Mediation: Analysis Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Wickboldt Anne-Katrin , Bercovitch Jacob , Piramuthu Selwyn
Published: January 2009

This paper develops a framework to help us understand the dynamics of international mediation efforts and their consequences. This approach identifies the relevant variables that influence the success of these mediation efforts as well as the relationships among these variables in influencing mediation outcomes. The framework incorporates techniques that have been developed under the rubric of machine learning, specifically feature selection and induced decision trees. In addition to confirming some results from previous studies, results from this study provide new insights on some of the most important factors affecting international mediation.
Opportunity Crises: Framework and Findings, 1918-1994
Authors: Ben-Yehuda Hemda
Published: January 2009

This essay focuses on opportunity crisis, a neglected topic within the rubric of crisis studies. The contributions of this research are both conceptual and empirical. Conceptually, it defines opportunity crisis, outlines a framework for its analysis, distinguishes it from the standard threat crisis, and considers the differences between these two variants of international crises in terms of their onset, process and termination. Empirically, the 106 opportunity and 187 threat crises identified in the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) data set, over the 1918-1994 period, are observed in order to test several postulates on the unique attributes of an opportunity crisis, and on the distinctions between opportunity and threat cases.

The study points to a clear conclusion: the stress gap, which is the conceptual distinguishing element between threat and opportunity crises, is responsible for distinctive interaction patterns and crisis outcomes specific to opportunity crisis. The findings support this pre-theory in every category with some exception regarding gravity. Indeed, opportunity crises exhibit more violent triggers and more severe gravity than threat cases. Similarly, interactions in crisis and the role of violence vary by type of crisis. Threat cases exhibit more violence in the primary crisis management technique (CMT) used by target-states and its scope tends to be more severe. Opportunity cases manifest an opposite trend: target-states use more pacific political-diplomatic CMT's, capitulating to the catalyst's demands. If violence is present, its scope is low. Termination, like interactions, varies in type between opportunity and threat crises, in correspondence with the framework postulates on content, form and legacy. The outcomes of opportunity crises tend to be definitive: victory for the initiator and defeat for the target-state, taking the form of either an imposed agreement or a unilateral act. These cases are more likely to escalate later in the course of an on-going conflict. By contrast, threat crises are more ambiguous in content and their termination is likely to take the form of a formal/semi-formal agreement or tacit understanding which reflects target-state willingness to compromise. Consequently, the post-crisis legacy of threat cases is less likely to involve future escalation among adversaries.

Since this study identifies opportunity crises as distinct phenomena, separate from traditional threat crises, its theoretical implications call for future development of separate frameworks for each subgroup of international crisis and draw attention to additional research topics, such as power and regime, which affect opportunity and threat crises in world politics.
Addressing the College-to-Work Transition
Authors: Wendlandt Nancy M. , Rochlen Aaron B.
Published: January 2009

This article reviews recent literature highlighting the challenges associated with the college-to-work transition and proposes a model for understanding the experience of workplace entry for new graduates. This model outlines three stages of development in the transition process, namely (a) anticipation, (b) adjustment, and (c) achievement, and identifies a number of challenges that can be addressed prior to college graduation. In response, this article suggests that university career counselors can play an increasingly supportive role in easing the complexities of the transition. Evidence indicates that students may benefit from a more thorough understanding of workplace realities and resources for coping with the significant change inherent in this transition experience. Implications for university career counselors are provided.
Exploring the Components of Career Well-Being and the Emotions Associated with Significant Career Experiences
Authors: Kidd Jennifer M.
Published: January 2009

This study aimed to identify the main features of career well-being and the emotions people experience as they navigate their careers. Data from 89 individuals working in various occupations suggested seven features of career well-being involving the following: career transitions, interpersonal relationships, relationship with the organization, work performance, sense of purpose, learning and development, and work—life issues. Fifteen positive and 24 negative emotions were reported, and several career experiences were associated with wide-ranging emotions. Moving to a new role was particularly likely to involve a mixture of positive and negative emotions. Participants frequently gave examples of interpersonal difficulties as negative career experiences, and these sometimes led to profound feelings of unhappiness and worthlessness. Implications for career counseling and career management are discussed.
Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Buccal Mucosa in a Patient with Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome
Authors: Shumway Brian S. , Kalmar John R. , Allen Carl M. , Rawal Yeshwant B.
Published: January 2009

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the oral cavity is a controversial lesion with clinical and histopathologic features that overlap with those of peripheral ameloblastoma (PA). Ber-EP4, a cell surface glycoprotein preferentially expressed in BCC of the skin, has been suggested as a useful marker to support the diagnosis of oral BCC.This study presents a case of intraoral BCC arising in the anterior buccal mucosa of a patient with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), which represents a previously unreported clinical finding, to our knowledge. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of the case were compared to examples of PA, conventional intraosseous ameloblastoma, sporadic cutaneous BCC and cutaneous BCC from NBCCS patients. Ber-EP4 expression by the oral tumor was distinct from both peripheral and intraosseous forms of ameloblastoma and was identical to cutaneous BCC in both sporadic and syndromic settings.
Clinicopathologic Analysis of 4 Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumors (PEComas) of the Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Shi Huai-yin , Wei Li-xin , Lu Sun  , Guo Ai-tao
Published: January 2009

This study describes the clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of four cases of GI PEComa. The size of the tumors ranged from 3.5 to 6.0cm in diameter, and all were located in wall of the large bowel. Microscopically, the tumors were characterized by an epithelioid arrangement of tumor cells, which had abundant clear to pale eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. The stroma was rich in capillaries, a sinusoidal vasculature and thick-walled blood vessels. Mitotic figures were generally rare. Immunohistochemically, the tumors were positive for Vimentin (4/4), HMB-45 (4/4), Melan-A(4/4),alpha-smooth muscle actin (4/4), and desmin (3/4). The patients have been well with no evidence of disease at 8, 15, 32 and 36 months,respectively, after the surgical operation. GI tract PEComas should be regarded as tumors of an uncertain malignant potential until long-term outcome data for a larger number of patients become available.
Protein Z G79A Polymorphism in Patients With Severe Sepsis
Authors: Sipahi Tansu , Kuybulu Ayça , Ozturk Aysenur , Akar Nejat
Published: January 2009

The aim of the study is to investigate whether the presence of a protein Z polymorphism is a risk factor for the development and outcome of sepsis. Sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by the presence of systemic signs and symptoms of inflammation. When sepsis leads to organ failure, the term severe sepsis and septic shock is used. The genetic causes of severe sepsis are not fully explained. Protein Z is a vitamin K— dependent glycoprotein and a member of the coagulation cascade. The study included 53 patients with severe sepsis and 70 control healthy volunteers without a familial history of thrombosis. The G79A polymorphism of intron F of the protein Z gene was analyzed by the method of polymerase chain reaction—based DNA analysis. The protein Z intron F G79A polymorphism frequencies of the patients and controls were 43.4% and 40%, respectively. Carrying 79 AA genotype could be a risk factor for severe sepsis and septic shock (OR = 4.5, 95% CI: 0.45-46.1), but it could not find any difference between survivor and nonsurvivor groups. They concluded that the frequency of intron F G79A polymorphism of protein Z gene was higher in patients than controls, and carrying 79 AA genotype could be a risk factor for severe sepsis and septic shock.
The Effects of Survey Question Wording on Rape Estimates
Authors: Fisher Bonnie S.
Published: January 2009

The measurement of rape is among the leading methodological issues in the violence against women field. Methodological discussion continues to focus on decreasing measurement errors and improving the accuracy of rape estimates. The current study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of survey question wording on estimates of completed and attempted rape and verbal threats of rape. Specifically, the study statistically compares self-reported rape estimates from two nationally representative studies of college women's sexual victimization experiences, the National College Women Sexual Victimization study and the National Violence Against College Women study. Results show significant differences between the two sets of rape estimates, with National Violence Against College Women study rape estimates ranging from 4.4% to 10.4% lower than the National College Women Sexual Victimization study rape estimates. Implications for future methodological research are discussed.
The bradykinin-degrading aminopeptidase P is increased in women taking the oral contraceptive pill
Authors: La Corte Amy L Cilia , Carter Angela M , Turner Anthony J , Grant Peter J , Hooper Nigel M
Published: January 2009

Introduction. The renin-angiotensin and kininogen-kinin hormonal systems are critically involved in regulating blood pressure and are candidates in contributing to oral contraceptive pill (OCP)-induced hypertension.Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and aminopeptidase P (AP-P) are key enzymes in these systems and are both involved in the degradation of the vasodilator bradykinin.

Methods. Circulating ACE and AP-P levels were measured by activity assay using selective fluorogenic peptide substrates in plasma samples from the Leeds Family Study. In addition, the effect of progesterone on the expression of AP-P and ACE was examined in cells.

Results. Women on the OCP had higher age-adjusted plasma AP-P (mean [95% confidence interval]) (0.27 [0.23-0.32] nmol/min/ml (n = 53)) compared with women not on the OCP (0.17 [0.16-0.19] nmol/min/ml (n = 133), p < 0.001) or males (0.19 [0.17-0.20] nmol/min/ml (n = 209), p<0.001).There were no differences in the age-adjusted plasma ACE levels among the three groups. In HepG2 cells, progesterone treatment increased the AP-P protein and mRNA expression, whereas no effect of progesterone treatment was observed for ACE.

Conclusion. Increased AP-P may result in increased breakdown of bradykinin.These data suggest that progesterone-induced increases in AP-P may contribute to the development of OCP-induced hypertension in susceptible Women.
Association of insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene with essential hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysian subjects
Authors: Ramachandran Vasudevan , Ismail Patimah , Stanslas Johnson , Shamsudin Norashikin , Moin Saidi , Mohd Jas Rusni
Published: January 2009

Introduction. The deletion (D) allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been studied in various populations in relation to hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with contradictory results.This study sought to determine the association of insertion (I)/D polymorphism of the ACE gene in hypertensive andT2DM subjects in a Malaysian population.

Materials and methods. A total of 260 subjects consisting of 65 HTN, 60 T2DM, 65 T2DM with HTN and 70 controls were recruited. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction initially and mistyping of DD genotypes was performed with an insertion-specific primer.

Results. The frequency for II, ID and DD genotypes of the ACE gene was 36.92%, 52.31% and 10.77% in HTN, 40.00%, 41.67% and 18.33% inT2DM, 30.77%, 53.85% and 15.38% inT2DM with HTN and 57.14%, 40.00% and 2.86% in controls, respectively. The frequency for the D allele was 36.92% in HTN, 39.17% in T2DM and 42.31% in T2DM with HTN compared to 22.86% in controls.The genotype and allele frequency of the ACE gene polymorphism differed significantly in patients when compared to controls (p < 0.05).

Conclusion. The D allele of the ACE gene is associated with essential HTN and T2DM in Malaysian subjects.